above, they use polyandry. Another interesting fact is they are very rare. There are as few as 4,000 in Canada. It is the only bird that breeds exclusively in northeastern North America. The nest is tended by up to four males. Although this bird is important, it is one of the least-known birds in North America (Hinterland Who’s Who). Therefore, ski mountains do not really consider their habitats because the bird is not well known.
Climate change is a huge problem for The Bicknell’s Thrush. Since the birds must live in a certain temperature, the rising temperatures are not helping. This is forcing the birds to move farther north, leaving them without enough room to make a home. The birds are already endangered because of rising temperatures and other natural causes. As ski mountains expand, the birds will have no where else to go and they will eventually become extinct.
I first learned about this problem in my sustainability class over the fall semester. I attended a movie, a conference, and a watercolor class. For each of these, I had to write a reflection paper, which helped me reiterate what I learned at each of the events. I love to ski and always have. As a regular skier in the White Mountains, I had no knowledge of the Bicknell’s Thrush. When I hear that a mountain wants to expand I say yes! I never really think about any possible consequences to expanding. I am sure every other skier and snowboarder thinks the same. If people were more aware of the situation I am sure they would support the birds. I think one of the major issues is not knowing.
The author painted a picture of the Bicknell's Thrush in it's New Hampshire habitat
Of course, there are pros for the ski mountains expanding, I mean why would they if there weren’t any. A big reason for expanding is obviously for the money. More trails equal more people which equals more money. The results can be exciting such as improved on-mountain facilities, new lifts, and expanded terrain (Walker, Magee). Along with the ski mountains being happy, the skiers and riders are also happy.
Unfortunately, even though everyone else is happy the birds aren’t. They are running out of places to go and make their nests to breed. The overall solution has to be that the ski mountains need to become more sustainable and be more aware. On top of destroying the Bicknell’s Thrush’s habitat, the ski mountains are also not sustainable in many other ways. They disrupt wildlife, they have to do with deforestation and land change, use excessive amount of water use, and they produce fossil fuels (Beaudry, Frederic).
I interviewed one of my friends that goes to Plymouth State University and skis in the White Mountains frequently. Some mountains she skis at include Loon, Waterville, Cannon, and Gunstock. My main reason for interviewing her was to see if she was aware of the Bicknell’s Thrush. Some questions I asked were Do you know what the Bicknell’s Thrush is, Are you aware that the ski mountains you visit are planning to expand their trails, Do you know that the ski mountains are ruining habitats including the Bicknell’s Thrush when they expand, and how can we solve this problem so both the ski mountains and the birds are happy. First, she had never heard of the Bicknell’s Thrush before and had no idea that they were endangered. Second, she explained that she did know that some of the mountains she visits were planning to expand and was excited for them to do so. She said that it is more fun to ski on new trails because it is exciting. When I asked her if she was aware of the habitats that the expansion would ruin, so answered saying now that she thought about it probably a lot. She said she does not think about that aspect and just assumes that there are laws to prevent any species from getting hurt and disturbed. Some possible solutions she said would be to make the customers aware. If more people knew, then no way would the mountain be able to bulldoze over habitats. She said that the main reaction when skiers and riders hear expanding trails and new lifts is Horrary! Maybe if people were aware of the cons of expanding they would protest, causing the mountain to make a different and eco-friendlier plan. What I took away from this interview was that most people have no idea what the Bicknell’s Thrush is or how the ski mountains expanding is negatively impacting its habitat.