Note to self: Google before you leap.
A while back, y’all remember when we donated to the ferrets? Well, really we donated to the Defenders of Wildlife, but y’all know what I mean. (There’s a reason I’m not linking to it.) Yes, I donated, too.
Now, of course, I find out they’re one of the top seven anti-ATV-access groups in the country. Dammit. I can not believe I did that.
The irony is, my kids have a strong bond with nature because of ATVing. They’ve seen views a lot of people in this state don’t get to see. They’ve watched trails being rerouted to not interfere with a beaver damn. Rabbit hutches. Deer. Moose. Snakes. Foxes. They can recognize so many different animal signs. They would never leave trash behind on the trail and quite often pick up what others have left. They have an appreciation for nature they wouldn’t otherwise have.
Now I have to bury that windbreaker…bury it deep, then bury the shovel. :doh:
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I’ve managed to do that at least once. It happens. It’s surprising how many rabid groups out there sound like they agree with what we believe.
You get something similar from anti-hunting groups. Hunters fund many wildlife protection programs and keep overpopulation down, resulting in overall healthier wildlife populations (I’m not a hunter, but responsible hunting is an important aspect in wildlife management.).
Greenpeace is one that gets me. They’re on the Combined Federal Campaign lists every year, so I know some military members must fund them. Yes, the same people who go out of their way to damage US Navy vessels. They’ve campaigned door-to-door in my neighborhood, and I just let them know I don’t appreciate their methods, and they usually leave.
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Luckily there are preservation societies I can and do donate to on a local level that work to protect land and wildlife without believing recreational users are Satan’s minions come to run over fluffy bunnies.
And I don’t think rabbit hutches was what I was looking for. That’s a cage for a domesticated one, right? Rabbit warrens? There are a couple of places on the trail where rabbits have made homes in the deadfall and the short kid always gives the signal to drive slowly and carefully so we don’t scare them.
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Responsibility is the key. Whether you are a hunter, an ATV’er, an animal protection society or a nature conservancy, you have to be responsible. Many charities have turned me off because of irresponsiblity. Greenpeace is one. I used to support them, but not anymore as they became morally and physically reprehensible. Now, before I give to anyone begging for my hard-earned money, I try and thoroughly check them out. I will now get off my soapbox.
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