Wharf to Wharf Art

Information on the Brown Pelicans:

The California Brown Pelican, once endangered due to DDT pesticide poisoning, has made a comeback that has been hailed as one of the great conservation success stories of the century, and rightly so. Biologists say that their number s are now equal to if not higher than they were in the early 1900’s, prior to the impact of DDT. The California Brown Pelican is one of the six subspecies of Brown Pelicans that live in North and South America. These prehistoric looking, yet majestic birds, live along the coastal areas of Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington and during the summer months they can travel as far north as British Columbia. Their ability to hover over the ocean surface, plunge into a school of fish and scoop them up with their unique long bill and pouch has captured the joy and imagination of many coastal visitors. And beyond their ability to be precision hunters they are one of the most graceful birds seen along our coasts. They can glide for hundreds of yards high up above the ocean surface or so close to the waves that those who are observing them are convinced they will “catch a wave” with the tips of their wings and be carried to shore. This never happens as they they are as skilled in flight as they are in hunting for fish.

California Brown Pelicans are not completely out of danger and face an uncertain future in today’s world. They are often the victims of entanglement in fishing tackle, oil pollution, habitat loss, individual acts of cruelty and newly emerging marine toxins and20other challenges usually brought on by the actions of humans. Karen’s art captures the beauty, grace and unique physiological features that make the Brown Pelican stand out among all the gulls, shore birds and other marine bird that share its environment. Karen’s art not only reminds us that these birds are worthy of our support and protection but more importantly that we are responsible for them and our impact on their and our environment.