Friday, May 10, 2013

Seal Nurseries Under Fire

Harbor Seal Pup in Point Lobos Marine Reserve
Taking photos of Wildlife enables me to see many cool things others might miss (unfortunately).  With my zoom lens I get to see tiny harbor seal pups close up. It's amazing what stunning detail I see through my lens.  It makes me want to learn more about animals and protect them + share everything with you.
Congress is considering cutting funding for many open space areas like Regional Parks, Preserves and even some State Parks to help balance the Budget.  What this means is some areas will close and there will be no public access or staff presence.  Reducing the number of Park Rangers, workers and preventing access will leave sensitive areas unprotected.  When legal access is denied to a beach or Nature Preserve, we also lose volunteers and non-profit organizations in the equation.  Docents, Wildlife Rescue Organizations and other volunteers can't even help by donating their resources.  These people are GIVING AWAY their time/resources to help animals like this tiny seal pup shown above and Congress is saying "No thanks, we'll just close the beach!".
I believe these volunteers along with Park Ranger and other key staff help protect sensitive areas like the Harbor Seal Nursery I visited last week near Monterey California. They keep people from getting too close/harming wildlife and they deter poachers, as well as people involved in the illegal trade of exotic animals/protected species.  Poaching and illegal harvesting of wildlife is a big problem in California.  Crab and Abalone seem to be the biggest concern along the coastline, but there is a darker presence at work here. Other species are at risk.
Even simple things will be lost in this equation like a thoughtful Park Ranger telling an unsuspecting family not to bring the family pet down to the beach due to the presence of a seal nursery there.  Dogs can attack seals and pups are most vulnerable to being injured or killed.  It might not be something on your radar, but staff and volunteers are always on top of these kinds of things.  If we lose their presence, then all kinds of unforeseen problems will arise.  People will still gain access to the beaches and sensitive areas (illegally) and little will be done to mitigate the negative impact on the environment.  It's similar to when a tree falls in the forest, "Does it make a sound?"  Yes it does!  In the same way a baby animal still cries when it gets injured due to our negligence, even if nobody's there to hear or help! 
We need to do our best to protect wildlife and leave areas we visit pristine/untouched as if we were never there.  It's our duty to the environment, so our kids and their kids will also be able to enjoy Nature!  I want every child to be able to see and experience the beauty of our natural world.  We can do our part by being heard!  Let Congress know its not OK to balance the budget by cutting funding for our parks and open spaces!  We can't lose these treasures.
Please let our political representatives know we hold then accountable for the fiscal mess we're in and they should be responsible for their poor management, not the Wildlife!  They wont get away with passing the buck again - this time!  Thank you for taking the time to care and please let your voice be heard!  Tell somebody what you think!  I care about little baby harbor seals!!!!  Please see this short piece on the Harbor Seals at Point Lobos Marine Reserve (Near Monterey Bay California):