Overview of my living situation:

I currently live in a green living and learning community (LLC), surrounded by people interested in the environment academically or just for fun. This means five minute automatic timed showers, eight different recycling bins, and mandatory “environmentally conscious”  apartment activities every Tuesday night. I chose this place initially due to the familiarity of environmentally-minded people in my community back home in Paulson and the BG, which grounded me throughout the more challenging experiences I faced at Wellesley.

 However, even as I was learning and really living as sustainable as I could be (we literally live on land made from trash and a bus running on biofuel), I felt that familiar emotion of overwhelming dread. From living in one of the cloudiest places in Europe to the social and academic pressure coming as a junior, I felt this familiar unease that came with a new place and numerous commitments. I needed to touch the grass. 

As I was writing this from my windowsill, I looked outside to see the unrelenting snow during this constant 20-30º weather. This would be hard…as I switched my sit spot inside due to the unpredictable weather, I realized I was a bit disconnected from physically connecting with nature … .When all of a sudden…a bird flew by my window. As it landed, I realized it was a hooded crow, or a Corvus cornix in fact (ty iNaturalist). It was practically the only living thing I saw in this gloomy season, which felt relatable since everyone around me was either deadly ill or feeling the same dread as me. As I live in a city, allegedly a sustainable one, I felt camaraderie with this bird known for adapting to city environments and being selective in their relationships. 

Here’s some facts and observations I found on iNaturalist

1. Their intelligence is on part with some great apes 
2. They sometimes are raised by humans, and can mimic sounds and words (kinda like a parrot)
3. They’re monogamous and breed for life~have loyal friends for years
4. They often hide food to feed later on (i felt that esp sharing a fridge with 10 roomies)
5. They’re also often killed by farmers, but are protected since 1981 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act in Ireland

Questions? 

1. Why are crows associated with negative things in America?
2. How did people decide to raise them? 
3. And what local myths/associations do people have to them in Denmark? 

Something to listen to while reading this article:  Comfort Crowd in Conan Gray’s Kid Krow Album.