Comments on: Such Exquisite Beauty Could Be Lost

By: Judy

Judy — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:18:34 +0000

I want to mention a very beautiful and moving book called WILDERNESS AND RAZOR WIRE: A NATURALIST’S OBSERVATIONS FROM PRISON, by Ken Lamberton. He is from Tucson, and I heard him read in a now-defunct independent bookstore and bought his book. Both the essays and his delicate pencil illustrations are stunning. Ken found beauty in the most desolate, improbably places. He helped me learn to see. Somehow, April’s observations and thoughts brought this very unique book back to my mind.

By: April

April — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:51:58 +0000

I appreciate the thoughful comments people have made in reaction to this piece. I recommend to all the article John sent, about thousands of swallows, moving as one. I have seen similar bird ‘dances,’ and they are amazing. How do so many birds move in sync?

By: John Cochrane

John Cochrane — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:31:35 +0000

Hi April,

Here is an article about swallows

Enjoy

John

http://www.upaya.org/newsletter/view/2009/02/09#story1

By: Kim Morton

Kim Morton — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 20:53:55 +0000

I choose to believe that the earth, nature and all her gifts are stonger than human kind. I choose to believe that our purpose on this earth is not to destroy her and her creatures. I don’t believe that man’s amazing intellect is an experiment gone horribly bad. We have to learn to harness and use our gifts with wisdom. I believe that most species of animals have long ago evolved to a state of simpliciy and function. We have not evolved to that state, yet. I have to believe that we will evolve and learn the true value of life is not consuming on a grand scale, I have to believe that our wisdom and the earth wisdom will prevail. Hope is a powerful thing, vision is also powerful and learning to live simply is also powerful. Are we all living as simply as we can?

By: Jim Z.

Jim Z. — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 00:24:34 +0000

I began reading The Road when it showed up on Oprah’s list - but the first several pages were so depressing that I couldn’t go on. Wasn’t quite ready for what seemed to be such a dreary story, a that time.

But your point is right on. I was so grateful to be able to watch the episodes of David Attenborough’s Life of Birds:

http://www.pbs.org/lifeofbirds/

last year on PBS. I have to admit, my knowledge of the subject prior was next to none, and his series was just the opening that I needed. Now, reading your avian descriptions have meaning for me. Over the past couple of years we began noticing a small bright yellow bird in our backyard tree, possibly a Western Meadowlark or maybe American Goldfinch?

The birds provide us with perhaps the most important “sensitivity analysis” of the fate of our biosphere.