The Green Room

Teya Tamsen from Vancouver writes:

I’m wondering what the public can do to reduce the now overwhelming crow population in Vancouver? All the tiny birds are swiftly disappearing; it’s very sad to witness.

Lindsay responds:

Crows are a very smart bunch. Naturalist author David Quammen has pointed out that they will be all we have left (along with other generalists like coyotes and pigeons) if we don’t change our consumption habits and destruction of ecosystems.

Think of it this way, crows can tolerate living with us (in our concrete jungle, eating our garbage, etc.) and not many species can. I suspect if there has been a noticeable increase in numbers it’s due to last year’s garbage strike. Like the rats, crows would have benefited from a surplus of food items as people’s trashcans were overflowing!

This brings me to the low number of songbirds living in our urban green spaces and backyards. The rat population explosion (maybe you’ve had more rat sightings or seen their droppings at your bird feeder) likely resulted in more predation attempts on bird eggs and nests. The other major culprit in Vancouver and other cities more often than not is domestic cats and not crows.

I’d suggest you contact the local naturalist club as they spend a lot of time bird watching and could offer more advice.

Another suggestion would be to contact your local wild bird store because they’re experts on this sort of topic as well.

Finally, since you are aware of birds, do sign up for David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge where we give you tips to live with as small a footprint as possible.

You can of course reduce the amount of garbage you put out and ensure that your garbage bin is sealed. This will deter not just crows but coyotes, skunks and raccoons. All of this urban wildlife does provide us with a host of services – it’s just sometimes behind the scenes. We’d really miss them if they were gone, that’s for sure.

If I haven’t armed you with enough reading already, a recent report shows that many common bird species are at risk of going extinct, including crows.

Thousands of chirpers and honkers are flocking through our green spaces these days. It’s a great time to read up on them. Share your book recommendations here.

Children who connect with nature grow into adults who care about protecting it.

Sylvie de Sousa and Katharine Byers are two Vancouver Moms who’ve put together a bag of tricks sure to nurture eco-consciousness in any kid (and, hopefully, prevent the onset of what Richard Louv calls “nature deficit disorder”). They helped us put together activities to turn kids into bird watchers and protectors for our November newsletter.

Share your wisdom about getting kids into nature here.

This summer, Lindsay saw crows taking turns ‘bathing’ in chimney smoke - getting ride of parasites perhaps? Tell us your bird stories, sightings, and feeding tips.

Canada’s Boreal forest - a green halo that touches nearly every province and territory - is home to millions of birds. Yet most of it is unprotected. Sign the Boreal Songbird Initiative’s petition to save the forest and the many creatures that call it home.

Thanks Diane Boivin from Langley, BC for sharing your efforts on going green!

Since I saw a documentary about how plastic grocery bags are affecting the welfare of wildlife, I have stopped using them for bringing home my purchases, and instead use a tote bag. I have encouraged the ladies in my church to do the same.

I also reuse the bags I get from packaging to dispose of my waste — even paper bags from sugar and flour. I recycle whatever I can to make new and useful things for my home, or to create gifts.

I walk to the store to make my purchases, using a wheeled cart to bring home the larger purchases. I buy most of the things that I need at a thrift store, and always travel with a girlfriend to church — we almost never travel with an empty car.

I also make sure that I plan my trips with a vehicle to ensure we use as little fuel as possible, and if I could afford it, I would buy an electric vehicle.

Jennie Thorner from Vancouver, BC writes:

I would like to compile a list of companies known for testing on animals. I want to make sure I’m making wise consumer choices and would like a reliable source to tell me which companies test on animals. A list or more information would be much appreciated!

Lindsay replies:

Testing on animals is not a topic that we have become involved in to date. The good news is that I plan to profile "labeling" in general in a future David Suzuki Nature Challenge newsletter . It will translate what certain labels mean, like fair trade, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), EnergyStar, etc. It will also show you how to make your own products by using simple ingredients not tested on animals!

Personally, I was recently doing a search for such a list and found one in a book called "The Rough Guide to Shopping with a Conscience." Animal testing still happens today and there is no regulation around the labeling of "cruelty-free," "no animal testing," "not tested on animals," etc. The bottom line is to look for the White Rabbit logo .

Below is the long list I copied from the book, but I’d suggest you get the source as it has more detail and an explanation of how they derived the list. Also, because the David Suzuki Foundation is a non-profit organization we cannot recommend brands that we are for or against. You see, we just don’t test them or watchdog the companies. It’s really up to you to decide.

If this sort of thing interests you, I’d suggest you pick up "Not Just A Pretty Face ." I just finished it on the weekend and it’s a very empowering read! So, who tests on animals as listed in the book "The Rough Guide to Shopping with a Conscience."

* Chesebrough-Ponds: makes Ponds, Vaseline
* Church & Dwight: makes Aim, Arm & Hammer, Close-Up, Nair
* Clairol: makes Aussie, Daily Defense, Herbal Essences, Infusium 23
* Clorox: ArmourAll, Glad, Liquid Plumber, Pine-Sol, Soft Scrub, SOS, Tilex
* Colgate Palmolive: Ajax, Fab, Mennen, Palmolive, Soft Soap, Speed Stick
* COTY: Adidas, Calvin Klein, Glow, The Healing Garden, Jovan, Kenneth Cole, Marc Jacob, Rimmel, Stetson
* Dial: Purex
* Helene Curtis Industries: Finesse, Salon Selectives, Thermasilk
* Johnson & Johnson: Aveeno, Clean & Clear, Neutrogena
* Kimberley-Clark Corp: Cottonelle, Huggies, Kleenex, Kotex, Pull-Ups, Scott Paper
* L’Oreal USA: Biotherm, Garnier, Giorgio Armani, Lancome, Maybelline, Ralph Lauren, Redken, Soft Sheen, Vichy
* Malaleauca
* Olay
* Pantene
* Pfizer: Ben Gay, Listerine, Lubriderm, Plax, Visine
* Playtex: Baby Magic, Banana Boat, Ogilvie
* Proctor & Gamble: Cover Girl, Crest, Iams, Max Factor, Tide
* Reckitt Benckiser: Easy Off, Lysol, Mop & Glo, Old English, Resolve, Spray N’ Wash, Veet, Woolite, Coppertone, Dr. Scholl’s
* S.C. Johnson: Drano, Edge, Fantastik, Glade, OFF!, Oust, Pledge, Scrubbing Bubbles, Shout, Skintimate, Windex, Ziploc
* 3M: Post-it, Scotch
* Unilever: Axe, Dove, Lever, Suave

Mike Kaill sent in this report from the Spring Street Aquarium in Friday Harbour, Washington State:

 ”Last winter we had a major die-off in the Spring Street Aquarium. Virually all of the animals that lived on the bottom died - a large, candy-striped anemone that has been with us since we started, other anemones, giant barnacles, sea cucumbers and bottom fishes such as flounder, cling fish and gunnels. I suspected water quality problems and did some preliminary tests. We found high levels of detergents.
 
People need to look at their use of cleaning products, as well as lawn care and weed-killer products.  - anything that might go down the storm drain.  They need to consider how it’s affecting the water quality for all creatures. I don’t think people make the connection that when they hold car wash events, for example, that the detergents they use are deadly.
 
Storm drains go directly to lakes, streams and oceans without any treatment. I am concerned that runoff from the streets and parking lots goes directly into the harbor (and my aquarium). The best way to protect the nearshore environment is to keep cleaners out of the storm drains altogether.”

Readers of David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge newsletters are gifted caption-writers and punsters! Here are three gnomic conversations for you to vote on:

From Janice Miller-Young of Calgary Alberta:

From Diane Stout of Victoria BC:

From Laurie M of Winnipeg, Manitoba:

Vote here or paste this link in your browser: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=m32auwwMY4rf21N8swPYMw_3d_3d%22%3EClick

Here are a selection of our favourite puns:

“Collecting gnome puns, eh? Wouldn’t that be gnomenclature?”

Suzanne Joyce, Regina Saskatchewan

“Gnome is where the heart is”. “

We are stardust, we are golden. And we’ve got to get our gnome back to the garden.”

Kathy Penner, Winnipeg Manitoba “

My garden and front flower bed has been gnome to be the prettiest in the neighbourhood!”

Mike Lahey, London Ontario

Punspired? Let’s hear ‘em!