I was out birding with my class recently on the Antelope Island causeway. As we enjoyed the shorebirds, raptors, ducks and the lone coyote, our eyes were drawn to the red helicopter spraying over the wetlands on the weekend at 8:30 in the morning.
I can’t guarantee the chemicals being sprayed were neurotoxins, but I would guess it was some sort of pesticide to kill the mosquitoes. I could smell the chemicals as the mist blew over us. The helicopter did not fly directly over us, but it did fly over and spray on the birds I could see in the distance.
We were downwind of this spray, as were all of the Labor Day crowd birding, biking and driving along the causeway. Most of these people were unaware of the need to shower ASAP to remove residue from the poisons and so, perhaps, spent many hours with it on their skin.
The birds need insects to feed on and come to the Great Salt Lake to do just that — eat insects so they can survive their long migrations. Spraying poisons to kill mosquitoes also kills butterflies, dragonflies, bees, and every other insect. It sickens and kills the birds who have been coming to Great Salt Lake by the millions for time and eternity.
It poisons our water and air, and certainly was not good for the humans out there. Neurotoxins are major contributors to many human ailments including asthma, Parkinson’s, cancer, heart disease and so many others. They are especially dangerous for babies, children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
We humans shouldn’t fill our environment with poisons.
Tena Rohr, Salt Lake City
