BLOGGERS: PLEASE PASS THIS POST ALONG TO OTHERS.
I ask you: What's wrong with this photo? Study it closely.
Well, for starters, the beautiful powder-gray sandhill crane is dead!
And somehow, a dead sandhill is much less precious than a live one, because its life is what we celebrate. In many parts of the world cranes are revered as "Birds from Heaven." Killing one is a dishonor, a harbinger of ill fortune. Peter Matthiessen writes, "Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, two noble bronze cranes awaited me on the high terrace; the most famous crane statues in the world, they originally stood guard on either side of the emperor's throne in the imperial palace as symbols of long life and good fortune, and like most creatures depicted in Chinese art, they are beautiful."
North America has two species of cranes: the large white five-foot-tall whooping crane and the smaller, four-foot-tall, sandhill. I've written about sandhill cranes before. Historically, there once was a large population that migrated from breeding grounds in the north (primarily Wisconsin) to wintering grounds (wetlands and marshes) in the south. During the spring and fall they passed through Tennessee. But that population was overhunted. By the 1930s, only 25 breeding pairs were recorded in Wisconsin. Seeing one pass through the Volunteer State was a rare occurrence.
Through "compassionate" conservation efforts—saying "no, no" to hunters and creating wildlife refuges—the eastern migratory flock has slowly rebounded. But it's taken 70 years: one man's lifetime.
Hurray for our side! We can do the right thing! Right a wrong! Save the day!
East Tennessee got into the act in the late 1980s by planting up to 750-acres of corn annually at Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Meigs County. The sandhills stopped and liked the buffet to such an extent that thousands of them decided to spend the winter. That's good old Tennessee hospitality, never let a stranger pass without offering him a meal. Our man-made bounty was so plentiful, the cranes had no need to fly farther south. Over the years the sandhill numbers grew. Life was good. It was such a wondrous sight that watching them became an attractant to birdwatchers, curiosity-seekers and passing tourists. A sandhill crane festival was created, and the event became a high point of every cold, dreary February. (Birding festivals across the country draw thousands of visitors. Thousands.) I attended the sandhill festival at Hiwassee many times and enjoyed every one.
But wait. The growing sandhill crane population has been deemed a problem. The festival terminated. And the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA)—the governing body for all wildlife in our state—is being pressured to open a hunting season on the cranes.
Say what?
We plant corn. We thrill at the sight of thousands of cranes eating that corn, we turn it into a tourist attraction and now we want to hide in the tall grass and shoot them. (The cranes, not the tourists.)
TWRA has been put in a awkward position: part of their supporters are hunters, part are outdoor enthusiasts like birdwatchers; but the latter faction needs to stand up and be heard.
If sandhill crane hunting in Tennessee does not make sense to you, write a letter to voice your opposition. I MEAN it! Do not put this off, or the photo at the top of this page will become a reality.
Here are the addresses:
Michael Chase, TWRC Chairperson/PO Box 50370/Knoxville, TN 37950 email: mike.chase@tn.gov
James Fyke, Commissioner, TDEC/21st Floor, L&C Tower/401 Church St./Nashville, TN 37243
Dr. Jeff McMillan/1705 Edgemont Ave./Bristol, TN 37620 email: jeff.mcmillin@tn.gov
Mr. Terry Oliver, Commissioner, TN Dept. of Agriculture/Ellington Agricultural Center/PO Box 40627/Nashville, TN 37204
Eric Wright/1587 Highway 91/Elizabethton, TN 37643 email: eric.wright@mapeswire.com
Annual Florida Birding Festivals:
1. Everglades Birdfest: Everglades National Park: January
2. Big “O” Birding Festival: Glades and Hendry Counties: January, three day event
3. Southwest Florida Birding Festival: Rookery Bay, Naples: January
4. Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival: Titusville: January, five day event
5. Burrowing Owl Festival: Cape Coral: February
6. Orlando Wetlands Park Festival: Christmas, FL: February
7. Suwannee River Valley Birding Festival: White Springs: March
8. Pelican Island Wildlife Festival: Sebastian, FL: March
9. Goby Fest: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere: April
10. Wakulla Wildlife Festival: Wakulla Springs: April
11. Welcome Back Songbirds Festival: Titusville: April
12. Welcome Back Songbirds Festival: Brooksville: April
13. Pinewoods Bird Festival: Pebble Hill Plantation: April
14. Florida’s First Coast Birding and Nature Festival: St. Augustine: April
15. Nature Coast Birding and Wildlife Experience: Cedar Key: September
16. Florida Keys Birding & Wildlife Festival: Marathon, FL: September
17. “Ding” Darling Days: Sanibel Island: October
18. Florida Panhandle Birding and Wildflower Festival: Port St. Joe: October
•
Well, for starters, the beautiful powder-gray sandhill crane is dead!
And somehow, a dead sandhill is much less precious than a live one, because its life is what we celebrate. In many parts of the world cranes are revered as "Birds from Heaven." Killing one is a dishonor, a harbinger of ill fortune. Peter Matthiessen writes, "Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, two noble bronze cranes awaited me on the high terrace; the most famous crane statues in the world, they originally stood guard on either side of the emperor's throne in the imperial palace as symbols of long life and good fortune, and like most creatures depicted in Chinese art, they are beautiful."
North America has two species of cranes: the large white five-foot-tall whooping crane and the smaller, four-foot-tall, sandhill. I've written about sandhill cranes before. Historically, there once was a large population that migrated from breeding grounds in the north (primarily Wisconsin) to wintering grounds (wetlands and marshes) in the south. During the spring and fall they passed through Tennessee. But that population was overhunted. By the 1930s, only 25 breeding pairs were recorded in Wisconsin. Seeing one pass through the Volunteer State was a rare occurrence.
Through "compassionate" conservation efforts—saying "no, no" to hunters and creating wildlife refuges—the eastern migratory flock has slowly rebounded. But it's taken 70 years: one man's lifetime.
Hurray for our side! We can do the right thing! Right a wrong! Save the day!
East Tennessee got into the act in the late 1980s by planting up to 750-acres of corn annually at Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Meigs County. The sandhills stopped and liked the buffet to such an extent that thousands of them decided to spend the winter. That's good old Tennessee hospitality, never let a stranger pass without offering him a meal. Our man-made bounty was so plentiful, the cranes had no need to fly farther south. Over the years the sandhill numbers grew. Life was good. It was such a wondrous sight that watching them became an attractant to birdwatchers, curiosity-seekers and passing tourists. A sandhill crane festival was created, and the event became a high point of every cold, dreary February. (Birding festivals across the country draw thousands of visitors. Thousands.) I attended the sandhill festival at Hiwassee many times and enjoyed every one.
But wait. The growing sandhill crane population has been deemed a problem. The festival terminated. And the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA)—the governing body for all wildlife in our state—is being pressured to open a hunting season on the cranes.
Say what?
We plant corn. We thrill at the sight of thousands of cranes eating that corn, we turn it into a tourist attraction and now we want to hide in the tall grass and shoot them. (The cranes, not the tourists.)
True they are large birds, easy targets for even novice marksmen but where is the sport? Wouldn't it be better to stop planting the corn and let the sandhills migrate farther south as they once did? Most of them would end up in Florida, a state that understands tourism and gladly accepts the dollars it generates. (Florida already hosts 18 birding festivals a year—see the list below—and would probably savor another one honoring our sandhills. They could call it the "Tennessee Doesn't Want You, but We Do Festival.")
If our state wants something for target practice, wouldn't it be better to shoot European starlings? There are thousands of them. They are a true nuisance. And there would be real sport in shooting one of the agile little buggers. Or if that's a bit too tricky, how about Canada geese? They are also big bulls eyes and even a problem in many urban areas and there's already a hunting season in Tennessee for the fat and sassy grass-eaters.
If sandhill crane hunting in Tennessee does not make sense to you, write a letter to voice your opposition. I MEAN it! Do not put this off, or the photo at the top of this page will become a reality.
Here are the addresses:
Michael Chase, TWRC Chairperson/PO Box 50370/Knoxville, TN 37950 email: mike.chase@tn.gov
James Fyke, Commissioner, TDEC/21st Floor, L&C Tower/401 Church St./Nashville, TN 37243
Dr. Jeff McMillan/1705 Edgemont Ave./Bristol, TN 37620 email: jeff.mcmillin@tn.gov
Mr. Terry Oliver, Commissioner, TN Dept. of Agriculture/Ellington Agricultural Center/PO Box 40627/Nashville, TN 37204
Eric Wright/1587 Highway 91/Elizabethton, TN 37643 email: eric.wright@mapeswire.com
Annual Florida Birding Festivals:
1. Everglades Birdfest: Everglades National Park: January
2. Big “O” Birding Festival: Glades and Hendry Counties: January, three day event
3. Southwest Florida Birding Festival: Rookery Bay, Naples: January
4. Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival: Titusville: January, five day event
5. Burrowing Owl Festival: Cape Coral: February
6. Orlando Wetlands Park Festival: Christmas, FL: February
7. Suwannee River Valley Birding Festival: White Springs: March
8. Pelican Island Wildlife Festival: Sebastian, FL: March
9. Goby Fest: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere: April
10. Wakulla Wildlife Festival: Wakulla Springs: April
11. Welcome Back Songbirds Festival: Titusville: April
12. Welcome Back Songbirds Festival: Brooksville: April
13. Pinewoods Bird Festival: Pebble Hill Plantation: April
14. Florida’s First Coast Birding and Nature Festival: St. Augustine: April
15. Nature Coast Birding and Wildlife Experience: Cedar Key: September
16. Florida Keys Birding & Wildlife Festival: Marathon, FL: September
17. “Ding” Darling Days: Sanibel Island: October
18. Florida Panhandle Birding and Wildflower Festival: Port St. Joe: October
•
2 comments:
Great post Stephen Lyn. Awesome that you show how Florida is enjoying and celebrating wildlife and inviting everyone to join them. Here are a couple of links that provide easy online comments:
http://tennessee.gov/twra/sandhillproposal.html
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RPCMLJV
The Hiwassee Crane Festival was the only bird festival I found when looking up birding festivals in Tennessee.
These birding tourists tend to be more affluent than the average U.S. citizen, and they travel more often. They spend money on hotels, restaurants, and equipment.
I cannot fathom why the Chamber in Knoxville doesn't want to find a way to tap into a bird festival--or Gatlinburg. It's my understanding that Gatlinburg was approached about a birding festival--which would likely have been a huge tourist draw---only to turn it down. Pigeon Forge is the only town around that has some idea of how to grab tourists---their Wilderness Wildlife Week draws thousands of them in the middle of winter. If a nature festival in Pigeon Forge in the coldest, bleakest part of the year can draw that many tourists, it makes me wonder how huge a real birding festival could be.
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