I know, I know, I know, this has been a wretched year. All have suffered and some of us much more than others. But, if you're reading this, you're still here. If we can hang on and try as best we can to be safe and keep others around us safe, 2021 can be a much better year. It damn well better be.
Courtesy of WDNR: Pine grosbeaks are among the "winter finches" arriving in great numbers in Wisconsin and other parts of the eastern U.S. / Photo Credit: Ryan Brady
Meantime, some Christmas gifts have arrived. Please see this DNR story, Holiday Birding Report, Dec. 18, 2020, for the news that many, many bright little birds are visiting Wisconsin this winter. They'd love to welcome you outside for a reminder of how lovely and bountiful nature can be and maybe as a symbol of how life can take unexpected turns for the better. At any rate, they're gorgeous and will lift your spirits. One of the DNR links offers good advice for providing our winter visitors proper nutrition, Ten Tips for Winter Bird Feeding.
And to the Christmas tree the American people received this morning. Years ago, when I worked as an assistant to a State Senator, a big, necessary piece of legislation would come up once or twice every session. Since it was a "had to pass" bill, legislators would see an opportunity. If you, Ms. or Mr. Legislative Leader, want my vote on this important bill, you need to add my wonderful proposal on this or that as an amendment. Lots of possibly good ideas were then added as amendments and were passed into law. Some of us described those bills as Christmas trees.
Photo by Emma Doughty, FCC
Congress passed the mother of all Christmas trees last night, 5500 pages of COVID relief, a budget bill, and myriad other matters. (I wonder if any one person has read all 5500 pages.) We'll be unwrapping these gifts for several weeks but early reports suggest a lot of them are pretty good. High on the Audubon Society's list would be the 5 year re-authorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. We've mentioned aspects of this before with reference to some great wetland, island, and bird restorations near Green Bay.
This is supposed to be an advocacy blog so I'll close with a suggestion. As frustrating and delayed as this federal legislation was, if you think the final result was worthwhile, please contact your federal legislators (at least the ones who supported it) with a thank you. They don't hear that much these days and it might make for a welcome end to their year. I've also seen first hand how a thank you can mean as much to an elected official as a request.
Take care,
Topf Wells, Madison Audubon board of directors and advocacy committee chair
