99 years ago today the passenger pigeon succumbed to extinction when its last surviving individual died a few feet from where this photograph was taken, in Cincinnati Zoo.
A few decades earlier there had been billions of this bird flying around the forests of eastern North America.
And so next year will be the centenary of this sad event. We even know within a few minutes when Martha died – between midday and 1pm local time.
Wouldn’t it be fitting if, in a year’s time, President Obama were to visit Cincinnati and make a major speech about the USA’s role in the global environment. There is a lot to celebrate as well as quite a bit to live down.
At the time when the passenger pigeon was heading for extinction, through over-exploitation and habitat destruction, the beginnings of a fight-back for nature were being organised. John Muir, a Scot from Dunbar, who moved to the USA in his youth, was one of the major proponents of the idea of National Parks.
The world’s first National Park was Yellowstone and the idea of national parks has been described as ‘the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.’ to describe the National Park concept.’ by Wallace Stegner.
Will we see President Obama in Cincinnati on 1 September 2014? If we do, I’ll gladly give him a copy of my book ‘A Message from Martha‘ to be published by Bloomsbury next summer to mark the centenary.
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Mark, hot on the heels of my first ever contribution to this blog, in Saturday Cartoons, you’ve gone and produced another entry!
However, well done. Martha – I knew her (from the books).
One of my personal inspirations as a kid about to discover the wonderful world of nature was the sight of Starlings blackening the sky as they headed for the centre of my home town to roost. I last saw one of these amazing displays (a wonder of the world) about 4 years ago over Tewkesbury. I wonder if it will take the Starling equivalent of Martha before the members of an ornithological society whose patch includes Tewkes’ to cotton on?
btw I wish somebody would write a book about how to blog effectively. I feel like I’m talking to myself half the time!
Lord Percy, for a new blogger you are doing well, I think I am talking to myself ALL the time.
The Times yesterday gave Cameron the vote as he had acted so ‘democratic’ over the Syrian affair while Obama was furious about bankrupt British not being on board. How can Obama be at the centre of world extinction when USA is also bankrupt but playing with monopoly money over everything they do. The old saying was ‘Give peace a chance’ but that should now change to ‘Give nature a chance’!!
There you are again Lord Percy. Now I can agree about your point and the Starlings. This is because I can understand you.
You would think that with combined memberships of maybe 3 million the NGO.s coould make enough noise to use the Starling as an example of what could happen.
One of the problems with NGO members is that they are all normal people who need jobs and treasure their possessions in life and they are not prepared to give them up for those greedy Starlings at their bird tables.
So what next?
Hi Derek, yes apologies for my poor attempt to influence on the cartoons page.
It’s what seems to happen to me when I think too hard about what the clever people are telling me and the response from those members of the general public who know what the clever guys are talking about: about changing course now to avoid catastrophe further down the line. I either admit to chewing the carpets or adopting characters from undoubtedly the greatest comedy series ever, particularly the characters with half a brain or less – who never have an original thought of their own so parrot what the clever people say in the hope that they (the clever people) will spring into real action in order to avoid what they say is going to happen.
Its a bit like the Titanic scenario, where if the advice not to pursue a headlong attempt at an Atlantic crossing record had been taken the iceberg would most likely have been missed! The biggest cock-up since Olaf the Hairy ordered a batch of 1000 helmets with the pointy bits on the inside.
See there I go again!! Maybe it is all bollocks?
I hear what you say Phil but I do not think any of that is going to redress the balance
“If I won the lottery I’d put it towards setting up my Palace of Thinking to brainstorm and generate new ideas from the worlds visionary thinkers to help solve endemic problems and influence the next generation” – Edward De Bono (in the Money section of yesterdays Sunday Times.
Forget the lotto – Go get ’em Ed – Baldrick, Ploppy, Lord Percy and the rest of us ordinary people who have been reading about the probs for 30/40 years, staring at our TV screens and getting out there amongst it are right behind you”
Personally, I’d fund you, I now trust the NGOs about as far as I could drop kick a 30 ton concrete block given the performance over a couple of simple ePetitions to try and save my beloved Hen Harriers and ward of Eco-suicide!
If my memory serves me well, did america refuse to sign an agreement to clean the air of their pollution?
Syriously though ………..
“Just as we came out of the (Commons) Chamber the news of that napalm attack was running on the TV news, which looked like it could have only come from the regime,” said one Labour backbencher.
“Horrific pictures, absolutely horrific. You’d help but wonder what on earth we had just done.”
Global environment? Cincinnati? I don’t think so!
Obama – has a bigger job – now! – if he want’s it
Mark, we are all quick to criticise governments, NGOs etc. for their lack of real wildlife/habitat protection. So, why do not these organisations use your blog to tell us what they are doing to protect wildlife/habitats? WE know Defra and Ministers look at your blog. Do they also look at the comments made by the public at the same time to see what the public think to their decisions, I wonder. No one, or organisation could know the answer to every situation regarding our Environment, but are they prepared to take notice? If government and/or NGOs etc. remain quiet it is no wonder they are regarded with such a low esteem by the public?
Off topic Mark but loosely related to the USA and parts of Europe, I met three wolves today and had a fascinating chat about re-introduction and problems faced with any plans in the UK (to the owner not the wolves, that would be mad), I actually got to (nervously) pat one! Weird day……
Ahh, Douglas Mcfarlane, now known as ‘Talks with Wolves’
To be honest more of a case of trying to look relax and calm and banishing scenes of American Werewolf in London from the mind….