Presidents' Column
by Rob Hewitt

I just returned from the Watchable Wildlife Conference in Huntington Beach, where I promoted Godwit Days and Arcata birding. Watchable Wildlife is the program that's behind all those big brown binocular signs along the highway. Pete Dunne was a keynote speaker, and I really felt he brought home a good message. His concern is that we're not exactly in touch with the real world. Too much TV, urbanization, and automobiles have removed us from the world's natural processes. He discussed how his niece and nephew didn't explore the woods in his backyard—they just hurried home avoiding the dangerous woods to watch nature documentaries on what he referred to as the "glass nipple." Dunne's plea was for the audience to put people in touch with nature. Now, the distant Bald Eagle viewed on a field trip may not be seen as dramatic as those on TV that complete their entire life cycle in 30 minutes, but at least it's REAL.

Pete knew he was preaching to the choir, as everybody present was there because they do take people out and introduce them to watchable wildlife. It doesn't have to be spectacular—just natural. It's probably outside that other glass pane in the living room wall, the window. Pete illustrated this when he talked of his nephew whom he had encouraged to borrow his binoculars. The nearby starling would barely get a glance from experienced birders, but to this kid it generated a WOW! Pete elaborated on the WOW. He said it was better than cool, better than bad!, better than awesome!. To generate a WOW in those persons unfamiliar with wild nature should be our goal. I was reminded of George Green's tale of a line of school kids parading past a scoped peregrine with a series of WOW's during last spring's Godwit Days.

The Christmas Count season is upon us, and with that I'm reminded that it's one of the best ways to introduce someone to birdwatching. This is another way Audubon does its best to provide people with a direct line to the natural world. Locally, we have marsh walks rain or shine, and a field trip almost every weekend. It has long been my philosophy that we need more bird trips to make more birders and we'll all be better off. So it was encouraging to hear Pete Dunne echo this conviction. I believe we do more to promote nature appreciation in the real sense than any other group. So please support us, give a Christmas membership to someone, or come to the Bird Fair. We're doing our best to put binoculars in novice hands and point them at birds—even the Starlings. Now, about those big brown binocular signs, you know where they are......take a friend to one tomorrow and generate a WOW.

Redwood Region Audubon Society
P.O. Box 1054, Eureka, CA 95502
Last updated December 1996