From the President

If you suffer from solastalgia, here's help for you

   According to an article in a recent issue of Wired Magazine, a new psychological disorder has recently been identified and described in the scientific literature. Since you are reading this newsletter, the chances are that you are the type of person who is highly susceptible to the condition.
  The syndrome to which I refer has been given the name "solastalgia" and defined as the deep sadness one experiences as the result of changes in one's physical environment - changes that appear to be permanent. According to philosopher Glenn Albrecht, solastalgia is a new kind of sadness, akin to, but different from, that experienced by indigenous populations when they are forcibly removed from their homeland.
  If, as scientists predict, drastic changes in our local environment are occurring due to global climate change, those of us most attuned to the natural world would be among the first to succumb to solastalgia. We might not find ourselves being removed from our environment so much as experiencing our environment moving out from under us, so to speak.
  No mention was made in the article on how to avoid the effects of this sadness. My guess would be that while it will be an incurable condition the symptoms might be alleviated by one being proactive rather than passive. So with this in mind, here are some suggestions:
  *attend an Arkansas Audubon convention
  *support environmental education efforts
  * examine ways to mitigate one?s own impact on the environment
  *complete and return the AAS survey as soon as it you receive it
  Speaking of change, sometimes it can be for the good. There have been changes made in the way we report bird sightings to the official records committee. Curator Joe Neal has already begun building on the Parker legacy by establishing an electronic reporting system for submissions. These forms can be found at the Arkansas Audubon website www.arbirds.org. While you are visiting the site, take the time to read Mike Mlodinow's excellent seasonal summary.
  Well, the sun is up so it is time for me to get out of this hammock and go search for a Harpy Eagle. See you at Fort Smith in April.

Jack Stewart
AAS president