Want To Help Audubon? Here Is Your Chance!

This fight to save access to the beaches of Hatteras and Ocracoke islands just gets more interesting as the days go by. And I, for one, cannot understand why all of those that are opposed to access and wish to turn this place into some primitive wilderness wildlife preserve, think they can get away with their collective lunacy.

I wonder if I should start to market Audubon hypocrisy collector cards. Something with a picture on one side and a description on the other detailing the issue, or "Audufact". Why not? These folks are pros when it comes to do as I say, not as I do and the list gets longer and longer as time passes by.

Perhaps the first card should detail how Audubon sued USFWS so that a non endangered, species of least concern, the Caspian Tern, could continue to decimate endangered salmon populations on the Snake River system in Washington.

Next would be their land sale of property they promised to protect in perpetuity for high density development.

And then the bridges, yes bridges, both of them. The one they oppose in Currituck because it might bring high density development to the area where they want to sell their "primitive wilderness" for high density development.

And another that describes how they oppose that same 7.5 mile bridge because of storm water runoff while advocating a 17 mile long bridge at the same time.

And another that talks about how they want to lease oil and gas rights in their wildlife sanctuary in Louisiana where they admit some 34 bird species are in decline as a result, they say, of oil and gas drilling.

Of course, I'd have to come up with a extra large card to describe the efforts they have put forth to eliminate access to this Seashore which would include the lies, misinformation and vast collection of speculation that they use as their "science" to close our beaches.

But the latest, greatest Audubon hypocrisy takes the cake.

After spending years trying to remove you and me and our vehicles from the beach, apparently the good folks at Audubon have reversed their stance toward ORV access to the Seashore.

Alerted by my friend Dottie, I went out and procured a copy of Thursdays (12/9/10) edition of the Coastland Times. My head promptly asploded.

Right there on page 4a is the headline "Volunteer scientists set out to get Christmas bird count". Buried within the story is one great line that says "the count period in North America is referred to as ""early winter"" because some birds are still in the late stages of southward migration".

I am apparently one confused individual and have been using the wrong calendars all my life. All these years I have been under the impression that "early winter" was a period of time not long after the solstice which occurs 12/21/10 this year. Who woulda thunk that all this time, the advent of "early winter" was actually about some lazy birds dragging their feet as they move South?

As hilarious as that may be, there was more!

Yes folks, the same people that have worked for so long to ban you and me from the beach especially if we're driving on the sand now openly requests the apparent loan of a "beach worthy" 4x4 so they can  count lazy birds on Ocracoke.

Wait, what? The same group of people that want to ban ORV use at the Seashore want you to lend them an ORV so that THEY can go out and drive on the sand! Those very same people that want YOU to hoof it wherever you go with all your family and beach gear, need one of us to lend them a truck so they can carry their cameras, spotting scopes and the like, in comfort.

I apologize for making your head asplode.

In any case, to assist our "friends" at Audubon since they've clearly changed their mind about beach driving, and as a public service, if you wish to assist these fine feathered folks, you may contact the Coastland Times.

Peter Vankevich is ultimately the one you want to speak to with Audubon.
I suppose you must make sure that your vehicle is beach worthy.

I don't advocate harassing the guy, this was just a public service announcement.

Tight Lines,

Wheat

A Search For History Of The Islands

History has always been one of my favorite subjects as the similarities between "normal issues" today and the same from yesteryear are really not that different in terms of basic needs.

We tend though, to define history as a collection of general "moments" or happenings of particular importance. Years ago I read a passage on the back cover of a farmers almanac that described this as though we look at history as a river travelling through time defined by it's moments while ignoring all that happens along the banks as we pass by. In other words, we forget about the struggling farmer or the lives of others that never made some extraordinary impact and instead focus upon the major characters and events.

Of late, a project begun to map the "assets" of Hatteras Island which will presumably include historical assets as well. You can find out about it here:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Hatteras-Island-Asset-Mapping-Project/126958044031259

And if you enjoy looking at old photos of the Outer Banks, by all means go check out the forum dedicated to that purpose at:

http://www.obxconnection.com/outer-banks-message-board/forumdisplay.php?f=10

My new little project closely mirrors the purpose of the OBC forum except with parameters.

What I'm looking for are old photos of people on the beaches of Hatteras and Ocracoke.
I'm even contemplating a prize.

To qualify, the pics must be pre 1960, identifiable by location, and they do not need to show vehicles on the beach but may. Photos with two or more generations of family on the sand would be greatly appreciated.

The idea is to make a volume of vintage photos that will catalog and date them for all to see.

I'm not looking for originals, just posted or emailed photos to copy and compile.

I know somebody out there has pics like these..lets save them for those that follow.

Tight Lines,

Wheat