I feel so sad about the beached whales in Tassie. Is it time for structured federal intervention in relation to such events, such as the use of defence forces to assist in rescue operations? We need to up the ante in relation to wildlife conservation.
On a different note, is anyone interested in helping to start a 'pick up plastic' day (in addition to clean up Australia day) to try and lessen the impact of pollution in our waterways and seas?
Good on you for raising these important issues.
I'm interested in why whales beach themselves before bringing in the troops. Nobody seems to know yet why & as yet I haven't read or heard about any research on the matter. Who knows, maybe it's a natural phenomenon to control whale populations although that seems unlikely in a world where humans seem intent on destroying everything in their paths.
We seem to have come to the point where the whales may be damned if the troops are brought in & damned if they're not. It's a very tight corner we've painted our planet into.
On the plastic front, rather the set up a seperate plastic cleanup organization would it be more productive to expand the existing resources of Cleanup Australia to make a concentrated attack on plastics while simultaneously hammering the federal government to do more, lots more, on this serious issue, notwithstanding that our PM has made plastics a key issue.
It seems we can send a man to the moon (altho we havent for a long time) but we cant work out why whales beach or save them when they do. Some might think it a waste of money to use our defence forces to save whales but even if I was dying from COVID or whatever I would be happy to know that the whales were freed and I would rest in peace.
I dont think our rivers (and birds and other wildlife) can wait for clean up Australia day, although your proposal for this organisation to focus on plastics is a sound one. I and some of my gardening community are organising a walk along the river bank near our community garden the weekend after next to pick up plastic (only the hard plastic at this stage). I'm hoping to expand the walks to involve the wider local population in my suburb, at least. I was unimpressed after walking along the river bank earlier this week to see the small trees lining the river 'adorned' with plastic, as well as hundreds of plastic soft drink bottles caught up in debris along the bank.
Ah, whitewingedchough, you are raising all sorts of issues which our society, particularly our glorious leaders, don't want to even acknowledge let alone think about.
I believe money is far better spent on finding out why whales strand themselves rather than flying to the moon. Clearly, governments don't agree, preferring to focus on "man's" need to explore the universe - indeed preferring to let Earth go to hell in a hand basket while putting an increasing amount of junk into orbit thus interfering with "man's" ability to explore the universe. Mind you, satellites are being used to help obtain a picture of the repair work needed on our planet but, alas, I'm yet to see any real benefits from this technology. I guess it's all part of our crazy, contradictory world which people keep commenting on but doing little about. Let's hope that by the time we awaken to the need to repair Earth it's not too late.
However, I see hope in the fact that you & your gardening community aren't prepared to wait for Clean Up Australia or government action to deal with plastics in your local area. Far better to ask for forgiveness than to seek permission. It's only a small step in the huge scheme of things but from little things big things grow. Not only that, if not you & your friends, who? Go for it, whitewingedchough!
Far better to ask for forgiveness than to seek permission.
Thank you for your encouragement.
All necessary protocols, such as social distancing/wearing gloves will be adhered to. Do we need permission do you think, if we are just a small group of friends (and a dog or two) going for a walk and picking up rubbish and taking photos of birds along the way? I heard (from another birdwatcher/photographer) of someone in Victoria who got fined for taking photos whilst out exercising during recent lockdowns, but the ACT does not have the same restrictions as we have been COVID free for some time now as we are so good here at doing the right thing.
Just as a matter of interest, why are the posts on this website few and far between? No offence, but is this usual on websites about birds? I have been on other forums (not about birds) and there is a lot more traffic.
I hardly think you would need permission to keep your part of the planet clear of plastic, whitewingedchough. Having said that you never know when an officious official is going to pop his/her head over a bush & complain about your activities notwithstanding your excellent efforts at social distancing. That's when a speedy letter to the local press &/or a call to the local TV station is needed to expose such control freak nonsense.
In my 10 years as a member (I checked this the other day: my how time flies) I've seen the volume of traffic on the forum wax & wane. It has been quiet for some time & I've wondered if it's had anything to do with the covid pandemic since people aren't out & about with the birds as much & therefore have less on which to report.
It might also depend on the motivations of people to join Birds in Backyards. It's a minority, I suspect, who are up for the sort of debate & activity that people like yourself are up for. While traffic might be down I notice there's a constant stream of new members, many of whom seem content to observe ("lurke" is the forum jargon, Ms Woko tells me) or have a particular question answered (usually about identification) before moving on. Then there are those who, no doubt, are weary of my banging on about preserving Earth & aren't having their particular needs met. So the forum caters to a wide range of people, it seems.
Other thoughts I've had include: the decline in woodland bird populations means there aren't as many birds around for folk to observe, particularly in human-populated areas; wage stagnation & reduction means people don't have the money to travel to birding spots or buy binoculars & cameras; people are increasingly addicted to dumb phones & other head-drooping technologies rather than curious about the natural world.
Whether the relative quiet on Birds In Backyards is usual on sites about birds I don't know. I think there are several, at least, members who belong to other bird forums & they might like to comment. But all this might make an interesting subject for a PhD!
I've made a new topic about our pick up plastic walk.