President’s Column
October 2004
Listen!
A few years ago Donna and I were hiking on Grizzly Peak above Ashland, Oregon. It’s an easy trail through fir forest mixed with open meadows sprinkled with wildflowers. While looking for the actual “peak” on this rather flat lava flow, we heard ground squirrels scolding. A ha, maybe a Golden Eagle! Nope, not a single raptor could be seen in the sky. Then we heard a slight scraping sound above us and looked up to meet the saucer-eyed gaze of a Great Gray Owl. Had we not been listening, and kept listening after seeing no flying raptors, we would have missed that wonderful eyeball-to-eyeball contact with the owl.
There is more to listening than just hearing, it goes beyond birding to philosophy. The art and practice of listening openly and impartially allows one to see past initial impressions and to gather more useful information. Impartial observation is a feature of many religions and philosophies and is a central theme in science.
When we participate in public discourse, we hear from concerned people that have differing points of view. If we begin listening expecting to disagree with everything, they say we will not really hear everything they have to offer. Open listening will enable the listener to evaluate what the speaker is presenting more objectively. When this is done, points of agreement and common goals are more likely to be observed.
“Listening” to someone with a different point of view as an adversary is equivalent to birding while listening to music (or worse, your own philosophy) on an MP3 player. Opportunities to find common ground will be missed and so will knowledge that can be used to promote your point of view.
Let nature provide the lesson. Bird with open eyes and ears. Participate and advocate for birds and bird habitat with an open mind. Redwood Region Audubon Society provides ample opportunities to enhance your listening skills with a variety of field trips and informative monthly meetings.