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World without wildlife

There are days I wonder if it would really matter if a species of animal or bird actually became extinct. Others have and life has gone on. It isnít the end of the world.
Yet.
Then I am reminded of a camping trip three years ago to the beautiful region of Grand Marais. It was the most perfect September weekend. The sun shone brightly, the air was crisp enough to flush our cheeks, the sky was blue as a robinís egg. The aspen trees had turned gold, the white clouds puffed by and it was a true pleasure sitting in the gently rocking boat with a line cast into waters cool and clear.
It was so perfect I did not want life to ever change from the moment.
And then as I sat waiting for a strike, I got this eerie feeling that something was wrong. There were no birds in the air, in the trees, no ducks, no geese in the reed beds, no hawks or eagles soaring majestically overhead.
There were no deer grazing in the forest meadows, no moose standing knee-deep in lakeside grass. There were no beavers slapping their tails in warning, no frogs croaking, no crickets chirping- not even a buzzing mosquito to mar our perfect weekend.
There was no wildlife to be found that weekend.
It was like a science fiction wilderness, one, perhaps, that people would conjure up if they were going to create a ìperfectî vacation. It was kind of like those ìWesternworldî productions of 70s. It was an ìUp North Worldî without wildlife.
My, how the animals were missed.
I guess it could happen ñ a world without wildlife ñ if we continue to encroach on the wilderness, take over the habitats, bulldoze and develop, fill up wetlands and poison our countrysides.
It may start, or perhaps it already has, with the killing of songbirds, like the mourning dove. Which species will be next? Bluejays are plump, could be made into a meal if enough were shot. Robins? Just think, at this time of year, and in the fall, you can catch them in large bunches.
I agree with the folks opposing the hunting of the mourning doves, and I hope you do too. If balancing an outrageous budget isnít enough to keep our legislators busy, so that they have to dwell on bills to kill off innocent birds, then we are in trouble. And if it keeps up, weíll be mourning right along with the ghosts of the doves when all wildlife has been eliminated.

I have already received a number of Presidential Active Lifestyle Award logs -our six-week period is over. Please get your daily logs in to me so I can order certificates and patches. Iíll let you know when we will meet to pass out the awards.

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