Community Voice: Look Outside Your Window
Brookfield Woods, about 5 miles away from Cicero, Ill. in November, 2021 (Photo by Beth Gunzel).
By Beth Gunzel
I started bird watching from my backyard in Berwyn at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020. I never imagined that watching a pair of American robins build their nest on top of the light on my neighbor’s garage would lead me to a deeper connection to the natural world. In this time, just from my dining room window, I was able to experience at least 26 different species of birds either visiting the yard or flying above it.
Seeing such a diversity of birds in just a matter of a few hundred square feet turned into an invitation to go beyond my backyard and start regularly visiting local parks, forest preserves, and other natural places. With this, came a growing sense of responsibility for the spaces these birds rely on.
I learned that simple acts like establishing native plant gardens, planting more trees, and eliminating the use of lawn pesticides are the superpowers our community already has to help protect birds and their habitats. One issue I became particularly concerned about was the use of rodenticides to address our rat problem in Berwyn. I learned that solutions exist to go beyond relying on poison in alleys to address the issue of rats. I discovered there are many organizations ready to help municipalities and their contractors make more ecologically ethical abatement plans.
This is important because rodenticides not only kill rats but also birds of prey like eagles, owls and hawks that rely on rats as a source of food. As well as coyotes and foxes. Our community is fortunate to share our space with many birds of prey, the most common being red-tailed hawks. If you look hard enough you can see them sailing through our neighborhoods, perching on light poles, and searching for a meal from the trees in our parks and forest preserves. I took this photo and wrote this poem hopefully to raise awareness about our red-tailed hawk neighbors and encourage others to look out their windows, enjoy the birds, visit our parks and forest preserves, and protect our natural world.
Red-tailed Hawk
Eyes will be your crystal ball
Wings a sandstone crocheted shawl
From a perch unseen while seeing
Fire-truth tail is fanned and freeing
Talons like a lightning streak
Razor sharp a compass beak
Soaring on your inner leaning
To new heights of sacred meaning.
Beth Gunzel was a Berwyn resident until recently.
Our “Community Voice” section gives Cicero and Berwyn residents an opportunity to share their thoughts, experiences and opinions. Information is fact-checked for accuracy. To contribute a “Community Voice” article email info@ciceroindependiente.com.
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