Hanging in a blanket of blackened space is a great blue earthen ball
that is swelling with oceans;
that is sprouting mountains that break the clouds;
that is watching dunes roll across deserts a grain at a time;
that is fracturing the floor with saplings soon to become the latest forests;
that is teeming with life.

If you look closely you’ll realize it is an “X” in the map of our universe.  I glanced at the legend and I think you should too.  It marks the spot.

I am here.
“You are here.”

On Saturday, July 24th, the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network has officially been given an opportunity to make its mark.  The “X” falls on Earth Island Institute as the Board of Directors approved the adoption of my burrowing owl project…our burrowing owl project.  And I think it is a great fit that will allow us to spread our wings in the name of conservation.

 “For 25 years, Earth Island Institute has been a hub for grassroots campaigns dedicated to conserving, preserving, and restoring the ecosystems on which our civilization depends.

Our Project Support program acts as an incubator for start-up environmental projects, giving crucial assistance to groups and individuals with new ideas for promoting ecological sustainability. Since our founding, we have provided fiscal sponsorship to more than 100 projects around the globe.”  Earth Island Institute

Turning back to the analogy, it might seem complex, but the manual is pretty simple.  We’ve just made things a bit complicated over time. We’ve added sticky notes that say “I owe you,” scribbled on it, fixed tears with duct tape instead of transparent adhesives, and made it difficult for subsequent generations to clearly see the instructions.  But through all the clutter I can still distinguish the text and I hope you can too.

Let’s continue to work together, put burrowing owls on the map, and Unite our Communities for Wildlife and Habitat Preservation.  I’m looking forward to it!

Sincerely,

Scott

Tags: Burrowing Owl Conservation Network, burrowing owls, Earth Island Institute

This entry was posted by Scott on Sunday, July 25th, 2010 at 3:56 pm and is filed under Owls, conservation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.