A story about birds and Wendy
My friend's mom, Monica, e-mailed this story to me.
It was so cute, I decided I would post it here.
In addition to the nice moral Monica included at the end of the story, I would like to add that moms are awesome and that I have good friends.
Enjoy!
This is a story about birds and Wendy.
Two years ago Wendy’s department moved into a brand-new building. The first three floors of this new building are the parking garage with the offices above the garage.
The garage was designed with black metal between the cement wall and the roof on each of the three floors. The metal has small holes punched in it for decoration and for air flow. The holes are too small for birds to fly in or OUT of. Now you kind of know where this story is going.
So, dozens and dozens of birds would fly into the large car openings on the first floor where the cars enter and exit. Then the birds would try to get back out and fly higher and higher till they had reached the top of the parking garage. There they would try desperately to get out but there was no way out at the top. As you probably know, birds don’t fly “down” as a way to get out of a building.
Every day, Wendy and all the other workers in the building would be greeted by birds trying frantically to get back to their families and nests. They would eventually become too weak to fly and lay on the cement floor of the garage and slowly die.
Wendy and others would leave water and food in bowls for the birds. But eventually they would all die. Day after day this happened.
Since 2007, when the new building opened and the birds began to die, Wendy has been e-mailing people at the Facilities, Planning and Management Department. The head guy wasn’t interested in doing anything to end the suffering of the birds.
Wendy never gave up. She kept calling and e-mailing to try and get something done.
After two years of waiting for something to be done, she finally threatened the head guy that she was going to go to the media and some animal protection groups. That was the right thing to say.
That same week workers showed up and cut two openings in the third floor metal. The openings are only about 6 inches high and 18 inches wide, but they work!!! No more dead and dying birds in the parking garage.
And all because Wendy was persistent and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
So the moral of this story is: one person CAN make a difference!
And a big thank you to Wendy from all the birds out there!
Nov 18, 2009 at 10:23 a.m.
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Good job, Wendy. That is very inspiring! And, thanks for reporting that, Ann Marie. It's gives us all a little boost toward never giving up when trying to do the right thing.
Nov 17, 2009 at 12:37 p.m.
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Awesome story, Ann Marie. It almost made me cry at work, but a wonderful story nonetheless. :)
Nov 17, 2009 at 8:09 a.m.
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By the way bird watchers and feeders? You have noticed the changes in migration behaviors? The birds that do not frequent our area? Some new birds I haven't seen before Every year perching in my small woods?
As the story points out, the few or the one can make a difference in sub-species survival.
They are not just-birds. Until people awake from their indolences and self-fulfilled ego's, the few are going to have to attempt to carry this through. Good luck to all.
Nov 16, 2009 at 10 p.m.
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What a nice and inspiring story! Thank you Ann Marie!
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