Yesterday I was driving in a lesser developed part of the county when I spied a red-tailed hawk sitting on a telephone wire that stretched across an intersection marked with a stop sign.
I pulled over to the shoulder of the road, grumbling about not having my camera with me, and watched the hawk. It was alternating between watching the tall grass and weeds on the side of the road with swiveling its head to take in its surroundings.
The amazing thing to me was that while I was sitting there, numerous cars went by, stopped at the intersection and then drove on. I watched to see how many people would notice the hawk. Not one! All eyes were staring straight ahead.
It only affirmed my long held feeling that the majority of people living in today's world are truly disconnected from the natural world. So much is lost when one does not observe, interact, and appreciate nature and the wildlife that is a part of it.
I am fortunate that I had a father who was an environmentalist before it became vogue. He gave me a love and appreciation for the outdoors.
"Alienation from nature accounts for the human ability to destroy it without conscience."
(Laurie Tarkan)
The above photograph of a red-tailed hawk was taken at a fund raiser for the Audubon Society.
2 comments:
I must comment on this writing. You are so right , people don't seem to notice things like beauty in nature, I've had that exact experience , seeing something in nature that I thought was so amazing and realizing that no one else even knew it was there. My Dad was the same way, and thats how I came to 'SEE'.
Yes, I totally agree with you and Barbra Joan! I have spent all of my childhood summers in the country but only started to notice the wild animals when I had grown up. Open your eyes people!
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