This weekend, my mom and I took a short vacation to Fulton County, Illinois- mostly in search of our favorite birds: Ducks. With the ice melting, rivers swelling, and fields beginning to flood, the waterfowl -which have spent most of the winter in ice-free zones- are now heading north. Nowhere is their migration more evident than along Illinois' major rivers, where these ducks stop to rest and refuel before continuing their journey.At Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge, a shallow, 2,000 acre lake formed at the junction of the Illinois and Spoon Rivers, snow geese often gather in the tens of thousands, accompanied by pelicans, bald eagles, and thousands of other ducks and waterbirds. Interestingly enough, this wildlife magnet hardly existed before the Nature Conservancy purchased it in the year 2000 (none of my old bird books on Illinois mention it). Although the area had historically been a giant wetland, years of intensive farming operations had all but drained the surrounding marshes and confined the the Illinois River to manmade channels. Only in recent years, when the Nature Conservancy removed the drain tiles, planted native flora, and restored the river to its original course, did the wildlife start to come back.
In one nearby Fish and Wildlife Area known as Banner Marsh (a place I would have liked to stop at, but didn't have time), the 4,363 acre property was initially a strip mining operation. This just goes to show you how quickly nature can heal.
Oh, and one more thing. LOOK AT THIS VIDEO. This was Emiquon 2 weeks before I went. HOLY SHIT.
What a nice weekend you had. I especially enjoyed reading about some positive actions (finally) taken in the name of conservation. Kudos to the Nature Conservancy for purchasing the area and the subsequent emergence of the thriving Emiquon Refuge. And it was heartening to learn about an area that once was a strip mine and now is a fish and wildlife sanctuary. In relatively modest ways we really can make a difference. By the way, I did watch the video and my mouth dropped - incredible!
ReplyDeleteAri, I particularly like the way you blend the details of the site, which you have evidently researched, with the beauty of the birds on the wing. Your observations reflect your unique, twin passions: art and science. it is also noteworthy --and commendable-- how you can seek out hidden or forgotten places, known mostly to birds or in this case, ducks, where nature has been restored and is reborn.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! It sure is amazing what people can do if they put their minds and hearts to it. And nature- it's amazing how fast she can regenerate!
ReplyDeleteI was actually just looking at the UN's website yesterday, an was suprised to learn that the United states actually GAINED a small percent of it forests back in the past 25 years.
I also happened to look at Costa Rica- which was 50-something percent forest in 1990, 45 percent in 2000, and 46.8 percent in 2005.