[BCNnet] FW: A Merger?-- my opinion

Tue, 18 Jun 2002 23:27:42 EDT

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In a message dated 6/18/02 8:16:37 PM Central Daylight Time,=20
donniebird@yahoo.com writes:

> Birding friends:
> =20
> The following article is from the current (June 2002) issue of Birding,=20
> published by the American Birding Association, and authored by Paul=20
> Baicich.  It is printed here with the author=E2=80=99s permission and=20
> encouragement.  In my opinion, it argues, very persuasively, for something=
=20
> I have long believed and urged: that IBET and BCNnet should merge.  After=20
> you read this completely what is your opinion?
> =20
>=20

I don't see that there is such a dichotomy in our area, here in NE Illinois.=
 =20
Granted, the 'bird people' may have a particular focus and a focused voice,=20
but a lot of them are very involved in other sorts of conservation as well.=20=
 =20
       I also think that the writer overlooked one very important facet of=20
bird people -- mainly, the waterfowl and upland game hunters.  These sportin=
g=20
outdoorsmen & women and their supporting organizations have done a lot to=20
support conservation of both their resource and the associated habitats. =20
         I don't think that a merger would be the ultimate way to go.  There=
=20
is some divergence of interests at times, and a merger might lead to more=20
friction on where to allocate time and resources than needs to be the case.=20=
=20
Forming some type of working coalition, tasked to accomplish common goals,=20
might not be a bad idea. =20

.=C2=A0 In the interim, while the population at large, thankfully, has becom=
e
more sensitive to the environment, wild places, and wild things, many real=20
connections to the outdoors seem more remote.
=C2=A0
This is true.  Unfortunately, I think a lot of the increased sensitivity may=
=20
have come from "Bambi" more than a real education on wild things and wild=20
places.  This is unfortunate, because it should be relatively easy to teach=20
young people about nature in schools.  Unfortunately, like Aldo Leapold's=20
book laments, they instead spend their "Biology" lessons learning to name al=
l=20
of the bumps on the bones of dead cats.  I sometimes think that most high=20
school kids would be better served by learning the names of the birds in=20
their neighborhood, and that each has a niche and a way of life, and habitat=
=20
is important. =20

Debbie Antlitz.=20

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<HTML>In a message dated 6/18/02 8:16:37 PM Central Daylight=
 Time, donniebird@yahoo.com writes:
 
 
 <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=3DCITE style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff=20=
2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Birding f=
riends:
 
 The following article is from the current (June 2002)=20=
issue of Birding, published by the American Birding Association, and authore=
d by Paul Baicich. &nbsp;It is printed here with the author=E2=80=99s permis=
sion and encouragement. &nbsp;In my opinion, it argues, very persuasively, f=
or something I have long believed and urged: that IBET and BCNnet should mer=
ge. &nbsp;After you read this completely what is your opinion?
 
 </BLOCKQUOTE>
 
 
 I don't see that there is such a dichotomy in our area, here in NE Illin=
ois. &nbsp;Granted, the 'bird people' may have a particular focus and a focu=
sed voice, but a lot of them are very involved in other sorts of conservatio=
n as well. &nbsp;&nbsp;
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I also think that the writer overlo=
oked one very important facet of bird people -- mainly, the waterfowl and up=
land game hunters. &nbsp;These sporting outdoorsmen &amp; women and their su=
pporting organizations have done a lot to support conservation of both their=
 resource and the associated habitats. &nbsp;
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I don't think that a me=
rger would be the ultimate way to go. &nbsp;There is some divergence of inte=
rests at times, and a merger might lead to more friction on where to allocat=
e time and resources than needs to be the case. &nbsp;Forming some type of w=
orking coalition, tasked to accomplish common goals, might not be a bad idea=
. &nbsp;
 
 .=C2=A0 In the interim, while the population at large,=
 thankfully, has become
 more sensitive to the environment, wild places, and wi=
ld things, many real connections to the outdoors seem more remote.<FO=
NT COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SERIF" FACE=3D"Times New Roman" LAN=
G=3D"0">
 =C2=A0
 This is true. &nbsp;Unfortunately, I think a lot of the increased sensit=
ivity may have come from "Bambi" more than a real education on wild things a=
nd wild places. &nbsp;This is unfortunate, because it should be relatively e=
asy to teach young people about nature in schools. &nbsp;Unfortunately, like=
 Aldo Leapold's book laments, they instead spend their "Biology" lessons lea=
rning to name all of the bumps on the bones of dead cats. &nbsp;I sometimes=20=
think that most high school kids would be better served by learning the name=
s of the birds in their neighborhood, and that each has a niche and a way of=
 life, and habitat is important. &nbsp;
 
 Debbie Antlitz.=20
 </HTML>

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