Another ending and beginning

Another ending and beginning
                        

The year 2021 has been a full one of living with the results of climate change, COVID-19 deaths (reaching 800,000 in our country alone) and a world that is polarized on some important issues.

Birding in 2021 seemed less important than the above issues, but the reality is all of this is intricately connected. The loss of millions of birds, insects and amphibians is connected to the effects of climate change. This past year we have seen continuing results of these changes including increasing temperatures, stronger storms, more natural disasters and rising sea levels.

Over the years our family has lived in Central and South America, Africa, and Asia. In all those locations, we have seen huge numbers of people living near sea level. Many of these locations will not be able to deal with rising sea levels. This also is true for many communities here in North America.

This is a birding column, so let’s look at what the new year might bring. Many of us find birds and the natural world bring us some level of peace and joy in a time when uncertainty and fear seem to be all around us. Birding will be a part of that for many of us.

For my wife Helen and me, this means making decisions every day about what we are comfortable doing. Can we eat out with friends? Can we go birding, take a hike and travel safely? We are glad our immediate family members have taken steps to protect themselves and others around them. Some of them have no choice but to be in close contact with co-workers every day, some of whom have made different choices with regard to wearing masks and vaccinations. And COVID-19 numbers are again increasing rapidly in our local communities here in Northern Indiana. It’s a scary time for all of us.

All of this creates increased levels of stress for many of us, perhaps similar to the increased levels of stress birds are subjected to. For me personally, this brought changes, some that have taken me by surprise.

Birds have been an integral part of my life since I was quite young. Some of my friends and family might say it has been an obsession at times. However, for the last 18 months, I have found other things have increasingly pushed my birding time aside. I stopped driving to Ohio when I had a chance to add a new life bird to my Ohio list. I have spent less time birding than I used to, although I have been walking more miles than in the past.

Helen and I still try to hike as much as possible, enjoying the flowers and birds we see, but we increasingly find ourselves thinking about our children and grandchildren, neighbors and church friends, community, and the world. We wonder what they will experience in the coming years and decades. I am sure my generation made many poor decisions, especially with regard to caring for our planet and its inhabitants.

So this December, as Christmas Bird Counts are taking place and birders are thinking about 2022 birding goals, I wish for each of you a year filled with beautiful birds, caring family, good friends and lots of opportunities to enjoy our wonderful natural world. I also hope each of us will continue to think about and act on ways to make the world a better place for all of us.

Blessings for the coming year.

Bruce Glick can be emailed at bglick2@gmail.com.


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