Trish O’Kane did not know that her excitement for her new teaching job at the University of Loyola in New Orleans would dissolve into an unexpected life-transforming tragedy: she and her partner lost their new home to hurricane Katrina a few weeks after moving there.
As a journalist
and writer Trish O’Kane had risked her life working in Guatemala, investigating
massacres perpetrated by the Guatemalan military. On several occasions she’d
had to run to save her own life. She had also worked in Alabama as an advocate
for human rights and social justice and had taught writing in a women’s prison. Driven by her passionate nature to teach
journalism and writing at Loyola University, she moved to New Orleans. What she did not know after losing
her home to Hurricane Katrina was that her grief would awaken her to a new kind
of awareness. Trish fell in love with birds, and the birds taught her how the
environment is deeply intertwined with matters of social justice. The birds
became her teachers, and her new appreciation for birds led her to search a new path in her
career.
It is important to remember that 1,390 people lost their lives as a result of this devastating hurricane. Before it happened, however, people did not believe how destructive it would be. Yet the birds had given their warning.
“In retrospect, I’ve realized that one thing
was different that day. The birds. They were so loud. Birds are usually quieter
at noon. But that day there was a cacophony, especially of gulls, whirling and
shrieking.
“Seventeen
years after I stood on that levee, scientists know there are certain signals
that fire up an avian news network (ANN), particularly changes in atmospheric
pressure.”
Infrasound
is another signal that triggers an avian news network. The low-frequency
ground-transmitted waves produced by volcanoes, earthquakes, waterfalls, storm
systems, and tsunamis. Many birds can hear it.
How can I
describe this spellbinding book? When I fall in love with a book I am
speechless at first, but then my words flow gently, like a symphony of birds
merging with the harmony of a waterfall on an exquisite morning filled with the
sweet scents of pine trees and flowers.
I feel so
thankful for this unique read. Birding to Change the World shows how
enthusiasm and passion can create ripples of positive changes that have the
potential to expand beyond the borders of a park and a city as long as one
cares to pay attention. Birding to Change the World is about the inspiring power of community. It shows how people can
come together when they genuinely care about something and are committed to work through their disagreements.
Trish's book is about human beings enduring personal
tragedies and finding healing in Nature. It is about cooperation and connections that enable people of all ages to discover the talents in
themselves and in Nature. It is about the transforming power of communication
and about seeking ways of creating constructive solutions to grow, learn and
thrive together.
Once I started reading Trish’s book I could
not put it down. I learned about it from a book blog, and I requested it from
my amazing local library because I knew I had to read it. My intuition was
correct. Birding to Change the World made my heart sing, dance and soar.
When Trish
O’ Kane moved to Madison, Wisconsin, to pursue an environmental studies PhD, Warner
Park became her haven. The park teems with wildlife and Trish played a unique
role in supporting the community of people and animals in their journey of
discoveries. The experience became an adventure that led to unforgettable undertakings
and actions to protect that haven. Trish’s zest to understand and protect
Warner Park created an opportunity that drew people of different backgrounds
together to protect the trees, the wetlands and wildlife, and, in saving the Warner
Park, people saved themselves.
As birds cross human borders, they remind us that we all live in the same planet. I was mesmerized to learn that cliff swallows migrate from Warner Park to places in Argentina and Brazil, and then they return to Warner Park the following spring. One cliff swallow eats up to one thousand mosquitoes per day.
Warner Park is also “a major feeding station for migrating
birds passing through, birds coming from much farther north heading south in
the fall and passing through again in the spring.”
Bird
migration is not an easy endeavor. Fifty percent of the birds die during their
migration.
“Long-distance migratory birds coming through
Warner Park may have been making this epic journey from Latin America to the
United States and Canada for at least 10,000 years. But in the last century,
our species has turned their flight routes into death-defying obstacle courses.
Ornithologists have known for decades that strong lights can confuse birds’
navigation systems. The lights of buildings and cell towers lure them to their
deaths either by collision or exhaustion, since they circle around the lights
for hours until they drop.” I wrote about this issue when I reviewed the book
The Darkness Manifesto, so feel free to read my post.
Massive die-offs happen across the United
States and Canada when skyscrapers and buildings are lit up throughout the
night. “According to NYC Audubon, collisions with lighted buildings (especially
with windows) kill at least 600 million birds a year in the United States of
America; 230,000 of those happen in New York city.”
Trish O’Kane examines the healing power of birds and nature by exploring current research and by sharing the amazing life stories of people. According to Daniel Cox, a lead researcher, “Birds around the home, and nature in general, show great promise in preventative health care, making cities healthier, happy places to live. This is why English hospitals and clinics now partner with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to offer bird walks to recovering patients.”
Today we celebrate the Fourth of July, so Happy Independence Day to my readers in America. As I brace myself to protect my furry friends from the unpleasant sounds of fireworks, I take this opportunity to inspire my readers to celebrate in ways that align with life instead of death. Fireworks may have been a tradition for a long time, but as the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson has taught us, following traditions blindly can be a selfish, cruel action. I can do my best to protect my furry friends, but I cannot do anything for wildlife. I cannot stop the panic of the veterans who suffer from PTSD. The noises of fireworks can trigger terrifying emotions.
I prefer to celebrate the Fourth of July by honoring the life that
surrounds me. ( I’ve never welcomed or appreciated the destructive power of
fireworks).
There is a whole chapter about fireworks in Birding
to Change the World, and I want to share some important pieces of
information here:
“A 2015 study of 133 firework shows and 88
avian species, primarily in Germany and the United States, determined that birds
do not adapt to fireworks. Some birds abandon nesting areas. Some species
suffer significant physical stress and even die of fright. Many species panic
and flee. Young birds that have not learned to fly become easy prey, have
accidents or get lost completely. Fireworks increase the risk of mortality
for individual birds, and, thus, the death rate of the bird population.”
The use of fireworks also produces carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which pollute the air and worsen climate change. Fireworks pollute the environment with microplastics and various heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and barium in addition to toxic chemicals like perchlorate, which is found in both munitions and fireworks. These toxic chemicals and heavy metals persist in the environment, affecting human health and harming wildlife. Who wants our drinking water, air and soil to be polluted with these toxic chemicals? I am sure you will agree with me that it is wiser to choose patriotic forms of entertainment to support our community and country.
Perchlorate, for example, damages the brain
of babies even before they are born. Under the Trump administration, the regulation to limit the levels of perchlorate in drinking water was rolled back.
Thankfully, the regulation was put back in place in May, 2023 under Joe Biden’s
presidency.
Being patriotic also means being well informed and making good decisions to support one’s health and the health of one’s community. Hopefully, My Writing Life blog has inspired you to do that.
Happy Reading!
Here's an important article on the ways climate change affects the quality of our drinking water, and about the need to address this critical issue:
Here's another article on the fact that the majority of Americans support climate reforms and asks why Congress does not deliver:
