Posted By Scott on July 25, 2010

Hanging in a blanket of blackened space is a great blue earthen ball
that is swelling with oceans;
that is sprouting mountains that break the clouds;
that is watching dunes roll across deserts a grain at a time;
that is fracturing the floor with saplings soon to become the latest forests;
that is teeming with life.

If you look closely you’ll realize it is an “X” in the map of our universe.  I glanced at the legend and I think you should too.  It marks the spot.

I am here.
“You are here.”

On Saturday, July 24th, the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network has officially been given an opportunity to make its mark.  The “X” falls on Earth Island Institute as the Board of Directors approved the adoption of my burrowing owl project…our burrowing owl project.  And I think it is a great fit that will allow us to spread our wings in the name of conservation.

 “For 25 years, Earth Island Institute has been a hub for grassroots campaigns dedicated to conserving, preserving, and restoring the ecosystems on which our civilization depends.

Our Project Support program acts as an incubator for start-up environmental projects, giving crucial assistance to groups and individuals with new ideas for promoting ecological sustainability. Since our founding, we have provided fiscal sponsorship to more than 100 projects around the globe.”  Earth Island Institute

Turning back to the analogy, it might seem complex, but the manual is pretty simple.  We’ve just made things a bit complicated over time. We’ve added sticky notes that say “I owe you,” scribbled on it, fixed tears with duct tape instead of transparent adhesives, and made it difficult for subsequent generations to clearly see the instructions.  But through all the clutter I can still distinguish the text and I hope you can too.

Let’s continue to work together, put burrowing owls on the map, and Unite our Communities for Wildlife and Habitat Preservation.  I’m looking forward to it!

Sincerely,

Scott

Category: Owls, conservation | No Comments »
Tags: Burrowing Owl Conservation Network, burrowing owls, Earth Island Institute

Posted By Scott on July 23, 2010

It’s never too early to start planning for the next great event and of course we all need the extra time to add them to our calendars.  So here is the first of many reminders about the upcoming meeting of the California Burrowing Owl Consortium.

Our host, Sonoma Birding, is working on an exciting venue and I am looking forward to seeing you there.  And of course meeting all of you in person, talking burrowing owls, and sharing my presentation and conservation ideas.

Sept 11th (Sat) – California Burrowing Owl Consortium  (10:00AM- 3:00PM)

The fall event is hosted by Sonoma Birding at the beautiful Viansa Winery and Wetlands:

25200 Arnold Drive
Sonoma, CA 95476

Both the science and citizen science community are most welcomed.  The agenda will include presentations by experts, breakout sessions, a panel discussion and reception. Your $30 entrance fee also includes lunch.

Make checks payable to:  Viansa Winery
Mail payment by Monday, Sept. 6, 2010 to:  Sonoma Birding, PO. Box 1621, Sonoma, CA 95476

Phone Tom Rusert at 707-939-8007 or email sonomanature (at) gmail (dot) com with suggestions or questions.  Come and Celebrate Sonoma’s Good Nature!

Category: Owls, birds | 1 Comment »
Tags: burrowing owl, California Burrowing Owl Consortium, western burrowing owls

Posted By Scott on July 16, 2010

I’m a big proponent of getting people involved in conservation and wildlife stewardship.  Sometimes it means picking up trash and debris on our beaches while other times it requires us to become a bit more boisterous and take an active role as our cities expand.  And one quote says it all…

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.

Edmund Burke

Over at Ecosystem Gardening, Carole Brown is advocating for the exact same thing; the creation of wildlife habitat.  However, it involves a unique spin by getting people involved in converting their yards and properties into sustainable garden ecosystems.  And in an era when habitat loss and fragmentation are leading causes for the decline of biodiversity, our gardens may actually play a vital role in the establishment of much needed wildlife corridors.  Thus, I was excited and flattered when Carole asked if I wanted to address the topic with a guest post.

Here is an excerpt to get you started but wander on over and check out my post “Combating Habitat Fragmentation with Garden Corridors.”

Individually our eco-friendly gardens may be an island refuge, but when linked together with other sustainable landscapes we effectively create much needed wildlife corridor routes.  In the classic sense, these corridor routes provide a means by which animals may move with minimal resistance between two geographic locations.

But, on a local level corridors provide suburban, urban and rural passageways in which species can travel from one habitat to another or from one isolated fragment of original territory to the next.  We cannot eliminate urban sprawl, but we can certainly try to mitigate the consequences.

Category: Urban sprawl, Wildlife, conservation | 1 Comment »
Tags: ecosystem gardening, habitat fragmentation, Wildlife corridors

Posted By Scott on July 14, 2010

I’m still here.  Once you add up the many hours I’ve been spending putting together a nationwide ocean conservation project, the launch of a burrowing owl conservation organization and visiting the Northern California coastline in the Mendocino vicinity, it becomes obvious that I simply ran out of time.  Plus I have two German shorthaired Pointers that are always in dire need of a good run, or two, or three.

And when I looked at the calendar I couldn’t believe we are already in mid-July.  So while I gather some thoughts on wildlife conservation, enjoy a few pieces of feathered eye candy that I’ve crossed paths with recently.

Category: Migratory Birds, Photos | 4 Comments »
Tags: belted kingfisher, green heron, osprey