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Rachel Carson and Silent Spring
Can you imagine a world without birds?
© Mick Thompson
Among the most welcome features of spring is the renewal of bird song. Can you imagine a spring without the voices of birds? The silence would -- as they say -- be deafening, the absence of their songs like the loss of one of our primary senses. Rachel Carson's 1962 book, Silent Spring, helped found the modern environmental movement. When you hear the birds (like this Spotted Towhee or its cousin, the Eastern Towhee) sing this spring, remember Rachel Carson, and be grateful. You can learn more at RachelCarson.org.
BirdNote®
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring
Written by Bob Sundstrom
This is BirdNote!
Among the most welcome features of spring is the renewal of bird song.
[Mixed medley of bird song]
Can you imagine a spring without the voices of birds? The silence would be deafening, the absence of their songs like the loss of one of our primary senses.
Take away the songs
We have escaped this mute destiny for now. And no one person deserves our gratitude more than Rachel Carson. [Mixed medley of bird song]
Rachel Carson’s 1962 book, Silent Spring, focused public scrutiny on the ongoing poisoning of the natural world. She detailed immense environmental damage resulting from massive and uncontrolled use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides – DDT and others. In Silent Spring, Rachel Carson brought to light the horrific impact of a heedless chemical assault on nature – with deadly effects not just on wildlife but also on human health. She eloquently decried the view that nature exists purely for the convenience of humans.
Silent Spring helped found the modern environmental movement.
When you hear birds sing this spring [Mixed medley of bird song], remember Rachel Carson, who spoke for all who find a deep and imperative meaning in nature. To learn more about Rachel Carson and the significance of her work, come to our website, BirdNote.org. I’m Mary McCann.
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Ambient audio provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Recorded by G.F. Budney.
Dawn song recorded by Martyn Stewart, naturesound.org
Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Chris Peterson
© 2014 Tune In to Nature.org April 2014/2016/2022 Narrator: Mary McCann
ID# 040706carsonKPLU carsonr-01b-2010-4-18
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