I grew up on a farm in Mid Michigan, born in 61. Every season was magical. I visited last year and noticed the lack of songbirds, most birds. Grey skies, and sick vegetation.
I live on the island of Kauai, the wettest spot on Earth, and am watching this beautiful "Garden Island" die, by the day. The weather warfare onslaught started in 20…
I grew up on a farm in Mid Michigan, born in 61. Every season was magical. I visited last year and noticed the lack of songbirds, most birds. Grey skies, and sick vegetation.
I live on the island of Kauai, the wettest spot on Earth, and am watching this beautiful "Garden Island" die, by the day. The weather warfare onslaught started in 2021 and has ramped up in the past 18 months. The birds have disappeared, even our wild chicken numbers are a fraction of what they were, likely because the bugs are also dead or contaminated. Geckos and lizards appear to be starving, skin over bone and very limited #s . Living on a rock in the middle of the Pacific never bothered me, until it became silent. Well, not completely silent, but worse for me, I hear and feel the frequencies, and each time they change.
As you mentioned about the rain smell, which used to be so refreshing, now it smells like a chemical plant, I grew up near Dow Chemical, so I recognize the smells. Being raised on a farm, we trusted that there would be a "green up" my Dad called it, after a rain. That's always what we could also count on here, if we ever had a dry spell. This last winter, our rainy season, and we were dumped on, with lots of flooding, ended with yellow green or brown vegetation. Normally in March or April, Spring would start then with a lush beautiful deep green landscape, beautiful blue skies, blossoms everywhere, and Birds singing so loud I couldn't even have a telephone conversation! This year, the rainy season dragged on until almost June, and everything looked as though it had been sprayed with weed killer. The birds have been gone now for almost a year. If I keep the feeders full I will see a handful, but none sing. Imagine, having to feed birds in HI? Our White Rumped Shama are insect eaters, w/the most beautiful, and each unique, songs you've ever heard. They no longer make a sound, and it's rare to see one. I'm up in the Moutains, where it used to always be cooler because the Trade Winds hit us directly. Haven't felt Trades in almost 2 yrs now. The 🌈s, HI is known for are few and very far between. I've seen 1 this year.
They have destroyed the eco system of an island that was self sustaining, forever. Even coco palms are dying, and the coconuts don't last but a few days after being picked. They rot from the stem, as with most fruits, and avocados, cacao etc...strange fungus, and diseases that eat through the skins, or is it the chemicals. ? New molds that nothing kills, on everything. It's just heartbreaking. I don't know how tourists can think this place is beautiful, it's absolutely hideous. I'm half expecting fires, because we are primed to be wiped out. We've had 2 so far, one on the West side in July, burned about 1300 acres, of farmland. Imagine that? We are in GOD'S hands, and I am trusting in His sustainainence. I wanted to leave here, but my husband asked me, "Where do you want to go?" The reality is that there is nowhere to run, is there?
Thank you for your beautiful but very sad comment. It is very moving. I feel so helpless to do anything when I see the destruction of nature and life all around us. I can only keep on trying in the little way I can. I wish I could have visited Kauai. Life is so miraculous and now it is all disappearing because of a destructive and extremely trivial-minded cultural mindset.
I did not have a very peaceful childhood in terms of family and school. So I spent most of my childhood (and my free time in adulthood) walking in the forests of the northeast, hiking and camping. The best memories I have are in nature with my family or alone. More recently, for eight years, I lived in a rural area of upstate NY next to a marsh. In the years after 2015, the whole marsh was dead. In the evenings, the swamp was silent. There were no frogs, crickets or other insect sounds.
I'm sorry you never made it here too, especially when it was beautiful. I can identify with you unpleasant childhood. My pony, cats and dogs were my best friends. I spent most of my time exploring the farm and woods with them. I think it's why I've always been in tune with the flora and fauna. As I got older I got into training and showing horses, and the many hours on horseback were my only joy.
Here on Kauai, I am horseless, for the first time in my life, and I was already 💔, but making the best of it I could. I was surrounded by beauty, singing birds day and night, and bathed in sunshine, and rainbows. Emotionally and physically healthy, but now....not so much. Looking at the dead pasture grass, and the once fat, shiny, healthy cows and horses that filled the rolling hillsides...either moved or now ribby w/unhealthy hair coats. The little bearded lizards that used to run away from me, now run to me across the lawn. Stand at my feet and look up at me, as if they're begging for help. They're skin stretched over bone, they're starving. I think they must be spreading insecticides... as well as perhaps herbicides, or some sort of chemical that is especially targeting indigenous plants/trees and those that produce food and medicinal plants. We used to have a mosquito the laid eggs in the bromelaides, their name even reflects that, but the water standing anywhere is yellow/ brown, and I have not seen mosquito larvae.
That is heart wrenching. I can't bear to see the creatures being poisoned. There are also genetic deformations in birds where their beaks curve to the point that they cannot eat properly.
I grew up on a farm in Mid Michigan, born in 61. Every season was magical. I visited last year and noticed the lack of songbirds, most birds. Grey skies, and sick vegetation.
I live on the island of Kauai, the wettest spot on Earth, and am watching this beautiful "Garden Island" die, by the day. The weather warfare onslaught started in 2021 and has ramped up in the past 18 months. The birds have disappeared, even our wild chicken numbers are a fraction of what they were, likely because the bugs are also dead or contaminated. Geckos and lizards appear to be starving, skin over bone and very limited #s . Living on a rock in the middle of the Pacific never bothered me, until it became silent. Well, not completely silent, but worse for me, I hear and feel the frequencies, and each time they change.
As you mentioned about the rain smell, which used to be so refreshing, now it smells like a chemical plant, I grew up near Dow Chemical, so I recognize the smells. Being raised on a farm, we trusted that there would be a "green up" my Dad called it, after a rain. That's always what we could also count on here, if we ever had a dry spell. This last winter, our rainy season, and we were dumped on, with lots of flooding, ended with yellow green or brown vegetation. Normally in March or April, Spring would start then with a lush beautiful deep green landscape, beautiful blue skies, blossoms everywhere, and Birds singing so loud I couldn't even have a telephone conversation! This year, the rainy season dragged on until almost June, and everything looked as though it had been sprayed with weed killer. The birds have been gone now for almost a year. If I keep the feeders full I will see a handful, but none sing. Imagine, having to feed birds in HI? Our White Rumped Shama are insect eaters, w/the most beautiful, and each unique, songs you've ever heard. They no longer make a sound, and it's rare to see one. I'm up in the Moutains, where it used to always be cooler because the Trade Winds hit us directly. Haven't felt Trades in almost 2 yrs now. The 🌈s, HI is known for are few and very far between. I've seen 1 this year.
They have destroyed the eco system of an island that was self sustaining, forever. Even coco palms are dying, and the coconuts don't last but a few days after being picked. They rot from the stem, as with most fruits, and avocados, cacao etc...strange fungus, and diseases that eat through the skins, or is it the chemicals. ? New molds that nothing kills, on everything. It's just heartbreaking. I don't know how tourists can think this place is beautiful, it's absolutely hideous. I'm half expecting fires, because we are primed to be wiped out. We've had 2 so far, one on the West side in July, burned about 1300 acres, of farmland. Imagine that? We are in GOD'S hands, and I am trusting in His sustainainence. I wanted to leave here, but my husband asked me, "Where do you want to go?" The reality is that there is nowhere to run, is there?
Thank you for your beautiful but very sad comment. It is very moving. I feel so helpless to do anything when I see the destruction of nature and life all around us. I can only keep on trying in the little way I can. I wish I could have visited Kauai. Life is so miraculous and now it is all disappearing because of a destructive and extremely trivial-minded cultural mindset.
I did not have a very peaceful childhood in terms of family and school. So I spent most of my childhood (and my free time in adulthood) walking in the forests of the northeast, hiking and camping. The best memories I have are in nature with my family or alone. More recently, for eight years, I lived in a rural area of upstate NY next to a marsh. In the years after 2015, the whole marsh was dead. In the evenings, the swamp was silent. There were no frogs, crickets or other insect sounds.
I'm sorry you never made it here too, especially when it was beautiful. I can identify with you unpleasant childhood. My pony, cats and dogs were my best friends. I spent most of my time exploring the farm and woods with them. I think it's why I've always been in tune with the flora and fauna. As I got older I got into training and showing horses, and the many hours on horseback were my only joy.
Here on Kauai, I am horseless, for the first time in my life, and I was already 💔, but making the best of it I could. I was surrounded by beauty, singing birds day and night, and bathed in sunshine, and rainbows. Emotionally and physically healthy, but now....not so much. Looking at the dead pasture grass, and the once fat, shiny, healthy cows and horses that filled the rolling hillsides...either moved or now ribby w/unhealthy hair coats. The little bearded lizards that used to run away from me, now run to me across the lawn. Stand at my feet and look up at me, as if they're begging for help. They're skin stretched over bone, they're starving. I think they must be spreading insecticides... as well as perhaps herbicides, or some sort of chemical that is especially targeting indigenous plants/trees and those that produce food and medicinal plants. We used to have a mosquito the laid eggs in the bromelaides, their name even reflects that, but the water standing anywhere is yellow/ brown, and I have not seen mosquito larvae.
That is heart wrenching. I can't bear to see the creatures being poisoned. There are also genetic deformations in birds where their beaks curve to the point that they cannot eat properly.