Unsung Heroes for Our Times

IFAW Marnine Mammal Rescue Team members and volunteers with stranded dolphins on Cape Cod
Spring, the season of rebirth, is nearly here. In the Northeast the winter of 2012 was one of the warmest on record and in some areas plants are blooming earlier. While the mild winter has been beneficial in many ways, scientists suspect that the change in normal weather patterns is one factor that has led to an unprecedented number of dolphin strandings along the coast of Cape Cod, and though many were saved, far more were lost. The lack of snow and mild temperatures means that insect populations are set to boom – mosquitoes and ticks among them.

While mainstream news media blithely report what we already know, that climate change is real, (how many extreme weather events must we experience to get it?) they fail to report on ways we can all work together to stop further human-induced climate change.

Still, many of us have heard a clarion call and we are doing what we can to combat climate change, habitat loss, marine pollution, factory farming, pet overpopulation and more. Hence, my brief series beginning this month on Unsung Heroes for Our Times. My aim is to call attention to some courageous individuals working to make this planet a better place for all living beings. One day at a time, these heroes are making a difference and I hope they will inspire you to do the same.