Nature is a storyteller. It tells us tales of survival, evolution and perseverance. Everything that is a part of nature plays a role in its stories and proffers a lesson to teach us. Around 300,000 years ago, nature sculpted a character – a species – which consumed every page of the story with a fervour that exceeded the simple desire to survive. This desire was for more than just survival, it was for complete control over the planet and all the other creatures that occupied it. Unfortunately, there are a great many magnificent tales which come to a sorrowful end when greed begins to taint them.
We are human beings. We are unique from other species for many reasons. Yet, can we truly say that we are more entitled to the planet than these other species are? Our planet is a shared home. This means that everything from the birds to the lions have a right to the resources on this planet. Nevertheless, we have, over the centuries, destroyed the homes of animals, driven several species to extinction and exploited resources to the point of depletion. In a world interconnected by the beauty of symbiosis, humanity has continuously proven to lack the humility and kindness required to ensure that it does not break the web that sustains every single species on the planet.
The cruel end of the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō bird is one such example of a web broken by mankind. The Kauaʻi ʻōʻō bird is a species that was endemic to the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaii. In 1987, an explorer named David Boynton recorded what would be the last song of the species. The recording captured a male Kauaʻi ʻōʻō bird singing a song in search of a mate. In its song, it pauses after each phrase, where a female bird would join in. However, because the male was believed to be the last member of its species, the song sounded broken and empty. It is believed that the last Kauaʻi ʻōʻō bird died during Hurricane Iwa. The last song of the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō bird was an unfinished duet – a song that was meant to attract company but instead served to signal the end of its species. Today, the species’ last recorded song is available for us to hear on the internet. However, the species itself has officially gone extinct.
The modern world is like a speeding automobile. When we are seated inside of it, it becomes easy to ignore the things that are crushed underneath the racing wheels. Regardless of this, there will come a day when we must step outside of the vehicle. On this day, we shall be met with tainted air, a trail of destruction and nowhere to move forward.
Soon, the planet will be handed down to a new generation. This generation will be expected to take over the world and use it to develop the human race. When this happens, we, as the younger generation, have another responsibility – to protect and guard the weaker inhabitants of our home. Let us change the course of the world so that it is no longer a machine that destroys, but a tool that allows every species an equal chance at survival.
