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Posted by Rock Jetty on 15:29:14 09/03/06
Folks, I'll get right to the point. With all the recent talk about feral cats in our natural areas, I've decided to become more proactive in this matter. First, I would like to say to email me personally any response to this posting so as not to take up any more space in this board.
It seems that the TAS group had a great time at AD Barnes, treated with a great variety of warblers and more. AD Barnes, with its semi-decent-sized tract of pineland and hardwood hammock holding on for dear life in one of the busiest parts of Miami, is a haven for birds. In fact it is IMPORTANT for birds and not just for our recreation.
I am willing to take Paul-the-other's offer to lend some small-mammal traps to remove the cats. Let me say that this matter is a bit more sensitive than it seems. County officials are caught between a rock and a hard place because the Cat Lovers, the people who feed the cats regularly in the parks, are very outspoken in this matter. In fact, they are more outspoken than the opposition, that is, the folks who do not want the cats to roam freely in our parks but yet only express concern here and there. I'm sure there are people who are doing much more than just that and have probably written letters and talked to county officials about this situation. Unfortunately, more needs to be done and soon. Those who want something done need to become more organized and have a plan. I am asking those people who are actively doing something about this, as well as those who would like something done and are willing to help, to contact me so we can get the ball rolling.
I personally know some people I can contact so they can point me in the right direction. I believe everyone can help out. You can contact Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation managers (we can start with the AD Barnes manager) and express your concern and tell them there are people willing to help. I've also heard they are short-staffed to do this kind of work. We would need to obtain a permit to collect the animals. You can contact the people in the Cat Network, they would be able to take some cats in for adoption, provide us with help, etc. I'm not in this to make enemies, I believe we all need to work together on this in order to do what's best for the birds AND the cats. You can contact people personally or ask me to contact them. Believe me I will be doing my part but I can't do it alone.
I myself like cats and will probably adopt one someday. I've read books on their evolution and behavior and am nothing short of fascinated by this perfect predator of nature. Unfortunately they are wrecking havoc in what little parcels of natural area we have left in Miami-Dade County. Our county parks are, without a doubt, important rest stops for migratory passerines, not to mention the ones that reside there, and allowing non-native wildlife to pose a threat to the survival of these birds constitutes a violation of the Migratory Bird Act. Yes folks, I'm pulling out the big words, but it's true. It's bad enough that a huge slab of concrete stretches hundreds of square miles in size, right smack in the middle of their flyway. It's bad enough that huge cell towers and tall buildings with reflective windows take their tolls in thousands of birds during migration each year. Let's throw in several thousand feral cats for good measures.
These are not the rantings of a tree-hugging, extreme left environmentalist (not that there's anything wrong with that). These are the concerns of someone who has studied enough ecology and environmental science to know what a serious impact this could cause. Someone who has a passion for birds and the fragile natural areas they rely upon.
I am throwing out ideas, please let me know what you think. Both birders and non-birding nature enthusiasts alike read this board often and if you fall into either category, odds are you're also a conservationist. I believe that, as conservationists, we owe it to the birds. Shame on us if we don't.
Bird on,
RJ
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