The Far Corners of the Earth

Marlin Perkins was in my living room almost every Sunday night for twenty-two years from the time I was five years old. He took me to the far corners of the earth with his stories and video. I may have been observing elephants on an African Safari, learning about the almost extinct American Bald Eagles as they soar along the ridge tops in Alaska, or observing Montana wolves’ up close and personal in their natural habitat. You too may also have been visually transported by the television show, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, to remote corners of the world.

Although I don’t live with lions and tigers and bears in Africa, or with wolves in Montana, I do live on the Pacific Flyway. This major migration route has wintering wildlife populations of over 500 bald eagles and 30,000 tundra swans. Approximately 80 percent of the flyway's migrating waterfowl pass through the Klamath Basin in both spring and fall. Peak waterfowl populations can reach 1.8 million birds!

Recently, I found a way to recreate my childhood Sunday night experience by tuning into Watch the Wild, a program through Nature Abounds whose mission is “Bringing people together for a healthy planet.” Their website describes the commitment of being a Watch the Wild volunteer, as “to observe and report what is taking place in your community, from trees and plants to weather and wildlife activity. In as little as ten minutes, your observations help us to understand how our eco-systems are changing and help us to adapt for the future.”

Today’s gift is to rediscover the feeling of being at the far corners of the earth, in my own backyard, by volunteering for Nature Abounds. I want to give my time to the preservation of our natural environment and have fun doing it.

Out in the Wild Giving,

Robin