Herons catch fish in many ways. One way is to blend in with their environment. They are so still that the fish don't even notice them. Then when a large enough fish swims along, the heron can strike out for a meal.

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Alli, the ugly duckling, saw the pesky fish again. The fish had a bad habit of only eating the plants and water insects that the little ducklings had their eye on. The pond was plenty big for the fish and ducklings - but this one fish enjoyed taunting the ducklings. Some of the ducklings were left hungry at the end of the day because of this pesky fish. The fish had just surfaced to laugh at Alli again when - SWOOSH - in a splash, the fish was just gone!

In shock, Alli looked around at a pair of legs… then saw Heron finishing off their families’ fishy problem. She hadn’t seen Heron in the reeds. Her speed and long piercing beak were much bigger than Alli remembered.

Alli’s voice was a little shaken when she asked, “Oh Heron, I didn’t see you there. Why do you stand quiet and stare?” 

After swallowing a beak-full, Heron replied “If the fish forget that I’m here - I catch a big one that swims near.” 

Alli was thankful Heron had taken care of her families’ fishy problem. Heron had been watching for several days and knew exactly where to be to catch the pesky fish in the act. And she had waited for the right time to solve this problem in her pond community.

Sometimes architects are just living their life, blending in with their community. When a project comes up in their community, they need to time their approach before they strike out for the project. If they align the project with their skills, they help solve a problem and strengthen their community.