News
Spring
2001
Good-Bye Habitat
by Jeff Cubbison
What has happened to all the wonderful country fields,
sagebrush, and steep natural hills? As life goes on, Carmel Valley
has gone from a beautiful country to a crowded city. If you look at
it today, just imagine what it will look like two decades from now.
Too much of our outstanding town is covered with shopping malls,
offices, and apartments. At many nature sites, the developers have
sent their men to start grading roads for future homes. The animal
and plant habitats will disappear, and if the plants and animals don't
have their proper habitats, then they won't be able to survive.
Tractors, bulldozers, and excavators have been grading through sage,
and killing anything that lies in their paths, and leaving it for
the crows to swoop down and eat the carcasses. If this process
continues, Carmel Valley will soon look like downtown San Diego!
There are many people, however, that clearly believe that more
homes build a larger community, which is true. These people are
willing to sacrifice parts of the environment for their new homes.
Remember, most new residents aren't interested in used homes, but most
are interested in new designs.
If we persuade developers to do the right thing, then our valley
could possibly stay as it is now. Just go down to the construction
sites and see the disgusting scene! The newcomers are finding new
homes, while the animals are losing theirs.
Jeff is 11 years old and a 6th grader at Carmel Del Mar School.
As a class assignment, he was instructed to create a political
cartoon and an editorial on a subject that was important to him.
Jeff, his brother Chris, and their parents live on Del Mar Mesa,
which is the south mesa between Carmel Valley and Penasquitos
Canyon. He spends a great deal of time outdoors on the trails with
his brother and their ponies and has a deep respect for our native
wildlife and the environment.
We appreciate Jeff letting us use his editorial and
cartoon in this newsletter. Loss of habitat is the #1
reason that animals are brought to Project Wildlife.
The smaller their habitat gets, the more likely wildlife
is to come into contact with humans, often to the detriment
of the animals. There are things we can do to help the
critters, however. Simply by allowing wild birds and
mammals to live peacefully in your backyard will do
wonders for the survival of many animals. If you'd like
information on how to turn your yard, or even just a
portion of your yard, into a Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary,
please call (858) 866-0555.
| Spring
2001
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