There's no doubt that when people call it the "horse industry" they are
calling it like it is. It is an industry. I would not even call it
agriculture, just my opinion.
We can despair over this environmental disaster, or we can do something
about it. Some of us attended a recent lecture by Dr. Doug Tallamy, a
University of Delaware professor of entomology and wildlife ecology, who
spoke on the importance of native plant gardening related to
biodiversity. One of his points was the importance of individual land
owners, even of very small suburban plots. Given the amount of
"landscaping" being perpetrated in the suburbs of this country, he
advanced the idea that if we took back even half of the acreage now
covered by lawns and reclaimed that land with native plants which
support insects, and therefore birds and other wildlife, we would
transform a huge amount of land for biodiversity. It would be far more
than a long list of big national parks could ever protect. There are not
enough parks, and likely never will be, but all that suburban land is
just waiting to be liberated. May I suggest that if enough of us take
this seriously and educate ourselves on what it takes to support
biodiversity at home, and put it into practice, and interest our friends
and neighbors in the same, that we could simply overwhelm the horse
industry?
To start with I would recommend Dr. Tallamy's excellent book "Bringing
Nature Home". What you pick up at the garden store really matters. The
lovely Asian Ginkgo supports only one species of Lepidopteran. Our much
lovelier native oaks support 534. That's a huge bird feeder.
On 10/26/2015 8:15 AM, Mark Tower wrote:
I read this article <http://www.birdwatchersdigest-digital.com/birdwatchersdigest/november_december_2015/?pg=91&pm=2&u1=friend> in the most recent issue of Bird Watcher's Digest. Julie Zickefoose touched on many themes in the column, but for a few paragraphs there is (in my opinion) one of the most scathingly accurate assessment of the environmental life of the inner Bluegrass. Gave me a sick feeling in my stomach.
Bird Watcher's Digest - November/December 2015
For more than 30 years, Bird Watcher's Digest has been entertaining and informing bird watchers with our blend of excellent feature articles, bird species profiles, accounts of birding adventures, and stunning art and photography. Each 112-page issue of BWD covers a variety of topics from bird feeding and wildlife gardening to choosing birding gear, and improving your bird-spotting and identification skills. But most of all, BWD is delightfully enjoyable to read from cover to cover. Why? Because BWD is created and published by bird watchers, for bird watchers. We think you'll agree that once you open your first issue of Bird Watcher's Digest, you won't be able to put it down.
Read more... <http://www.birdwatchersdigest-digital.com/birdwatchersdigest/november_december_2015/?pg=91&pm=2&u1=friend>
I'd say "enjoy," but it's really more like "read and weep."
Mark
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