Chuck Pettis: Earth Sanctuary

BirdNote^®

Chuck Pettis, Earth Sanctuary, Whidbey Island, WA

Interview of Chuck Pettis by Chris Peterson

This is BirdNote.
[Open with dawn song] 
We’re at a place called Earth Sanctuary on Whidbey Island in Washington State. Here, among ponds and trees, Wood Ducks, Osprey, and Song Sparrows raise their young. Swainson’s Thrushes and Yellow Warblers find a welcome refuge when they return from South and Central America.
Chuck Pettis is creating this sanctuary.       
“Sanctuary” means “safety” “refuge” “protection” “…a place of beauty and peacefulness.”
 
Chuck’s goal is to create an old-growth forest, so he’s looking ahead 500 years. 500 years?!
Chuck: “It’s outrageous to have a timeframe that’s...a day or two from here. It’s outrageous NOT to have a 500 year plan for the earth.”
But why be the one to invest in nature?
Chuck: “Well, when you think of what’s wrong in the world, you can point your finger at it, but when you point your finger at something, three fingers point back at yourself – it really comes down to personal responsibility – you can’t change other people and corporations, but you can change yourself – you can create an environment, your own backyard, that’s special and protected…”
Flyover of Canada Goose.
 “Very few people feel peaceful. Very few people feel safe. We need feelings of peacefulness and safety, in nature.”

[Return to dawn song]
Learn more at BirdNote.org.
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Recorded on site by Chris Peterson
Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Chris Peterson
© 2014 Tune In to Nature.org            July 2014

ID# pettisc-01-2009-07-23-MM