By Regina Weinreich
The graceful, delicate mute swan—more associated with ballets than the natural world—is not your usual ecosystem villain. Having noticed dead swans in the pond near her home, Catherine Gropper, a playwright, environmental activist and part-time Springs resident, found that there was an effort underway to restrict the population in New York state. She became so passionate about the mute swan population that she made a 12-minute film, Mute Voices, to raise public awareness.
Deemed a prohibited invasive species, swans landed on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) wanted list. “But they are not invasive,” maintains Gropper. “This is just an excuse.” Because of her work in theater, she knew the actress Jane Alexander was just as passionate about avian species. After much schedule juggling, Gropper was able to interview Alexander in her apartment.
“I don’t think we value beauty when we think about what nature gives us. Nature feeds us spiritually. We are all connected. That’s called biodiversity,” says Alexander, a formidable presence in the film. Dell Cullum, an environmentalist on the East End, notes, “We should be celebrating the abundance of the species on Eastern Long Island. Death is not a remedy to any problem.”
Another spokesperson, Fabien Cousteau, Gropper met in Sag Harbor. In the tradition of his grandfather Jacques Cousteau, he speaks about water species: “We use our planet’s waters as an endless resource and a garbage can. The DEC must prevent Jet Skis. The problem is not mute swans, but pesticides and pollutants.”
The solution, says Alexander, is simple. “Don’t kill any wildlife. We need to manage populations. We need to find inventive ways to restore the habitat which we, after all, have taken away.” catherinegropper.com