Megan Mosby
Executive Director
7 Resolutions that Might Actually Make a Difference and 8 Black American Naturalists That Already Have
First, New Year’s Resolutions… I have long since given up making resolutions that would somehow improve myself… no more dieting, no more specific exercise routines, no more sticking to a personal budget, etc… the resolutions that disappear in record time. This year, in an article from Cornell Lab, there is a list of seven resolutions one could make that would improve the situations for birds and other wildlife. Now that is something I can get behind. Here, in short form, are seven things you could do to help. I encourage you to consider one and all.
- Create an awareness of the dangers of bird strikes on windows in order to lessen the impact on up to 1 billion birds that die annually from hitting windows.
- Keep your cats inside. Not only does it lengthen the life of your cats it will lessen the estimated 2.4 billion birds that are killed by cats annually.
- Plant native plants in your yard to provide habitat for wildlife, food, and shelter while adding interest and beauty to your surroundings.
- Cut out the use of pesticides. Neonicotinoids are lethal to birds and also kill the insects that they depend on for food….a double whammy.
- Choose shade grown coffee and reduce the need for the removal of forest canopy that migratory birds need to survive the winters.
- Reduce the use of plastic. Most plastics take over 400 years to degrade. Seabirds in particular end up ingesting large amounts of plastics which can eventually lead to their death, or entangle them in plastics causing them to starve to death or be unable to flee from predation.
- Get involved in monitoring birds to help protect them by giving scientists information needed to intervene in time…unlike the demise of the passenger pigeon that vanished before anyone knew it was a problem.
None of these are new ways to help, but they can act as a reminder of simple things you can do to help that you can start right now and carry through the year as a successful resolution!
In addition to New Year’s reminders, and given that I’m composing this on Martin Luther King Day, it seems appropriate to remind you of several Black Americans who are (or were) devoted to the attention of nature and things environmental. These are just eight such individuals who have worked to bring awareness and knowledge of the importance of our natural world.
J. Drew Lanham works in life sciences and is an ornithologist. He is a distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology at Clemson University and is recognized for his REACH, SUBSTANCE and INFLUENCE. He also is a recipient of the McArthur Foundation genius grant for his work focused on naturalism and conservation.
Solomon Brown lived from 1829 to 1906, and was the first African-American employee of the Smithsonian Institution where he moved up the ranks. Even today, there are trees planted on the grounds in honor of this self-taught naturalist.
George Washington Carver, (1864 to 1943), was a renowned agricultural researcher who promoted the peanut, helped replenish soil, educated farmers about crop rotation. His work focused on the interconnectedness between the health of the land and the people. He stressed the importance of care of the earth and ALL of its inhabitants. He taught about sustainable food systems to alleviate hunger, encouraged local participants to safeguard and control local food and water systems.
Colonel Charles Young, was just the third African-American graduate from West Point, and was the first Black National Park Superintendent who spoke in favor of preserving mountain ecosystems with ”their clothing of trees, shrubs, rocks and vines.” In 1917 Young was assigned as commander of Fort Huachuca in Arizona, the Tenth Cavalry, nicknamed the “Buffalo Soldiers”, the first black American to attain the rank of Lt. Colonel. Posthumously, he was promoted to Brigadier General in 2022.
MaVynee Betsch, (1935 to 2005), known as the “Beach Lady” she was the great-granddaughter of Florida’s first black millionaire. She gave up a career in the opera to preserve the environment. She was devoted to the American Beach, Nassau County, Florida. It provided respite for those that weren’t allowed on other beaches. Further, she gave away most of her sizeable inheritance to environmental causes.
John Francis, PhD, nicknamed “The Planetwalker”, was an author, traveler and teacher. As a result of witnessing the damage of the oil spill in San Francisco Bay, he traveled the earth without the use of motorized vehicles to raise environmental awareness. Getting a PhD in Land Resources, he voiced that “the way we treat each other is a mechanism for how we treat the earth.” Dr. Francis became the program director for a non-profit, PlanetWalk, to raise environmental awareness.
Rue Mapp spent a lot of time outside as a child on the ranch she grew up on, a unique childhood compared to other Black Americans. She started a blog in 2009 connecting Black Americans to the outdoors. She founded and operates a non-profit called Outdoor Afro that among other things organizes Meet Ups to get other Black Americans out of doors and into nature.
Earyn McGee is a herpetologist and science communicator who organized Black Birder’s week in response to the racism faced by Christian Cooper in Central Park. She has a PhD. in natural resources from University of Arizona. In 2020 she was the Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellow. Her research and science outreach is featured in several podcasts. Further accolades include exposure in National Geographic, Scientific American, and Forbes. In Popular Mechanics Magazine, she is one of 30 under 30 in the science category. At such a young age, I am sure there will be more to come.
Maybe your ‘resolutions’ can also unselfishly be about the planet and all of its inhabitants making it oh so much easier to keep… just a few ideas and mentors to start the year off with.
This Week @ Liberty – January 16, 2024
I realized too late on the very first blog of the year that I didn’t say how many intakes we took in for 2023. Well, I’d like to remedy that! For 2023, the official intake number was…(drum roll please)…9778! As the year came to a close, we wondered if we’d reach that 10,000 mark that we’ve hit the past few years. But, as it got closer, and we broke down the numbers, we realized it would be unlikely.
Still, 9778 animals is A LOT of animals. That’s thousands of birds, snakes, and other reptiles that people like you saw and either brought in yourselves, or called our hotline for our rescuers to find. It’s animals that were given a second chance to heal, and thrive, before many of them were released around the valley and all over Arizona.
We may not have hit record numbers, but that’s all right, because regardless, we helped thousands of native wildlife thanks to every single one of you.
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Sharp-Shinned Hawks are not ones we see too often here at Liberty Wildlife. Abundant at forests and forest edges, these little accipiter’s (hawks with long tails, relatively short, broad wings and tend to favor the dash and catch strategy of hunting) aren’t typically found where trees aren’t. They enjoy a dense forest, which enables them to hunt for songbirds, robins, warblers or sparrows.
Our new little friend, however, hails from Goldfield Ranch. He was found on the ground, unable to fly; which, for a hawk who hunts other birds, is pretty imperative he’s brought in quickly. After a short assessment, it seemed prudent that an X-ray was taken to confirm the point of his injuries. And, low and behold, his right coracoid (think your collar bone) is fractured. These types of fractures can be super difficult to see, even on radiographs. This little guy, however, displaced his coracoid so severely, it’s quite easy to see.
The good news for this spunky guy is, coracoids are a somewhat easy repair. Cage rest, along with some anti-inflammatories, should help callus, and heal, this fracture enough that once he’s ready to go outside to test his flight, he should be on the mend. As pursuit hunters, they surprise their prey by hiding on a perch, and bursting out at a rush of speed. They catch their prey in the air or on the ground; but either way, they’re rarely seen coming.
If you’re out and about looking for these guys, be aware; they look a lot like Coopers Hawks! Some of their notable differences are:
Sharp-Shinned Hawk: Blue-Jaw sized (average), head looks hooded and neck appears stubby, broad chest and small waist, tail appears square and has a thin, white edge at the tail tips
Coopers Hawk: Crow sized (average), head appears capped, tubular body shape, and tail is rounded with a thick, white edge at the feather tips
While our new friend is busy getting better, I implore you to go out and explore while the weather permits. Maybe you’ll see a few of these guys out on your adventures!
The Newest Intakes of 2024
Remember how I said Coopers Hawks look like Sharp-Shinned Hawks? Well, there’s a few pictures here of one of our newest intakes that will show you just how similar these guys can look. After hitting a window—which Coopers Hawks are known to do since they like to scare pigeons and doves into said window—was brought in unable to fly. Volunteer Veterinarian Dr. Reeder and Med Services Volunteer Kathy assessed him with some minor injuries, most notably an eye (which he’s likely to hit while hitting that window). For the time being, he’s hanging in a warm, dark, quiet spot, with some anti-inflammatories and eye medication to help with his injuries.
Then we had a Great Horned Owl make their way to us with a fracture to her left wrist, and severe bumble foot one her right foot. Bumble foot, for those who don’t know, is a condition where a small wound on the pad of a raptors foot becomes infected. This can happen in a number of different ways, and can range from mild to severe, depending on how long the infection has taken place. For this Great Horned Owl, her case is severe (so severe I won’t be showing pictures of that part); don’t worry, she’s in great hands. Daily Care Coordinator Alex, and Med Services Volunteer Lane, were able to remove the excess abscess, clean it up, and get it wrapped for further care.
Of course, that leaves us with our smallest friend, the American Kestrel. She (and you can tell she’s a girl because of the rufous brown of her wings—males are steel grey blue) came in feeling under the weather after colliding into something. Sometimes, all that takes is a warm, dark, quiet space (like our Coopers Hawk friend) and for some TLC before being placed outside with other Kestrels to test their flight and hunting abilities.
Either way, there were some very notable intakes these past two weeks. And, I assure you, they’ll keep on coming.
Notable Mentions
Things are starting to pick up here in the hospital. It’s a trend I imagine will continue as we begin to move our way in to spring, and then bam! Baby season will be upon us. I’ve taken note to talk about the passerines (doves, pigeons, etc.) once we start seeing more of them, so for now, they’ll remain here in notable mentions. But make sure to keep on the lookout for those stories you told me you wanted to see!
Without further ado, here are this week’s notable mentions:
- Volunteer Beth practices with Quannah the Turkey Vulture (1 picture)
- Volunteer and Veterinarian Dr. Coonrod extracts a pellet from a pigeon (2 pictures)
- Millie the California Condor makes sure to stalk me while I say hi to another bird (1 picture)
- A field trip braves the cool, morning weather (1 picture)
- A Turkey Vulture flies over Liberty Wildlife (1 picture – by Ceci)
- Marshmallow, our ornery goat, does some minor damage to his horn; Daily Care Coodinator Alex and Hospital Manager Jan to the rescue! (2 pictures)
- Public Hour guests check out what’s happening in Triage (1 picture)
Remember, we’re open on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-1pm with lots of different keepers talks and animals encounters while you’re here! Make sure to drop in and say hello to all your favorite animal ambassadors.
Until next time!
Posted by Acacia Parker
Public Outreach Coordinator
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