I’ve lived in MD for over 30 years and spent countless hours in its parks and nature preserves over the past 11 years as a MoCo Certified Weed Warrior. Having worked in dozens of Montgomery county’s 400-plus parks and another dozen of Rockville City’s 64 parks and preserves, I’ve only once seen a live wild turkey. It was last year just before thanksgiving when I was standing in a backyard in Rockville. The turkey was less than 10 yards across from the city border strutting around in Montgomery County’s Rock Creek Park SVU7 (Stream Valley Unit 7).
Having hunted ducks, geese, pheasants, and quail as a young boy growing up in Washington State my first instinct was to get a cheap Thanksgiving dinner. But it was the awe-inspiring feeling of seeing that wild turkey so close that quickly washed out that idea.
How I wish my children could have seen such a bird in their early years biking on our local trails. Two day’s before the end of National Invasives Species Awareness Week I had the opportunity of leading a crew of 12 volunteers who are also committed to removing non-native invasive plant species from our local parks. The goal is to protect Maryland’s remaining native wildlife (plants, animals, and mushrooms) while also protecting the integrity of the remaining sustainability of all species (including our own on this continent or any other).
The Wild Turkey is the largest native bird in the US. It evolved in North America about 20 million years ago. Humans domesticated some about 2000 years ago. In what is now the United States, there were an estimated 10 million turkeys in the 17th century. By the 1930s, only 30,000 remained. Once abundant in Maryland, human activity diminished its population (and many other species) via deforestation (logging and farming) and unregulated hunting. In the 1960s and ‘70s Maryland joined in a national effort to restore Turkey populations. Experts estimate that Maryland now has about 40,000. But that number is again in decline. One major factor is the loss of its natural breeding habitat (trees and brush) for nesting. But there’s also a noted decline in hatchlings surviving to maturity (normally 3 to 4 young, now two or fewer). That is insufficient to replace those that die each year.
This January Maryland state launched a study in conjunction with other surrounding states, to find out the specifics of why the turkey population is declining. I’m hopeful this study will investigate how the loss of native plant species contributes to the bird’s decline. And more specifically how many non-native invasive (NNI) plant species are part of this. Given that NNI vines are the second largest cause of tree loss in Maryland I’m confident it will be significant. Hopefully, the new study won’t miss the vital importance of how the natural variety of other native wildlife species contribute to the health/integrity of the Turkey’s immune system and its egg formation physiology.
An expert in this field is Doug Tallamy who has studied dozens of native birds and their essential need for abundant and accessible native plants in order to maintain their breeding populations.
And all of these nature connections must be considered to achieve national and state goals of preserving 30 percent of our remaining natural areas and restoring another 30 percent of the natural areas now endangered. Preservation and restoration of this fundamental infrastructure has been largely ignored since the beginning of our official nation’s founding. In spite of our nation’s principled founding document (the Declaration of Independence) stating in its first paragraph the underpinning of “the Powers of the Earth” and “the Opinions of Mankind” offered two sets of laws to sustain human freedom and security. Why have those in wealthy and power ignored these overarching laws “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God”? Why is it so hard to grasp the fundamental principles of adequate and responsible stewardship of God’s creation - while protecting all others as we protect ourselves?
Turkeys can be aggressive toward humans and pets because they have a social structure pecking order and often react to humans and animals as they do other turkeys in an attempt to dominate what they view as subordinates. Perhaps we are. In 2017, a town in Massachusetts recommended a controversial approach when confronted with such Turkey aggression (defense of their freedom and security?). City officials suggested stepping forward to intimidate the bird while "making noise” or threatening them. This advice was quickly rescinded with a caution that "being aggressive toward wild turkeys is not recommended....” I consider that rare wisdom coming from a human bureaucracy.
Shortly after the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the Continental Congress gave Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams the job of designing an official seal for the new nation. They failed, as well as two later committees, to come up with a design Congress approved of. But eventually, the bald eagle became our national symbol. In ancient times it was considered a sign of strength and Roman legions used it as theirs. Contrary to folklore there’s no evidence that Ben Franklin protested the bald eagle and lobbied for the turkey. But in a 1784 letter to his daughter, he did label the bald eagle “a bird of bad moral character.”
Observing the character of US policymakers today and their inability to achieve the seven intentions stated in the preamble to our Constitution, perhaps it's time to revisit the wisdom within the Declaration of Independence. There’s no doubt that Abraham Lincoln hunted and ate wild turkeys. But few patriots know that he saw our nation’s “Declaration of Independence is our Apple of Gold” and our Constitution as “its Frame of Silver.”
If we in our Republic intend to avoid the same fate as Rome perhaps it's time true patriots embody our natural instincts to ensure ‘liberty and justice for all” which we have all pledged before our flag. And instead of believing we are independent of the natural world that sustains us, embrace our species' interconnectedness and interdependence.
And do some deep thinking about this recent quote by Jen Easterly, the Director of CISA (Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency) in her speech on Oct. 29, 2021. [CISA is our nation’s newest federal agency established by the Trump Administration in 2018].
“Everything is connected, everything is interdependent, so everything is vulnerable.... And that’s why this has to be a more than whole of government, a more than whole of nation [effort]. It really has to be a global effort....” Hopefully, Ms. Easterly understands that our environment is our most vital infrastructure that ensures our energy and food supply, normal weather conditions, and superpowers our economy. And that human freedom and security everywhere is inherently and irreversibly connected to a sustainable environment.
We humans need to remember that nature is always the last to bat. Our grandchildren may never see wild turkeys in nature. But nature always has a batting average of 100%. And it's our species' turn to bat.
(“Neyhom” is the replacement word suggested, which is how Wampanoag peoples of Massachusetts called the native American bird.)
No comments:
Post a Comment