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Earth Day and Pet Birds

© Mary Wilson

In the window of a pet store, a parakeet swings in its cage, looking hopefully at the people who walk past. Next to it, a cage of finches is full of activity. Patrons stop to stare at the cute little birds, mostly unaware of the link to the wild untamed Earth they provide.

I must admit that before becoming a bird owner, I didn't think much about the plight of the rainforest. Sure, I watched PBS documentaries and muttered to my friends how awful it was that millions of acres were being burned, but I didn't think about what it impacted. Then, I became a bird owner.

My beloved parrotlets come from Peru. Lovebirds come from Africa. Parakeets are native to Australia. All these lands are wild and beautiful and in need of our help. Wild bird species, like all wildlife, is disappearing at an alarming rate. For some birds, captive breeding is all that keeps them from the brink of extinction.

As a bird owner, there are several things you can do to help yourself, your birds, and the environment.

First of all, look into some of the many wildlife organizations such as the National Wildlife Federation and the World Parrot Trust. Many of these groups do good work and are in need of vital funds. To me, it's worth one less take-out meal or new outfit to be able to support such worthwile organizations.

Then, become environmentally aware. Look at the products you use, or don't use. For us, it meant changing from pine shavings to corn cob bedding for our pet rabbits, and reusing newspaper for our bird cages. You can always recycle.

Finally, if you're up to it, look into breeding some of the rare parrot species. The National Finch and Softbil Society has a program called FinchSave to promote the breeding of finches.

Earth Day shouldn't just be a one day endeavor. We need to look into ways that our birds can heighten our awareness of the world, as well as take a look at ways we can help Mother Earth. She'll thank us for it.