A place for birds

I am so thrilled that our buildings and grounds committee has gotten serious about putting in a new garden at the church. Maybe some native plants? Maybe a place for kids to plant stuff?

The project got a boost when the curriculum committee wanted to plan lessons for spring that included both gardening and building-and-watching bird boxes.

So Sunday as I'm leaving church, one of the women on that committee stops me: "Look it's a robin" she says. So it is. One and then another

"They all live in that old oak." she adds. "The oak is supposed to come down in the new garden plan."

"Crap" I think.

"I'll have to ask my friend from Audubon what kind of tree we can replace it with that will be as good a habitat."

And now I'm deeply happy. I'm so glad the conversation will happen, that someone will ask about the birds, and where they will go if we cut down their tree.

A girl told me last week at church that they were studying the Rain Forrest at her school all year. I keep thinking, if only we knew about the birds in our own back yard, and thought about them with each choice we made, how powerful that would be.