Although we don’t live on the Fox River, we are not far from it and we often see eagles floating in the air streams over head. This past week provided just such a day — the earlier stormy weather had given them the perfect opportunity to catch some air and provide us with the thrill of seeing them.
Seeing them always reminds me that it was due to the efforts of Lorrie Otto and her comrades in the 1960s and 1970s to ban DDT that we have the opportunity to see these lovely creatures today. Without these conservationists’ determination, much of the wildlife we enjoy watching might not be here, and although we typically don’t discuss pollinators in conjunction with DDT, the collapse of this link in the web of life might have started much sooner.
Lorrie Otto was born in September. Her favorite Wild Ones program was the Seeds for Education program (SFE) which provides funding for outdoor learning centers for qualifying not-for-profits. As Executive Director, I used to remind Wild Ones members of this program and suggest they consider making a designated donation in her honor to the Lorrie Otto Seeds For Education Program administered by Wild Ones. If you feel children need to be aware of the outdoors at their places of learning, consider making a contribution.
Thank You!
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