To Make Amends

An ugly truth of history is society’s addiction to destruction; the destruction of habitat is primarily to blame for the ivory-billed woodpecker’s extinction. Once a species known for its undeniable “charisma” and historically America’s largest type of woodpecker, the ivory-billed woodpecker represented something majestic, mysterious, and inherently natural. After its habitat was torn down for lumber and the species reduced to extinction, this bird now represents a chance at redemption. With sightings of a male of the species fifty years after it was thought to be extinct, there is hope that with effort, the species may be able to be saved. However, it is unlikely that the species can repopulate on its own accord. The bird represents a responsibility for ornithologists—what society has destroyed, it must now help recreate. And it is purely by chance that we are even given the opportunity to help. After the ivory-billed woodpecker’s omission from bird catalogues in recent years, it is amazing that in the middle of an Arkansas wildlife refuge, G. Sparling was able to not only spot the woodpecker, but identify it as one of an extinct species. This speaks volumes for a bird that has spent decades without being spotted. Something so powerful to the ornithology community must be worth saving.