conservationhaiku.org

In the last decade, there hasn’t been a day gone by where I haven’t thought about the impact that humans have on our planet. Yesterday, as I cycled along the Canal du Midi, I looked out to see abundant groups of mallards, a water bird that has seemingly been a ‘winner’ under growing human disturbance. Mallards hang on as other species fall, which made me think of the above display at the National Museum of Scotland. This display always stirs mixed emotions within me. At first I am usually taken back by replicas of diversity of life hanging before me, but then my thoughts usually turn to wondering about which of these species have already ‘fallen’, which will continue to survive, and which will fall as we continue to modify, disturb and warm our planet.

Haiku and photo: Steph Januchowski-Hartley