|
No Little Plan
 reen
shoots emerge each spring from ground that had been frozen
rock hard. But not if we pave it over. Birds return from
thousands of miles away singing the songs their kind have
sung for centuries. Bird brains? Well, they can recognize
good habitat. Can the same be said for ourselves?
 Chicago
Wilderness says yes. Hundreds of people from the 98 Chicago
Wilderness organizations have spent three years conceiving
of and giving birth to a recovery plan for the nature of
this region (see The Chicago Wilderness Plan). This Biodiversity
Recovery Plan has been called "a Burnham Plan for nature."
Like the Plan for Chicago presented by Daniel Burnham in
1909, it is an ambitious document for it demonstrates that
by saving the rare nature of this region we can dramatically
enhance the quality of life for all species -- humans and
non-humans alike.
Chicago's
Mayor Richard M. Daley, a child of Bridgeport, grew up calling
a weed-filled city lot a prairie. But when Senior Editor
Stephen Packard and I interviewed him for this issue, we
found him an inspiring advocate for nature in the city (see
the interview). Mayor Daley recognizes that a connection
to nature enriches the human spirit; without it we are all
impoverished -- diminished in our capacities and in our
dreams. With his leadership, Chicago is taking progressive
steps to restore its natural heritage.
Chicago
Wilderness. For the earth to be healthy in this broad metropolitan
region, for rare nature to survive in our midst, we will
all be asked to help out. We are the village it takes to
raise this child, to nurture it, and to make wise choices
on its behalf.
How
well we can make a healthy home for ourselves and the critters
around us this month, this year and in the years ahead
-- will determine the legacy we leave for the next millennium
and beyond.
The
feature by Sheryl DeVore (Birds and the Habitat) demonstrates
that birds have impressive brains indeed. From the options
in a complicated landscape, they pick the precise habitat
where they and their babies will do the best. We humans
need to think wisely about our own habitat.
We
have a chance here, a rare moment in time, when we can set
the course for generations -- toward a sustainable, harmonious,
healthy relationship with nearby nature -- or not. In a
very real sense, it is what we do in our lifetimes that
will determine whether we have succeeded. We can change
the culture. We can act as caring stewards. We can foster
healthy habitat right here. The miracle of spring has a
lot in common with the miracle of birth. Each follows a
time of difficulty and challenge. Each brings the promise
of growth and new life.
Debra
Shore may be reached at editor@chicagowildernessmag.org.
What
is Chicago Wilderness? | Contact
Us | Home
Copyright
2000 Chicago Wilderness Magazine, Inc.
Revised .
|
