 The
Thunder of Wing Beats
by Lisa Kirk
"The most spectacular, awe-inspiring experience is the evening
flight of thousands of waterfowl, sometimes over half a million,
seen against a backdrop of clouds reflecting the setting sun," writes
alum John B. Cowan in his new book, A Jewel in the Pacific Flyway:
The Story of Gray Lodge Wildlife Area.
In 1947, Cowan was hired as manager of Gray Lodge Refuge, as it
was then called. He and his wife, Avis, and their four children,
lived on the refuge. For more than 30 years, Cowan guided the development
of this unique wildlife area.
Gray Lodge, located between Gridley and the Sutter Buttes in Northern
California, plays an essential role in one of nature's most extraordinary
phenomena: the annual migration of millions of waterfowl. As part
of the Pacific Flyway, which stretches from Alaska to Mexico, Gray
Lodge provides a winter rest stop for these migrating birds.
One of Cowan's initial tasks was to combat illegal hunting, a
practice that nearly destroyed the Pacific Flyway. In 1953, Cowan
initiated a successful public hunting program on the lodge. As Cowan
worked toward preserving and enhancing Gray Lodge -- the area more
than tripled in size during Cowan's tenure -- neighboring rice farmers
continued to lose crops to hungry waterfowl. A primary reason for
expanding Gray Lodge was to keep the birds from surrounding fields.
Eventually, after many heated discussions between farmers and the
California Department of Fish and Game, more than 1,700 acres of
food crops were planted on the refuge to stave off depredation of
nearby rice fields, a practice that continues today. Gray Lodge
now coexists peacefully with hunters, farmers, birdwatchers, and
conservationists.
A Jewel in the Pacific reveals Cowan to be a passionate
and sensitive naturalist, as he shares his deep connection to Gray
Lodge. "The calls of the birds and the thunder of their wing beats
combine with the view to create a truly spiritual experience," he
writes of watching the birds at sunset. Cowan names the cinnamon
teal as one of his favorites, "maybe because pairs seem to show
more devotion to each other than other nesting ducks."
Cowan and Avis met while attending Chico State College in the
early 1940s. He served as student body president, and Avis was a
social leader on the student council. They both graduated in 1943
with biology degrees. In 1945, they married and were temporarily
separated by World War II, when Cowan became a U.S. Navy fighter-dive
bomber pilot. Today, the couple lives in Gridley and has 20 grandchildren
and eight great-grandchildren.
A Jewel in the Pacific Flyway was published by the California
Waterfowl Association, through a grant from the Trione Foundation.
Proceeds from sales of the book go to CWA. For more information,
visit the Web at www.calwaterfowl.org.
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