By: Anthony Kristovich III

There are approximately 85 species of birds in North America that nest in cavities. Some, like woodpeckers, excavate their own holes. Non-excavators like the purple martin nest in cavities previously dug out by other birds or animals. Then there are birds such as wood ducks that nest in naturally occurring cavities that form in many trees. Many of these birds will also nest in birdhouses provided by humans.

If you could travel back to a time before Europeans began coming to the New World, you could see these birds living in abundance, each filling a particular niche in the ecosystem. The birds ate bugs that might otherwise become a plague on woodlands. In turn, their numbers would be kept in check by hawks, owls, snakes, and other predators. It was a beautiful, healthy balance.

In a case of humans living inside their natural balance, Native Americans in some parts of the country discovered long ago that they could attract purple martins to nest in hollowed out gourds. In this case, the martins ate many bugs that were considered pests to people and animals. That is how the first purple martin birdhouse was created. (It is important to note here that, contrary to many claims, mosquitoes are not among the insects favored by purple martins.)
A more common example of human interaction with nature, in the last couple of centuries at least, can be examined in a discussion on “introduced species.” Humans have frequently brought all kinds of plants and animals from their native lands, depositing them on foreign soil. Sometimes it happens accidentally, but there have been many intentional introductions as well. Many times, the new species dies out, because they were taken from their natural niche and inserted where there was no place for them. Occasionally, a species will survive, carving out a new niche. When this happens, it usually has devastating effects on native species.

In the bird world, two strong examples of successfully introduced species are the English house sparrow and the European starling. The house sparrow was brought to North America in the 1850’s in an attempt to reduce insect populations around human communities. This, unfortunately, proved unwise. As the number of sparrows increased, they began to consume huge amounts of grain and growing vegetables, and they competed with native cavity-nesting birds. The intentions were good, but the experiment was simply ill conceived. The house sparrow aggressively defends any nesting site it claims, and these sites are often ones preferred by birds like bluebirds and purple martins.

If the introduction of English house sparrows to the U.S. was ill conceived, the case of the European starling was downright silly. In the 1890’s, a man named Eugene Schieffelin wanted to bring to our shores every bird mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare. This comedy of errors ultimately culminated in the continental distribution of starlings. They now reside from coast to coast. Highly aggressive, they actually “evict” other cavity-nesting birds from their homes. This, combined with the ever-increasing pace of land development by humans, puts a great deal of pressure on our native bird populations.

Conservation

Conservation is not a new or recent phenomenon. Conservation, or living in a sort of balance with nature, had been the norm for successful cultures for millennia. Many ancient societies had very respectful, and respectable, agricultural policies. Some were as simple as not over-killing, and using all parts of the animal for food, clothing, and shelter. Some early techniques were quite complex, like land terracing, crop rotation, and irrigation.

Then came the Industrial Revolution. Myriad products and services, such as the world had never before seen, suddenly came on the market, ever quicker and in greater numbers. The big businesses that grew up in this environment became very powerful; they felt they were invincible. They treated their workers horribly, they took advantage of consumers by gouging prices, and they ravenously devoured every possible natural resource in the name of profits. Forests, rivers, mountains, oceans, earth, and air all were hostage to the unrestrained avarice of the wealthy few.

Soon, a few wise observers realized that this was a trend with a dead end. In 1864, George Perkins Marsh, considered by many to be America’s first environmentalist, wrote Man and Nature. In it, he argued that rampant deforestation would bring “the face of the earth to a desolation almost as complete as that of the moon.”

Later, in 1892, a man named John Muir founded the Sierra Club, an organization that exists to this day. The first point in its mission statement is to “explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth.”

Let us consider the words of another early proponent of conservationism, President Theodore Roosevelt. He said, “The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem, it will avail us little to solve all others.”

Over time, information and awareness spread, and many groups and individuals stepped up to try to turn the tide of destruction. Today, there are thousands of organizations and millions of people worldwide that are dedicated to improving our ecological outlook. Environmentalism has become a persistent pint of our national and cultural discussion. It has been a big part of presidential campaigns ever since Teddy Roosevelt. It is as if we have always known how important our connection to nature is, but maybe we forgot for a while. Now, we struggle with the thought of sacrificing the life-enhancing things that technological progress has brought us

By: Julee Mitchelsin

Our society has many downfalls, but perhaps one of our biggest downfalls is that we are wasteful. Incredibly wasteful actually. Our lives are spent wasting time, energy, and emotion on people and activites that do nothing for us. We sit down to a meal and fill our plates with more food than we could possibly eat and the leftovers get wasted. We drive our cars to work and play without thinking of the gasoline that is being used irresponsibly. Everyone is guilty of wasting, and therefore everyone needs to add an important concept to many areas of their life: conservation.

Our first thoughts about conservation probably take us to picturing a rain forest somewhere in the jungle whose trees are being quickly cut down or to a village in Africa whose meager water supply is wasted on unnecessary things. While these are both situations that could rightly learn from the concept of conservation, there are many more areas of life that could learn a lesson as well.

I am a firm believer than any true change in the world will happen only as individuals start that change in their own lives. So let’s begin thinking about convservation as it relates only to our individual lives. Think about the most valuable resources you have at your disposal. For me, the most valuable resources are my time, energy, mind, and health. It is only as we begin to see our lives as full of natural resource that we can begin the process of conservation and protection of these resources.

If time is one my greatest assets I must think about the ways I spend or use that resource. I can practice conservation by looking for ways to use my time more efficiently and wisely. I must also look for ways to practive conservation of my energy. I can do this by taking time for exercise, proper sleep, and relaxing activities. The great resource of my mind needs to be conserved by taking time to enrich it through reading, studying and even writing. You should consider your own valuable resources and look for ways to practice the conservation of each of them.

As I am committed to practicing conservation in my own life then I can begin to look outside myself and see resources in my neighborhood or city that can be conserved as well. I will become increasingly aware of the necessity of spending all of the world’s valuable resources in effective and helpful ways.

Energy Saver Dave

Whether you are planning to live “off the grid” and free yourself from energy bills or just “kick back” and enjoy lower energy bills, the first step is always to understand your home’s energy usage and employ good old fashioned energy conservation techniques.

The reason for this is simple – you can not be charged for what you don’t use (in terms of energy…well this is strictly untrue if you are on a utility company’s budget payment system…but we’ll pretend for a moment that is not the case.) So, if you use less energy, your energy bill will go down.

Makes sense. So…how do you conserve energy?

It all starts with understanding your home, and more to the point, understand how you and your family use energy. Simple everyday activities, like turning off the lights when you leave a room really can add up to make a difference. Now that the holidays are here, not going overboard with the lighted decorations (and those inflatable, light up decorations) can help. Of course, if you do go overboard (like many of us tend to) just mind the usage. There is no need to run them every night. If you must, run them a couple of hours at the most. Every hour those machines are being run, energy is being used – sometimes in mass quantity. And since you pay per kw/hour, this could really add up.

Energy conservation doesn’t stop there, though. Only running the appliances such as the dishwasher and washing machine when full saves on both electricity and hot water. (Hot water is a double whammy – you incur a water cost, plus the cost to heat the water…and keep it heated.) And promptly removing clothes from the dryer avoids running the dryer again to remove the wrinkles from clothes that have sat too long. (Dryers can be another double whammy…the electricity to run the motor, plus the cost of energy to heat the unit.)

By intelligently regulating the heating and cooling of your house, you can also conserve energy and keep your bills low throughout the year. For example, lowering your thermostat to 68 degrees F when you’re home can save you as much as 5-10% during the cold season. And letting your thermostat go as high as in the mid 70’s during the warm summer months will save you on air conditioning costs.

You can realize even more savings by avoiding overuse of the heat as well. For example, at night, it isn’t necessary to keep the thermostat at 68. Try lowering it even more, and just doubling up on the blankets or cuddling up to your loved one to keep warm.

Keep in mind that all these tips might help you save money on energy…but when it comes to saving on your energy bills there aren’t any guarantees. Why? Because every single home is different. Every single situation is different, just as every family uses energy differently. A family of 5 will use energy much differently than a family of 2. This isn’t a bad thing at all – it is just a fact of life.

By R. Rebecca Carte

If your home is on the market during the winter season, potential home buyers will have your home’s energy efficiency at the top of their mind. Here’re a few tips to make your home more attractive to conservation-minded buyers.

Modernize your thermostat – Simply investing in a programmable thermostat is one of the easiest ways to conserve energy in your home.

Position your thermostat for energy efficiency – Locating your thermostat on an interior wall and at least five feet from the floor will keep the temperature accurate and comfortable.

Decorate your windows – Using shutters, heavy window shades and blinds can help keep the cold air at bay.

Caulk and weather strip doors and windows – Investing a bit of cash at your local hardware store can mean big savings on your energy bill’s bottom line. You can check for air leaks around all your doors and windows by using a candle to check for drafts.

Insulate your attic – One of the cheapest ways to improve energy efficiency in your home is to increase the insulation in the loft space of your attic. Be sure the insulation is at least 6 to 7 inches thick.

Install storm windows – While installation can be a big investment, storm windows are sure to add value to your home by providing an attractive barrier to wintry weather.

Check your fireplace – If you have a fireplace, check the flue for a tight seal and buy a fireplace cover to minimize hot air loss. It’s also important to have your fireplace cleaned once a year to prevent the risk of a house fire.

Consider a new furnace – If your furnace is over 20 years old, consider investing in a newer, modern furnace. While there is an initial cost, you’ll save big with the increased efficiency, and this will surely increase attractiveness to potential buyers.

Check you furnace filter monthly – Replace your furnace filter whenever it looks dirty, as potential homebuyers will often check filters as an indicator to a home’s maintenance. A dirty filter could signal bigger signs of neglect.

Remember, in the winter months home buyers are extra conservation conscious. Making your home warm and energy efficient could mean the difference when comparison shopping!