To connect two recent pieces in the Monitor, “Protecting and providing in the WMNF” and “Where are the birds?”, the benefits to wildlife habitat from forest thinning cannot be overstated. While this may seem counterintuitive, it is important to note that crowded, stressed forests do not make healthy, navigable places for birds and bats to live and thrive. With more birds and bats eating more tree-destroying pests, there is a virtuous cycle that creates more resilient ecosystems.

In terms of the bird decline that so many have noticed, the single largest source of bird mortality in the U.S. is domestic cats, which kill an estimated one or two billion (with a b) birds a year. So, if you love birds and other wildlife, you can do your part by ensuring local forests are appropriately managed and thinned. And also, in the words of the immortal Bob Barker, help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.

Kevin Porter

Concord