> In his journal from December 1826, Audubon laments the ecological changes that are taking place before him as a result of habitat destruction and over-poachin

> In his journal from December 1826, Audubon laments the ecological changes that are taking place before him as a result of habitat destruction and over-poaching: “A century hence, they will not be there as I see them. Nature will have been robbed of many brilliant charms. The rivers will be tormented and turned from their primitive courses…the deer may exist nowhere, fish will no longer abound in the rivers, the eagle scarcely ever alight and the millions of lovely songsters be driven away or slain by man.” (John James Audubon’s journal, December 1826). Whew. Also fascinating to learn that we had a native parrot in the US. Those parakeets and the passenger pigeons were both striking animals. Shame we lost them.