During our travels along the spectacular coast of Lake Superior this week, we encountered a pair of Canada geese, ushering their brood across the unusually calm waters of the lake. West of the roadway was a pristine wetland, stretching out from the mouth of a rushing river; we naturally assumed that the pair had nested within that scenic marsh. Such encounters often make human envious of wildlife, recognizing both their freedom and their capacity to live in beautiful natural landscapes, unencumbered by the responsibilities of the human lifestyle.
On the following day, I saw another pair of geese with their young offspring, resting along a muddy pond in the industrial port of Superior, Wisconsin. Close to a wealth of pristine habitat, far more appealing to the human eye, they had chosen to nest along this unattractive pool, bordered by a litter-strewn lawn. Perhaps, once the goslings fledge, they will move on to a more pristine location but, for now, they appeared to be perfectly comfortable at their ugly urban site.
Unlike most humans, wild creatures focus primarily on their basic needs, not on the physical beauty of their surroundings. While they are far better equipped to wander off to spectacular landscapes that we can only hope to visit, they do not share our obsession with picturesque settings. Of course, neither do they worry about the effects that pollution might have on the welfare of their family; in that respect, they unknowingly depend on the wisdom and commitment of their human neighbors.
