Our Sacred Spaces

From Robert Bateman

I see the spotted owl as a kind of hapless symbol of what we have to do to preserve a huge and very important ecosystem - the North American temperate rain forests. We go around to international congresses, telling others to stop cutting down their rain forests, when we are, in fact, much closer to cutting down the last remaining old-growth rain forests on our own continent.

The spotted owl needs large tracts of unbroken forest to survive. When these tracts are sliced up by logging operations, other predators come in. The spotted owl cannot stand the competition and becomes extinct in that area.

I particularly like the mysterious and nocturnal owl. It is always a surprise to see an owl as it stays within thick cover. also find the shape of its face, with its two eyes pointed forward, very appealing. Along with their secretive habits and appealing demeanor, another thing that appeals to me about owls is that they inhabit our old- growth forests; they are the denizens of the remnants of our sacred spaces.