The human reputation about care and preservation of Nature and God’s Creation is not always a good one. On the whole humans are more prone to exploitation, persecution, destruction than we are on preservation and protection.
A reading of the poem of Creation, which begins the book of Genesis in the Bible, could convince us that human beings have a superior place in the pecking order of Creation. Indeed the writer of the poem observes that according to God’s word we are to subdue the world and have dominion over every living thing. This has led to a view that we have power over Creation which is exercised through control and domination. A development of this is that everything exists for the sake and use of the human race. This has led to a wanton destruction of the natural world—animals, birds, creatures of the sea and also of the natural resources which we have exploited for our own ends. Too often we have lost sight of something else expressed in the Genesis Creation poem, that everything in precious in the sight of God, the Creator. He clothes the lilies of the field and he watches over the birds of the air. Alongside the idea of ‘dominion’ is the principle of stewardship. We are custodians of the earth and of the world of nature and we are to be stewards.  Stewards have to give account of their stewardship—and to God. So it is good to highlight something good that we have done in this respect.

I was reading recently about the successful project to save the Red Kite bird of prey which was facing extinction.
I first met these birds a few years ago when I was walking along the Ridgeway on the Buckingham/Oxfordshire border. My attention was attracted by large swooping birds which danced and wheeled on the horizon and then through the valley below before soaring up into the sky way above my head.
These birds were common in Shakespeare’s time. He mentions them in some of his plays.
 In later times, they had a particular function  when they were common in towns and cities where they scavenged for scraps. It was a crime to kill one as they were so useful for rubbish management. Then things changed for them.
Persecuted and made almost extinct, these amazing birds with their 185cm wingspan and striking eyes were in great danger.
Successful reintroduction projects have now helped the species to recover. They can be seen in a number of places. The best areas to find them in the UK are central Wales, central England – especially the Chilterns, central Scotland – at Argaty and along the Galloway Kite Trail.
They are a protected species under Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

RED KITES   (Poem) GC 19.6.2023

We soar and swirl on the uplift of the wind
swooping gracefully,
wheeling  majestically.
Free to be.

It was not ever thus.
Humans hated us, hunted, poisoned,
drove us away on orgy of persecution.
Lordship over the earth, over the world of nature, 
is seemingly always stronger than stewardship.

Yet kind hearts,
Determined souls,
visionary aspirations,
saved us.

A new choreography for our dance of life  
was composed,
nurturing, protecting the few of us left
but we did not trust them.

Yet over time, hesitantly,
responding to infinite patience and soft actions,  
we became tender again to each other.
We bore young who knew no fear
nor the hate of others.
Springing into life they took flight,
joyfully circling and chasing and with speed.
Quite a performance!

We dance again.
We are high as Kites!

[Mr G. 19th June 2023]