A question of survival for our wildlife, April 17, 2015
By Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States)
This review is from: Water for Backyard Pets and Wildlife (Kindle Edition)
Thomas Hollyday is a well-known writer of mysteries – there are 6 volumes in his River Sunday Romance Mysteries Series – but he also is concerned about the environment and has published two books on the latter subject. One of the reasons Thomas’ book works so well for readers is the mater-of-fact neighborly way he has of expressing himself. In a very tender little preface he discusses a dream he had that changed his attitude, and then ties his dream into the content of this book: `So, after weeks of thought on this issue of animals and water, I decided to invent a water dish that would provide fresh drinking water to wildlife. It was one that was easy to use, portable, and worked in every season without electricity. I sold this device, the Solar Sipper, in markets all over the world. With the funds from this project, I began to champion preserving clean water resources for wildlife. These days, each morning I go to my backyard and place a Solar Sipper filled with fresh water outside for the wildlife. I always look around for a chipmunk with no tail. He’ll be a descendant of the one I dreamed about. If I should spot him, I’ll look into his eyes, give him a wink, and let him know that I’m trying.’ In his introduction he offers many facts, most of which we haven’t considered: `The purpose of this little book is to look into all the issues affecting drinking water for backyard animals. One thing is for sure. If our outdoor friends could get access to the safe water that our indoor pets enjoy, they would be a lot better off. That bowl of clean water next to the pet food dish is not always present in the back yard environment. You see, the indoor water passes the test of our town municipalities and water commissions. Before it enters the pipes to our house, it has undergone a bevy of corrections to make sure it is absolutely safe. If a new disease enters the water supply, the commission treats it immediately. This may not be true in all countries but it is for sure in the United States.’ And from this opening he addresses taking Inventory of our backyard habitat, noting Waterer Type (`outdoor animals deserve the same care as indoor animals. Clean their water dish and add clean water daily with the food’), Analyze the construction of the Watering Device, Analyze where animals drink, Heat and Cold out in the yard (and how to regulate that), and then he offers Government-based websites and Private Organization websites from which to gather information. This is a sensitive caring book by a man who cares about not only how humans are going to survive the current environmental crises, but also how we are responsible for assuring that our precious wildlife, often dependent on us, are treated equally! A must read for everyone who cares. Grady Harp, April 15
achesapeakewriterblog.wordpress.com 