If we do nothing, baby birds will die.

That’s how a scientist with National Audubon recently explained the troubling problem of too many deer and the related problem of too many invasive plants.

While it is painful to allow hunting of any sort in the Blue Hills, we know that the current growing numbers of deer are eating all the native species that they can reach – which destroys the bushes and grasses where insects, birds and rodents eat and live.

As native plants disappear, Douglas W. Tallamy, entomologist at the University of Delaware explains, so do native insects. With few native insects, the species in the entire food chain – including birds and their predators – are deprived the basic nutrition they need to live.

We care deeply about the individual deer in the Blue Hills. But if we do nothing to control their populations, we will allow birds, rabbits insects and many other animals to die. By controlling deer populations, we will help keep all forests inhabitants healthy.

Photo by Jean Lewis