Attitude of gratitude: Just look around

By Thelma Dalmas
Published: November 25, 2008

It is human nature to lament the things that we don’t have while overlooking those that we do possess.

I will admit to worrying about the loss of habitat, decrease in the population of certain bird species and the increasing pressure of human population growth. However, at this time of thanksgiving, it is appropriate to look at the glass as half-full instead of half-empty, and reflect on those aspects of the natural world for which we can be grateful.

We are so fortunate here in Virginia to have many parks, wildlife management areas, and national forests within easy reach. A drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway will take you over the Peaks of Otter, mountains admired by Thomas Jefferson. Right here in town, you can walk along the bicycle path to Percival’s Isle for a wonderful view of the James River. A stroll through the Ruskin Freer Nature Preserve will open your eyes to the stark beauty of the Piedmont landscape in winter.

We can be grateful for the work of the Nature Conservancy, an organization devoted to the preservation of the natural environment. More than 230,000 acres are under protection in Virginia, preserving the ecosystem of the fragile barrier islands along the Eastern Shore. Countless marshes and tidal wetlands will continue to be available to the sensitive species that call them home. Large tracts in both the Piedmont and southwestern Appalachians are protected, and will remain free from development. 

We can express our appreciation for the regulations that resulted in the dramatic decrease in a variety of environmental pollutants. Forty years ago, DDT had decimated the bald eagle population across the southeastern United States, and we had fewer than 80 nesting pairs in the entire Chesapeake watershed.

Application of DDT in the United States was banned, and the results were spectacular. Last year’s survey revealed 560 bald eagle nests in Virginia, and we have two breeding pairs near Lynchburg. I’ve seen bald eagles as they soared over Commerce Street here in town.

We can be thankful for the marvelous view of the stars on a cold winter night, for the booming call of a great horned owl, for the bright red berries on the dogwoods. As we celebrate Thanksgiving,

remember to give thanks for the birds that come to share your yard, for the clean streams that flow through your neighborhood, for the rural fields and pastureland that surround us, and for all of earth’s beauty that we sometimes take for granted.

May we greet tomorrow and every day with a heart full of appreciation and eyes open wide to the glory of nature.

News and notes
A rufous hummingbird has appeared at the home of Elizabeth Hutter in Boonsboro.

This is not far from the site where another hummingbird, initially presumed to be a ruby-throated, has been reported since early October. A bird bander from northern Virginia has been contacted, and we hope to try to get both of these hummingbirds banded.