CREATION SPEAKS: Beauty and the Beast

Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9

Great Blue Heron on landfill tire pile, Georgia

As wildlife photographers, we strive to get those natural shots of wildlife in their wild surroundings. But it is a sad commentary on our lack of care for this planet when a landfill is the “natural habitat” for our wildlife. What a contrast!
The Beauty? A gorgeous feathered avian in bright breeding plumage.
The Beast? This perfect creature living amongst the huge mountains of trash in our landfills.
 
Don’t believe me? Look at the bird walk schedule for your local Audubon Society. I guarantee that at least one walk per year is at the county landfill! Pollution, trash, smog, window strikes... we've created a harsher environment for wildlife than their regular "wilder" habitats!

"...the land is as the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate waste; yea, and nothing shall escape them." — Joel 2:3 

Great Blue Heron close up portrait, Walton County, Georgia

When the Creator placed man upon this planet, God gave man the responsibility to “dress and to keep it.” As with any language, Hebrew words can have a wide range of meanings. In addition to the words dress and keep, as used by the King James Bible translators, the words are also translated in other areas as to guard, to watch, to observe, to serve, to preserve and to protect.  Therefore, God has not only put man in the garden to observe it, but could we say that man was placed in the garden and has a responsibility as stewards to preserve it?
 
Yes, it may be true that some of the biggest bird lists, prize wildlife photos and rare bird sightings come from local landfills. I am at least glad that wildlife is adapting to our mess. But what about those species that don’t adapt?
 
We may try get a better camera angle, or crop in close to cut out that unsightly urban habitat. But why not leave it in the photo? Perhaps that shot of Beauty and the Beast will be a wakeup call to do what you can to clean up and cut back! Can we look into their eyes and do nothing? ​

Birds Eye View, Great Blue Heron close up Extreme close up photo of Great Blue Heron showing detail in feathers, beak, eye, crown, lore, iris.

Odd front view of a Great Blue Heron showing both eyes. Walton County, Georgia.

Great Blue Heron on landfill tire pile, Georgia. The great blue heron Ardea herodias is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America.