The following was taken directly from my co workers Facebook page.
"I have had several people comment, when they learn that I volunteer at the center, "Wow, that sounds like so much fun!". Yeah, there are moments when I giggle (who couldn't when face to face with a saw whet or a barred owl?). As much as I love being there, there are days when I cry all the way home or lay in bed at night hoping that barred owl will make it. Watching our director give it her all, thinking we may have success, only to watch it fail and die. No. It's not 'fun'. The joy comes in the releases. When you are able to open a crate housing a bald eagle and watch him go. The joy comes in seeing the injured make progress. The joy comes from being in their presence. But there is always the underlying reality so many of them will never fly free again.
"Caring for injured wildlife is often seen, by others, as a form of entertainment. And while we admit our lives are richer for having personally known each animal, very little of what we do is even remotely entertaining.
The animals we see are suffering, in need of complicated and skilled care. The majority of them have been injured either directly or indirectly by man's disrespect for the natural world. Caring for them is to immerse yourself in worry, both about the individual patient and about the human disregard that has brought them to this end.
Still, people and institutions alike tend to view Wildlife Rehabilitation as a recreation, in the same cubby-hole with animal sports or picnicing in the woods. And therein lies the disturbing realization.
We as a society tend to view wildlife, in fact all of the natural world, as our toy, our playground.
The most frequently given reason for concern over threatened or endangered species is that 'our world' will be less rich without them, or that future generations will never feel 'our joy' in having known them." Continued. . .
Continued. "Very little credence is given to it being 'their world' as well, or to 'their joy' in simply being alive.
Somehow, we can only understand the value of wildlife as an extension of our own sense of self-value, or if you will, self-importance.
No wonder caring for injured wildlife is not viewed with the seriousness it requires to succeed; we don't take any of the natural world seriously.
If you were to come across a man lying by the side of the road, injured by a hit-and-run driver, you would be overtaken by a complex set of welling emotions - anger, compassion, worry, concern for the man's well-being, and that of his family. But never would you view the work of the ambulance team or the doctors striving to save him as entertainment. Never would you question the value of saving the man so he could go about his normal life, whatever that life might be.
There seems to be something basically flawed in our values, not only as they apply to Rehabilitation, but with regard to all of nature outside ourselves. We have assumed all of the rights and privileges for ourselves, seeing the rest as a playground full of toys for our use."
What do you guys think?
The Peregrine Falcon in the OP was shot through the wing, it didn't make it.
>>2017626
>What do you guys think?
I don't think she needs to capitalize "Wildlife Rehabilitation."
other than that, thank you captain obvious. Western culture has distanced itself from nature. Not exactly big news.
>>2017660
But WHY has western culture distanced itself so much from nature? And what can we do about it?
>>2017669
Industry and consumerism.
Nothing.
>>2017670
Oh well.
More nature for me to enjoy.
>>2017673
Until someone who doesn't own it sells it right out from under you.
>>2017677
Touchè :(. . . . Fuck
>>2017669
Nature is quite the terrible place, to put it very simply.
Death (among other things we have to face, and that nature puts very bluntly) is not an easy thing to come to terms with, while maintaining an optimistic and constructive outlook.
More than possible, yes. Everyone should have someone wise to discuss these sometimes overlooked matters with. That's the only way to find peace.
>>2017669
>WHY has western culture distanced itself so much from nature?
because nature is dangerous, boring, and uncomfortable.
have you actually seen any of it? a man has to work his ass off or die, and even then you're not going to last long in that shit. Not that you'd want to. After a couple weeks in nature you'd kill for a drink, some carbs, a smoke, sitcom reruns, an old rolling stone magazine, or even some shitty elevator music. Because nature has none of what we're used to enjoying. Most people literally can't stand the sight of it.
>>2017684
we could just as easily say that people who live immersed in nature are insane.
it's hard to judge, since living in nature came first, but society and technology only advanced to get away from it.
>>2017685
We have direct evidence against current methodologies that can be defined as dismissive of the effects on nature. A better question is, how can we realign our technological and social paradigms to make better use of ecological resources and models, and how quickly can we make this change happen? While the electronic and information ages have introduced several new boons to mankind, many technologies such as medicine and physics are relying increasingly on scarce resources and environmentally taxing energy systems. The only obvious answer is moderation and supplementation in both broad fields, with support for ecological studies aimed towards human applications.
>>2017693
you're still aiming for what's best for people.
there's no going back. almost all of our current population is alive because of use of natural resources that is by definition destructive to our environment. If we want to go back to sustainability we need to kill off over 6,000,000,000 human souls.
this problem will take care of itself, but before those people die nature will be wrecked. Any efforts to ease the ecological burden are just prolonging the inevitable. You have less than 200 years to get your shit in order, this problem can't be fixed by human actions even if you could somehow convince everyone to participate.
>>2017697
Let's get to work.
>>2017707
it's cheaper and easier to let them eat each other. Unfortunately they're going to eat pretty much every other living thing first.
I think that people aren't going to change, and I think that for how much everyones worried about the environment, we're not going to kill the earth or life on it. Maybe ourselves, but not everything. Life has an amazing ability to adapt, and though it sucks that many species die off, there aare SO many more that are adapting and thriving.
>>2017669
Jews
>>2017683
>Most people literally can't stand the sight of it.
No need for such an absurd hyperbole, most people love 'looking' at nature. And huge numbers of people enjoy visiting it.
>>2017625
I don't think people hate nature, it's just easy to become out of touch with it when you live in an urban area. I love nature. We have 40 acres and while it's not a lot of land it's still our own slice of "paradise." It's a lot of work but the privacy is worth it.
We have deer, birds, foxes, coons, possum, armadillos, snakes, insects, and our domesticated cats, dogs, horses, goats etc just outside. Big beautiful oak trees, pine trees, fruit trees, a garden., pond with fish, trails.
Granted we occasionally hunt and eat one deer a year, fish, sometimes wild boar.
One of my favorite things to do is drink coffee on the porch and watch the deer in the field while the sun comes up. I love living here but it's not for everyone. We are 20 miles away from any town, somewhat isolated, and rural. However, I cherish our life here and while I sometimes complain I would hate to leave here.
Nature, in all its facets, for our family, helps keep us emotionally and mentally grounded and in touch with the environment.
