Tomorrow, 9/1/2012, is I.V.A.D. - International Vulture Awareness Day. Before you just say "yuk" and close the diary, be aware that vultures are vitally important to ecosystems worldwide, many face a variety of threats.
IVAD originated out of two separate efforts to generate appreciation of vultures and to generate interest in preserving them. Here is a link to the site [IVAD ]
In the U.S. vultures are generally doing OK with the exception of the
Caifornia Condor. You might pause and reflect on what life would be like without the efficient free carrion removal services vultures provide. It would take a great deal of effort and energy to remove and recycle all the dead stuff they handle for us, and a grim place if it was all simply left to fester and rot.
So, tomorrow, stop and appreciate what they do for us and our ecosystems and thank your local vultures