Speaking up for the creatures who cannot chirp, squawk, shriek or trill for themselves

“The other creatures with which we share this world have their rights too, but not speaking our language, they have no voice, no vote; it is our moral duty to take care of them.”
— Roger Tory Peterson

When I was growing up, the books of Roger Tory Peterson seemed to appear in the houses of friends where at least someone in the family was into birdwatching — or, perhaps, wanted to be.

My dad kept a pair of binoculars by the den window, and had at least one of Peterson’s books nearby, but I honestly can’t remember talking with him about the American conservationist and artist, whose exquisite drawings remain a gold standard for detail and observation.

The quote today comes from Peterson’s book, All Things Reconsidered. It was published in 2007, more than a decade after Peterson’s death.

It’s essentially a collection of columns written for Bird Watcher’s Digest, assembled posthumously. The book evidently has struck a nerve with the reading public: it remains in print to this day. Some of the segments were written more than six decades ago. Clearly, his work has a timeless quality — and messages like the one above still need to be considered.