The Hooded Crane at Goose Pond FWA |
We arrived at Goose Pond before sunrise in an attempt to see
the crane before it left its roost in Beehunter Marsh Unit 5 North. As we set up our
scopes, we could hear the trumpeting of Sandhill Cranes all around us. Scanning
the marsh, we realized that this was a huge gathering of cranes with as many as
10,000 present. Everyone kept looking through the flock but could not find
anything other than Sandhill. Luckily, after a couple of hours of searching,
the crane was located, and we all got awesome scope views! But this is really
only the beginning of the story. The real story lies in how a rare bird such as
a Hooded Crane affects the whole community that it appears in.
The arrival of this crane has been a huge event for Goose Pond
FWA and for Greene County. The current estimate is that around 1,000 people
came to view the crane from Wednesday to Sunday, and it sounds like a couple
hundred more have been there over the last few days searching for it to no
avail. They traveled from near and far for a chance to see this rare visitor.
Some stayed in Linton; others ate in town and bought gas. All of this adds up
to a significant economic impact from this one bird.
Yet there are still a few people in Greene County who are
extremely unsupportive of not just birding but the whole Goose Pond
restoration. There were many articles written about the Hooded Crane and the
tourism dollars spent in the region, but the comments that followed some of the
articles online really surprised me.
A unit of Goose Pond FWA in the summer. |
One reader left a comment stating that while it is great that
people like to watch birds, they cannot see how this could possibly be bringing
money into the area. They refer to the lost revenue from the land not being
farmed any longer and the lost tax revenue on the land. I can certainly understand
that there is lost tax revenue, but these folks begin to lose me with the
frustration over lost farming revenue. From how I understand it, the land wasn’t
all that productive for farming, which is part of the reason it ended up being
restored as a wetland. Although it was drained, it was prone to flooding, which
resulted in crop failures.
The comment that really bothers me and should bother every
birder out there is the statement that the reader cannot see how the property
brings much money to the area. I have been visiting this area for the past 10
years and have always made a point to fill up with gas in Linton and to eat at
one of the local restaurants for lunch.
La Fiesta Mexican restaurant is one of my favorites and is frequented by
other birders as well.
In less than a week, around 1,000 people have visited the
area. That results in a large economic impact no matter how you slice it,
especially since the city of Linton only has population of ~5,500 (according to
the US Census). Visitors arrived in a
vehicle that must be filled with gasoline. They also had to eat, and many stayed
for multiple meals. Plus, I know that
some birders stayed overnight in local hotels. Each of these actions affects
local businesses, which is particularly important for a rural area.
Please keep in mind that not all of the local residents feel
this way. I have spoken with many Greene County residents while out birding on
the property, and I have yet to run into anyone that has anything bad to say
about the effect of this property on the community. Last year, as a kickoff for
the Marsh Madness Festival, there was a premiere of a documentary about Goose
Pond at the local Elks Lodge. The event was sold out with many of the tables
packed with representatives from local businesses and organizations. The Marsh
Madness event the next day was packed, even with the terrible cold rainy
weather that we had that day.
A Roseate Spoonbill, like this one, spent the summer of 2009 at Goose Pond FWA |
I really hope that all of the supporters in the area are not
affected by the cynicism of a few outspoken folks. The Friends of Goose Pond
have done a wonderful job working in Linton and the rest of Greene County to
gather a tremendous amount of support. I know they will continue to do great
work within the community.
If you came to Goose Pond to see the Hooded Crane or if you
love having wild places that Hooded Cranes and other rare birds can appear in,
please consider supporting the Friends of Goose Pond.
Excellent article Rob. It's a pity I'll miss the Crane but I'm glad so many people are enjoying it and sharing their enthusiasm, as well as their financial support, with a small town.
ReplyDeleteThose argument against the preserve strike me as being hollow too. Certainly saving a relatively small piece of land like that for farming would generate no large amount of revenue. In fact, it'd probably be difficult for such a small farm to stay competitive with others in the area, especially if it has drainage problems.
The birding community brings its money to Linton, and those tourist dollars are also much more dispersed amidst the local economy, and all of that is taxed too. Some folks just don't like it I guess, and will find a reason to justify their displeasure.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the well-written and well-thought-out post Rob. There is no question that birding has a positive economic impact. I loved that the Midwest Birding Symposium provided business cards for guests to distribute when they stopped in to patronize their business establishment. It gave business people tangible evidence of birding's economic impact. We should encourage bird festivals and birders in general to find some way of putting physical reminders of our power for good in the hands of business people and politicians.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it exciting when the birding community comes together??!!! The thrill of it. I had the same issue this past winter. One of the locals said to me, "Are you here to see them birds?" I try to understand why residents are so hateful towards things that bring beauty and preserve areas for things beyond human needs.....but I can't. It's frustrating no matter how you look at it. Some communities are better than other. Birding brings a lot of money into areas.
ReplyDeleteVery informative! Whoosh, we drove 5 hours down and 5 hours back, 714 miles in 48 hours and saw thousands of Sandhills...MAGNIFICENT, but we never saw the Hooded Crane. So how far are you from LaGrange, KY then? It would probably be a waste of my effort, for locating one bird is like a needle in a haystack. You are so fortunate to have seen this rare visitor!!! I agree whole heartedly with each and every sentiment mentioned...how do smart people, get so stubborn sometimes~
ReplyDeleteI appreciated reading this article and the effort to support the wildlife management area and all the many species it supports. The Hooded Crane was an incredible public relations ambassador in Tennessee at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge prior to our sandhill crane festival. I have posted the second in a three-part series on the Hooded Crane, its endangered habitat in Asia and its appearance in the United States with images graciously provided by Dr Guo Yumin, chief Hooded Crane scientist in China. http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search/label/America%27s%20Hooded%20Crane
ReplyDeleteI like it so much.... It was awesome pictures.Beautiful Photos and nice photography.Really I Love This Post.....Very Nice post ..Thanks For Sharing
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Yes indeed, birding is big business. I only wish more people understood this. Perhaps if some of these non-supporters would take the time to observe some of these beautiful birds, they would change their minds. Terrific post!
ReplyDeleteAn excellent post! Thoughtful and thought provoking. But beyond the economic benefit is the benefit not only to the birds, but to the human soul and spirit as well as the environment. It is too sad that some people must measure success or benefit in dollars alone.
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