Burrowing Owls

Burrowing Owls

from Refuge

Terry Tempest Williams

pages 414-417

Summary: This is an excerpt from the book Refuge by Terry Tempest Williams. Williams is a Utahn and a naturalists. Many of her works, including Refuge, deal with the relationship between humans and nature and what needs to be done to preserve our beautiful earth. "Burrowing Owls" is about Williams' encounter with burrowing owls that live near the Great Salt Lake. It is her personal account on what was done to their land and what humans need to do to respect animals and nature.

Argument/Main Idea: Man has a responsibility to nature that is to live in tune with what it presents to them. Williams feels a need towards burrowing owls that she has a responsibility towards them. "There are those birds you gauge your life by. The burrowing owls ... are mine." (page 415)

Evidence:

"My interest lay at 4.206' the level which, according to my topical map, meant the flooding of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge" (page 415) All that Williams is concerned about is the birds and the flooding and how she can save them from it.

"Many men have forgotten what the are connected to ... Subjugation of women and nature may be a loss of intimacy within themselves." (page 416) Williams believes that men are the reason nature is depleting among itself because they have forgotten what they owe to it after all that it has offered and done for them.

Response: I agree with Williams that mankind is what is causing the problems within nature. Granted, we can't surrender our own wellbeing and success for that of trees and owls, but we can do everything in our power to help. If everyone would focus on a little more than just themselves, then I think the world would generally be a better place for both humankind and nature alike.