Vol. 135
A LOOK INSIDE Essex Town Council Notes PAGE 3 _______________
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Issue No. 9
DRCC screens documentary about passenger pigeons
Plein art on display at library PAGE 6 ________________ HDHS hosts second public PARC meeting PAGE 7 ________________ HEIRS celebrates Black History Month PAGE 10 ________________ Gosfield North students urged to read PAGE 13 ________________ 73’s Continue Playoff Success PAGE 23 ________________
Looking For A Good Home
“MARMALADE” See Page 5 for adoption info.
The Detroit River Canadian Cleanup hosted the screening of the film “From Billions to None” at Lakeshore Cinemas last Thursday evening. An expert panel led a discussion about conservationism following the documentary that shared information about the extinct passenger pigeon. Pictured are: Watershed Planner with the Essex Region Conservation Authority Mike Nelson, Detroit River Remedial Action Plan Coordinator Claire Sanders, City of Windsor Director of Parks Phil Roberts, Naturalist with the City of Windsor Karen Cedars, and Sarah Baldo, the DRCC’s Remedial Action Plan Assistant.
by Sylene Argent Last Thursday evening, hundreds of nature and history lovers filled one of the theatres at Lakeshore Cinema in St. Clair Beach to watch the Documentary “From Billions to None.” The Detroit River Canadian Cleanup hosted this special screening on the tail feathers of the
centennial anniversary of the extinction of the passenger pigeon. The documentary follows Chicago-based author Joel Greenberg as he interviews scientists and museum curators about the demise of the passenger pigeon that once had a population of what was likely in the billions to its extinction
in 1914. Martha, who was the last know living passenger pigeon, was raised and died in captivity. Her death marked the extinction of this species on September 1 of that year at the Cincinnati Zoo. The last recorded wild passenger pigeon was shot around 12 years earlier. Greenberg penned
the book “A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction.” And visited the area in the fall of 2014 to share his knowledge of the passenger pigeon and explain how this bird’s story is still relevant today. During his fall visit to Essex County, he explained passenger pigeons were so abundant
at one time a flock would darken the sky as it flew overhead, creating a cool down draft as the birds flapped their wings. The documentary and book were a part of Project Passenger Pigeon. Greenberg was a cowriter and co-producer of “From Billions to None.” In the documentary, he noted he has been a birder since he was 12-years old. The story of the passenger pigeon touches on two topics he enjoys, birding and history. The passenger pigeon, he said in the documentary, once filled the skies over Canada and the USA, and has been recorded by famous historical figures like explorer Jacques Cartier. The passenger pigeon resembled a mourning dove, but was a third of the size bigger. They were more brightly coloured and in the documentary it states the passenger pigeon had an iridescent look to their feathers. They only laid one egg a season. Most of the nesting took place in marshland areas. Passenger Pigeons would eventually become a popular source of cheap
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