Bird Conservation - Kentucky Ornithological Society

Kentucky Ornithological Society

Conservation, Legislation,
& Participation

(Click on this chart or the rotating Earths to see the current world population.)

Rapid human population growth threatens habitats critical for wildlife and for our own existence.

From suburban America to the Amazon rainforest, a growing human population is causing, both directly and indirectly, destruction of wildlife habitat (both aquatic and terrestrial). Beyond this obvious fact, humans are also responsible for massive disruption of the biosphere via global warming and ozone depletion. As a result, numerous species (and habitats) face extinction.

What about population growth in the United States??

In part, as a result of such growth:

The nation has lost 117 million acres of wetlands -- more than 50 percent of what we started with;

The Northwest has lost 25 million acres -- 92 percent -- of its ancient forest;

Even public lands are becoming increasingly fragmented. Our national forests alone contain nearly 360,000 miles of roads, more than 8 times the mileage of the Interstate Highway System.

Between 1982 and 1992, the United States lost an average of 400,000 acres of "prime" farmland to development every year. This translates into 45.7 acres per hour, every day.

Beyond habitat loss & fragmentation, we face numerous other environmental problems (click on the images for information):

Global Warming: Climate change may be disrupting the hibernation and migration patterns of animals and birds. A study in the 2/15 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that global warming may pose special challenges to species that depend on seasonal cues for their survival. Click here for more information.

Given these, & other, major environmental problems,
what's a citizen to do??

1) Join & get involved with organizations that share your concerns!

Joining such organizations & assisting them financially (and in other ways) can be beneficial in a number of important ways. Organizations with more members have more clout! And, depending on their particular focus, these organizations can direct attention to particular environmental issues, fund important research, buy and/or help protect valuable (in a biological sense) land, go head-to-head with those seeking to harm threatened or endangered wildlife, and much more.

2) Maintain a bird-friendly backyard habitat with native plants for cover and nesting, and a variety of feeders, bird boxes, and water sources.

3) Get politically involved . . .

because politicians make decisions that can have a huge impact on the environment!

So, it's very important to:

Be (or get) informed!

Vote!

Let your elected officials know where you stand on important issues!

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