The GodFather of Biodiversity
The first post in our “No Bird Brains Here” blog series where we muse about how our discerning BOPS feathered residents have been subjects of some well-known quotes and explore some of the ones we believe would be of interest to them and our readers.
Today we feature a quote by Thomas Lovejoy, a biologist also known as the “Godfather of Biodiversity”. Mr. Lovejoy’s quote of interest is:
IF YOU TAKE CARE OF BIRDS, YOU TAKE CARE OF MOST OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD.
And if anyone can back up such a quote, it’s indeed Lovejoy who is a famed biologist and conservationist and National Geographic–funded scientist who helped introduce the term “biological diversity” to the world.
Long before it was an urgent global discussion, Lovejoy predicted that by early in the 21st century, the Earth would start losing a dramatic number of species—a prediction, unfortunately, that is turning out to be quite accurate.
National Geographic was so taken by this quote that they decided to use it as a launchpad for what they’re calling the Year of the Bird, a 12-month multiplatform exploration that examines how our changing environment is leading to dramatic losses among bird species around the globe.
Now at BOPS, every year is the year of the bird… so we applaud National Geographic and their partners for raising environmental awareness, and perhaps most important, starting a discussion about what we can do about it.
The next blog in this series will feature Mark Twain, so stay tuned.
