Alcatraz – Not just a Prison but a
Sanctuary
When I think about Alcatraz it makes me
think of negative things: prison, cold, dark, criminals and yet I had
to see it. As we ferried the half hour to get to the island, my mind
was racing with thoughts. The prisoners who tried to swim in these
rushing eddies of water to escape, the fog surrounding the buildings
and how painfully lonely it must have been, the dock for arriving
prisoners who may never step foot on it again. I envisioned myself
never getting off this island, sobering.
As I toured and learned more about this
place my thoughts began to brighten. I learned about the waterbirds
of Alcatraz. Long before this place became a prison it was a
sanctuary for the birds. In fact, Alcatraz comes from the word,
alcatraces, which means seabirds. After the prison was closed
in 1963, without the human disturbance once again, the birds
returned. The island is a safe place for over 5,000 nesting birds
including Pigeon Guillemots, Brandt's Cormorants and Western Gulls.
In the gardens near the parade grounds, a beautiful Anna's
Hummingbird was flitting about, drinking from the plants nurtured by
volunteers.
If you have the opportunity to see this
National Historic Landmark in the bay of San Francisco, enjoy the
rich history as well as the birds.
I did step on the dock again and as the
island receded from my view, I was left with the happy memories of
seeing those wonderful waterbirds of Alcatraz.
