| Lessons
from Snowgoose |
 |
| |
|
1. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an
'uplift' for the bird following. By flying in a V formation,
the whole flock adds 71% to the flying range than if each
bird flew alone.
|
| LESSON:
People who share a common direction and sense of community
can get where they are going more quickly and more easily because
they are travelling with the combined thrust of one another. |
| |
| 2. Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly
feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly
gets back into formation to take advantage of the 'lifting power'
of the bird immediately in front. |
| LESSON:
If we have as much sense as the goose, we will stay in formation
with those who are headed where we want to go. |
| |
| 3. When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back
into formation and another goose flies at the point position. |
| LESSON:
It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks, and sharing leadership
- with people, as with geese - interdependent with each other. |
| |
| 4. The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage
those up front to keep up their speed. |
| LESSON:
We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging
- not something less helpful. |
| |
| 5. When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down,
two geese drop out of the formation and follow them down to
help protect them. They stay with the sick bird until they are
either able to fly again or die. Then they launch out on their
own or rejoin the flock. |
| LESSON:
If we have as much sense as the geese do, we'll
stand by each other like that. |
| QUESTION:
If we're the 'intelligent animals', why do we have to
learn what the geese know instinctively? |
| SNOW GOOSE - A bird
confined to northerly climes (North America to be precise) the
snow goose, like all geese, is migratory, living up to 42 years
in captivity and with strong social bonds uniting families during
winter migrations. They are romantic wildfowl, wary and mysterious
wanderers whose wild, musical cries on migration mark the changing
seasons. Their great assemblies are one of the finest wildlife
spectacles that still remains to be seen. |
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