North america Quote by Kenn Kaufman
““Where would the would-be “purists” draw the line between native and alien elements? This whole planet was altered by the hand of man. A birder who scorned the alien Sky Larks might stand on San Juan and salute the native eagles . . . but some of those eagles had been released here; and they were living on an unnaturally high population of rabbits, from another continent, introduced here. The rabbits, in turn, were probably feeding on alien plants from other lands that were naturalized here — if the San Juan roadsides were anything like all the other roadsides in North America. And we birders of European descent were introduced here also, a few generations back. Even my Native American friends of the night before could claim to be “native” in only a relative sense; their ancestors had come across the Bering land bridge from Asia. None of us is native here.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Birdwatcher’s Guide to Native and Alien Species, 1995
The quote questions the concept of “native” versus “alien” in ecology, showing that all species and humans are ultimately introduced and interdependent.
In simple terms: All life is interconnected, making “native” a relative term.
Key Takeaway
Accept ecological interdependence and avoid rigid purity judgments.
Themes
ecology
identity
interdependence
colonialism
environmental ethics
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
environmental
When to use this quote
- birdwatching
- conservation policy
- land management
- educational curricula
- public outreach
Key Concepts
biogeography
invasion ecology
anthropology
cultural relativism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance preservation of ecosystems with the reality of species movement?
- What responsibilities do we have toward introduced species?
A Different Perspective
Human definitions of nativeness can be arbitrary and may ignore ecological realities.
