Just wanted to share with you a collage of the process of a piece
I have donated to the Habitat Acquisition Trust for their upcoming
20th anniversary bash and fundraiser.
It is a life sized Western Screech Owl, needle felted
and adhered to a base.
On the base is a verse from an Emily Dickinson poem...
“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -
I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.
HAT does an amazing job of working hard with an incredible staff of volunteers to conserve nature
and give a voice to things that can't speak.
One of their projects is to help this little owl who's population has decreased 90% in the
last 10 years in the Victoria area due to development and predatory
Barred owls who feed on the Screech owl.
(this, from their website...)
'Unfortunately, there is considerable evidence that Barred Owls predate heavily on Western Screech Owls. When Screech Owl calls are played, Barred Owls quickly respond by flying in silently – in “stealth hunting mode”. Barred Owls are also known to predate heavily on bird nests, and may be predating on Screech Owl nestlings. The older, more complex forest where the few remaining Screech Owls live probably offer some protection from Barred Owl predation.'
For more information you can go to their website here.
Because Hope IS the thing with feathers.
The more we can protect our creatures and their habitat the better off
we will become as a species.
