Kevin makes some very good points. One complaint, often heard, is that people drive too fast on the drive. I expect these are folks who don't know what to look for. They don't see anything of interest and are bored with endless cattails. It would be nice if we could get them to stop, and with a little guidance, begin to see what they have been missing. Once a year (Oct?), NWR day (?), volunteers position ourselves along the drive with scopes, and purposely flag down vehicles, to get people out to look. Great fun to have them see something they have never seen before, and/or didn't know was there to be seen.
On Mon, Aug 4, 2014 at 1:15 PM, Meena Madhav Haribal <m...@cornell.edu> wrote: > Sorry for the major typo- read comprises and compromises! > > -----Original Message----- > From: Linda Orkin [mailto:wingmagi...@gmail.com] > Sent: Monday, August 04, 2014 1:12 PM > To: Meena Madhav Haribal > Cc: Kevin J. McGowan; CAYUGABIRDS-L > Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] ...pedestrians on the Wildlife Drive :( > > Kevin and Meena's points and passions are wonderful guiding principles on > the ways we interact with, enjoy, and respect nature. I would love to be > involved in some group discussions and creative recommendations. They don't > say get out into nature...but stay in your car while doing it. > > Linda > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Aug 4, 2014, at 12:44 PM, Meena Madhav Haribal <m...@cornell.edu> > wrote: > > > Hi Kevin and all, > > > > Great thoughts Kevin! I am with you on these points! > > > > Also I would like enjoy other creatures too, it is a wildlife refuge not > just for birds. I would like to see a dragonfly or a flower or a digger > wasp making it home for its progeny. You can't see a digger wasp from your > car! So the refuges are not meant for specifically birds or birders. > > > > Unless people enjoy the nature they will not support nature > conservation. Most of the people who come there want to enjoy nature not > just birders. > > > > Basic thing needed is educating the public about their behavior. If a > person stands at one location for long time enough without harassing a bird > then they are as effective as cars. Also everybody is not interested in > photographing a bird. If they see some actions by birds they are happy > about it! > > > > Having said that, I would also suggest that there could be comprises. At > strategic locations there could be blinds or shelters. Also walks could be > open for certain time of the day, so as to get birds a chance to do what > they are supposed to do. For example the dykes on the Knox Marsellus could > be open to public to walk for certain hours of the day. As it is birds are > miles away. > > > > If we all together put in our efforts we can make solid recommendations > to the refuge or if the refuge managers are reading e-mails they themselves > can think of some of the alternatives. > > > > If we want people to enjoy nature they should see them up close, a > shorebird three miles away has not effect on a general public than a bird > close at hand and watching its behaviors. Then only they will support > conservation! > > > > We need people to enjoy the nature and love it! > > > > Hope we will make some changes! > > > > Cheers > > Meena > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: bounce-117686987-3493...@list.cornell.edu [mailto: > bounce-117686987-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Kevin J. McGowan > > Sent: Monday, August 04, 2014 12:03 PM > > To: CAYUGABIRDS-L > > Subject: RE: [cayugabirds-l] ...pedestrians on the Wildlife Drive :( > > > > Of course birds let you get closer when you're in a car. That's as true > at Stewart Park and along any back road as it is in Montezuma. I do a ton > of observation and photography from my car, sometimes even in my own > driveway. > > > > That's great for one person, but it stinks for groups. > > > > Having to remain in a car on the wildlife drive diminishes the possible > experience of any group, especially a group with a scope, which cannot be > used by multiple people (the best teaching tool for groups). It also > diminishes the potential experience for kids and anyone who would like to > get out and get a closer look. > > > > I'm hearing a lot of 1%-er talk, "I want to optimize my experience, and > the riff-raff should just stay away (or stay in their cars)." I am as > guilty (or more) as anyone of wanting to have the entire refuge to myself. > But in the bigger picture, I don't see having too many people enjoying > nature at Montezuma as the problem. I think it's quite the opposite: there > are too FEW people learning about nature there. > > > > Those of us interested in nature and supportive of the National Wildlife > Refuge system should want EVERYONE to get out of their cars and poke > around. I WANT people to peer through the reeds and see a turtle (or maybe > a rail). I WANT people to stop and take pictures of the flowers. I WANT > people to get out and marvel at a muskrat mound, and then have a young Bald > Eagle fly over their heads. (It's hard to look up from a back seat.) > > > > In my personal opinion, anything that reduces the availability of > wildlife watching and nature exploration for the general public is a bad > thing. Of course safety measures should be in place to protect the > wildlife and the habitat. But access and education should be the default. > Unless you have a darned good reason, please don't keep me and my kids (and > neighbors, and parents, and friends) out. > > > > Kevin > > > > Kevin McGowan > > Ithaca, NY > > > > -- > > > > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME > > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES > > > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm > > > > ARCHIVES: > > 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html > > 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds > > 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html > > > > Please submit your observations to eBird: > > http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > > > > -- > > > > > > -- > > > > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME > > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES > > > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm > > > > ARCHIVES: > > 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html > > 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds > > 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html > > > > Please submit your observations to eBird: > > http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > > > > -- > > > > -- > > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm > > ARCHIVES: > 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html > 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds > 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html > > Please submit your observations to eBird: > http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > > -- > > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
