' Happy Valentine’s Day!
A recent advertisement for the organization Heifer International claims that the average American spent nearly $70 on Valentine’s Day gifts in 2011. I am pretty “bah humbug” about this—and any other holiday in which a greeting card company tries to get me to prove something that I hope I am demonstrating all year long. It is an inherent part of my personality. I do not respond well to sales pressure or guilt, which is why my husband, on a good year, might get a cupcake after dinner in honor of the day. Again, might.
But then, I’m also not a fan of those Facebook posts that try and guilt you into posting something by saying “Most of you won’t post this.” I attribute this to my famous Lethbridge stubbornness, a topic of many a parent-teacher conference in my youth. Regardless of my personal feelings, most of the nation, especially our children, will be doing something to celebrate love and friendship and certainly they will be aware of that it is the day.
These calendar moments—whatever they celebrate—tend to be great opportunities for us to use the day’s theme as way to relate to audiences, whether at sites or in a program. As far as Valentine’s Day goes, love and sex lead to some great themes. 
One of the best interpretive programs I’ve ever been on was a plant walk led by Mary Ann Bonnell in which she pointed out that plants flirted, had sex, and defended themselves, all without moving an inch. So in honor of February 14th, I give you the following, taken from our friends at the Nature Company’s website, titled “Love in the Wild.”
1) Prairie Chickens: “Strut Your Stuff”
Male prairie chickens attract females with loud “booming” noises that can be heard miles away. They also perform an elaborate dance — lowering their heads, erecting their neck feathers, inflating orange air sacks, dropping their wings and pointing their tails, all while frantically stamping their feet.
2) Deep Sea Anglerfish: “Lose Yourself in Love”
Male anglerfish bite their mates and permanently fuse to their bodies. Over time, the male’s brain, eyes and organs dissolve until he turns into a small lump, releasing sperm whenever the female is ready to lay eggs. Scientists first thought the lumps were fins before discovering they were the males.
3) American Burying Beetle: “Be Family Oriented”
These beetles not only are monogamous but also raise their children together. Expectant parents bury dead birds or mice and lay eggs nearby. The parents lie on their backs and use their legs like a conveyor belt to move carcasses up to 200 times their own weight. Once hatched, larvae feed on the carcass, or parents rub their wings together to call the larvae and regurgitate meat into their mouths.
4) Bower Birds: “Enjoy Your Bachelor Pad”
Male bowers of Australia and New Guinea build large and elaborate bachelor pads on forest floors, decorated with flowers, leaves, shells and even stolen coins – anything they think will attract a mate. Some paint the walls with chewed berries, others build lawns of moss. Drab males build the flashiest pads to compensate for their dull colors.
To see other cool mating rituals and tales of love, along with sound effects and video, check out TNC’s website at
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/love-in-the-wild.xml?s_intc=sp4
Many animals mate for life and enjoy a social pairing until they die. The gray wolf, Gibbon apes, termites, coyotes, beavers, French angel fish, anglerfish, and prairie voles are on this list. However, they rarely stay strictly faithful. About 90 percent of the 9,700 bird species pair, mate, and raise chicks together — some returning together to the same nest site year after year. Males, however, often raise other males’ offspring unknowingly. The good news is that there are no divorce attorneys in the animal world; this lack of fidelity does not cause tears or drama except in Black vultures. Black vultures viciously discourage infidelity: All nearby vultures attack any vulture caught philandering.
The one species that is absolutely monogamous is the above-mentioned anglerfish. They mate for life — but it’s a short life for the male.
Saying “I love you” is free. Say it often. Say it on voicemail, say it on Facebook, and most of all say it in person. Don’t wait for Hallmark to tell you when to do it.
I hope you spend today with a loved one and that someone buys you a cupcake.
Amy Lethbridge, NAI President
