nature

Climate Movement Monday: in support of Native Village of Hooper Bay

/ Tracy Abell / 10 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate and then typically take action on behalf of a frontline community facing immediate effects of the climate crisis. Today’s information and TAKE ACTION come from Earthjustice, the nonprofit environmental law organization representing Native Village of Hooper Bay in southwest Alaska.

The federal government is proposing a land swap and road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge despite the fact that, as the name says, it’s supposed to be a refuge. Per the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website, this refuge located between the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska,  is [emphasis mine] “home to one of the world’s largest eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds. Hundreds of thousands of waterfowl, including virtually the entire population of Pacific black brant, visit the lagoon to feed on eelgrass and rest during migration. From brown bears to Pacific salmon, more than 200 species call this refuge home.” Call me alarmist, but it seems really stupid to negatively interfere with the feeding ground and resting place for an entire species.

Aerial view of black brant in flight over Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.  Photo by Kristine Sowl/USFWS

What does all this have to do with Native Village of Hooper Bay?  The proposed road would cut through the refuge which provides, you know, refuge for migratory bird species that Native Village of Hooper Bay tribal members rely on for food and cultural practices.

“Any loss of these species in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta could have devastating impacts on communities already stressed by climate change, the salmon crisis, and by significant socio-economic and health challenges, including high rates of poverty and the highest suicide rates in the nation. Western science and Indigenous knowledge agree that preserving subsistence and traditional practices is key to combating these impacts in Alaska Native communities.”

A 45-day comment period is now open that allows the public to weigh in on the draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS). The federal government needs your input. PLEASE request the federal government withdraw the project OR at least choose the “no action alternative” which is the compromise proposed by Native Village of Hooper Bay and other tribes.

As always, a personalized message carries more weight. However, I realize this issue can seem complicated as you read about it (due, in part, to the use of “alternative” in its many permutations), so it’s completely fine to briefly express your support for the tribal people and the migratory birds, and then request that the federal government withdraw the project entirely OR choose the “no action alternative.” Your message doesn’t need to be long.  All the background information is included here where you also take action via your brief personalized message.

Thank you for reading this far. Thank you for speaking up on behalf of Native Village of Hooper Bay and other tribes in that frontline community, along with the 200 species that call the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge home. Solidarity! ✊🏾

Elk for a Free Palestine

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

Popping in quickly to share this image Zippy captured from our deck yesterday.

Elk! While we’ve seen them in the open space several times over the years we’ve lived here, this was our first sighting from our home. A neighbor said she recently saw about 30 in the open space.

I also wanted to share links to articles from The Intercept that I read today, detailing the increasingly oppressive crackdown on those standing up for Palestinian rights.

The Intercept also wrote about the release of Amnesty International’s new 300-page report that adds the human rights organization to a growing chorus of legal scholars and activists describing Israel’s assault on Palestinians as genocide.

The United States is funding and enabling genocide as they increase police forces around the country and build Cop Cities to train police in how best to bash in our heads. We’re all we’ve got, and it’s imperative we hold onto our shared humanity.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free! 

Wild gift

/ Tracy Abell / 13 Comments

I’ve been scarce around here, largely due to overwhelm on a global and personal level. Today got off to a good start and then quickly went south with the news that my son was in a (heightened) health crisis. A while later, I was on the phone with my spouse for the umpteenth time, updating him on our son’s condition, when I glanced out the window.

Such a gorgeous fox, possibly the same one who visited my neighbor in June? Either way, I was delighted by the sighting. I quickly grabbed the nearby camera and captured this one image through the deck railing before it jumped on the back fence and went to the other side. Foxes must have incredibly keen senses because this one immediately knew my camera and I were at the closed window.

A brief interaction, but that fox lifted my spirits immensely. For that, I’m grateful.

Take good care, everyone.

Twofer Tuesday: Clear Creek edition

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

As mentioned, I celebrated yesterday’s birthday at Clear Creek. It was a good choice: lots of sunshine plus the peace of moving water. As we walked in search of a sunny place to picnic, we saw a man running behind his dog carrying a frisbee. I was disappointed that I didn’t have my camera ready to snap a pic. Well, a few minutes later, they ran past again and this time I was prepared. Such a happy doggie!

Then we found our spot in the sun.

After selecting flat-ish boulders near the water’s edge to sit on, Zippy and I ate lunch while watching leaves gently sway beneath the water’s surface and bubbles move along on top as they cast star-shaped shadows below. Despite people crossing on the nearby bridge, it felt like we had the creek to ourselves. Too soon, the sun dropped below the canyon cliff, and our sun-filled location was shady and cold. Time to head back home.

Though our outing was brief, it soothed my soul. I highly recommend sunshine and water for late November birthday celebrations.

Coming in for a landing

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

I’ve been losing myself in revisions of my middle grade novel–grateful for the distraction from this brutal reality–and am close to being finished.

Sandhill Crane at Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. March 12, 2024

While I’m still a day or two away from being done, I believe in celebrating every step along the way. So, today I celebrate myself and this project as I prepare for the final landing. Yay!

Snowy palette

/ Tracy Abell / 7 Comments

Hallelujah! The snow has stopped falling. Our muscles are sore from all the shoveling over the past several days, and now I can rest in the beauty of this cotoneaster.

By the time I finished my shoveling shift yesterday I was exhausted, but couldn’t resist getting the camera and tromping around the front yard to take photos. The leaves and berries of the various shrubs were so vibrant against the snow, like a gorgeous collision of seasons. In fact, the burning bush was almost blindingly bright.

And now the melting begins . . .

Climate change: we’re the cause but we can also be the solution

/ Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

It’s a Wednesday, but I’m offering what would usually be a Climate Movement Monday post because the synchronicity of the two elements contained here was just too perfect to pass up. Below, I offer information on hurricanes and then a quick action.

As Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida while millions struggle to recover from Helene (mutual aid links here), I received two connected emails. The first, from HEATED which is billed as “a newsletter for people who are pissed off about the climate crisis,” was their latest article titled “How fossil fuels mutated Milton: Climate scientists tell HEATED the historic storm represents “the profound irresponsibility and culpability” of polluters.”

I highly recommend reading the entire piece which begins: For scientists who study the effects of climate change, the scariest thing about Hurricane Milton is not simply its historic strength. It’s the fact that Milton grew so strong so quickly—mutating from a pipsqueak into a monster. 

screen grab from a news broadcast

Milton’s rapid intensification from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane left meteorologists speechless, with one veteran NBC6 Miami scientist tearing up on air. On X, hurricane scientists described Milton’s sudden explosion as “unprecedented,” “terrifying,” and “jaw-dropping,” as the storm’s wind speeds grew from 60 mph to over 180 mph in only 36 hours—one of the fastest intensifications on record.

A similarly rapid hurricane intensification happened just weeks earlier with Hurricane Helene, which transformed from a relatively weak tropical storm into a historic Category 4 hurricane within two days.

The article goes on to quote climate scientist Michael Mann who points the finger at the fossil fuel industry which is responsible for 76 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. “ExxonMobil’s own scientists warned that continued fossil fuel burning would lead to “potentially catastrophic events,” Mann said. That those catastrophes are playing out today represents “the profound irresponsibility and culpability of a fossil fuel industry that knowingly hid evidence of the tremendous danger of their product—not just danger to individuals … but danger to humanity and the planet. A whole higher category of crime.”

The article continues, including an explanation of how warmer sea temperatures contribute to the strength and size of tropical storms. Then the article ends with this quote from hurricane scientist Andra Garner (emphasis mine):

“The bad news here is that we know that human-caused climate change is driving these kinds of extremes to be more deadly,” said Garner. “But the good news is that we are the cause, and so we can also be the solution.”

That bears repeating: We are the cause of climate change which means we can also be the solution.

Right after reading that HEATED article, I returned to my inbox to find an email from Stand.earth. That email opened with: “Exciting news! Late last month, Philadelphia, PA, became the latest city to join the growing chorus of municipal and sub-national governments to officially call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Not only is Philadelphia one of the largest cities in North America, it’s also located in Pennsylvania, a state dominated by fracking. It’s proof that our movement is even reaching areas where the fossil fuel industry is most powerful.”

The email then offers a link to send a message to your local city council, asking for them to call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. What are the principles of such a treaty?

  1. Non-proliferation: Stop building out the problem by ending the expansion of coal, oil and gas production
  2. A fair phase-out: An equitable plan for the wind down of existing fossil fuel production, where nations with the capacity and historical responsibility for emissions transition fastest, providing support to others around the world
  3. Just transition: Fast-track the adoption of renewable energy and economic diversification away from fossil fuels so that no worker, community or country is left behind

Please take a minute to urge your city to join the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and start working on the just transition in your community.

It was SO easy to send a message to all my city council members and mayor. I personalized (and shortened) the letter to make my point which I must say felt extra personal since one of those council members lives right down the street from me. We’ve seen horrific climate policy on the federal level and the Democrat’s presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, now contradicts her earlier campaign vow to ban fracking, but local communities offer a greater chance for citizens to make an impact. Please take a moment to reach out to your city council to let them know how you feel about the role of fossil fuels in these catastrophic hurricanes which are destroying lives and property.

Thank you for reading this far! I appreciate you being here. Solidarity! ✊🏾

Climate Movement Monday: turning the fossil fuel narrative on its head

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate. Today I’m returning to Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility (edited by Rebecca Solnit & Thelma Young Lutunatabua) in order to offer my readers another lens to look at our climate reality while also imagining a better world.

At the start of the chapter “Different Ways of Measuring: On Renunciation and Abundance” (a conversation between Solnit and Lutunatabua), there’s this quote from Dr. Elizabeth Sawin:

“It is some very effective marketing that has convinced so many of us that getting off of fossil fuels is a sacrifice as opposed to a money-saving, peace-promoting, water-protecting, health-improving, technological leap forward.”

This jumped out at me because whenever I (foolishly) read comments about various climate actions (and it doesn’t matter if it’s folks politely demanding better of their government or Climate Defiance interrupting fossil fuel executives as they’re being celebrated), there are always people who ridicule the activists for imagining a world without fossil fuels. Those naysayers insist the many negative consequences  we’re experiencing in real-time are a given and that there’s no way forward that doesn’t include fossil fuels. A frequent commenter “gotcha” is “Did you drive your car to that action?” which reveals a complete lack of imagination in regards to our woefully inadequate public transportation, connected biking routes, etc.

Directly following Sawin’s quote, Solnit eloquently presents a different perspective that I’d love to copy and paste in reply to those cynical comments.

What if the climate crisis requires us to give up the things we don’t love and the things that makes us poorer, not richer? What if we have to give up the foul contamination around fossil-fuel extraction, the heavy metals people inhale when coal is burned around them, the oil refineries that contaminate the communities of color around them from the Gulf of Mexico to California? What if the people of Richmond in my own home region, the Bay Area, didn’t have emergency alerts where they were supposed to seal their homes because of a refinery leak? What if the incidence of asthma in kids went way down, and we stopped losing almost nine million people a year to pollution worldwide? What if that moment when the pandemic shut down so much fossil-fuel burning that people in parts of northern India saw the Himalayas for the first time in decades became permanent?   

I don’t know about you, but reading those words expanded my mind and heart, while reaffirming my belief in a better world. Kicking our fossil fuel addiction won’t set us back, but will instead liberate us to live healthier, happier lives.

If you’re interested, here’s an article about the visible Himalayas, including grateful social media posts:  Peaks of Himalayas visible from parts of India for first time in decades as pollution drops amid lockdown. And if these quotations resonated with you and you’re interested in reading more, Not Too Late is available through Haymarket Books and is currently offered at a discount.

Thank you for reading this far and please know I welcome all thoughts and comments below (spoiler: no, I did not drive my car to this post). Until next time, solidarity! ✊🏽

You should have joy and pleasure

/ Tracy Abell / 7 Comments

When reading this week’s newsletter “Organizing My Thoughts” from Kelly Hayes this morning, a quote jumped out at me. It came via the linked piece from Lewis Raven Wallace “The Right Wants Us to Submit to Nihilism. Here Is Where I’m Searching for Hope.”

“You should have joy and pleasure from being on the right side of history,” [ . . ], “not anguish and despair. Let the other people have that.”

My first yellow leaves of the season. Golden Gate Canyon State Park. August 30, 2024

Wallace continues with this:
Joy is not just icing on the cake or the purview of the privileged. It is an exercise in hope that has always been rigorously practiced by people facing impossible situations of oppression. Laughter, pleasure and small acts of connection are precisely where we find our power — and the soul fuel that makes it possible to go on.

Anyway, that sentiment helped me a lot today–helped me remember who and what I am–and I wanted to share in case it could help someone here. Let’s hold onto our shared humanity and refuse to let the horrors and ugliness turn us into shells of ourselves. Let’s rejoice in nature and each other, and laugh as much as possible.

The fear-based, mean-spirited people can keep all that ugly for themselves.

PSA: Novavax Covid Vaccine

/ Tracy Abell / 9 Comments

But first, a word from our sponsor:

Adult and young blue Jay.    July 13, 2024.    Photo by Zippy.

Only kidding. Another Day On the Planet has no sponsor which is why you never see any strategically-placed cans of Pringles or bottles of Dos Equis on this blog. But if there was a sponsor, BIRDS would be a great choice!

I actually just wanted to offer information and resources on the updated Covid vaccines, specifically the Novavax vaccine. Why? Because I’m realizing not many people know about it, in large part because the government is pushing Pfizer and/or Moderna. (Despite Novavax being submitted for approval in July before the other vaccines, the FDA approved Novavax last, and only after much public pressure via emails and phone calls.)

A recent study (on a previous strain) showed that while Moderna reduced the viral load by 100x, Novavax reduced the viral load by 600x.  Novavax also provides protection for both the upper and lower respiratory tracts. Many (including Zippy and me) also like Novavax because there are fewer side effects. The two times I’ve gotten Novavax were much easier than my previous Pfizer and Moderna shots. Here’s a handy graphic explaining the other benefits of Novavax.

I follow many Covid-aware people on Twitter such as virologists and immunocompromised people, and the consensus is that Novavax is the superior vaccine that offers the greatest protection. If you’re interested, the Novavax locator site will help you find the vaccine close to you.

NOTE: if you do opt for Novavax, be very clear about that when you go into the pharmacy because there are many anecdotal instances right now of people requesting Novavax and having the pharmacist instead offer Pfizer (because they see it as the default) or grabbing a syringe of Pfizer or Moderna out of habit. When I showed up for my appointment (in which I’d requested Novavax in the online form), I said I was there for Novavax (as opposed to “Covid vaccine”) to make sure we were all clear on my intentions from the outset. It’s also a very good idea to ask to see the label on the syringe just to be absolutely sure. The pharmacy I visited was very busy and those workers have LOTS on their minds, so it’s totally fine to clarify.

Please let me know if you have any other questions because I can probably point you to the answers.

Remember, the more we can do to curb the mutation and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the healthier and happier we will be. 🙂

Edited to add: BonaFide Masks is where I get KN-95 masks (ear-loops) which I mostly give out to others who want to mask but don’t want to wear a mask with head-straps. Use code BFM25 for 25% off your order through October 1. Free shipping!

Thankful Thursday: people who reach out

/ Tracy Abell / 2 Comments

Over the years, I’ve had friends from my distant past find me via this site which is always a happy surprise. And strangers have reached out after reading something I posted. For example, after writing about Aaron Bushnell on Memorial Day, a friend of his wrote to me. Their message touched me deeply and I wrote back to thank them for taking the time to contact me in solidarity.

But I’m not always successful in responding to people and so today I’m using this space to let LR know that I received their message. Thank you! I tried to respond via the email provided but there’s an error with that address and it doesn’t go through. I did an online search and was able to find an edu email address for you, and sent my message there. Because I haven’t heard anything back, I’m  wondering if that’s also a bad address. PLEASE, if you see this, use the contact form again and leave a different return address. I very much appreciated your message and would like to converse some more!

May 29, 2019

Solidarity!

They say it’s his birthday

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

Today is Zippy’s birthday and he celebrated by going on a 30-mile bike ride. Another thing he likes to do? Hike. Here he is hiking in Pike National Forest last October. See that happy, relaxed smile?

Well, here’s the cut paper card I made for him this year in honor of those hikes and our “forest bathing.”

May we share many more moments of forest-induced peace in the coming year. Happy birthday, Zippy. ❤️

Thankful Thursday: the common

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

Life feels difficult the last few days–personally, professionally, and globally–and now more than ever, I’m grateful for nature’s gifts. Today I’ve taken solace in the presence of many magpies (my next door neighbor just confirmed her dog–again— spread kibble in their backyard) as they fly to-and-fro, pause to snack on Rainbow’s offerings, and bathe in my bird bath.

Magpies are common around here yet they never fail to lift my spirits. Equally common are the bright, cheery sunflowers smiling in my yard and throughout the neighborhood. These, too, always bring a smile. And when that sunflower sighting includes a Common Checkered-Skipper?

Backyard. August 12, 2024

Well, then my gratitude knows no bounds. Even when I gaze upon the image nearly a month later, it’s like bottled Balm for the Soul.

Wildlife and me

/ Tracy Abell / 2 Comments

I had a lovely solo camping trip in Golden Gate Canyon State Park last week. The weather was pleasant and my site was level, plus there was a peaceful little Nature Trail right across the road that I wandered a couple times. Oddly enough, there weren’t many birds and it was mostly quiet except for the occasional Mountain Chickadee and Common Raven (which I heard several times but never spotted). I had high hopes for bird sightings since on the first afternoon I saw a White-breasted Nuthatch on a tree trunk near the restroom. That was my one and only nuthatch sighting although I had two encounters with a pair of Gray Jays. I’m not sure it was the same pair both times, but one flew directly at me near my campsite then landed in the tree right next to me, followed by another jay. And the next morning as I paused outside the restroom to put on my mask, a Gray Jay flew right (like, right) in front of me and into the building wall as if it thought it could perch there. Then it flew back into the closest tree where another jay waited. I never saw them again, but spent some time pondering whether they were trying to tell me something or maybe thought I was a kindred spirit in my gray fleece jacket that’s the same shade as their feathers.

On my first morning there, I suited up to run on the Raccoon Trail which is a 3.5 mile loop (including spur from campground) that includes Panorama Point and a view of the Continental Divide. Because I was starting at 9100 feet elevation and would gain several hundred feet more, I knew water was essential. And while I never run with my phone, I knew it would be wise to have it, so wore my small hiking pack that holds a camel back for water. After some stretches to warm up, I took off. The pack bouncing on my back didn’t bother me, but I was very aware of the water as it sloshed with every step. The trail starts out in forest and soon opens up to aspen groves. Five minutes into the run, I sloshed my way around a curve and was startled by a large crashing in the brush. A moose! Heart hammering, I immediately stopped and spoke quietly while glancing around for a calf. I only saw the one moose, but my heart still pounded at the sight of all those skinny aspen trees that weren’t big enough to hide behind if the moose decided to charge. Fortunately, we both calmed down and it soon went back to browsing. As it moved farther from the trail, I slowly and silently (no sloshing!) continued on my way. A few minutes later I came upon a hiker and as she stepped off the trail to let me pass, she asked if I’d seen the moose. I said I had.

“That calf was so cute,” she replied.

Calf?

Turned out, this woman had been about ten feet away from the juvenile moose and she’d taken photos. Yikes! Fortunately, all was well with the mama and everyone moved on without incident.

The rest of my run/scramble up rocky slopes was uneventful. I stopped to check out the view at the top and then kept going. It wasn’t until I was back at my camp site doing my cool-down stretches that I had my favorite wildlife encounter of the trip.

This ground squirrel calmly perched a few feet from me, drinking up the warm sun. Moments later, the squirrel was flat on their tummy in an obvious display of fearlessness.

I’ll confess that I took loads of photos of this squirrel and their many poses. It made my heart so happy to share the space together, that morning and throughout my stay. This squirrel was a very gracious host and I’m grateful both for the companionship and also for the fact my heart didn’t practically leap out of my chest at our encounters. Moose are amazing creatures but my time in Alaska taught me they can be very volatile and extremely dangerous. Unlike this little ground squirrel.

This squirrel was pure chill which was exactly what I needed on my trip.

Twofer Tuesday: Sarah Kendzior + Great Blue Herons

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

Today I offer a majestic Great Blue Heron I had the honor of seeing last April, along with a link to Sarah Kendzior’s latest essay which, in addition to featuring sobering insights about our political reality, references a Great Blue Heron.

Lake Hasty on the evening of April 3, 2024

 

I’ve never met Sarah, but she feels like a kindred spirit. Sarah also escapes to nature when the world overwhelms and her heart aches. Tomorrow I’m heading off solo in our campervan to spend a few days in nature where I will revel in the flora and fauna. I hope to capture other images that will ground me and bring calm each time I look at them, visual mental health talismans on-call for whenever I’m in need.

I’m grateful for my privilege that makes it possible to escape into nature, and I wish the same for everyone everywhere. Someone in Sarah’s comments posted a very apt Wendell Berry poem which I’ll include here:

The Peace of Wild Things
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Again, here is the link to Sarah Kendzior’s piece: Birds of a Feather

I’ll note that I’ve been reading Sarah’s work for the past few months and today, finally, upgraded to a paid subscription. Her eloquence and humanity are always on display, but Birds of a Feather hit me especially hard (in a good way).

Wishing everyone a good week that, I hope, includes some interactions with the natural world.

Critical pollinators

/ Tracy Abell / 11 Comments

Guanella Pass. August 1, 2024

When asked to describe insect species that can pollinate flowers, most people think of bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. However, flies are critical pollinators in both natural and agricultural systems. A recent analysis of crop species found that flies visited 72% of the 105 crops studied (bees visited 93%).   ~ Penn State Extension

Confession: I’ve often said mean things about flies buzzing around me and am going to try to remember this the next time one enters my orbit. Flies are critical to the planet. Me? Not so much. (Note: click on image to get a better look at those eyes!)

A story in three acts

/ Tracy Abell / 18 Comments

The other day, I went outside to sit with my camera. Just in case something interesting presented itself. I focused on the zinnias that are finally blooming from the seeds I planted months ago.

Right after taking that photo, the camera still held to my eye, something interesting happened.

A Broad-tailed Hummingbird flew into the frame! Fortunately, the camera speed was fairly high and, four images later, I captured this which was the best of the bunch:

In that brief span of time, all felt right with me and the world. Thank you, little Miss Hummingbird, for the gift of your presence.

When the big picture is too much

/ Tracy Abell / 14 Comments

Nature is always, always my refuge, and never more than during hard times. When the world feels too cruel and feelings of overwhelm engulf me, I know to put my focus on the little things. Yesterday I grounded myself by watching these Japanese Beetles on my in-laws’ raspberry plant.

Yes, I know Japanese Beetles are very destructive because they destroy leaves and crops. However, it’s hard to hold a grudge while belonging to the most destructive species on the planet. Humans do a lot more damage than these stunning, iridescent beetles, and yesterday I was grateful to gaze upon their splendor.

This morning as Zippy and I walked Emma around the neighborhood, I paused at a clump of Russian Sage to check out the bee situation. As expected, there were honey bees, but I was especially tickled to notice three grasshoppers perched in various places throughout.

They all seemed to be just chillin’ amongst the purple blooms. I’m in awe of grasshoppers’ intricate bodies and can’t stop looking at this image. How do all those pieces fit together? What percentage of the total body mass are those two enormous eyes? And do their joints ever get tired from all that hopping?

Once again, nature for the win.

Thankful Thursday: hawk edition

/ Tracy Abell / 15 Comments

Earlier today, movement outside the window caught my eye. I turned and saw:
Emma running along the fence + a Red-tailed Hawk sitting on the wire + a squirrel jumping into the maple tree right next to the wire + another Red-tailed Hawk landing in that maple tree.

I sent up a prayer for the squirrel as I ran for the camera in the other room. By the time I returned, all I could see were the two hawks. The squirrel must’ve escaped and Emma was elsewhere in the yard, oblivious to having chased that squirrel right toward the hawks.

I photographed the one on the wire through the kitchen window and captured the hawk in the tree by sneakily pushing my big lens through the mini-blinds in Zippy’s office. I was grateful they didn’t startle at my movements and even more grateful they hung around as long as they did. Just moments after getting photos of the tree-sitter, the hawk took off from the wire and the other followed.

I receive these gifts.

Climate Movement Monday: save the Pearl River

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

Hello, again. I took an unscheduled break from my blog because everything felt like too much. Everything still feels like too much, but I want to continue offering information, perspectives, and ways to take action on behalf of people and planet. Because the WordPress community is spread around the world, these Monday climate posts dedicated to specific issues and communities could be viewed as unrelated to your own life and experience, but because I firmly believe we are ALL connected–everyone and everything–I also believe there’s no such thing as an unrelated issue (climate or otherwise). Anything that negatively affects the climate halfway around the world from where you live will eventually have negative consequences for your community. Okay, so let’s get to today’s issue. 🙂

Pearl River at Rosemary by J.G.W.Blakeney (wikimedia)

In September of 2022, I highlighted the flooding in Jackson, Mississippi, that happened when the Pearl River overflowed its banks due to heavy rains. As a result of that flooding, the water treatment plant failed in Jackson which is 82% Black, leaving 150,000 people without clean drinking water. Nearly two years later, Jackson residents are still dealing with low pressure and brown water.

There are plans to address the flooding issues, but the solution being pushed–One Lake–is environmentally devastating. From Healthy Gulf:

Instead of levee improvements, the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District, in charge of levees, is sponsoring an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to study dredging and widening 9 miles of the river to create a lake, primarily to please developers and mayors who see an urban waterfront as a money maker for Hinds and Rankin Counties. The cities of Jackson and Flowood will “share” the lake and the Drainage District has taxing power to create bonds to finance it. The plan is to dredge the river wider, remove 1860 acres of riverside wetlands and swamps, set back some levees and construct a new low-head dam below the I-20 Pearl River Bridge. The resulting 1900 acre lake is promised to tame the river’s backwater flooding during large releases. 

The problem is that the wetland and wildlife habitat destruction resulting from this much dredging of banks and riverbed make the “One Lake” project the most environmentally damaging of the three alternatives (lake, levees, and floodplain buyouts) for solving the flooding, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

TAKING ACTION

So what can we do to help support the environment and people of Jackson? Submit comments to the Army Corps of Engineers TODAY! (tomorrow is the deadline for public comments and I apologize for the last-minute notice). As always, personalized letters have the most impact. But you don’t have to put tons of effort into your letter: just make your points and sign off! Here’s the letter template in which I’ve highlighted points to hit:

As someone who cares deeply about our country’s birds, wildlife, and habitats, I ask that you reject all flood relief plans for Jackson, Mississippi, that would dam or dredge the Pearl River. Instead, prioritize and expand on a proposal that can provide effective non-structural and nature-based flood solutions to benefit Pearl River communities and wildlife. Specifically, I urge you to pursue and bolster the Corps’ Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) Alternative A1 and deny Alternatives C, D, and E.

The Pearl River runs from Choctaw Tribal lands in Neshoba County, Mississippi, to Lake Borgne and the Rigolets in coastal Louisiana. It connects nearly 500 miles of ecology, communities, and economies across Mississippi and Louisiana. I urge you to oppose any flood relief plan that would dam or dredge this natural treasure.

The One Lake project and related proposals are all ecologically devastating plans. They would dredge river banks and wetlands, depositing the spoil behind levees to create broad terraces for commercial development. This would destroy thousands of acres of wildlife habitat and worsen Jackson’s flooding and drinking water crisis. It would also expose local and downstream communities to toxic contamination and reduce freshwater flows critical to the region’s seafood and tourism economies.

The DEIS is incomplete and missing sections required by law for adequate public and scientific review. It lacks a full analysis of wildlife habitat impacts, toxic sites, and downstream flows. However, it makes clear that One Lake and all related dam/dredge plans should be rejected. Federally mandated habitat protection areas for two endemic turtle species and the Gulf sturgeon are within the project area and LeFleur’s Bluff State Park would lose 63 acres of hardwood forest, changed to lake bottom. These are just two examples of the damage that the One Lake Project would cause.

Instead, I urge you to pursue effective, environmentally sustainable flood relief proposed in Alternative A1. This includes home elevations and flood-proofing buildings. Expand on this plan to consider restoring floodplains, raising roads, and incorporating levee setbacks and protections for vulnerable Jackson neighborhoods.

Please protect the Pearl River for this and future generations. Reject One Lake and all similar plans. Employ nature-based and non-structural flood solutions that benefit all Pearl River communities and species.

Again, here’s the link for writing a letter. Thank you in advance for reading this far and taking action on behalf of the people and environment in Jackson, Mississippi. Solidarity! ✊🏽