Make Way for Ducklings is the tile of the acclaimed children's book by author and illustrator Robert McCloskey. Published in 1941, it went on to win the prestigious Caldecott Award in 1942. This book has delighted generations of children and adults ever since. I was especially fond of it when I was a child growing up in the coastal town of Duxbury, Massachusetts, south of Boston.
Mrs. Mallard hatches eight ducklings on an island in the Charles River in Boston, but she needs to walk them over to the pond in the Boston Public Garden. How can she manage to do that through all the city traffic? A kind policeman named Michael guides her and her babies to the safety of the pond with the help of four other policemen. This is a classic tale with wonderful illustrations.
Last week, as I was in my yard, I saw our local Mrs. Mallard in the pond by the house. She poked her head out of the yellow iris reeds, then swam away from the reeds with a gaggle of tiny ducklings! I had my camera with me, so I extended the telephoto lens so as not to frighten the mother bird, and began taking pictures. When I enlarged the photo later, I counted eleven ducklings.
My neighbors across the street told me a few weeks ago that there was a mallard nest on their property. I was hoping to see the ducklings someday, and then suddenly, there they were. Somehow the babies hatched and walked across the street to our pond with their mother!
I feel lucky to have a yard that contains a large ecosystem of various plants, insects, amphibians, rodents, fish, snakes, and of course, ducks. I try to be a good steward and do my best to nurture all of these plants and animals and to encourage their growth and the interdependence of this ecosystem. The health of my garden beds affects the health of the insects. The health of the pond affects all the creatures living in it and on it.
Now that spring is here these creatures are visible and new ones are being born. The cycle of life continues!