When I walked up to my train station this a.m. to catch the 7:00 to Hoboken, a sad sight greeted me.

Lying on the sidewalk right next to the glass-enclosed structure was a small bird, obviously dead. I was curious about what killed the little guy and I didnt want to just leave him there, so I picked him up with a tissue.

Closer inspection showed that the bird had flown into the plate glass and broken its neck, dying immediately. It was a black and white warblerand the first time Ive seen one.

This is such a needless situation, especially since its so easy to prevent. It occurred to me that there are many glass-enclosed stations like mine and probably many birds dying. This is also an ongoing problem with plate glassbuildings. Millions of birds die every year.

I called the customer service office of the rail line to discuss remedying the situation. I relayed to the representative that there is an inexpensive fix for the problem and that Id be happy to help. Preventing bird deaths can be as simple as placing a decal on the outside of a window, enabling birds to see that there is a fixed object rather than open spacebefore them.

Of course the person I talked to said he would relay the message and someone would call me back. Im still awaiting the call.

As a member of the press, frequently contacted by media reps and people wanting to speak on behalf of their companyto help generate positive publicityI see this type of situation as a big opportunity for businesses, large and small, and public entities as well.

Once a situation or potential situation such as this comes to light, its a good idea to act on ithopefully before it develops into something negative for the organization. There are many associations or groups that can be called on for advice, which in this case would be the Audubon Society (local chapters exist in every state and in many counties).An association most likely wouldnotify its members of the project and outcomewhich has the potential to end up in newsletters, on Web sites and possibly the evening news.

What Im saying is that using the recession as an excuse not to takeaction on the "little" things is a mistake. In fact, now is the best time todo something positive. Aby-product might be some good publicity--afterall, everyone needs some good news right now.

Special Reports /

Birds Death May Not Be In Vain

Related Stories

Recommended For You