For many years I have enjoyed the column on wild birds authored by Hank and Ruth Kowalski. I have missed it in recent weeks and now I understand that it is being discontinued. I urge the editor to reconsider this decision. We are blessed to live in an area of unsurpassed natural beauty and biological diversity. Unfortunately, I think this fact often is under-appreciated as our county steams forward toward further development. Ultimately, the voices that will be heard urging protection for these natural resources will come from those that have learned about and grown to value these treasures. Learning requires education and that is exactly the service provided by Hank and Ruth's column. Neither Hank nor Ruth are biologists, but they are ardent naturalists and even more enthusiastic researchers. They spent vast hours learning about the subjects of their columns, ensuring that their facts were correct. They demonstrated how the natural history of birds was relevant to their conservation. ...more

October 27, 2007