2/10/2021

One more Thing

By LAURENCE J. SASSO, JR.

Dont worry! Be happy!

You probably associate those reassuring words with a song by Bobby McFerrin. It was very popular in 1988. However, the phrase could also be the advice Kim Calcagno gives when it comes to feeding birds in your backyard.

Calcagno, who celebrated 16 years working for the Rhode Island Audubon Society last week, is the refuge manager for two of the organizations sites, including the headquarters in Smithfield.

She reassures bird lovers that it is OK to just enjoy their hobby. It isnt necessary to grow anxious about the dietary impact or lack thereof on the feathered consumers they attract.

For example, she points out that the notion you must continue putting out bird food for the entire winter once you begin supplying it to the winged visitors is something of a myth.

Birds dont depend on it. They have been feeding themselves for eons. They retain their instinct. They will find food. You can feed them regularly, but you dont have to. Birds will find things to eat. Running a bird restaurant with a never-ending source of food is not necessary. No matter what you do, birds only get about one quarter of their diet from feeders, so its OK to relax.

A sigh of relief is perfectly all right here, readers. Calcagno, 49, knows what she is talking about.

Her interest in birds and wildlife management began early in life. What spurred me on as a kid was volunteering at the Massachusetts Audubon Societys Blue Hills nature center. In fact, it led to her choice of career.

At Tufts University, she earned her bachelors degree in biology and environmental science and followed that with a masters in environmental studies and environmental education at Antioch University. Prior to her post at Rhode Island Audubon, she worked six years for the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

Asked exactly what her duties entail here in Rhode Island, she replies, a lot of different things, and she runs through a list that includes field work, wildlife management, teaching, lecturing, facility maintenance, speaking before community groups, keeping the trails open, etc.

In addition, she oversees the educational raptors that the society uses to teach the public about their behaviors. Currently, she reports, her latest charge is a peregrine falcon.

Returning to her observations about what homeowners and hobbyists new to bird feeding might expect to encounter, she says, a question we get fairly often is where did all the birds go.

She explains that people will call in bewilderment and ask if maybe they did something wrong or if there is a sickness depleting the flocks.

Usually, its just that the birds find some other source of food. They are always looking for new supplies, she notes, adding natural berries are attractive where options exist. Seeds that humans provide might be their second choice. So they go with the berries for a while.

She points out that sometimes there could be a temporary displacement caused by a predator such as a neighborhood cat or a Coopers hawk that is stalking the feeding area. Ultimately, though, the disappearance of the bird visitors is almost never a result of anything the host is doing.

However, Calcagno hastens to add that there are serious concerns about the larger environmental context that cannot be ignored.

Some statistics are pretty terrifying, she declares. In the last 60 to 70 years, she explains that the songbird population has dropped alarmingly.

According to Scientific American, there are some 3 billion fewer songbirds across North America than there were in 1970, a decrease of 29 percent.

Calcagno explains that the decimation is attributable to a number of factors, many of them due to human behavior such as the use of pesticides, the loss of habitat caused by agricultural and land development practices, and climate change.

The Audubon Society has been in the forefront of efforts to protect migratory birds. She notes that the organization helped to pass legislation establishing laws that regulate the treatment of affected species, although some of the restrictions were rolled back by the last administration.

Calcagno mentions that the work the Audubon Society does is supported by its members and donors. The three major functions of the organization are conservation, education, and advocacy.

One of the myths is that the society is a government agency. It is not, she says, adding we do need support.

Sometimes it comes in the form of material donations as well as monetary contributions and fees.

We have someone that I call the Tool Fairy. If a power drill is needed, it just shows up. There is this person who somehow finds out, and lo and behold there it is.

The cost of a family membership is $50. It helps fund activities and programs. Members get first dibs on offerings and discounts. Volunteers are also welcome.

During this time of COVID-19 access to the building is controlled, but there are outdoor activities, in which, says Calcagno, there is continuing participation.

The Wednesday morning bird walks are as popular as ever, and the Owl Prowls and hikes attract smaller numbers, but they are holding up.

After 16 years, her appetite for the job seems undiminished. She swells with enthusiasm in describing what motivates her.

When I teach folks and I see a transformative moment its stop and smell the roses for me. I say to myself this is why I do what I do. I have to have a job where I feel Im doing something important.

(Contact me at smithpublarry@gmail.com)

Bottom Lines

What Rhode Island institution of higher education kept its mascot at a Smithfield farm once owned by the family which donated the nearby land for the Audubon Societys headquarters and Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge in Smithfield? What was the animal? The first reader to respond gets a shout out here.

See more here:
Relax, feeding the birds is fun - Valley Breeze