Dyke's Marsh, Potomac River, Alexandria, VA

Usually when we refer to refuges, we mean nature refuges.  These are places rich in natural diversity, densely populated by birds and other forms of wildlife.  They are often high in scenic value and provide a departure from our increasingly urban existence.

Refuges, however, are not just for bird and wildlife watchers, hunters and fishers.  They are just as valuable for people who seek peace, beauty, contemplation or a place to grieve.

Terry Tempest Williams in her perceptive novel Refuge wrote eloquently about the significance of nature refuges during a time of grieving.  In her case, while her mother was struggling with cancer she took periodic trips to the Great Salt Lake to regroup.

My wife is going through this now with my ailing father-in-law.  Her monthly visits are stressful due to her efforts to balance financial, medical, legal and organizational obligations with spending quality time with her dad.  Taking restorative walks at Dyke's Marsh along the Potomac River helps her cope with this daunting situation.

At an event a decade ago honoring my landscape architect/park creator/conservationist great grandfather, Jens Jensen, one speaker gave a powerful testimony to the value of parks as places to grieve.  This high-level Chicago Parks Department official spoke passionately about the tragic loss of a family member and how he desperately needed a quiet, calming and appropriate place to grieve.  North Chicago's Humboldt Park, a Jens Jensen landscape, fulfilled this need.

We all experience tragedies, let-downs and eventually, death. Where can we go to soothe our souls during these hard times?  Natural areas.

The "Fill" in summer and early spring

Is it possible to enjoy good bird and wildlife-watching, great scenery, and even fragrant smells (not the bad kind), at a former city dump?  The answer is an emphatic yes!  Where?  Union Bay Natural Area in Seattle, aka Montlake Fill.

Today was a glorious spring day at the “Fill.”  Mt. Rainier loomed in the distance across Lake Washington.  Tree Swallows perched and entered their nesting holes after their long journey from parts south.  A Bald Eagle pair harassed the coots en route to their massive nest.  Virginia Rails oinked and Ka-dinked; marsh wrens chattered noisily; and scores of Red-Slider Turtles basked on logs in the 60-degree weather.  Black Cottonwood Trees emitted their intoxicating sweet aroma, one of the finest smells in nature.

This place was not always so nice.  It was a city landfill until 1971 when it was capped and later became neglected, allowing a host of invasive plants to take over.  Since the 1990s, the University of Washington and the Center for Urban Horticulture have used the site for restoration ecology.  The results of their combined efforts are spectacular.  Over 200 species of birds now visit the “Fill” each year.  It is rated one of the top birding destinations in Seattle, recently included on Audubon’s new Puget Loop birding trail.  In just a few hours today, I tallied 40 species there.  Native vegetation continues to be planted there while invasive species are removed by dedicated university students and volunteers.  The habitat keeps improving.

The natural diversity here is very impressive for such an urban and previously compromised place.  Located three miles from downtown Seattle, this 74-acre refuge is adjacent to the University of Washington and its two sports stadiums just across the water. Sometimes you hear the roar of the crowd and the marching bands playing at the Husky Football Stadium.  At the same time, you could also see a Red-tailed Hawk capturing a vole while the band is playing.  I have.

This strange but wonderful refuge is a model for other similarly degraded sites.  If you would like to go on a birding tour of the Union Bay Natural Area, please join me on one of my “Fill the time with Birds” walks http://conservationcatalyst.org/walking.html

top: Male Quetzal from afar; middle: nest hole; bottom: female with food near nest hole

Resplendent usually refers to Costa Rica’s icon, the Resplendent Quetzal.  It could also refer to the entire country, which lives up to the term that means shining, dazzling and brilliant.

Although often seen in Costa Rica, the Resplendent is Guatemala’s national bird.  The name Quetzal derives from the Aztec word “quetzalli” for things that are precious or beautiful.  Only Aztec royalty were allowed to wear Quetzal plumes.

Recently, I had the good fortune to host a Naturalist Journey to Costa Rica http://www.naturalistjourneys.com/.  There we saw 230 species of birds, along with myriad flora and fauna, ranging from Howler Monkeys to Green Iguanas, Basilisk Lizards, Caimin, White-collared Peccaries and butterflies.  We saw Quetzals too - a total of six - in two different locations.  It was my first time seeing this magnificent bird.  No amount of photos, videos or descriptions can prepare you for the way these birds appear in their native habitat.  Seeing a Quetzal is an awe-inspiring experience!

The most ornate members of the Trogon family, Resplendent Quetzals inhabit tropical rainforests and nest in holes they drill in soft, decaying tree snags.  Their diet is comprised of 80% wild avocados, with the balance made up with lizards and insects.  According to National Geographic, the population of Quetzals is threatened throughout most of its range, except in Costa Rica:  “In some areas, most notably Costa Rica's cloud forests, protected lands preserve habitat for the birds and provide opportunities for ecotourists and eager bird watchers from around the globe.”

Costa Rica’s conservation efforts are indeed impressive:

· 25% of the country, roughly the size of two Vermonts, is protected for its habitat values

· Costa Rica has a national organization that inventories its biota:  The National Biodiversity Institute

· Costa Rica ranked first among the Americas in a 2012 Environmental Performance Index

· Costa Rica ranked the greenest country in the world according to the New Economics Foundation

May we all learn from Costa Rica’s example.  In the meantime, have a quetzalli day!

The Many Issues Addressed in Dr. Suess Books

The late great Theodor Suess Geisel was ahead of his time. While his books delight, they also educate kids and their parents about vital issues ranging from racial inequality to environmental destruction. Some of his books were cautionary tales.

An animated film version of one of these, The Lorax, will be released in March. Based upon Dr. Suess’ 1971 book, it features a faceless, greedy industrialist “the Onceler (not exactly a sustainable name)” who exploits resources rapaciously, causing major environmental damage while manufacturing "Thneeds" that as he put it "everyone needs." The Lorax, a wizened advocate who “speaks for the trees, because the trees have no tongues,” confronts the Onceler about the environmental impacts of his business. A fascinating, yet realistic dialogue ensues.

The Lorax represents a voice of environmental consciousness that we once again need to hear. We humans struggle mightily to understand our place in nature. At times we seem to grasp it, as illustrated by the green movement, recycling, sustainable development, and fuel-efficient cars. But then we back-slide, as evidenced by climate change deniers, the anti-science and anti-evolution crowd.  It is hard for us to accept our responsibilities as earth stewards.

The new animated film version of The Lorax provides hope. We all know the power that media holds to transform and inspire. The challenge is to change our culture so that acting badly toward the environment becomes socially unacceptable, just like smoking in public places or throwing trash out the window of your car has. Perhaps the film retelling of the Lorax is one step toward this change. The environmental messages contained in it bear repeating, and nobody could say them in a more creative, compelling way than Dr. Suess. To wit: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.”

Welcome back, Lorax!

Audubon Washington just released its latest in a series of state birding trail maps. These maps are fantastic resources for birders and wildlife watchers that lead you to some of our state's most beautiful natural areas. The maps give detailed directions to good birding/wildlife-watching spots and tell you what species you can expect to find there.  You can purchase them at Seattle Audubon for $4.95 each https://www.seattleaudubon.org/sas/Default.aspx?TabID=55&CategoryID=34&ProductID=1288

A boon to eco-tourism, these birding trails also build constituency for protecting parks, green spaces and natural areas that provide habitat for wildlife. Nice work, Audubon!

Have a look at the latest map and listen to KPLU radio's story about it:

http://kplu.org/post/audubon-map-%E2%80%93-new-puget-loop-unveiled-enviro-groups-strategize#.TyCf9jBCyyE.email

Good Birding!