UP, UP... BUT NOT ALWAYS AWAY!
Dee Walmsley

Kids do it for fun at birthday parties. Merchants use them as advertising gimmicks. Our own government does it in celebration. At one time or another we may have all done it, ignorant of the consequences. I am talking about the release of helium balloons into the atmosphere. How, one might ask, is that doing any harm? What goes up must eventually come down and the problem, is where.

Air currents frequently float these helium filled potential killers out to sea where they burst and enter the water. Hungry sea turtles, mistaking the floating balloon for jellyfish, snap up the balloon, string and all. The turtles fill up on plastic bags and balloons, lacking nutrition, they starve to death. Turtles are not the only marine life affected by this simple toy. A young sperm whale was found dying from a balloon stuck in its stomach and three feet of purple ribbon wound throughout its intestines.

Balloons have been spotted as far out to sea as 200 miles, generally singly but clusters have also been sighted. Balloons released in Toronto in a 1981 Balloon race were found in Souris PEI 1,392 km, Pictou, NS 1,352 km, Fuguay
Varina North Carolina 933 km and Saint
Eleuthere, Que 909 km. away from the release site.

What is the alternative? For the merchants, hand out balloons but let the kids have the fun of blowing them up. As for the other events, would not the release of thousands of ladybugs have a greater positive impact to our environment? Think of the beauty and fun of releasing butterflies in celebration. Plant a tree, or visit a woodlot. If the event involves children have them make some pinecones stuffed with peanut butter and bird seed to take home to their back yards.

Why not give nature a hand? The next time you feel like celebrating, think of some environmentally friendly ways to share your happiness with our earth, like freeing those little bugs to do what they
like best....eating up aphids.


KEEPING BACKYARD BIRDS HEALTHY - Dee Walmsley


Weather wise, this can be a bad time of year for birds, and people. Rainy days find humans warm and cozy in their homes, while birds, come rain or shine, must puff up their feathers and forage for food and water.

Feeders are often left empty by vacationing folks seeking sunnier locales or forgotten in the rain where they become soaked and moldy. These wet feeders are breeding grounds for fungus spores that kill thousands of birds each year.
Wooden feeders, unless hung in a dry location are the worst offenders. The seed when wet, mildews and rots causing salmonella which infects the birds.

By following a few prevention tips you can control the disease, and continue to enjoy feeding the birds;

Keep wooden feeders dry [try hanging under eaves]. In wet weather change the feeders often bringing them in the house to dry thoroughly.

Use duroid shingles on feeder roofs and trays. The shingles will not absorb the water.

Use plastic feeders.

Experiment with how much the birds consume daily then - ration the seed. This will keep the seed dry and fresh and leave no extra food available for rats.

Clean area under feeders daily. Some species will not use feeders preferring to eat beneath the feeder on the ground. Sweep up any leftovers before they rot or take root.

Bleach all feeders with a 10% solution each week. Rinse well, dry completely before refilling.

Do not mix seed. Use separate feeders. This will eliminate the birds chucking out the seeds they
don’t want.

Make your own suet mixture. To 1 lb. Melted Lard add 1 cup of crunchy peanut butter, ¼ cup wheat germ and stiffen with mixed seed. Place the mixture in log feeders, onion bags or yogurt cups and hang in a tree or near a window. This mixture attracts all species of woodpeckers, chickadees and bushtits.

Decorate a backyard tree with cranberries, suet mix filled pine cones and bits of orange and apple.

Keep a supply of fresh water for drinking and bathing near a bush or tree. Any flat container will do, just fill with 2 inches of water.

Be consistent. The birds will rely on you so keep those feeders clean and full. Feed the birds and they will reward you with their songs and antics, adding a little life to those dull winter days.

HAPPY BIRDING

Are Squirrels Driving You Nuts?
Dee Walmsley

Did you know that a grey squirrel can jump 8 feet sideways, 4 feet straight up, and down 15 feet, then hang on where it lands? Positioning bird feeders more than 8 feet from a tree or building and on a pole with a squirrel baffle may save you money, and allow the birds to eat in peace. I say may, because nothing is ever ‘for sure’ when it comes to dealing with these furry-tailed rodents.

Robbing bird feeders is nothing compared to the damage that squirrels can do to your attic once they have gained entrance. Chewing electrical wires is a favourite pastime along with gnawing on those lovely wooden tresses. Squirrel’s teeth continue to grow so they must constantly chew.

We can co-exist with our urban wildlife. Prevention is the answer. Now is the time of year to take a squirrel’s eye view of your house so it doesn’t become a squirrel haven.

If you have a tree next to your house, does it provide access onto the roof?

Screen your soffits, and cap your chimneys, then watch your resident squirrel for a day or two. Find out where it is nesting. If it isn’t causing damage to your home, leave it alone. If you have a tall tree, try providing the animal with a nesting box. A little peanut butter or a handful of nuts placed inside the box may entice the critter to use it. If you have a squirrel in your attic, have it professionally removed, then you might try a nesting box near the old entrance. The wildlife control person will repair any damage the errant squirrel caused and screen off potential entrance sites. Do not trap and re-locate any wildlife. This practice spreads disease, causes undue stress and usually death to the animal while seeking out a new territory and will not solve a thing. Why? Because the minute you remove one animal from its territory another will take over. So practice prevention, give the squirrel a feeder away from the birds and enjoy nature in your own backyard.

GRIZZLY BEARS NEED YOUR HELP
Please read the following reports and send your comments to the Canadian and
British Columbia Government Environment Ministers, and or Anthony Marr
anthony_marr@hope-geo.org

Dee Walmsley - nature writer
dee37@telus.net
Nature teaches beasts to know their friends - Shakespeare


http://www.enn.com/direct/display-release.asp?id=3370

Nisga'a Nation says B.C. grizzly moratori doesn't apply to them

JEFF NAGEL

TERRACE, B.C. (CP) -

The Nisga'a Nation says it has a treaty right to hunt grizzly bears -
despite
the B.C. government's imposition of a three-year moratorium on the hunt.
They won't give up the hunting rights they negotiated in the Nisga'a Treaty,
which took effect last year.

"Not unless they offer us more land for each grizzly bear," said Harry Nyce,
director of fish and wildlife for the Nisga'a Lisims Government.

Premier Ujjal Dosanjh on Thursday announced the moratorium.

A ban was pushed by B.C. and international activists but opposed by the
Guide Outfitting Association of B.C.

The Nisga'a could find themselves in control of the only grizzlies that can
be hunted in the province - bears that might then command huge prices among
foreign trophy hunters.

Although provincial government officials maintain the treaty doesn't allow
the Nisga'a to transfer hunting rights to non-Nisga'a citizens, that's what
the
Nisga'a Lisims Government is contemplating.

Nyce said one option is that the Nisga'a could use a lottery system to sell
their bear hunting rights to trophy hunters and use that money as a source
of revenue for the Nisga'a.