Conservation
Honduras: Paradise In Peril – Watch this film!
WATCH FILM: Paradise in Peril from Skyship Films on Vimeo. Paradise in Peril from You Tube. For the last several years, the country of Honduras has been trying to get on people’s radar as a bird watching destination, rightly expanding perceptions that there’s more to bird watching in Central America than Costa Rica. The country is [...]
Animated Short: The Coffee Contradiction
At the risk of ‘grinding’ the point too finely, today’s animated short explores some familiar contradictions. MANY thanks to Paul Baicich, who offered up this great (and fitting) theme and even sent an early sketch of the script. Keep the ideas coming! Send them privately laurakamms@gmail.com. If I use your idea, you’ll get credit both [...]
ABA Blog: More on Bird-Friendly Coffee
For some more insight into the largesse and untapped power of coffee drinkers to influence how coffee farming is done, please see my follow-up post on the ABA (American Birding Association) blog: Bird-Friendly Coffee: If bird watchers did their part… In a few weeks, we’ll be hearing some deeply insightful commentary about birds and coffee [...]
Bird-Friendly Coffee: Why are YOU waiting?
Three years ago one April morning, I stood at the edge of a shade-grown coffee plantation near Cerro Azul Meambar in central Honduras. My guide, the honorable Jorge Barraza–arguably one of the best travel guides in Honduras– had just led me down a narrow footpath toward the coffee “finca,” or farm. “Look!” I said as a [...]
Bird-friendly Glass Inspired by Spider Webs Lessens Window Strikes
Millions of birds die from window strikes each year. A German company called Arnold Glas seeks to overcome that problem by designing Ornilux glass, which contains a special UV coating that is visible to birds, but doesn’t obstruct the view for humans. While we see a solid, clear pane, birds see a Jack Frost-like web [...]
Who Are The Next “Great” Birders?
The next era of birding will be ushered in by a new crop of great birders. Who will they be? I wrote this post a few months ago but chewed on it a while after sharing it with a few friends, birders, and members of the ABA board. After reading so many good opinions on [...]
Gut Wrenching Reality of Oil Spill Disaster
If you’re feeling a bit removed, a bit numb, a bit out of the fray of the biggest oil spill/environmental disaster in U.S. history, these images may help you understand its scope of damage. Boston.com: Oil Reaches Louisiana Shores Be ready to be punched in the gut. But don’t stop there. Do something. Call someone. [...]
Wind Farms & Birds: Interview with Bill Evans, Avian Tower Kill Authority
My post on Wind Farms and Avian Mortality continues to generate a good deal of interest. I’m impressed with the amount of skepticism and questioning it generated…This is good; questioning is the very reason I wrote the post. Bird watchers and bat lovers need to know more about how ‘tall man-made structures’ affect flying animals. So I contacted Bill [...]
Wind Farms & Bird Migration: A Solution?
One Texas wind farm project has employed radar technology that can sense a flock of migrating birds up to 4 miles away, which causes the wind turbines to shut down. Promising idea, but a closer look shows why bird mortality will more likely be avoided due to the farm’s proper siting within the flyway. All eyes on Penascal in Texas, and soon, Vermont…
