An update.
This is a post I had no plans to write or publish but the lull of the long holiday weekend inspired me to change my mind. I say “lull” for the following reasons that have been keeping me from photographing birds recently.
- I stay home on holidays. Photographing birds in crowds has zero appeal for me.
- Unrelenting, savage heat. We’ve had temps at or above 100° F. for a week and it’s supposed to be 100° – 103° for nearly another week. So mostly I’ve been staying home.
- Most birds have been alarmingly scarce around here recently. Until fall migration picks up (assuming it will) about the only reliable species available to me is Red-tailed Hawks and I’ve already posted too many photos of red-tails.
Readers will remember how excited I was when Nobel Peace Prize winner Eric Chivian contacted me about the possibility of contributing one of my Barn Owl photos to a booklet he was preparing for an upcoming special meeting of the United Nations. A copy of the booklet, titled “How Sustainable Engineering Solutions Depend on Biodiversity”, would be presented to the United Nations delegation from each member state during a special meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. That meeting, called “A Moment for Nature”, took place on July 19th.
Recently I received a package in the mail from Eric.
Among other things it contained a copy of the 27-page booklet. I’m delighted to have a copy of my own.
This is the Barn Owl photo I donated. Eric used it in the portion of the booklet that explains how modeling wind turbine blades after owl feathers that produce silent flight results in much quieter wind turbines and reduces objections to them because of the noise and air vibrations they typically produce.
I was thrilled to discover that Eric had signed the booklet, including a very nice note.
He even included a handwritten thank you letter. Eric’s handwriting isn’t much better than my own so it’s a little hard to read.
“Dear Ron,
Enclosed are copies of our engineering models booklet, as well as our updated, reprinted booklet on biodiversity and health.
Thank you for your enormous generosity to us – in providing us with your extraordinary Barn Owl photo and your wonderful blog post.
Best Wishes,
Eric”
I realize that all this means much more to me than it will to anyone else but I hope my readers can share in my excitement. I consider contributing to such an important cause as kind of a capstone to my photography ‘career’, made even more fulfilling when, after weeks of correspondence with him as we touched on many personal matters, Eric turned out to be such a kind and considerate soul.
Ron
How wonderful!
As long as the planet continues to produce “Ron Dudleys”, there shall be hope for humanity.
Congratulations, Ron.
Exciting. Motivating.
Wow. That’s such a fantastic thing!!
Coolamatious! On all counts! 💕
Ron, that is just “super-cool”!! A great honor to be published in that booklet and to be able to use your photo to illustrate a concept that may become innovative and very important for future generations. That was also a very gracious gesture by Dr. Chivian to provide you with that personalized copy. Just a guess, but think that has to be one of your more prized photographic accomplishments. Congratulations!
Your “guess” would be spot on, Quentin. Thanks.
I think it is wonderful, thank you for sharing the story.
Thank you, April.
HUGE smiles. Eric is definitely a class act. As are you.
That heat. Shudder. I am so hoping (probably in vain) that when our summer rolls round we don’t match or exceed those figures). As I type our temperature is 32F. Which is fine.
32° would be just fine with me too, EC – refreshing for a change.
Eric is a class act! The handwritten thank-you is a disappearing art, and it’s one I cherish! Excellent support of a great international topic Ron.
Kathleen, I had the same reaction to his handwritten note and especially to his letter. And I agree with your first sentence.
Bravo!
Thanks, Kathryn.
“Bird photographer extraordinaire.” You’re feet must have left the ground after reading that.
Jerzy Kormorowski asked about the booklet. You have a link to it in your first post about this: https://www.naturestoolkit.com/_files/ugd/69fcc6_0c5d9894a5174474a74ceec2dfe22eee.pdf
Well worth the read.
I can only sympathize about the heat. 61º here.
Lyle, I just assumed Jerzy was looking to get ahold of a copy of the actual booklet. Maybe I’m wrong.
Jealous of your 61°. You don’t know HOW jealous.
A wonderful and well-deserved honor. Congratulations.
I haven’t been out much lately but did have a bit of excitement in the yard yesterday as a Cooper’s Hawk swooped through the yard and took one of the goldfinches at out feeder.
Dan, I had some Coop excitement myself yesterday. I stepped out my back door to light the barbecue and there was a Cooper’s Hawk sitting on my deck railing right next to my bird bath and only about 10′ away from me. Surprised me as much as it did the hawk, who vamoosed immediately.
Ron, congratulations! Thank you sharing.
I am trying to find the booklet – so far no luck. I will keep trying.
Jerzy, as far as I know the booklet isn’t available commercially. I believe they only printed enough copies to be distributed to the UN delegation of each member nation, with a few extra.
If memory serves, Eric told me their print run would only be 1000 copies.
It was quite an honor to have had your photo picked to begin with, but really special that he took the time to write to you to thank you and to also include the information from his presentation.
Agree on ignoring birding on holidays – I also hate crowds of photographers or anything for that matter. Not real hot here in up in the mountains, but of course the rest of the state is very hot.
Hope the migration brings you lots of opportunities, but in the meantime the Red-tails are great.
Everett, I’m really looking forward to migration, if it happens around here. With everything going on I’m beginning to wonder…
What a thrill and a keepsake honoring your work and you as a person!
Thanks, Nancy.
What a wonderful and deserving gift. Thanks for sharing with us Ron.
Thank you, Mark.
Painting with a broad brush here, but I don’t think any of us are tired of seeing your spectacular RTHA photos! I’m grateful for every post and thankful for your patience, expertise and commitment to ethical photography. Well done, Ron!
I appreciate what you said about my red-tail photos, Diane. Personally, I never tire of them but I think I may overdo them for some of my readers. And that’s understandable.
Definitely not this reader!!!!
❤️
I am thrilled for you– and for Eric Chivian…….to have one’s life’s work and
contemplation set down in beautiful, concrete form and to know that it will
contribute to the most critical intellectual effort of our times is nothing less
than life-affirming– for both of you and for the living things you honor in your
work.
Very well said, Kris!
Sometimes I worry that people in real America might have a low opinion of the snooty idiots in Boston – so thank you Eric! And as always thank you Ron
Frances, as you imply, Eric Chivian is the antithesis of “snooty”.
Wonderful! Thank you Ron for all of your contributions to and education of science and art.
Thanks very much, Brett.
You must be very proud Ron, quite an honor. As a side note, I feel like you about birding right now. HOWEVER, just this week, there has been quite an uptick in warblers and waterfowl in the Metroparks here in SE Ohio. Plus I am seeing LARGE flocks of “black” birds. So it has begun!! We just had a little blue heron which is really rare for us!
Connie, I keep hoping to find migrating songbirds but so far there have been very few, at least that I could find.
Wonderful for him to send you the booklet and write you a nice note! You’d mentioned with our original talk with him that he was a “good man”. 🙂 Always good to be reminded there ARE good people out there even in high places……. 😉
Smoke will keep me in this morning – try to scurry and get any outdoor tasks I have in mind done early. We, also, are/will be doing the heat thing this next week. Hauling water getting close……. 🙁
Judy, we don’t have any smoke so I guess I should concentrate on the bright side. Having smoke in this heat would be absolutely miserable.
Wow is right. I even feel a little jazzed as one of your readers, so can well understand your own excitement.
Much appreciated, Cathy.
Can appreciate all the points.
Dislike for holiday crowds – check.
The ungodly heat – check.
Scarcity of birds – check.
Looking forward to Fall and migration – check.
Though not everyone will ever be able to relate to the honorable contribution you made to such an important presentation, I am sure the followers of your work are sharing in your happiness for the recognition you received from Mr. Chivian. I know it made me smile.
Thanks, Michael. Me too, from ear to ear.
Wow! Having someone like that in your corner must be making you glow with pride. That’s well earned praise for your efforts. 👏
It tickled me pink, Granny Pat. I don’t like pink but in this case…
Here’s another vote for Never Tired of RTails. Especially as every time you post you have another interesting tidbit of behaviour etc to impart or question so it is never “just” about the photo or the species but about the questions and observations.
Thanks, Granny Pat.