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Paradise

The summer of 2018 the air quality in Seattle and throughout the Pacific Northwest became unhealthy on too many days due to the wildfires raging in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon.  Millions of acres of wilderness were destroyed. Wilderness areas that I loved are gone.  I wanted to write a song about climate change. Then California's deadliest wildfire happened and it wasn't just about losing the wilderness anymore. 

The entire community of Paradise, California and surrounding areas were affected by the deadly Camp Fire of November 8, 2018. In a matter of hours 88 people lost their lives and 19,000 structures, mostly homes were destroyed. The stories that I have read about the fire brought me to tears.  I have tried to put myself in Paradise that day with this song.

Boreal Bound 

This is a song that contains the names of some of the many birds that migrate to the Boreal Forest of Canada in the springtime.  I wrote this song after hearing some bird song mnemonics, for example: "Who cooks for you!" the Barred Owl, "See me pretty pretty me" the White Crowned Sparrow,  "Oh sweet Canada Canada" the White Throated Sparrow and my favorite: "Quick three beers!" the Olive Sided Flycatcher. 

Birds and their habitats need our help.  Birds don't recognize borders and can travel far and wide throughout the year.  They need open spaces and landscapes that are disappearing all over the world.  Please consider a donation to The Audubon Society so they can continue their work to educate and help preserve land.  The Boreal Forest of Canada is just one of the many unique ecosystems around the world that are essential as bird habitat.

You could donate to the National Audubon Society or check out your local chapter.