Thursday, April 28, 2005

The Ivory Billed Woodpecker is NOT extinct

What a rare treat, these tears of joy for old-school conservation. What other species (and government I dare say) but ours would silently pump $10 million+ into buying up the land around where another endangered (and thought to be extinct) species was seen and make sure it was well protected before announcing (a year later) that the spieces wasn't extinct. I remember reading into this last year and finding less than conclusive accounts, which now seem like they must have been strategic, and touching.

See for details:

http://today.reuters.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2005-04-28T203324Z_01_N28115095_RTRIDST_0_SCIENCE-ENVIRONMENT-WOODPECKER-DC.XML

It is important to point out that there are major reasons to get away from thinking on the species-level and move toward ecosystem-level thinking (as is hinted at in the end of the above article). But for now let us bask in some good old biophilia.