Large numbers of light-related collisions have been documented in cities across the country for decades, including here in Texas. The light emanating from cities like Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston attracts and disorients birds, leaving them confused and vulnerable. Light pollution is a growing and underrecognized threat to birds.
And as an added bonus, turning off nonessential lights also saves energy for cities, local businesses and homeowners. Each night, each light turned out helps save migrating birds. During Texas’ peak spring bird migration period April 19 to May 7, Texans should turn off all nonessential lights from 11 p.m. Every Texan can participate in protecting our feathered friends by simply turning off their lights at night. Laura, look up.” And it was then, as a bright-eyed girl, that I began to look up to not miss the beauty of the world around me.īut the good news is, there’s an easy fix. And as we lay together on the hard grass, she would say, “Look up. For as far back as I can remember, on spectacular summer nights, Mother would grab a blanket and we would go outside to lie on the ground and gaze at the sky.
The land didn’t pitch or rise but remained perfectly flat without buildings or bright lights to obscure birds’ flight, or our view. We would admire their beauty, their songs, and their freedom as they soared across Midland. We would sit outside for hours with our binoculars and wait for birds, such as painted buntings and yellow warblers, to flit past. She volunteered to be my Girl Scout leader, which involved helping us earn our bird badge. Her fascination with bird-watching began when I was 10. My mother was a knowledgeable, self-taught naturalist who was passionate about birds.
Each year, nearly 2 billion birds migrate through Texas in one of the planet’s great wildlife spectacles.īirds have intrigued me since I was a little girl.
0 kommentar(er)
