The GBBC--more than just a number

There’s a little chickadee I look for every morning—identifiable by his bright white tail.
And, although he’s just one of a million others of his kind, he’s the one I’m able to recognize as he flits through our woods to visit the feeders.
He’s the one I miss, when he’s not here.


I wonder about the billions and trillions (?) of living things categorized into neat groups we casually call “bugs” or “frogs” or “birds.” And the many people who never think of them as being more distinct than that—never learn to recognize each for their differences.
Never seeing more than the group.
A frog is simply a frog.
Nothing more.

It’s easier to walk past, not knowing their name.
And not care.

The Great Backyard Bird Count, GBBC, is next weekend. And though it is promoted as “citizen science,” a way for regular people to contribute to research efforts, it’s more than that.
It’s an exercise in seeing beyond the group.
Taking apart the word, “bird,” and being specific about each we see.
Giving each a name.

For with a name, comes significance.
And with understanding, comes care.