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© by Susanne Danegger (Deutschland) Artists on Wings Flight and Man The ability to fly has captured the fantasy of man. Our mythologies abound with the desire to fly. Icarus had yearning to fly. Angels were given wings. The symbol of peace is a dove. The United States has the bald eagle as its national bird and symbol. Leonardo da Vinci, the epitome of the Renaissance man, was preoccupied with the creation of machines that could give man the chance to fly. His ideas on flying machines were ahead of his time -- a desire that consumed man throughout history -- to be realized eventually by pioneers like the Wright brothers. Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic and became a national legend. The scientific advances since then led to the commercialization of the airplane and other flying machines that allowed the common man to fly whereever his fancy desires. Soon the sky was not enough, we want to reach the heavens too. When the Russians achieved the very feat, it shocked Americans that they were not the first. National pride led President John Kennedy to a mandate a national program for America to be the first to land on the moon. Today, our satellites are reaching deep space -- a feat that man wants to explore one day. However, all these achievements require artificial contraptions. In our deepest fantasies, we wish to be angels with wings so that we could roam the skies like the eagles. It is both with envy and awe when we become enthralled watching birds rule the skies. For a moment we pause, even forget the world around us, and become one with the majestic creature soaring majestically above us. Birds in their Habitat Watching birds in their natural habitat is pure joy, enjoyed by people of all ages all over the world. However, we will never have a chance to visit all the places where birds are. Thus, viewing birds through the eyes of others who have been there is second best. This website was created partly for this reason. One of the goals of this website is to encourage all bird lovers in the world to share their fascination with birds and their vivid memories captured through their photographs and observations. The Educational Use We have integrated also the taxonomic classification and morphological characterisation of birds, using links from reputable educational resources, if available -- to have a better appreciation of how bird features have evolved to suit their ecological niche, including the food chain in their natural habitat. Aside from the educational value of this information, for those who wanted to know more about specific bird species, the pictures of birds and the information database should impart how dependent birds are to their natural habitat. As a result, the continuing destruction of their habitats or food source threaten their survival. Sometimes, the destruction of habitat or food source could be unintentional. For example, when the insecticide DDT was used widely all over the world, one of the primary goals was to eradicate mosquitoes that spread malaria -- then the most widespread cause of death and debilitation in the world, especially in developing countries. It was only several decades later before mankind has realized that this "well-intentioned" perturbation of the ecosystem had cascading effects in the food chain -- eventually leading to near extinction of many species. This threat disproportionately affected those at the top of the food chain, among these are birds, like eagles and other raptors. Having realized the aforementioned mistake, i.e., the long-term impact of insecticides on the ecosystem, efforts are now underway to minimize insecticide use. Today, we have embarked on search for alternative methods to combat the scourges of pests. One of thes approaches includes the use of "genetically manufactured organisms (GMOs)" that are less susceptible to pest infestation. Considering our experience with well-intentioned technologies and strategies, it is legitimate to ask: Have we considered all the potential long-term impact of GMOs in a fragile ecosystem? Navigating these pages By now, you should have read the navigation guide. Please note here a change in the "A-Z" navigation, now preceded with the Help preserve the beauty of our world and its resources so that they can be enjoyed by the generations to come! We need volunteers, academicians and scholars, from around the world, who are interested to monitor their ecosystem, or are interested to create, improve or keep up-to-date any topic in the Ecosystems section. Please contact us, if you are interested to create, improve or keep up-to-date any section included herein. |
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First Written: 20001204 Latest Update: 20060328 |