Many of us have heard a clarion call and we are doing what we can to combat climate change, the use of toxic chemicals, habitat loss, factory farming, pet overpopulation and more. My series on Unsung Heroes for Our Times continues with Judy Ambrose, Executive Director of the Neponset Valley Humane Society in Norwood, Massachusetts. Having witnessed first-hand the needless suffering of cats (including ferals), dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and other companion animals, Judy has made it her life’s mission to serve as an animal advocate, educator and rescuer.
Judy has felt a kinship with animals since she was a little girl and possesses an innate ability to understand their needs. She also has an amazing ability to match pets and prospective adopters. Many marvel at the sense of destiny they feel when Judy makes these introductions. And if animals are sick or in need of special care, Judy never hesitates to do what she can to get them well or make their last days as comfortable and peaceful as possible.
Over the years, I’ve been privileged to observe Judy caring for many animals. Her calm energy is soothing and healing. I can never forget her tenderness with rabbits when she served as manager of a shelter that took in many pet rabbits, so often discarded once their owners tire of them. Sadly, pet rabbits are also frequently abandoned in the woods where they have no hope for survival.
I recall a large Chinchilla rabbit named Jack that Judy took under her wing. He had a mellow, sweet temperament and was just a lovely boy in every way. I watched as Judy smoothed out a soft blanket for him to sit on, lay fresh greens down for him to eat and gently caress his cheek. That rabbit felt so safe and secure in her presence. And because he was able to enjoy the safety and peace of a warm, quiet and cage free room, his personality shone through, and he was quickly adopted by a little girl and her family who truly appreciated how special he was.
In today’s society where companion animals are all too easily abandoned or quickly euthanized in overcrowded shelters, Judy Ambrose is a Unsung Hero for Our Times.
More about the Neponset Valley Humane Society and Judy's outstanding efforts there in my next post.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Earth with one “a,” according to McKibben, no longer exists. We have carbonized it out of existence.
”We’ve built a new Earth. It’s not as nice as the old one; it’s the greatest mistake humans have ever made, one that we will pay for literally forever. We live on a new planet. What happens next is up to us,” says Bill McKibben, writer, activist and environmental hero in his book Eaarth. Read The New York Times review here and then if you haven't read the book, which came out in 2010, read it now.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Many of us have heard a clarion call and we are doing what we can to combat climate change, the use of toxic chemicals, habitat loss, factory farming, pet overpopulation and more. My series, Unsung Heroes for Our Times, calls attention to those who are actively working to make this planet a better place for all living things. I continue now with Bill McKibben, writer, activist and planet Earth’s BFF. He is also the founder of 350.org, an international climate change organization campaigning to reduce the level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere to a safer 350 parts per million.
Bill is a local ― he grew up in the Massachusetts suburb of Lexington. Today he gave a talk on “Report from the Front Lines of the Climate Fight: A Few Jailhouse Notes on What We Still Can Do.” Several hundred people filled the auditorium at Weston High School and listened with rapt attention as he quietly and powerfully spoke the truth about what is happening to our environment and why.
McKibben began by explaining that part of his job description now is to “serve as professional bummer outer” and while he planned to end his talk in a more hopeful place, first he would have to take us “into the valley.” In a nutshell, since publication of his seminal book on the environment, The End of Nature (1989), we have, through the burning of coal and oil, put much more carbon into the atmosphere faster than we thought. Now we have 40% less ice in the arctic in summer and our ocean chemistry is 30% more acidic as a result of absorbing all of this carbon.
The last two weeks were so warm in New England that residents donned shorts and flip flops; bulbs bloomed and trees blossomed more than three weeks ahead of schedule. While it was a pleasant change from the cold, raw and damp weather we normally experience in March, it was also very troubling to those of us who track climate change, and it did not feel right.
Like many writers, McKibben is more inclined to be introspective than out talking to crowds of people and he now spends a great deal of time traveling around the world to build the 350.org movement and work toward political change.
“We spent too long a time having our scientists tell political leaders what climate change was and how it was happening. While our scientists were speaking to political leaders in one ear, fossil fuel giants like Exxon were bellowing their message of protecting profits in their other ear, buying political power to delay and block change."
For these reasons and many more you can learn about by visiting 350.org, Bill McKibben is an Unsung Hero for Our Times.
In Massachusetts environmental police and fish and game officials are investigating the illegal and wanton killing of 14 coyotes that were discovered dumped in a lumberyard. The owner of the lumberyard called the discovery "horrifying."
On March 16th I wrote a post about John Maguranis to begin my series on unsung heroes for our times and shine a light on his work to help coyotes and educate the public on how to peacefully coexist with them. When I asked John what he thought about this event, he said it was "tragic and unnecessary." As for his take on why it happened, he didn't want to speculate and is waiting for more information. I will relay that when it becomes available.
In the meantime, read the story here. If any of the 14 coyotes were female, they were likely to be pregnant with pups due in April or May.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Spring, the season of rebirth, is nearly here. In the Northeast the winter of 2012 was one of the warmest on record and in some areas plants are blooming earlier. While the mild winter has been beneficial in many ways, scientists suspect that the change in normal weather patterns is one factor that has led to an unprecedented number of dolphin strandings along the coast of Cape Cod, and though many were saved, far more were lost. The lack of snow and mild temperatures means that insect populations are set to boom – mosquitoes and ticks among them.
While mainstream news media blithely report what we already know, that climate change is real, (how many extreme weather events must we experience to get it?) they fail to report on ways we can all work together to stop further human-induced climate change.
Still, many of us have heard a clarion call and we are doing what we can to combat climate change, habitat loss, marine pollution, factory farming, pet overpopulation and more. Hence, my brief series beginning this month on Unsung Heroes for Our Times. My aim is to call attention to some courageous individuals working to make this planet a better place for all living beings. One day at a time, these heroes are making a difference and I hope they will inspire you to do the same.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
March is here! Now is the time to think about ways to attract and sustain the birds that visit our gardens. For several years I have been planting native shrubs that bear fruit in my wildlife garden. For example, the Red Berried Elderberry is a very important food source for a wide variety of birds, and produces clusters of red fruit that ripen just about the same time that baby birds need them in late June and early July. Other varieties of elderberry ripen in late summer. I grow both to keep food available during nesting season and to help birds during migration.
This year I am planting a chokeberry called 'Iroquis Beauty' that is noteworthy for its compact growth and smaller size, growing only to three-feet tall. The fruit is very attractive to birds throughout the winter and especially in the spring during migration when there is very little else for birds to eat.
Aronia has three-season interest that begins in the spring with loads of white flowers followed by clusters of dark-blue fruit that last all winter. In the fall, the glossy-green foliage turns a wine-red color. This shrub is very adaptable and grows in wet or dry conditions, and in full sun or shade. Another plus is the fact that it's self pollinating.
When you visit your local nursery this spring, ask about native plants for birds and you'll be pleasantly surprised at the nice selection of shrubs you'll find. When you plant these shrubs in your garden you provide places for birds to rest, perch and hide from predators; nest and raise their young; and find shelter from the weather.