Birdwatching?

CATEGORY
Work-element

AREA OF INTERVENTION
Submerged peninsula between the Calvana and Morello lakes, in the wwF Oasis Stagni di Focognano, Campi Bisenzio (Florence).
The area is located within the Site of Community Importance (SCI), Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Area (SPA) of the Stagni della Piana Fiorentina e Pratese (Natura 2000 code IT5140011).

TYPE OF INTERVENTION
The artwork was created and installed with the contribution of volunteers (social art intervention).

WORK STATUS
Completed (August 2018).

AUTHORITIES/AGENCIES INVOLVED
– Committee for the WWF Oases of the Florence area

MAIN BIOINDICATORS USED TO MONITOR THE ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONALITY OF THE WORK-ELEMENT
– Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo): perch.
– Herons, with particular reference to night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax), little egrets (Egretta garzetta), cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis), squacco herons (Ardeola ralloides) and grey herons (Ardea cinerea): perch.

Nowadays, anyone who considers themselves to be “sentient” and “rational” is obliged to confront a great cultural challenge. This concerns one’s own “life choices” and implies a real assumption of responsibility for both the future of the planet and the burning issue of animal suffering – that is, of all the actions and practices that our
species has deliberately imposed until now on other living beings, remaining insensitive to their suffering.

It has now been proven and accepted by a vast number of scientific studies that the abuse of meat consumption represents one of the biggest problems for our society. As also pointed out by many of the most authoritative and impartial sources (the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Environment Programme and the Stockholm International Water Institute, to name but a few), this consumption is responsible for all the major factors of environmental degradation, from deforestation to climate change, soil pollution and water consumption. At the same time, there is the well-known and undeniably tragic situation caused by intensive animal farming, which, by creating veritable concentration camps, subjects these unfortunate living beings to cruel practices that defy all imagination, comparable to actual torture that disregards any minimal natural right to life.

The situation for fish consumption is similar, since fish are now bred on enormous farms, also in the sea. In addition, because of intensive fishing methods, vast areas of the oceans appear today to be literally “emptied” of their living beings. In this dire situation, the almost obligatory choice is therefore to consume less and less meat and fish (to the point of eliminating these foods from our diet) in favour of other products that have less impact on the ecological balance of the planet. In this way, one can obviously solve the root problem of animal suffering, finally recreating a worthy relationship between humans and other species. Following a diet that is also sustainable from an ethical point of view certainly represents one of the noblest choices that each of us can make. Indeed, acting on a basic need such as food – by giving up unsustainable products like meat, and, in doing so, opposing flawed habits that have been instilled since childhood – implies great nobility of spirit. Becoming a vegetarian or, even better, a vegan, is an extraordinary act of personal growth and an expression of true love for ourselves and all the other species with which we share this planet.

The work is located at the centre of the Calvana and Monte Morello lake basins, in the protected area. From the observatory overlooking these lakes, one can see many birds perched on a small island formed by a row of pots that emerge from the water. Intrigued visitors always ask their accompanying guide what inspired this particular choice. And as a reply, the guide promptly and tactfully poses the following question: “Right now, we are all here strongly attracted to nature and these animal species, and at this moment we all feel highly ‘empathetically connected’ to biodiversity and, more generally, to every form of life. We are also convinced and motivated to do our duty to limit the unbridled consumption of resources, reduce pollution, and so forth. All of this is certainly very good, but how many visitors here today have really started with themselves, opting for a serious change in their diets? In short, how many of you are here to admire the beauty of other species and praise respect for them, but will put an animal in a pot for dinner this evening?”