Last month, my family and I took a week’s trip to England. In mid-March, their spring was in full flower. The Kentish hills, south of London, were emerald with new grass and alive with new lambs. In woodlots, leaf buds were forming. As usual, I took my binocs and Birds of Europe guide and spent time peering at the “exotic” European birds. We listed 25 species for our six day trip, including the chickadee clone “blue tit” and the proverbial “robin redbreast.” That’s not a lot of birds, but we didn’t visit nature preserves—my teenagers nixed that! The striking aspect of my list, however, which included raptors and waterfowl, is that all my sightings were “common” or “abundant” birds. Part of that is a function of where I birded, though we did hike in the country. I would propose that a major reason I didn’t see uncommon birds in England is that there aren’t that many! Human beings have lived in Britain in great numbers for several thousand years. In that time, woods and meadows, marshes and coastline have been thoroughly combed, groomed, used and domesticated. A biologist would say that wildlife habitat has been whittled to nearly nothing. I believe America is well on the road to this domestication. That is reflected in the Audubon “State of the Birds” report that finds 23% of North American bird species imperiled. But unlike the Brits, who inherited their biologically impoverished island, we Americans can arrest our natural decline. And in this newsletter, we’ll suggest ways that you, personally, can help save America’s birds. Sue

The Battle for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Continues On March 16, 2005, the United States Senate voted narrowly to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling by a vote of 51 to 49. Minnesota’s two senators, Mark Dayton (DFL) and Norm Coleman (R) voted against drilling in the refuge. Senator Coleman’s vote went against the Republican majority and was considered a key vote by both sides. The vote to open the refuge to drilling was included in the larger Senate budget bill. The House-passed budget bill does not contain language for drilling. The issue now is in conference committee to resolve the many differences between the two bills. Wild River Audubon took part in a large state-wide effort to protect the refuge. Our chapter had over twenty members who made several calls and wrote letters in defense of the refuge. “This is just one more battle in the long effort to protect the Arctic Refuge that began when President Carter created it,” stated John Flicker, president of the National Audubon Society, in a message to chapter leaders. “This is one of the last great wilderness areas left on the planet. We are disappointed but we won’t stop working to protect the Arctic Refuge for future generations. We will win in the end.” Flicker continued, “This was a vote against the environment and for global warming.