Here's an email with photos that we received from one of our regular contributors.
by Susan Fekety
Here's a photo I got from my darling brother-in-law, Adam. One of the things he does is animal rescue at night. Look what he rescued recently! Even the policeman who found him and called it in thought he was awful cute. (He was referring to the owl, not to Adam.) Anyway, this little fellow is at the owl rehabber and will be returned as soon as he's able for more airborne fun.
Last week it was a baby squirrel with mange who hopped on Adam's head and mugged for the camera. There's always something!
| Have you got an animal story to tell or something else that you think would be great for the Enlightenments section? Let us know at: editors@spiritliving.org |
Kim Norton from Seatlle sent us this account of her visit with grey whales in Baja. Her connection with these creatures is evident in her writing, as is her determination to save them. She ends her story with an impassioned plea on behalf of the whales that she came to love.
by Kim Norton
We just returned from Baja and I wanted to write about a few of our experiences on our grey whale adventure before they become too distant in our memories! I am also writing to encourage other people to take this trip of a lifetime and to help with regard to protecting the grey whale feeding grounds in the Bering & Chukchi Seas.
So much happened in only four days. In San Diego early in the week, we met up with our tour company. They bussed us to Ensenada, where we were treated to a ride in a Convair plane(which looks like a WWII bomber and is probably as old!) to San Ignacio, Mexico, about half way down the Baja peninsula (north of Cabo). From there, we were driven to the coast, and then boated across to our camp site on San Ignacio Lagoon. This lagoon is one of three in the area where the grey whales come to breed and to give birth to their calves.
Here's a quick 101 on the grey whale: They are baleen whales not toothed. (In baleen whales, stiff plates of baleen grow down from the gums of the upper jaw. The baleen plates are arranged in rows that extend down each side of the mouth and are used to strain small organisms out of the water. --Editor) Grey whales weigh about 40 tons which is half the size of a blue whale and similar to a humpback in size.
Their population used to number 250,000 until we hunted them almost to extinction. In 1947, they became protected and were no longer hunted without permit (The Makah tribe in Washington had a permit to hunt until recently when they killed one illegally and are now under investigation. Some indigenous Russian tribes on the Bering Sea have permits to kill up to 120 per year). The whales managed to grow their population back up to about 25,000 until about a third died off in 2000 from starvation. Now, down to 17,000, they migrate 10,000 miles per year from the Bering and Chukchi Seas north of Alaska to Baja and back.
Prior to their protection from commercial whalers, they were hunted primarily in the Baja lagoons because they were "sitting ducks", so to speak. Whalers used the babies to lure the mothers into killing distance and slaughtered all individuals. Now these same lagoons are protected reserves. We were so impressed by the job the Mexican government has done to keep even ecotourism to a carefully managed minimum. Our company is one of only six that have permits to operate in the lagoon and they do an amazing job. They have four naturalists on staff, and their boat drivers (pangueros) clearly respect and love these animals.
Each day, we went out twice to whale "watch" on pangas which are 20-foot boats very low to the water. Well, we did way more than watch! Despite the fact that the whales were once hunted in these lagoons, about 20 percent of them are "friendly" to people/boats ( as a result, the lagoon is named the "lagoon of forgiveness"). Friendly whales actually come up to the boats to interact! Imagine sitting in this tiny boat, low to the water, and you look down and see a 40 ton whale slowly and gently floating up to the surface...until it surfaces and looks you in the eye! It was stunning, humbling, life-changing. These whales not only allowed us to touch them, they put their calves on their backs and push them toward the pangas to teach them how to interact with us! We touched them, we kissed them, we got sprayed on by their incredible blowholes and we had our boats rocked (most of the time playfully!)
The most exciting and interesting of experiences we had (we were lucky enough to have "friendlies" every trip out!) included interactions with a female grey whale we nick-named Valencia. Valencia found us three times - each time, we were just cruising along and she came out of nowhere to find our boat. The first time was our longest interaction - she stayed with us for half an hour! Our naturalist told us that she was probably about six years old and in breeding mode versus birthing (they rotate every other year), so she was alone. She was amazing...we had so much fun with her.
Our second and little more ominous experience happened our last afternoon. We went way out toward the ocean where the water was pretty rough. We suddenly realized after sitting there a few minutes that we were in the middle of the breeding grounds - there were about four pairs (or perhaps trios!!) of whales mating (I won't go into too much detail but it's a sight!). A mother and calf came up to play with us which was wonderful - until we realized that she was using our boat as a decoy to get away from a VERY large male whale that wanted to mate with her, calf or no calf! He was the hugest whale we encountered and he was NOT happy that we were in the way. So, to warn us off, he came toward our boat, turned on his side, looked us all in the eye and then swung his tail back and took a crack at us with it. With the size and power of his tail, he could have killed us - but he stopped a few inches short and merely drenched us with water - total control. Just letting us know that this gal was his and we were not welcome. Our panguero moved us away but the mom kept coming back. Next thing we know, that male (whom we named Ballena Blanca, or white whale, because his underside was so white) was hovering underneath our panga! We were pretty concerned, but Luis, our excellent panguero, just moved again and the whale left. It was a humbling experience all around!
So now we are home - and I just don't think it's possible to be the same. To be in the presence of those amazing creatures, who have been here much longer than we have and are probably ultimately much wiser, and to be shown so much love and tolerance by them after we have practically wiped them out...wow. If any of you ever want to do this trip, I highly recommend it - the company did an incredible job. We were very comfortable other than not showering much (thus my baseball hat in these pictures!) and being a little chilly (it's early in the season), we ate incredible food every meal and we made some good friends.
For those who might be so inclined, I would encourage you to support the Natural Resources Defense Council right now well, always, but in particular right now. The NRDC and an alliance of whale research and conservation groups were successful recently in blocking a salt plant that was slated to go in near the lagoon and that likely would have destroyed it with even one brine leak. They are also fighting the Navy's use of sonar which is killing whales at an alarming rate. Further compounding the whales' problems, the U.S. Federal government has decided to open up the Bering Sea to oil exploration: www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/01/03/6134/.
This went ahead despite the fact that this is the primary feeding ground for these whales (and for walruses, etc.). Due to global warming these whales already have to swim much farther north to find food. As a result, by the time they get back to Baja, they are literally starving. We saw a starving whale on our trip and it isn't pretty. The government delayed putting the polar bear on the endangered species list in February to ensure passage of the oil exploration lease. The actions by the president and democrats who sided with him, have contributed to the polar bears' struggle for survival. To counter this action the NRDC is gearing up to fight. I would encourage you to get involved - I feel that we should all be ashamed and outraged. There has to be a better way.
While Kim traveled with Baja Discovery www.bajadiscovery.com, there are also other ecotour companies that are connected with environmental organizations. We visited Churchill, Manitoba a few years ago with friends to spend time with the polar bears and to do Medicine for Earth ceremonies in their habitat. The company we traveled with was Natural Habitat Tours who have a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund www.worldwildlife.org. They offer tours all across the globe. You may read about their partnership at: www.nathab.com/about-us/wwf-nathab. The web site of the Natural Resources Defense Council offers lots of information on getting involved in species and habitat preservation. Their website is: www.nrdc.org.
Stevie Barnett in Portland, Maine is an avid snake owner. In this piece she offers us this glimpse of her volunteer work with reptiles and amphibians.
by Stevie Barnett
Stevie holding an African Pixie Frog!
(Pyxicephalus adsperus)
I have had the opportunity to volunteer at the New England Reptile Distributors (NERD). They are the leading reptile distributor and educator in New England. One of their goals is public education to promote awareness and conservation of habitat and various species. They also do educational lectures within the immediate area to schools, scout groups, churches, and universities. NERD's educational lectures and animal encounters have allowed many to come face-to-face with animals they might otherwise not have the opportunity to see in person. My boyfriend and I go down to Plaistow, NH, from Portland every Saturday and basically "muck out stalls". We mostly feed, clean cages and absorb everything possible about the animals they have there. And we have fun too! It is a weird opportunity for most people, but for us it is very rewarding and we are blessed to be able to work with some very brilliant people.
Every volunteer "super hero" has an "alter-ego" day job. Stevie's is being one half of the fabulous front desk team at True North Health Center. Are you doing work on behalf of the Earth and her creatures? Let us hear about it at editors@spiritliving.org.
Here is a submission from friend, Sarah Dole in California. She shares an ancient Celtic method of coming into harmony that she learned from Tom Cowan.
by Sarah Dole
Love Talking comes from the Celtic tradition by way of Tom Cowan, author, mystic and shamanic practitioner. Tom's special gift is making ancient practices available and relevantto us in our daily lives. He reminds us that we can open our souls to the joyful presence of spirit and love. Geancannach is an ancient Irish word that roughly translates as "love talk." Love talking is a way of expressing love and appreciation. It's a powerful antidote to gloom and depression.
Love talking is based on a sort of formula. Here's an example from Tom:
"Beautiful the morning clouds,
Beautiful too the shadows beneath them.
Take a walk and practice this as you go:
Beautiful the rain drenched trees,
Beautiful too reflections of lights on water-splashed pavement.
Beautiful the moss covered branch,
Beautiful too the unfurling ferns."
These are just some examples. You'll find your own rhythms and your own words.
Photo by Zoe Calder
Love talking connects us with our surroundings in a very positive, loving way. You might try silently love talking about your children, your friends, your cat, their presence in your life. Practice a little love talking to yourself! Quietly practicing love talking one day as I walked on a public path, I found myself getting happier and happier. Before long, I was just beaming at all the people I met along the way. I felt like a small, moving light house!
May you find ways to let your light shine!
Thanks Sarah for sharing Tom Cowan's lovely way to "be!" Tom is an old friend of ours and a fine teacher of Celtic shamanic traditions. Tom Cowan's website is: http://www.riverdrum.com. Sarah may be reached at: sarah@sarahdole.com --Editor
And finally this month, a submission from Trudy Sloan. In this beautiful poem, she manages to convey the bitter sweetness inherent in caring for a terminally ill loved one.
by Trudy Sloan
Love, magnificent as she is,
Is almost always invisible
When still in life's forest.
The core energy of creation
Perfectly camouflaged as all that is.
But the moment love stirs,
Leaves her serene lotus seat,
She steps from absolute abstract
Into the reality of the senses.
A quiet word. A comforting touch.
Shared laughter. Wiped tears.
One last effort
At the exhausted end of day.
This is love in motion
And when she looks up
From yet another common chore,
There, present in some familiar face,
Are the echoes of eternity.
Trudy Sloan
Here is a "love doll" that Trudy created a few weeks ago. It's made of two branches lashed together with yarn. Each evening, she ties a new rainbow thread on the doll. This is done to honor the passages of another day of love she was able to share with her husband, Michael.
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