I was dropping off Johanna at daycare this morning, and as I was leaving I saw an enormous bird sitting atop a garbage can in the back alley. He/she just sat there a minute or two before swooping down the alley. I found this photo pool on flickr this morning that helped me identify it as a Cooper’s Hawk.

Since the 2004 sighting that spurred the search for the believed-extinct ivory-billed woodpecker, birding has gotten more play in the headlines than ever before. Birders, like all nature enthusiasts, play an important role in conservation by supporting eco-tourism and raising awareness of issues. More data on the subject than you can imagine is sliced and diced in this report from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. As the report states, “Although there is a certain irony in people becoming enthusiastic about birds as they disappear, it also presents an opportunity: birders may be the economic and political force that can help save the birds.”

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This November, Minnesota voters will (hopefully) pass a landmark amendment to protect both the environment and the arts in Minnesota for future generations. The envrionment + art? My favorite combination.

You can find out the basics on the bill here so you can spread the word to your friends and family about this important initiative. Want to get involved? Contact or donate to http://www.yesformn.org.

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