Dear Editor,

In late April, Katherine and I travelled Europe's Rhine, Main, and Danube Rivers aboard Viking's Odin, a new ship on her maiden voyage, from Amsterdam to Budapest, a 15-day cruise with numerous lengthy stops along the way.

Often, I chose Europe's woodsy trail walks over streets and shops. Trees held numerous bird-nesting boxes, but there was an obvious lack of birds, compared to my walks along our Langley and Metro Vancouver trails.

For those who choose to rise with the sun to walk our wetlands trails in springtime, our male blackbirds, especially, can be heard singing their hearts out in chorused competition for mates along our marshlands.

Europe's birds have mostly been silenced by mankind's overwhelming supremacy. We're now the dominant occupants and most raucous noisemakers. For those who choose to walk tuned to nature (without earphones or iPads), our noisemakings are not songs of budding spring love, but of industry in constant progress.

I ask that council demonstrate reason and balance by voting for the birds - for fish and wildlife habitat conservation. Keep these properties [Locals value vacant land, June 28, Langley Advance] in pubic trust.

Voting to retain Township properties is important, especially for future generations.

It's important right now for fish and wildlife. As scientists recently pointed out to world leaders gathered in Brazil at the Rio+20 Summit Conference, conserving fish and wildlife habitat will help ensure our survival.

Larri Woodrow, Walnut Grove