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--Apple-Mail-13-292424542 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; delsp=yes; format=flowed I am having problems with this whole discussion, because of the =20 evolutionary adaptations of intertidal organisms like these =20 starfishes -- I can visualize like-minded people who see barnacles =20 "stranded" during low tides wanting to use backhoes to get them back =20 into the water. I of course love the point that I think Helene is =20 getting at, that one or a few who are doing tiny amounts of some =20 activity whose effect is very little are setting examples for =20 potential followers to act in concert, but let's find a better example? Cheers from Jim in Wolfville. Begin forwarded message: > From: Helene Van Doninck <helene.birdvet@gmail.com> > Date: January 13, 2012 4:30:57 PM AST > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Loren Eiseley > Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > > The starfish story is pretty much my daily mantra, and has been for =20= > years. I talk about it to people who think I'm crazy for helping =20 > common species. They all matter, at least to me. > Helene > > On Jan 13, 2012 2:32 PM, "Brian Bartlett" <bbartlett@eastlink.ca> =20 > wrote: > Eiseley was a genius of an essayist, memoirist, and nature writer. =20 > The Immense Journey, The Night Country, The Unexpected Universe, =20 > All The Strange Hours -- a few of his most memorable books. The =20 > Star Thrower, which Chris mentions, provided the title for a =20 > selection of Eiseley's writing. But Chris, I'm a bit confused, =20 > because "The Star Thrower" is a 25-page personal essay in the book =20 > The Unexpected Universe, and it doesn't contain the passage you =20 > quote below. Did you find that on-line somewhere? > Brian > > > From: Christopher Majka > Sent: Friday, January 13, 2012 1:34 PM > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Vogel-the Common Gallinule/ native story > > Hi Tuma and Dusan, > > Tuma's story of Militaw reminds me of The Star Thrower, a story =20 > written=EF=BF=BC by anthropologist Loren Eisley (1907-1977). = Apparently it =20 > was a true story in which Eisley himself was the "elderly =20 > gentleman". ;~> > > Cheers! > > Chris > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =20= > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =20= > - - - - - - - - - - - - > The Star Thrower > > by Loren Eisley > While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in =20 > the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it =20 > into the ocean. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was =20 > that of a young man, picking up starfish one by one and tossing =20 > each one gently back into the water. He came closer still and =20 > called out, "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?" > > The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish =20 > into the ocean." > > The old man smiled, and said, "I must ask, then, why are you =20 > throwing starfish into the ocean?" > > To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is =20 > going out. If I don=E2=80=99t throw them in, they=E2=80=99ll die." > > Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, "But, young man, =20= > do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and =20 > there are starfish all along every mile? You can=E2=80=99t possibly = make a =20 > difference!" > > The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up =20 > another starfish, threw it into the back into the ocean past the =20 > breaking waves and said, "It made a difference for that one." > > > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =20= > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =20= > - - - - - - - - - - - - > > --Apple-Mail-13-292424542 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary=Apple-Mail-14-292424542 --Apple-Mail-14-292424542 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252 <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> I am having problems with this whole discussion, because of the = evolutionary adaptations of intertidal organisms like these starfishes = -- I can visualize like-minded people who see barnacles "stranded" = during low tides wanting to use backhoes to get them back into the = water. I of course love the point that I think Helene is getting = at, that one or a few who are doing tiny amounts of some activity whose = effect is very little are setting examples for potential followers to = act in concert, but let's find a better = example?<div><br></div><div>Cheers from Jim in = Wolfville.<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: = </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">Helene Van Doninck <<a = href=3D"mailto:helene.birdvet@gmail.com">helene.birdvet@gmail.com</a>><= /font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">January 13, 2012 4:30:57 PM = AST</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>Re: [NatureNS] Loren = Eiseley</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; c