You do what you can

When pondering today’s serious environmental issues, it sometimes seems like the problems are so overwhelming there’s little that can be done as an individual to make an impact.

“Climate change” has become “climate emergency” as some organizations and publications look for ways to emphasize the severity of the problem facing humanity.

It’s easy to wonder, “What can I do.”

The answer, in part, can be found in the pages of the Community News this week – you do what you can, at every opportunity.

On page one of this issue we have the story of Harriston residents Sandy and Glyn Thompson, whose reaction to finding a hive containing tens of thousands of honey bees in their house was not to reach for the Raid.

“Because of dwindling population, you want to save the honeybees,” said Sandra, even though that meant going through the outer brick wall of their home for a potentially expensive solution to their pollinator problem.

Shirley Litt, another Harriston resident, made the extra effort to ensure a family of owls displaced when their treetop home was downed were safely re-nested. She contacted first local veterinarian Terry Fisk, then the Owl Foundation for help, with the happy result that the birds, including one baby owl injured in the tree-cutting process are believed to have all survived the experience.

Little things perhaps, but the Thompsons put the environment ahead of their pocketbook and, in a world where diminishing biodiversity is a serious concern, it’s important those little birds weren’t left to fend for themselves.

Major efforts on behalf of the environment will be required on global and governmental scale if we hope to mitigate the worst damage to come. But we all still need to do our part, whenever the opportunity arises.