Wednesday, October 23, 2002


brooklyn songbirds in danger -- or why the coffee you drink matters!

after reading this article, explaining that 1 in 4 species of north american songbirds are in
danger, i checked the ones from new york.

there i discovered that rare birds like the golden-winged warbler and cerulean warbler seem to sing in brooklyn's prospect park during the summer and winter in coffee country, central and south america. these warblers like to hang out near the edges of agricultural areas in shady trees.

traditionally, coffee is grown in fields overhung by large shade trees. nowadays, however, agri-business has been tearing up these shaded coffee fields and planting coffee varieties that don't need shade. so the birds are losing their important winter habitat. however, farmers who grow shaded coffee are eligible for a bird-friendly sticker, which offers them an incentive for protecting songbird habitat.

this is a coffee issue that truly affects us here in brooklyn. what we drink now determines what birds we will enjoy in prospect park next year. i'm now searching a nice northern-italian light-roast bird-friendly espresso. any recommendations? please post 'em in the comments below. . .

posted by fortune | 5:24 PM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments