The Washington Post this week picked up an Associated Press story announcing new findings that the large size of Assateague Island’s beloved pony and sika deer populations may actually be harmful to the island. Despite efforts to control the pony population through contraception, their are still enough of the non-native ponies to have a negative impact on the local ecosystem.

Obviously this puts the local authorities into a tough situation. If the problem were, say, coyotes, or white-tail deer, or beavers, the automatic solution would be to send in hunters to shoot a few. Obviously, though, in the case of the wild ponies, that would be a PR disaster — we’re talking about animals who bring in thousands of tourists, including many, many young Misty of Chincoteague fans. Personally, I have to say that the discrepancy bothers me a little — we humans are altogether too attached to the idea that some animals are worth saving and some aren’t. I sincerely hope that Maryland can find a solution to the pony problem that doesn’t involve killing, but I hope that the same care is given to other overpopulation issues, as well.

Well, it’s at least an okay state fair… when I was a kid I always loved heading to the Maryland State Fair to get a chance to meet cuddly farm animals that seemed, well, kind of exotic to a suburban girl like me. This year, you can get your picture taken with a prize-winning cow, but if you’re a serious birder or fisher you might be more interested in talking to a representative of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for a tour of the Chesapeake Bay, or just to ask them some questions about Maryland’s diverse ecosystems, or their recently released Fishing Report (available on the MD Angler blog). Especially if you didn’t grow up in Maryland Public Schools, this tour is a great opportunity to learn about a natural wonder that many of us have never studied or seen up-close.