To celebrate Earth Day this year I went out with a couple of field biologists and helped to band Red Tail Hawks and Barn Owls. Joe Papp, raptor biologist and reknown bio-tree climber, from northern Wisconsin, was hired by Pete Bloom, who has a 41-year project studying Red Tail Hawks, to climb into the trees and band the chicks and measure their wings to determine their age. There were four of us in the group: Joe, Dr. Jeep Pagel, raptor ecologist, Nate, a passionate volunteer, and myself – the newbie.

Joe climbed into sycamores, oaks, and eucalyptus trees, some as high as 80 feet to retrieve the baby chicks. He then lowered them down in a bag, using ropes as a pulley system. We held the chicks, very carefully, as they were quite stressed out. I just watched the first time. The mama and papa birds flew in circles just above Joe, screaming out their rage and fear for all they were worth. It was truly amazing!!

Then we walked by a Barn Owl box and saw a couple of chicks staring back at us. Barn Owls are the ones with the heart-shaped face and orange-ish feathers surrounding the face, but pure white for the rest of the body. By the way, they poop on you as soon as you hold them. And they hiss, like air being let out of a balloon. I swear when the first one did this I thought it sounded like a popped tire!

After attaching the aluminum band onto the right leg, we measured the fourth primary feather of the Red Tail Hawks and seventh primary feather of the Barn Owls to determine their age, to within 1-3 days!! It’s optimum to band the chicks when they are between 2½ weeks up to about 5-6 weeks. After that they might be jumpers, meaning they fly out of the nest and have to be gathered up and put back in the nest before a predator can nab them for lunch.

After the banding and measuring is done, we tuck the birds back into their bag and attach the bag to the ropes and allow Joe to pull them back up again and place them in the nest. Then he brings down any addled eggs or leftover prey bits to analyze later on. Sometimes the hikes were easy strolls through beautiful meadows. Other times they were walks through mosquito infested swamps reeking of methane. But all in all, it was well worth each trek out to the nest. I knew I was participating in helping two species of birds to thrive. It was a more involved, more precious way to connect to the earth, rather than simply reducing my carbon footprint. I felt like I was actually doing something to pay my earth tax. Pictures are on my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1079060074

Recently an article appeared in Newsweek discussing the importance of getting truly involved in the Green Movement. The author spoke about the value of living more green: cloth bags, line drying clothes, walking more, etc. However, she really stressed getting politcally involved. Being even more active than you previously thought possible. She presents a hard reality, but a good case. Check it out! www.newsweek.com/id/236722