#- Ecological Consultant

[oysterie]

switch to history major yes/no

[bronzewool]

Dune is the first book in the Dune series by Frank Herbert, following a political war over ownership of a life-extending drug called Melange or “The Spice” that can only be harvested on the desert planet of Arrakis, where the people have to wear still suits that recycle their lost body moisture just to survive being outside for long periods, and giant sandworms that will attack any machinery they plant on the planet’s surface.

Paul Atreides is the son of Duke Leto and Lady Jessica, and heir to House Atreides, one of the Great Houses that govern planets and serve The Emperor. Paul’s father is sent to oversee The Spice extraction and moves the entire family to Arrakis to govern the planet. Unbeknownst to them, The Emperor is working with House Harkonnen to destroy House Atreides, perceiving them as a threat to the throne. After Duke Leto is murdered and Paul barely escapes with his mother into the desert, they must rely on the help of The Fremen, natives who can survive the harsh environment of the desert, know how to obtain water through underground tunnels and ride the sandworms.

The book puts an interesting twist on “The Chosen One” narrative where the Bene Gesserit, a religious group of women with the power to influence those of weaker minds and hold high standing in the Emperor’s Court, have been orchestrating the entire bloodline of the Great Houses for centuries to produce a child with the correct genes to become the Kwisatz Haderach or "The one who can be many places at once". Paul is the result of this breeding program and the sequels follow his rise to power in the galaxy and the consequences that come with it.

Dune is also the first book I’ve read that incorporates a lot of head-hopping into the narrative (jumping between POVs within a single scene). While not limited to the same restrictions as first-person narration, the third-person narration will still keep the focus on one character in the scene so the reader is not privy to outside information that the character does not yet know. Dune, however, will keep switching between POVs so the reader is constantly aware of every major character’s inner thoughts at all times. I was expecting this to pay off at some point, but as Alla states later on in the book, no one can truly read minds.

There seems to be no hidden meaning behind the constant use of head-hopping, other than Herbert wanting the reader to fully understand the nuances of his characters and their motivations, but in doing so destroys any narrative tension. The reader knows from the very beginning which one of the key characters is going to betray the Duke, and narration teases it constantly until the end of act one when Paul’s father is killed, and Paul and his mother are left for dead in the desert. I couldn’t help but think how much more impactful this would have been if we only had the same information as Paul and didn’t suspect the kind and trusted doctor Yueh, until the rug was pulled out from under him.

Herbert is interested in the worldbuilding aspect of this story, from the political rivalries of the warring factions fighting for ownership over resources, to the biology of the sandworms, how a society would evolve on a barren planet without precipitation and the culture that would arise in those conditions. His characters are by no means flat as he gives them complex motivations and plenty of nuance, but a lot of attention is given to how characters read the intentions and hidden tells in other characters, playing Death Note levels of mental chess, rather than focus the action and dialogue itself.

Herbert also likes to over-explain minor plot points and under-explain major ones that need elaboration. I was tempted to start a drinking game whenever Herbert feels the need to remind the reader anytime Paul and Lady Jessica do anything extraordinary, it’s because of her Bene Gesserit training.

I also have mixed feelings towards the author himself after stumbling upon his son’s biography and the truth of Herbert’s relationship with his other estranged son, Bruce Herbert, who was a gay photographer and gay rights activist during the height of the AIDS Crisis. Both parents disapproved of their son’s lifestyle and Herbert went as far to forbid Bruce from seeing his mother who was dying of cancer because it would “upset her”. Even though Bruce would go on to outlive his father, he would soon die at 41 from pneumonia as a result of AIDS on the 15th of June 1993.

I can’t give an honest review of Dune when I can no longer enjoy the villainous character of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen without knowing how much hate and negative stereotypes Herbert put into his one gay character in the entire series, an obese Baron who drugs and rapes underage slaveboys nightly and openly lusts after his nephew and at one point Paul. I can only imagine what Bruce must have thought of the film adaptation in 1984. From what I’ve heard of later books, it sounds like Herbert may have extended an olive branch to his son by portraying what sounds like two gay lovers in a positive light (albeit vague and where one watches the other die. Yikes.).

So, rather than trying to come up with an unbiased rating for this book, I’ll just say this:

I do not give my water to Frank Herbert. I have no tears for you.

I give my water to Bruce Herbert who died before his time and to every victim who died of AIDS. I give my water to those who did not receive proper treatment in time because of homophobic legislations. I give my water to the friends and families who were left devastated by the loss of a loved one that could have been avoided if the government acted sooner. I give my water to the dead. It's not enough. Even with all the moisture in me. But it’s yours.

[charile0]

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[rsthemewp]

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[tdtreesdoune]

TD Tree & Land Services Ltd

TD Tree & Land Services Ltd provides comprehensive tree surgery and land management services across Edinburgh, Central Scotland, and Northern England. Our arborist services encompass all aspects of tree care, including pruning, felling, firewood, crane dismantling, veteran tree management, site clearance, storm damage, stump removal, tree surveying, tree consultancy, tree reports, tree surveys, bat and ecological surveys, forestry and woodland management. We also offer arboricultural and ecological consultancy services for planning applications. As an Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor, we ensure top-quality service and adherence to industry standards, serving commercial and domestic clients. Notable clients include various councils and major construction firms.

Website: https://www.tdtrees.co.uk/tree-surgeon-stirling/

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Phone number: 01786 821750

Business Hours: Mon - Fri : 07:00 am – 05:30 pm Sat : 07:00 am – 12:00 pm Sun : Closed

Contact Email: info@tdtrees.co.uk

[timeloop-angel]

Im reading the greatest state's developer and im liking it very much, its very funny and i smell some mysteries underlining Lloyd transmigration

But! Am i the only who is very, VERY worried about ecological impact that is happening with the "Wetlands Reclamation Project"????? LIKE. MY GUY. THERE'S WHOLE ECOSYSTEMS THERE. YOU EVEN MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE UNKNOWN SPECIES ANS THAT THE SWAP EXISTS FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS

And im a little bit annoyed that in the narration, jt only goes repeting how the swap is useless, wasted land, and how great Lloyd is changing that.

"Useless land" to YOU. Just bc it is unprofitable for humans doesn't mean it is useless. I know shit about ecology/biology but i think it's obvious that a big swamp that existed for thousands of year is vital to the area's ecosystem and that destroying it would bring unimaginable impact to the ecosystem.

Just. Dude. How the hell do you live in the 21st century - year 2024, no less - where topics such as ecological impact, preservation, and environmentalism are more important and prevalent than ever and somehow not stop your tracks and think about these stuff when you're writing a novel about civil engineering (that, as far as i imagine, at least have to deal with those topic in some way) in fantasy world???

Like. Im also a writer, so i really can't imagine not considering the impact that your characters can have on the environment. Also, this is a webnovel, so it's more probably than not that the entire story will brush that off instead of addressing it in any way? Which is a pity because i think it would be really interesting if the story addressed how urbanization can affect the environment because it would still stick to the topic of civil engineering and all of that

Ik its ficitonal and all of that, but im grieving the loss of that ecosystem....

[eekaconsultancy]

World Environment Day 2024 focuses on land restoration, stopping desertification and building drought resilience.

[howdoesone]

How does one account for the unique environmental conditions and ecological systems of a region in architecture?

Accounting for the unique environmental conditions and ecological systems of a region is a crucial aspect of architectural design. Every region has its distinct environmental characteristics, including climate, topography, vegetation, and ecological systems. Architects must consider and respond to these factors to create sustainable, resilient, and contextually appropriate designs. This article…

[nativeyoga]

Rebecca Reagan - The Power of Presence: How Mindfulness Can Transform Your Life

Listen to Toddcast with Rebecca for Free Here Rebecca Reagan, founder of Bunnyhawk, shares her journey into meditation and mindfulness. She discusses her early experiences with meditation and how it became a natural instinct for her. Rebecca also talks about her formal training in mindfulness meditation and transcendental meditation. She highlights the importance of daily practice and the…

[siglo-group]

Leading Environmental Conservation & Urban Development Consultants

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[asalescommunity]

An autor of a content has stolen words.

Who is using the stolen words without knowing what is writing about?

An evidence is a word with a proof that nothing is above it.

A noice is not based on a pollution, quite frankly.

Wednesday, June 28.

Trees!

Let's face it, we simply do not deserve trees. We have everything to thank them for, quite literally. After all, they reduce the 'greenhouse effect' by removing harmful carbon dioxide from the air and releasing oxygen. Each and every year, a single mature tree will produce adequate oxygen for ten entire people. They are also an effective sound barrier, capable of limiting noise pollution, and recent research has revealed that they can also help reduce the stress of modern life. Well, we are happy to offer some more evidence from a primary research source, from us to you. There is simply nothing we like better than to nestle beneath a tree on a bright, colorful day, relax into the trunk, and relax, fingers between blades of grass.

Alone? It's great. With people? Also excellent. With a book? Exquisite. With music? What could be better. With none of the above, just the endless pleasures of looking and listening? Yes please. There are few pleasures as simple, yet profound, as watching the interplay of light and shadow beneath the leaves of trees. It's a little like watching the flow of a green river. We could go on, but time spent waxing lyrical is time you should be sitting beneath a big green bad boi.

Here's crunch time: people, being the sh*theads we are, clear millions of forested acres every year. Often for short-term rewards, like silly money, despite the long-term risks like desertification, wildlife declines, and climate change. Earth now has 46% fewer trees than 12,000 years ago, when agriculture was in its infancy. All is not lost, however. Here's a handful of links to tree conservation charities, and if you like what you see, here is a more comprehensive list.

The National Forest Foundation (NFF)

One Tree Planted

Trees for the Future (TREES)

Plant With Purpose 

Eden Reforestation Projects (Eden)

[winedarkthoughts]

house of addams (1)

— �� pairing: ot7 x fem.reader

— 🕷️ genre: mystery, angst + fluff + smut

— 🗝️ word count: 4.3k

— 🍄 summary: hired to look into the mysterious deaths, disappearances, and disturbances in the small town of Farrow's End, you soon meet a certain gang of oddballs who help you connect the dots. and NO, you are NOT taking a liking to them.

— ☕ content warnings: private investigator!reader, cozy small town mystery/addams family vibes, botanist!yoongi, magical absurdity, bookshop owner!namjoon, barista!jin

— 🕸️ a/n: first chapter! directly influenced by this fic on ao3 by tinyratthief, which is loosely based on the addams family.

series m.list/schedule → next chapter

chpt. 1: new digs

september 16, 2004

If this job has taught you one thing, it’s that the laws of truth can and will be bent by anyone with enough concentrated effort. People come to you to find very specific truths; birth parents, cheating spouses, the details of shady business deals.

But if this job has taught you one thing, it's that the truth will also reveal itself to anyone with enough concentrated effort.

Though, there's always a handful of cases that force you to delve deep into things you’d rather leave buried. Like the person in Oregon who didn't show up in any photographs. Or the small town in Maryland with the strange, centuries-old secret society.

You’ve seen sides of human nature that have left you cynical, distrusting. Some have called you “dead inside,” but you’re not here to brag. Naturally, you are excellent at your job.

And when the Mayor of Farrow’s End, a sleepy town with enough missing persons cases to warrant a Netflix documentary, contacted you about a possible case, you accepted almost instantly.

Even her first correspondence and initial offer were strange. She stated a preference to discuss the finer details in person and in person only, which to you immediately suggested that the entire investigation would be a matter of confidentiality.

You were proven right when you met with her a week later. And while being proven right is usually one of your favorite things, you didn’t exactly expect this.

The offer: investigative services regarding (but not limited to) local missing persons/homicides, ecological disturbances, environmental chemical imbalances. etc.

In exchange for: monthly salary, rent support, covered business expenses.

And above all, everything must remain off the books.

The salary along with the rent support is very generous considering what you're used to, but you don’t tell the Mayor that. You do inform her that, while you wear many hats, you are not an ecologist, nor a chemist.

Mayor Summerbee, a middle-aged Asian woman with a sweet smile and even warmer eyes, informs you that you will have access to the local University’s college of natural sciences. She gives you the contact information for one Min Yoongi, a botanist who works in the school's research department.

Then she gives you the contact information for one Kim Taehyung, the town coroner and pathologist. Apparently, both of them will be available for consultation.

She is eager, maybe even desperate, smiling at you with an urgent sheen in her eyes.

When you accept her offer, shaking her hand with your usual firm grip, she seems to exhale in relief.

You move to Farrow’s End by the end of the week. It’s not as if you have much to move, just a trunkful of books and a handful of duffel bags. You’ve always moved around for work, and even if you didn’t, staying in one place for too long makes you nervous.

Your bags hit the pavement beside your boots as you survey your new home. It's a small, quaint house. The paint is faded but the architectural structure is sturdy. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, kitchen, living room. The whole place is in a slight state of disrepair, but you can't complain.

You spend the next day cleaning and unpacking, which doesn't take long since you leave most of your books in the trunk. You're exploring the town by the end of the afternoon.

The town square, though full of shops and businesses, is nearly barren. A few civilians putter around, their faces weathered and reflective of the gloom in the air. They stare at you as you pass by, a cocktail of curiosity and slight suspicion.

The next thing you notice is the posters. They're everywhere, on the crumbling brick walls, stuck on lampposts, taped to the windows, all displaying a variety of subjects. Events at the University, local night markets, antiques for sale.

But there are a few that stick out. THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE LAKE! Sign the petition to restrict land access →

HAVING STRANGE DREAMS? You're not alone, contact a psychic today!

BEWARE! DO NOT FEED LOCAL WILDLIFE.

Though, what's more strange to you is what you don't see. There are barely any missing person posters, and the few that you do see appear to have been ripped away.

Work begins now, you think to yourself as you snap some photos of several posters, flapping in the cold wind.

You pop into the general store to pick up some essentials, and the store clerk immediately recognizes that you're not a local.

He asks where you're from, you reply with the standard answer: a city not too far but not too close. He asks what you're doing here, you reply with the standard answer: you're a journalist. You add in the suggestion that you're working with the University about a story, and he doesn't question any further.

You're not sure if it's because he takes the hint or because he loses interest.

During the drive home, you notice something looming in the distance. Atop the highest hill is a dark house, with spires and towers rising from the tops of spindly trees. Even from here, you can see that the architecture is old and ornate, almost ancient in a hypnotic way. You're fairly certain you can see a murder of crows circling above.

An unusual feeling hangs around the house, like there's some kind of aura surrounding it. Welcoming some, yet blocking others.

Very strange indeed.

You spend the rest of the night huddled next to the fireplace, using the flickering orange light to skim over newspaper clippings.

No, the house does not have a heating system. But you don't mind too much, you have plenty of wood and warm clothes.

Five missing and three dead in the last year. Local law enforcement has done everything they could with what they had to work with, which apparently wasn't much. Scattered locations, no visible connection between the victims, and an alarming lack of evidence.

Eyelids heavy, you leave the papers scattered across the floor and head to bed, already looking forward to tomorrow's first coffee.

september 17, 2004

The University appears to be just as old as the rest of the town. Original wood, aged stone, curved iron accents. The brick walkway is slick with morning rain, and the sky is swirling with fog.

Perfect weather, it makes you ready to get to work.

The directory stated that Min Yoongi would be in Montgomery Hall, the natural sciences building, either in the greenhouse or in one of the labs, according to the TA you talked to earlier on the phone.

It takes some wandering, but what you like about this place is that people don't seem to notice your presence as much as they do in town. Out there, you're an easily identifiable outsider. Here, you're just another passerby with a purpose.

You find him in one of the lab rooms, tucked into a little nook that's encased with plastic sheeting, dotted with beads of moisture. The small space is crowded with greenery, big pots of tall plants with fanning leaves, draping vines from wall planters, seedlings in little trays.

Through the condensation dripping down the plastic walls, you can see that he's spraying the plants down with water, wearing a classic white coat.

You're indulging in your bad habit again. Your footsteps are notoriously quiet (you've been told), and you (apparently) have a tendency to sneak up on people and observe them for several minutes before they notice that you are there.

But it's a skill you delight in.

The man is of average height, thin, black hair, delicate features. You notice that the soles of his boots are caked with mud, and his skin is dewy from the humidifiers pumping moisture into the room.

"You already know my opinion on this," you hear him say, muffled by the spray of the water.

For a moment, you think he's talking to you, that he's rejecting your case before you've even presented it to him. But he isn't facing you, and his tone is decidedly casual, like he's talking to an old friend.

"It's bad for the others, anyway," he continues. "Don't wiggle your trigger hairs at me like that."

A pause, the water flow stops. Then a sigh of defeat.

"Fine, one puff. Then you quit pouting, got it?"

There's the sound of shuffling, then the fwick of a lighter being ignited.

Your curiosity gets the better of you, and you step forward to peer through the slit in the plastic sheeting.

There's a Venus fly trap on one of the shelves, and between the jaws of one of the trap mouths, is a lit cigarette.

The man's head piques up when you enter his field of vision. Eyes widening, he looks like a cat that's been caught off guard.

He looks between you and the plant several times. You're fairly certain you see the tip of the cigarette glow ember, as if the plant were actually inhaling.

The man snatches the cigarette away and crushes it beneath the wet sole of his boot.

"Nasty habit," he finally says with a nervous chuckle. An awkward, straight-mouthed smile crosses his face, making his cheeks puff out slightly.

"Min Yoongi?" you ask.

"Yes, ma'am," he responds politely.

"I'm ______," you say, holding out a hand to shake.

He shuffles forward, his cold slim fingers meeting yours.

"Ah, the mayor mentioned that you'd be around."

That throws you a bit, because from what you've gathered about this case, you assumed that the mayor didn't want to be associated with it.

"Yes, would you mind filling me in on some of the ecological disturbances that have been going on in town?"

It's as if the question sends ants crawling down his spine. His neutral smile dissipates into an anxious twitch of his lips. He turns the hose back on and resumes spritzing the plants.

"What do you want to know?" he asks, a new tension in his voice.

Odd.

"Well," you start, "The mayor tells me that locals have been complaining about strange mushrooms invading their yards, increased acidity in their soil. Would you know anything about that?"

His eyebrows are knitted as he dampens the leaves of a spiraling fern.

"Mushrooms are really just the fruit of fungi, they bloom like flowers when the conditions are just right. Moisture, shade, an abundance of organic material, stuff like that. When it comes to the acidity, there's a variety of factors. All the rainfall recently leads to leaching, and the increased use of fertilizers causes nitrification. It's pretty standard."

You raise an eyebrow. He's deflecting.

"People have been saying that these mushrooms have been particularly hard to get rid of."

Yoongi 's brows furrow as if he's thinking hard.

"Fungi are tricky like that. We don't know much about them, really. They're their own class of life form. It could be a particularly stubborn strain."

"There's also been some unusual plant growth, creeping vines or the like. Very resistant to herbicides, apparently."

He pauses, considers it.

"Hmm," he mutters, the nozzle of the hose going lax in his hand.

“Also,” you continue, trying to further engage his curiosity. “There's been several cases of strange root rot?”

You add a questioning tone to your voice, gauging his reaction. Apparently, he hasn’t heard about it, because he looks up at you with the same question in his eyes.

“Root rot? In household plants?” he asks.

“No, in residencies.”

Yoongi stares at you for a moment, and you can tell he’s intrigued.

“I would benefit a lot from your knowledge, if I could just bring you a few samples, maybe go out and do some fieldwork—”

“You wouldn’t like working with me,” Yoongi interrupts. “I’m very…particular.”

You have a feeling the word is meant as a substitute for something else.

“Wonderful, so am I,” you reply, digging one of the many notebooks out of your bag. Flipping to the calendar, you click open your open your pen and start scribbling.

“Mornings are best, get the most out of the daylight. Make sure to bring your equipment and something to write on, and a camera if you have one.”

“Wait, I just don’t know if I’m going to be much use to you,” Yoongi says a little nervously, sticking his hands in his pockets.

You pause your scribbling to look at him. He’s pale in the fluorescent light, but not just physically. He has pale mannerisms and pale expressions, the countenance of a person that doesn’t feel as if they belong.

You know the feeling well.

“Coffee is always on me. How do you like it?” you say instead.

“Does Wednesday work?”

september 18, 2004

Three dead and five missing in less than six months. First, Michael Bradley, aged forty-two. Cause of death: chronic poisoning/exposure to toxic chemicals. He was found in his garage surrounded by household cleaners and herbicides. Apparently he’d been trying to get rid of the same strange mushrooms in his yard.

For now, all you have to work with is what they’ve published in the newspapers, and it seems that all that's come out of it is a public service announcement warning homeowners to be careful around toxic chemicals. His wife, Mary Bradley, hasn't commented on the circumstances of her husband’s death. And no one else has inquired any further into the matter.

Until today, obviously. Mrs. Bradley didn't answer her phone, and when you knocked on her door earlier this morning, she seemed less than pleased.

You opened with the standard introduction: I'm a journalist working on a story, would you mind consenting to an interview? Mrs. Bradley narrowed her eyes and scanned you up and down with barely concealed suspicion.

She asked what a journalist would find interesting about a common, accidental death in a small town. Apparently, the citizens of Farrow's End are very perceptive to outsiders.

You mentioned that fact that although Bradley's death appeared accidental, it's not common for people to die at the hands of household chemicals from prolonged exposure. Chronic poisoning is rarely without symptoms, why didn't he go to hospital?

She didn't have anything to say to that. You asked if she'd be comfortable divulging some of the details of his death, maybe even giving you access to the autopsy report. But she just grimaced at the mention, insisting that she had nothing to say about the matter and that you should leave right away.

She slammed the door in your face, but luckily it wasn't the first time people have resisted your questions. Unfortunately, a significant part of your job involves being a pain in the ass.

You linger in the front yard, where it's impossible not to notice the gnarled tree stumps and large rings of mushrooms scattered across the lawn.

You're not a mycologist by any means, but even you can tell that these mushrooms are strange. They seem to be multicolored, red and orange and brown, changing depending on the light like a hologram, but without any of the shine. They aren't bulb-shaped like many other mushrooms, but twist in tendrils this way and that, stretching.

And a smell hangs about them. You can't really describe it, something like damp and musk and old meat. Standing there, breathing them in, for too long makes your head spin.

And the trees, or rather, what's left of them. Nothing but stumps now, but you can tell that they were old when they were cut down. There's that same multi-colored effect to them, except it runs in veins throughout the tree's bark, spiraling into the rings.

You'll have to ask Yoongi about it.

Curiosity nips at you like a non-venomous snake even after you're home. It's not deadly, but it sure as hell is annoying.

What kind of disease infects fungi and trees? Why would the mayor care about privately investigating such a thing? And a thousand other questions.

You shove your boots on and enter back into the chill. You remember seeing a bookstore in town.

The Magic Shop: Books and Oddities

The front window glows with warm light, crowded with displayed volumes and curiosities (a stuffed raven, a jar of yellowing teeth, insects encased in amber).

The door swings open with the ring of a bell. Someone calls out "Welcome in," in a deep-velvet voice.

The smell of parchment and aged leather envelopes you like a familiar hug. You can't help pausing in the doorway and inhaling deeply. No matter what city you're in, places like this always feel like home.

It's everything that a bookstore should be: crowded, mysterious, and slightly dusty. The shelves are tightly grouped and arranged like a labyrinth few are privy to, and stacks—no, towers—of books occupy every corner.

You enter into the space, feet padding on the braided rugs, eyes drinking in the details. There are labels on the shelves, haphazardly spaced. They start normal enough: gardening, self-help, adventure.

But then you realize that they branch off into even more labels, or rather sub-labels. There's nocturnal gardening, gardening under the influence, Faerie gardens and goblin gardens. Each labeled sub-genre branches into even more specific sub-categories, creating a seemingly endless array of subjects.

You could explore this place for hours. In fact, you intend to over the course of your stay in Farrow's End.

You spend an indeterminate amount of time exploring all the labels and categories. The shelves twist this way and that, creating little nooks where the occasional armchair is tucked into.

Eventually, you come to a more open area with a wide-sprawling desk. The man sitting behind it is tall and tan, glasses perched on his nose, with short chestnut hair that shifts golden in the candlelight.

He's deeply focused on the book in his hands: A Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Parallel Universes and Pocket Dimensions.

Typically, you hate to bother people in a bookstore, especially if they're already reading. It's supposed to be a space for quiet reflection, for self-exploration and uninterrupted browsing. But you still have a job to do, and it's clear that you won't be able to navigate the complicated system yourself. At least, not in a concise period of time.

So you square your shoulders and prepare yourself to address the (handsome, you notice) man at the counter.

"Excuse me," you begin in a hushed voice.

The man's head whips up, as if he completely forgot there was another person here.

"Yes?" He says in that same deep voice, friendly and eager. "Do you need help finding something?" It sounds like he can't quite believe the fact. This place must not get many customers.

"Yes, if you don't mind."

His face lights up as if nothing would delight him more.

"Do you have anything on unusual mushrooms?" you ask.

The man sets down his book and slips out from behind the desk. "Hmm..." he mumbles to himself, expertly weaving between the shelves while you hurry to catch up.

"Let's see here..." he says, passing a wall draped with vines from a hanging planter, like the ones in Yoongi's lab, you notice.

"Fungi," he mutters, fingertips ghosting over the shelves. The sections under Fungi are vast and wide-ranging. Poisons & Antidotes, Moss & Lichens, Carnivorous, Aberrations.

He pauses at that last one, eyes flitting between the volumes.

"Anything specific?" he asks.

You debate on how much to disclose, but with the several cases of strange fungi in people's yards, it's probably common small town knowledge by now.

"Anything about an unusual fungus with...tendrils?" You can't help the hesitation, you're not sure if it's a common feature among mushrooms.

Apparently, it's not as unusual as you thought, because the man only nods and shifts his attention to one of the lower shelves. His slim fingers finally land on an old cloth-bound book with a red toadstool on the spine. There's no title on the cover, but the man seems to be familiar with it.

"Here you go," he says, handing it to you. "I think you'll find what you're looking for in this one."

He says it with the confidence of someone who's read every book in the building front to back. A very specific part of your brain tells you that this fact is almost certainly true.

"Thank you very much," you say, turning the book over in your hands.

"My pleasure," he replies, and means it.

"How much?"

He guides you back to the counter and rings it up for a very good price.

You're itching to ask questions, but you're not sure where to start.

The man places the book into a brown paper bag printed with Magic Shop Books and Oddities and hands it to you with a warm smile.

You lose your nerve and take the bag in silence. Then, as if he could smell the fragmented thoughts darting around in your skull, he says, "Be careful in the woods."

You look at him. There's the same friendly smile, but now with a hint of good-natured curiosity.

"If you're going mushroom hunting, I mean," he adds.

You stare at him for perhaps too long.

"Thanks," you say, dropping a generous tip into the jar next to the register.

"Hope to see you again," he calls out as you exit through the front door.

A moth to flame, bees to honey. Insert: you to coffee shops with perfect ambient lighting. You spot it just as you're leaving the narrow alley that leads to the bookshop.

Turning the corner onto a cobblestone walkway, you catch sight of the cafe windows, slick with the recent rain. But from what you can see through the glass, it looks like a warm, cozy place.

Glancing at the front door, you notice an OPEN sign, even though it's quite late. You're opening the door and stepping inside before you're even conscious of it.

The interior reflects the same aged aesthetic as the exterior, dark wood and brick and brass accents. But the kitchen area houses clean chrome appliances, and there are shelves stacked with white dishes behind them. Golden light warms a glass case fully stocked with a manner of pastries, breads, and other nibbles, all of which still seem to be steaming hot.

You immediately decide that you like this place.

"Good evening," a pleasant voice calls, though you can't yet identify the speaker.

The smell of steam and freshly-ground coffee beans becomes richer as you approach the counter. You can hear someone puttering around in the back room.

You glance at the menu's wide selection, and when you look back at the counter, a man is standing right in front of you.

You don't scare easily, but it's enough to make you jump a little.

"What can I get you?" the man asks cheerfully. He's tall and slim, wearing a white button-up and black slacks under an apron. Brown hair, dark eyes, and a full smiling mouth.

You order a coffee and a pastry.

"What time do you close?" you ask, wanting to sit down and enjoy the atmosphere but also not wanting to be the asshole that settles in just before closing.

"On Wednesdays we close at noon, otherwise we're open twenty-four hours," he replies, sounding delighted by rather than annoyed by the fact.

A twenty-four hour coffee shop? You really like this place.

He must see your eyebrows raise in surprise, because then he proudly adds, "Only one in town."

Pleasantly surprised, you look around the shop to assess the seating options. There are booths tucked along the walls, a few tables and chairs, and a few plush-looking armchairs near the windows.

"Please, have a seat and make yourself at home. I enjoy the company," the man says as he makes your drink.

You take him up on it, settling into one of the chairs by the frosted glass of the window. It's then that you take a closer look at the book the shop owner recommended.

A fraying cloth-bound cover, a red toadstool instead of a title. Inside, a table of contents. First, a bit of basic mycology, which you greatly benefit from. Immediately after, a range of mutations, circumstances, and environmental factors that caused the direct disturbance to said mycology.

You get lost in it quite easily, sipping your drink (which is expertly brewed) and nibbling your pastry (which is almost too delicious for words). You know that you'll be spending a considerable amount of time here throughout your stay in Farrow's End.

The book cites several case studies, all suggesting that a new strain of fungus is not only spreading rapidly, but infecting all other strains it has access to.

You read on, only momentarily distracted by the occasional customers that enter into the establishment. Like the group of students, most likely from the University, who order a large batch of espresso to-go. Or the old man who orders a sandwich and black coffee and sits outside despite the late-night chill.

You don't realize it, but you read on until the early morning. The first few faint, pale rays of sunlight stretch across your current page through the window, and you jerk to attention when you realize what time it is.

Not that you have somewhere in particular to be today. But you've always liked to get a jump on things early on in the investigation. And you have better luck getting interviews during the day.

You had no idea that time was passing so quickly. This place seems to have an air of particular tranquility, the kind that only a handful of coffee shops are able to achieve. It's the feeling of finding a quiet place after being overstimulated for hours.

You take your dishes to the counter, drop a tip into the jar, and step into the morning chill.

Exhaustion sets in on the journey home, and you crash moments after your head hits the pillow.

The dreams start that night.

a/n: thanks so much for reading!! love to hear any of ur thoughts 👉👈

next chapter

[rsthemewp]

Solaren – Ecology & Solar Energy WordPress Theme

In today’s world, where environmental sustainability and renewable energy sources are gaining increasing importance, the demand for eco-friendly solutions has surged. Websites that advocate for green initiatives, solar energy, or environmental conservation need a platform that reflects these values. Enter Solaren – Ecology & Solar Energy WordPress Theme—a theme specifically designed for businesses and organizations in the renewable energy, sustainability, and eco-conscious sectors.

Why Choose Solaren?

Solaren isn’t just another WordPress theme—it’s a powerful tool designed to help businesses communicate their commitment to environmental protection and sustainability. Whether you’re working in solar energy, wind power, ecology, or environmental consulting, Solaren offers the perfect blend of functionality and aesthetics.

Let’s explore why Solaren stands out as the ideal choice for eco-friendly projects.

1. Eco-Focused Design

Solaren’s design speaks the language of sustainability. From its clean, modern layout to its green color schemes, every aspect of the theme is tailored to convey an eco-conscious message. The theme is optimized for organizations that want to promote renewable energy, environmental activism, and sustainable living. Solaren’s design inspires trust and credibility, making it easier for visitors to connect with your green message.

2. Tailored for Solar Energy & Ecology

Unlike generic themes, Solaren comes with features specifically created for the solar energy and environmental sectors. Whether you want to showcase solar panel services, present the benefits of renewable energy, or share educational content about ecology, Solaren has built-in elements designed to serve these purposes. From ready-made service pages to energy efficiency calculators and project showcases, the theme addresses every need of a green business.

3. Responsive and Mobile-Friendly

In today’s digital age, a website must perform well across all devices. Solaren is fully responsive and mobile-optimized, ensuring that your site looks perfect and functions smoothly on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This guarantees that your eco-friendly message reaches the widest audience possible, regardless of their preferred device.

4. Built-In Customization

One of the strengths of Solaren is its extensive customization options. While the default design is beautiful, you can easily tweak the colors, layouts, fonts, and more to match your brand identity. Solaren integrates with WordPress’ native customizer, allowing for real-time previews as you make adjustments. Plus, it comes with a variety of pre-designed page templates and sections, making it easy to build a professional website in no time.

5. Seamless Integration with Popular Plugins

Solaren is compatible with a range of popular WordPress plugins, expanding its functionality even further. Here are a few notable integrations:

WooCommerce: If you’re selling eco-products or renewable energy services, Solaren is WooCommerce-compatible, meaning you can set up an online store with ease.

WPML: Want to reach a global audience? Solaren supports WPML for multilingual websites, allowing you to translate your content and reach non-English-speaking visitors.

Contact Form 7: Easily collect leads and inquiries through customizable contact forms, perfect for building your mailing list or receiving project requests.

6. Optimized for Speed and SEO

A fast, well-optimized website ranks better on search engines and provides a better user experience. Solaren is built with speed and SEO optimization in mind, helping you boost your organic search rankings. Whether you’re an environmental consultant, solar panel installer, or a renewable energy startup, this theme ensures that your site performs well, reducing bounce rates and increasing conversions.

7. Pre-Made Demos and One-Click Import

Not a fan of starting from scratch? Solaren offers several pre-made demos that you can import with a single click. These demos come with all the necessary elements you’d expect from a professional website, including homepage layouts, service pages, contact forms, and blog sections. Once imported, you can simply replace the demo content with your own, speeding up the website-building process significantly.

8. Showcasing Projects and Services

Solaren makes it easy to showcase your work, which is essential for building credibility in the renewable energy and ecology industries. Whether you want to display completed solar projects, case studies, or client testimonials, the theme offers beautifully designed sections to feature your successes. This helps potential customers understand the impact and quality of your work.

9. Blog Functionality

Environmental awareness and education play a key role in driving change, and Solaren’s built-in blogging capabilities allow you to share knowledge on sustainability, green energy, and environmental protection. You can create insightful blog posts, news updates, and case studies to engage your audience and become a thought leader in the industry.

10. Support and Documentation

Solaren comes with thorough documentation, making it easy to set up and customize even for beginners. Additionally, the theme is backed by dedicated support, so if you run into any issues, you can rely on timely assistance from the theme’s developers.

Conclusion

Solaren – Ecology & Solar Energy WordPress Theme is more than just a website template; it’s a statement of your commitment to sustainability and the environment. With its eco-friendly design, powerful customization features, and integrations tailored for the renewable energy industry, Solaren allows businesses and organizations to effectively communicate their green mission.

Whether you’re launching a new solar energy startup, running an environmental consultancy, or advocating for renewable energy, Solaren is the perfect theme to elevate your website and brand. Its blend of aesthetics and functionality ensures that your site is not only beautiful but also serves as a powerful tool in the fight for a greener future.

[markscherz]

A friend of mine sent me a yt video of a guy who was relocating frog eggs (prolly a vernal pool) and showed 1000s of baby frogs coming out of the water in his backyard. she asked me how I felt about it as a ecologist. I felt like it was irresponsible to do, especially to post videos on it, but probably not "ecological terrorism" like people in the comments were saying, because I see baby frogs in nature come out of water in hoards sometimes too. Kind of a mixed bag.

But I wanted to ask you, since you're a herpetologist and waaay more experienced than me: how do you feel about the yt channel "frog army YouTube"?

Many frogs and toads are classical R-strategists. Some toads can lay 20+ THOUSAND eggs in a single clutch. The whole point of that strategy is that not all of the offspring survive. In fact, it would be really rather bad if all of the offspring were to survive, because (1) they wouldn't be feeding the predators and decomposers that live off of their noble sacrifice, and (2) they will require massively more resources than they otherwise would. It can have all kinds of detrimental down-stream effects.

This is the reason we often see swarms of tadpoles darkening some small pools (especially ones where there are no fish!), and later hoards of froglets (that's the technical term) emerging from pools at once. It's an evolutionary strategy, that only few individuals survive to achieve reproductive age.

Point 1: it is *fine* if not all the tadpoles survive to adulthood. That's how the system is supposed to work. You are not doing the system favours if you are changing tadpole survivorship to 100%.

Now, humans really are fucking things up in a lot of environments. Environmental pollutants, like heavy metals, can cause major issues for wildlife, and especially frogs, which (1) are not as vagile as e.g. birds and medium- to large-sized mammals and thus cannot escape the problem zone effectively, and (2) are EXTRA sensitive to the environment because of their permeable skin.

Point 2: we do have some responsibility to do something if we notice that there is a major problem emerging, which could dramatically alter the population dynamics for one or more generations of frogs.

However, *moving* clutches of eggs that are found in polluted pools is not the right move, especially for your average person. There are many reasons that it is not the right move, but chief among them are

(1) A lot of frogs that lay eggs in vernal pools have tadpoles that cannot survive being in larger ponds, and certainly cannot survive in streams or other bodies of flowing water.

(2) A lot of frogs that lay their eggs in vernal pools are already adapted to less than ideal conditions, and have excellent strategies to overcome those conditions, such as incredibly quick metamorphosis (sometimes just a few days!)

(3) By moving clutches of eggs, you could easily be moving the pathogens or pollutants that are causing the problem in the first place.

(4) If there is Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis fungus around, you are spreading chytrid, and that is VERY bad. Chytridiomycosis has already driven several frog species to extinction, and caused massive population collapse in several others.

(5) If you do not know the species, attempts to rescue them might be aiding the advance of an invasive species.

(6) It's often illegal to intervene! Many species are protected by law, and you are not allowed to remove them from the wild. Consult your local laws.

Point 3: the responsibility to do something does not include removing the frogs and raising a frog army.

So what should we do if we find a clutch of eggs in an oily pool? Or in a nearly dried out puddle?

First assess the nature of the problem. Is the pool just about to dry out? Then leave it alone. The tadpoles will probably be fine (and if they're not, they'll provide rich nutrients to predators and decomposers). But are there signs of pollution? Then assess: is the pollution covering a larger area? Or is it localised? If you find dead frogs or other amphibians is a major warning sign, and it needs to be brought to the relevant authorities. Contact your local environmental agency/department, and notify them of the precise location of the problem, and its extent. Document everything with photos and videos.

Point 4: there are organisations and agencies specifically tasked with intervening in cases of environmental damage. It is *your* job to bring it to their attention, but unless instructed by them, you need not take any further action. It is their job to know what to do, and to take appropriate action.

TL;DR: 'Raising a frog army' is for the likes, not the frogs, and is not environmentally responsible or ethically defensible. Build a home for the frogs, and they will come.

[acti-veg]

A mega-farm can hold up to 50,000 pigs, packed tightly together in small pens. The urine and excrement, antibiotics and hormone treatments seep out beneath their corrals, and are then dried in open-air waste lakes in the tropical heat.

For those that live around them, the spread of the pig mega-farms is a human and ecological disaster. Some Maya villages in Yucatán are outnumbered by pigs 100 to one. In the rainy season, the farms pump out the pig waste through sprinkler systems; it oozes into the porous limestone watershed which connects the Ring of Cenotes. Local people say that those who drink the tap water fall sick, and there are severe consequences for the area’s biodiversity.

“More than 90% of the 800 pig factories estimated to exist in Yucatán operate without any type of environmental permit,” claims Lourdes Medina Carrillo, an environmental lawyer. “These are projects without a record of prior Indigenous consultation, arising from the destruction of forests considered the second most important on the continent, without permits for changes in land use, and with impacts such as water contamination,” she claims.

[lettingthoughtsflow]

donald freaking davenport, i hate you

Disney really tried to make him a likable character by showing that he did care about Adam, Bree, and Chase (on occasion), but he truly is a terrible person. you're a BILLIONARE and you kept your children in a basement that def did not have enough space for them to grow and literally treated them as less than human.

"knowing him, it's either cheap or regifted" you're telling me that we can't even see this BILLIONARE character spend a bunch of money on gifts for his family?? not even for his wife?????

He NEVER called out Adam for mistreating Chase. We have at least 2 episodes where Chase gets the upper hand, and in both episodes, Chase is told, "Now that Adam knows how it feels, maybe he'll stop picking on you, " and then Adam doesn't. When Douglas gives Chase a new ability, Donald gets mad because it's disrupted the "power balance" of the house. Like yeah Chase got too excited and started bullying Adam, but the previous power balance was just the reverse. Be a parent and address the behavior; don't make it about power. And as much as Donald worked with Chase, he didn't even stand up for Chase when he felt inferior because of his abilities compared to Adam and Bree. A feeling that caused him to go on a mission alone.

not only did he never share the spotlight, he was straight up disrespectful to Chase when it came to them creating and selling their creations. in the episode with the energy transponder (i think????), all Chase cared about was the buyer being ecologically conscious but davenport sold it to the highest bider without consulting Chase.

As much as they tried to show davenport as this super smart creator who cared about these bionic children and helped save the world, he was just another bilionare who's business probably would've contributed to the END of the world.