It's stories like this that make Boeing-Houston feel like a family...
Earlier this summer, the duck that lives in the ponds behind our building had 16 ducklings. They were so cute and fluffy! We were horrified when we saw that their numbers were dwindling - predators were picking them off one by one! Who knew that our little forest was so dangerous? Adam Morgan, a guy on the Communications / Public Relations team, wrote up the tale and sent it out to all of the Boeing-Houston distribution lists. We were very sad to hear about the ducks, bu the story was well-written and it was the talk of the town for a while after it came out! It was striking because it was so unusual to hear a story like this coming out of the same channel as our weekly site news.
Later, the duck had 16 more ducklings! This time, the whole building was rooting for her! Adam wrote part 2 of the story. I'd like to share it with you. Hope you enjoy!
"Update to the duck saga:
Our delicate dance with Mother Nature
If there’s one thing I learned about nature, the environment and how much we should intervene during my years doing Communication and Public Affairs with the USDA Forest Service is for as many people and situations, there are just as many opinions and opportunities. The opinions people have about what’s best for the environment covers the entire spectrum – from the complete hands-off approach to very active management.
The same is proving true at Boeing’s
Many individuals felt it was the role of Site Services to find a way for the ducklings to survive the harsh environments into which they were born. And some felt just as strongly that the site should remain hands-off and let nature take its course. The hands-on approach was decided.
The site solicited an external call for those interested in “adopting” the ducklings and received numerous inquiries. One inquiry in particular seemed to stand out above the rest and felt like the perfect match. The inquirer wrote that they had 15 secluded acres with several “friends” for the ducklings to interact. The farm consisted of three ponds for splashing as well as separate store-bought swimming pools, which is a favorite for the resident Peking duck on the farm. The inquirer promised a good life for the ducklings free of worry from predators and human consumption – a perfect environment for the
The family retrieved the ducklings last Friday, and the little critters have taken to their new farm life quite well – they even have their own personal “body” guard. It seems Charger, one of the dogs of the group, has decided to adopt the ducklings. Their new keeper keeps the ducklings in a pen with a pond (and the dog of course) until they are a little older and more capable of protecting themselves on their own –she even brings the duckling inside at night for further assurance of their survival.
For those worried that the mother duck was traumatized by the removal of her hatchlings, the site sought the advice of animal experts before making any relocation decisions. In the case of ducks, unlike mammals, ducklings do not need the care of their mother for any length of time, and vise versa, the mother will do just as well without the ducklings.
The farm promises to keep the site updated and informed of the ducklings’ progress as they adapt to their new surroundings. The first update came this weekend as the ducklings began their new life on the farm. Click here and here for images of the ducklings at their new home.
By: Adam Morgan"
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2 comments:
Can you post pictures on here? If so, the ones sent in the 2nd e-mail would be great additions.
Yeah, great idea!
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