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With so little to report, I'll just mention that Jack Hitt's latest book, "Bunch of Amateurs," includes a long chapter on the whole Ivory-bill escapade since Cornell's original announcement (and the role of "amateurs" in that escapade). I've previously linked to this NY Times article of Hitt's which includes some of the same info he used in his book:http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/07/magazine/07woodpecker.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
(not sure if everyone can directly open the link or if you'll need a free registration with the Times to access it)
Since I expect ensuing months to be slow for IBWO news I'll put out a call as I did once before:
...If anyone who has been involved at some level with the IBWO story over the last several years is willing to submit to an interview as I've done in the past (answering transcribed questions, not an audio or podcast), let me know. This could be anyone who thinks they have a viewpoint or information worth sharing, either from the 'believer' or skeptical side, positive or negative…. Assuming I know of you in some guise just email me (cyberthrush@gmail.com) with a note indicating a willingness to be interviewed. If by chance I might not know of your role in the whole IBWO endeavor then please explain in the email your background and what you feel you may have to offer (so I can figure out what sorts of questions to pose for you). Don't everyone volunteer at once!….
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2 comments:
Thanks. It pulled up just fine for me; I don't know whether it "counted" against my "ten free articles," but the only effect of the NY Times policy change in what it offers is they're getting fewer blog comments from me. The WaPo has been the beneficiary, but it's been mostly political squabbling. Given that recent poll numbers on Republicans show only 43% are concerned with environmental issues, even those who believe the IBWO is extinct should realize which side of that fence they belong on.
This is a nice summary of the subject (I'd seen it before), better than many Times offerings, and it's certainly fair. I remember the original Life article but I hadn't heard how the story turned out. I also remember stories of how our local black-footed ferret hadn't been seen in a generation and was thought lost...
"I whipped back around to see the final movements of a large dark bird disappearing like a black arrow into the dusky chill of the swamp.
I knew the drill. To confirm the sighting, I asked Tippit to report to me precisely what he saw. As with any witness, it's important to set the interview down on paper as soon as possible. Tippit called out: "Two white panels on the back of the wings! It lit on that tree. It was large. Also saw it flying away from me with flashes of white."
Yep, that's the level of evidence you need for 'confirmation' of an Ivorybill.
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