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bts-apocalypse-au · 1 year ago

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Jimin's P.O.V 🐥 1st May

It's been three weeks since Jin (we're on a first-name basis now) and I first ran here with his class, fleeing the rabid wolves. Things at the zoo are rather prosperous. Jin continues to teach the children using the limited academic resources that the zoo provides, of late most of the lessons have been animal-related but it can't be helped and it's far better than nothing.

Taehyung is friendly but not very social. he's never cold and he's always kind to the children but it almost seems like he feels alienated from us, I suppose it's natural seeing as we're all virtual strangers to each other. At any rate, he's doing amazing work rehabilitating the hurt animals and spends most of his time with them, especially the tigers. I'm of course no animal specialist but I use my surgical skills to help however I can, and I feel as though our friendship is making progress.

When the children are down for their naps and the animals have been adequately tended to the three of us strategise. We've all agreed that it's best for us, because of the large size and young age of most people in our group, to stay here and await rescue instead of trying to seek out help and risk another attack. Sometimes Taehyung makes it sound like he wants to stay here forever, and sometimes I look around and I can't help agreeing with him.

At night the questions eat at all of us.

What has become of our city?

How did this happen?

Will we ever make it out?

Are we the only ones here anymore?

And the children, their parents left them. Who will care for them?

Is the whole world like this now?

And when it all becomes too much I close my eyes and fall asleep to the sounds of the animals.

Jin's P.O.V 🐻

The children love the zoo, it seems to have almost put their parents' "disappearance" out of their minds, and I fear for how long this peace will last.

Most of my lesson material is back at the school but the Zoo isn't devoid of anything, the gift shop is full of books on all sorts of animals and there are posters and animal-themed numbers and letter magnets and blocks, so I can make due.

Storytime is held in the small amphitheater, with stories about monkeys bananas, and Hippos at the drinking pond. Reading and Maths are held in the Staff Room on the sofa with the big whiteboard and animal magnets. And of course, science is all around us. Sometimes I think the children are learning better in this unique environment.

Taehyung has been so generous in letting us stay here, adding almost 20 extra mouths to feed. The children love him when he lets them hold some of the more tame animals and teaches them about the differences between types of owls or lets them play with his robo-dog Yeontan.

When I started to run out of reading material he volunteered his personal collection of books that he brought with him, including the full Harry Potter series.

While I don't know him well it's safe to say that he's a good person and I owe him my life and more.

Taehyung's P.O.V 🐯

The Zoo is my paradise, I'm finally doing what I want to do, where I want to do it but I've never felt more alone. I haven't eaten in almost a month now, and it's not that I'm not hungry (which makes it somehow worse) but that it feels wrong, like some psychological thing that's messing my brain up because I'm not doing "normal" human things anymore.

I'm solar powered if you're wondering.

My battery, which I would guess is the robotic equivalent of a heart, lasts a week, so every Saturday I just slip away for a few hours to the tiger enclosure to recharge. (Which unfortunately has to be done by taking off my shirt and letting my metal panels soak up the sun's rays.) Usually, I play with Bom, the tiger cub, and try to ignore the fact that I'm now partially made of metal.

Thankfully Jimin and Mr. Kim don't ask many questions. For example, how I got access to part of the city's security grid after it went down. Most of the grid is fried but the few miles I've been able to reboot have helped me track down most of the missing animals. It's surprising, I thought they would've left by now but no, they stay close to home, congregating around the HYBE building. I want to bring it up but I can't figure out how without admitting I'm not wholly human.

Either way, something is up and I think Jimin knows it too. He spoke up about the sketchy vaccines and I had to stay silent instead of thanking him for a new insight into my condition. He says we should investigate but what is there that we can do against a huge corporation like that? And every time he talks about leaving it makes my metal heart hurt a bit. What are they going to do to me on the outside? Will I have to hide forever? Is there even anyone else left to hide from or has the whole planet been consumed by this phenomenon?

My current plan if no rescue comes is to help Jimin Mr. Kim and his class to safety (if there is any) and then make up some reason to stay behind, like serving my purpose with the animals or something. What is my purpose?

Is it to stay here in solitude?

I used to have friends (god knows where they are now) and enjoy being around people, but now I feel like I don't belong.

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erimeows · 3 years ago

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How do you think bots and cons would react to their S/O who works in an animal sanctuary (not the same as a zoo, I hate zoos) full of apex predators such as big cats, like lions, tigers, jaguars and others, or any other type of dangerous animal that can very easily hurt, if not kill said S/O, and yet they have clearly bonded to them and are very protective and loyal of them?

Hey, anon! Gonna go ahead and make this a "TFA Characters Reacting To A Reader Who Works With Animals", just so it can be enjoyed by a lot of different people/so it isn't too specific of a request to write! Hope that's alright. Headcanons below the cut; enjoy; <3

Optimus Prime: Optimus LOVES what you do. He loves organic life, loves earth, loves animals and thinks they’re all very neat. Going to some zoos makes him genuinely sad because he sees some of the animals in too-small enclosures and feels bad for them. He supports your line of work and asks about your day all the time and wants to hear about it. Also, please take him to an aquarium, sea life is his favorite.

Ratchet: Ratchet is pretty neutral at first; he isn’t super for or super against animals, but it is an interesting line of work that you seem to have. He’s especially interested in the medical side of it, how the animals’ anatomies work, etc, so he wants you to tell/teach him all about that.

Prowl: Prowl is a nature kind of mech, so when he learns that you work with animals, he’s even more smitten. Him, Bulkhead, and Bee have probably let animals loose from a zoo at least five times. He wants to recruit you in some of these efforts, but you direct him towards volunteering at shelters, donating supplies for animals at different organizations, and doing dog walking/pet-sitting when he wants and has spare time.

Bulkhead: Bulkhead is scared of a lot of animals, but he loves the little ones, as well as the cute and fuzzy ones, so he likes your line of work. Just as long as he doesn’t think it’ll kill him, it’s fine, lol. Take him to a sanctuary or a (good quality) zoo and he’ll be happier than anything, take him to one of those zoos that doesn’t have big enough enclosures for the animals and he’ll cry on the way home.

Sentinel Prime: Sentinel is terrified of you at first when he learns that you work with animals. You touch those organic things? Like, willingly? Terrifying. Revolting. Horrible... But then you show him pictures and let him watch you do your job from a safe distance, and while the animals aren’t appealing to him and continue to scare him, he’s very in love with the caring, fearless side of you that comes out when you’re doing your job. He doesn’t want to actually visit your animals or touch them or anything, but he’ll listen to you talk about your day and look at all the videos and pictures of your animals that you show him.

Jazz: Jazz thinks animals are cool! Some are a little scary, but still, he likes them. His favorites are the big cats like tigers, lions, cheetahs, etc., so while he knows better than to touch them or try to do anything like that, he loves hearing about your work and going to different places that have animals with you so he can look at them.

Ultra Magnus: Ultra Magnus won’t touch or go near your job, to be honest, but he uses whatever resources he has to get your place of work some really good supplies just to show that he supports you; food, toys, medical equipment, things for enrichment, funds for newer/better enclosures, beds, etc.

Megatron: Megatron doesn’t like organics or organic animals. You’re the only organic he really likes, but some of the animals are alright to watch, he figures. He likes organic reptiles a lot; snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, etc. He’ll watch those happily and take the chance to drop you off at work in vehicle mode whenever he can, as well as read up on the animals you work with so he can actually talk about work with you.

Blitzwing: Blitzwing’s different personalities all have different opinions on organic animals. Icy maintains a distance but thinks they’re interesting and doesn’t mind looking at or learning about them, Hothead thinks they’re gross and wild and wants nothing to do with them (except for dogs!), and Random absolutely loves them (especially dogs!). Your career and how much you love it rubs off on them, and if they can find one that Blitzwing can physically fit into, they’ll volunteer at an animal shelter occasionally.

Lugnut: Giant animals! He’s not really experienced with organic animals/species, but he would love to interact with them directly. If that’s not possible, he wants to get them food, toys, and other supplies, and watch them when he can. Maybe Megatron wouldn’t approve, but they are pretty interesting, and he loves you so much that he automatically loves everything you do, too, including your job.

Starscream: Starscream wants you to keep the animals far away! What if they scratch his armor? Get him dirty? Ruin his wings? He wants nothing to do with it, at least not up close. He won’t directly visit your place of work, but he’ll fly over it in vehicle mode and take a glance or two. Do expect him to fall in love with domestic cats and rodents, though- as many complaints as he has about remaining “clean” they’re super cute and he’s actually great at caring for and bonding with them.

Shockwave: Shockwave is actually quite curious about the science of organic animals. All he knows anatomy wise are things about Cybertronians, nothing about humans or animals on earth, so you have to explain a lot to him. He’s happy to listen to you talk about work, wants to hear you discuss the animals and how they live/function, how you care for them, etc., but he doesn’t want to touch them or really have anything to do with the field work.

Blackarachnia: Blackarachnia is afraid of a lot of the animals you care for at first because... You know, trauma. She won’t go near any zoos, sanctuaries, vets, etc. that have insect exhibits, but if you take her to one that has big cats, birds, marsupials, domestic animals, or literally anything else, she doesn’t mind being there. She mostly just stays away from your job and supports you from afar, though.

Swindle: Swindle thinks earth animals are very neat; they aren’t robotic, but they’re also not giant, scary, and disgusting like some of the ones on other alien planets. Earth animals are his favorite, actually, so he’s almost as enthusiastic about your job as you are. He wants you to take him to work with you, to tell him all about the different animals, to let him feed and pet them, etc. Even if you don’t allow him to do the latter things, though, that’s fine- though you do have to eventually explain that, no, you can’t keep them as pets or sell and buy them like that if they’re wild/endangered, that’s wrong/often illegal, Swindle. He also starts wearing (fake) animal print. Whoops.

Lockdown: Lockdown isn’t particularly fond of animals. Some of them are gross and some of them aren’t the most friendly creatures, so he’s wary at first, but he’s happy to be around them or watch you do your thing if it makes you happy- he can handle himself just fine, after all. Seeing you bond with the animals secretly makes his spark a little softer than usual, and he definitely sneaks a few pictures of you hard at work because it just showcases a different side of you, but you don’t need to know that, right?

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wheremyscalesslither · 5 years ago

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Here are the final versions of my course descriptions. I settled on teaching only two for now, and might have to offer the animal one twice which i cant complain about heh

I settled on two courses, for now, unless divine intervention strikes and I get blessed with a new idea. Here are my course descriptions for my Summer Enrichment courses for the high school i teach at :)

Advancing Animal Care

Lions, Tigers, and Bears- Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Animals have the ability to enrich and improve our lives- whether you have pets of your own, admire wild animals, or enjoy a visit to the zoo. This course talks about animals, their behaviors, and what we can do to learn about caring for them better. You don’t have to have or want a pet to join, just bring your interest in learning about animals!

Video and Sound Editing: The Art of Foley

Brrrng Brrrng, WHOOSH, Thud! The subtle addition of sound effects help to bring any movie to life- but some of those sounds are not what they seem! This course explores using the objects around you- from the weird to the mundane- to create and piece together sound effects for videos. Learn how to make fire from a potato chip bag or swing a sword using a metal spatula! Don’t have a microphone? No problem! We have access to free media sounds, videos, and images, so you can join in on the cacophony!

For the courses, I was thinking about access points for the students. What could any student do from home, given the resources we (the school and myself) and they (the students and their families) have?

I was also given 3 instructions from my boss:

1. Gotta be fun. F U N. So fun. Much fun. Lorge fun. Well, you know how to be fun i dont need to explain that to you.

2. Can you please teach the kids how to use that video editing program we paid for thats actually really frkn cool that no one ever uses?

3. They should be project based, aka there should be some kind of culmination of what they learned, but not to prove they learned, but to give them a purpose to work towards

Reaching students and encouraging them to engage with our curriculum has been understandably difficult- shits cray cray roght now- corona, protests, most of the students are at or below poverty line. There's a lot of things more important than school, but nonetheless we want to provide the students with some kinda of vague connection to each other, the staff, the community of our school and also stability and consistency for some of them.

I have to be aware about what the students have accessible to them. I know every student enrolled in the school, including the ones coming into the school this year, as well as the graduated seniors, have been given access to a laptop and internet, courtesy of our local internet provider, and our badass IT guy for tirelessly working on grants to get us all the technology disbursed and usable. They all will have access to the video editing program, and the laptops are equipped with a microphone. I know none of them should be expected to buy or acquire materials outside of their house. I know students arent gonna wanna do shit right now because everything feels so bleak and because digital learning is notttttt what any of us signed up for.

My plans for Advancing Animal Care is to give several options for what the students would like the end project to be.

1. Make a human-made habitat (zoo, pet, preserve, conservation area, etc) for a species you like

2. Create an enrichment plan for one of your pets

3. Some kind of essay/writing or video focused stuff around some animal theory thing we talked about that you wanted to dive into more

See those access points 😏 thats right all kinds of options for all kinds of students

The end project of the foley class is yknow self explanatory. A video. Lol but im going to work with them on how to use the tech.

Im pretty excited. Plus my boss asked me to explain my plans as an example and she had high praise. Im finally understanding how to create things within the scope of the school. Feels good

Its also not a stretch from the program making stuff i did when i worked at the zoo, with the biggest difference being i work with these kids for more than a week, so i can better identify their strengths and their needs and build on them.

Funny, i really thought working at the zoo was my end point and my life's work. But this job actually feeds my soul and makes me feel overall better, determined, and even loved and able to give love yknow? I have the same love for animals and habitats as I do the kids in front of me. Theyre fascinating to be around, have their own free will and way of interacting with the world, and teach me something new regularly.

#ha my old career tag is about the zoo #funny how things change #career #work #not just a job

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rabbitcruiser · 4 years ago

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Russell B. Aitken Sea Bird Aviary, Bronx Zoo (No. 4)

In the late nineteenth century William Temple Hornaday, then director of the New York Zoological Park (now the Bronx Zoo), carried out a direct-mail survey of wildlife conditions through the United States, and publicized the decline of birds and mammals in the organization's annual reports. In 1897 Hornaday also hired field researcher Andrew J. Stone to survey the condition of wildlife in the territory of Alaska. On the basis of these studies, Hornaday led the campaign for new laws to protect the wildlife there and the United States as a whole. In 1901, a small herd of American Bison were gathered in a 20-acre meadow just off what is now the Pelham Parkway roadway. Starting in 1905, Hornaday led a national campaign to reintroduce the almost extinct bison to government sponsored refuges. Hornaday, Theodore Roosevelt and others formed the American Bison Society in 1905. The Bronx Zoo sent 15 bison to Wichita Reserve in 1907 and additional bison in later years. The saving of this uniquely American symbol is one of the great success stories in the history of wildlife conservation. Hornaday campaigned for wildlife protection throughout his thirty years as director of the Bronx Zoo. Beginning in 1906, Hornaday featured Ota Benga, a member of the Mbuti from the Congo, in a zoo exhibit. In July 2020, the Wildlife Conservation Society apologized.

William Beebe, the first curator of birds at the Bronx Zoo, began a program of field research soon after the Bronx Zoo opened. His research on wild pheasants took him to Asia from 1908 to 1911 and resulted in a series of books on pheasants. Beebe's field work also resulted in the creation of the Society’s Department of Tropical Research, which Beebe directed from 1922 until his retirement in 1948. Beebe’s research in an undersea vessel called the bathysphere took him half a mile under the ocean floor off Bermuda in 1934 to record for the first time human observations of the bottom of the deep sea. The bathysphere is currently displayed at the New York Aquarium.

The war years marked the arrival of Henry Fairfield Osborn, Jr as NYZS president and Laurance Rockefeller as executive committee chairman. A best selling writer on conservation and son of WCS founder Henry Fairfield Osborn, Osborn soon embraced changes that signaled new thinking in the organization. Guests were allowed to bring their own cameras into the Bronx Zoo, while animals were grouped by continents and ecosystems rather than genetic orders and families, beginning with the African Plains exhibit in 1941.

After World War II, under the leadership of Osborn, the organization extended its programs in field biology and conservation. In 1946 WCS helped found the Jackson Hole Wildlife Park, which became part of Grand Teton National Park in 1962. In the late 1950s WCS began a series of wildlife surveys and projects in Kenya, Tanganyika (now Tanzania), Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Burma, and the Malay peninsula. In 1959 it sponsored George Schaller’s seminal study of mountain gorillas in Congo. Since that expedition, Schaller has gone on to become the world's preeminent field biologist, studying wildlife throughout Africa, Asia and South America. Conservation activities continued to expand under the leadership of William G. Conway, who became director of the Bronx Zoo in 1962 and President of WCS in 1992. Active as a field biologist in Patagonia, Conway promoted a new vision of zoos as conservation organizations, which cooperated in breeding endangered species. He also designed new types of zoo exhibits aimed at teaching visitors about habitats that support wildlife, and encouraged the expansion of WCS's field programs.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the WCS took a leadership role in pioneering zoological exhibitions by seeking to recreate natural environments for the animals on display. Under the leadership of WCS director William G. Conway, the Bronx Zoo opened its World of Darkness for nocturnal species in 1969 and its World of Birds for avian displays in 1974. Eventually New York City turned to WCS to renew and manage three city-run facilities in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. The redesigned Central Park Zoo opened in 1988, followed by the Queens Zoo in 1992 and the Prospect Park Zoo in 1993. From 1994 through 1996 Archie Carr III of WCS helped establish the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize, a reserve for endangered jaguar.

Today WCS is at work on some 500 projects in more than 60 nations around the world that are intended to help protect both wildlife and the wild places in which they live. The organization endeavors to protect 25 percent of the world's biodiversity—from the gorillas of Africa and the tigers of Asia to macaws in South America and the sharks, whales and turtles traveling through the planet's seas. In recent years WCS has actively worked in conflict areas like Afghanistan, South Sudan and Myanmar, where agreements on wildlife resource have contributed to peace and stability. More than 4 million people visit WCS's wildlife parks in New York City each year.

Source: Wikipedia

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heartysmarty · 5 years ago

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Potential Post-Pandemic Changes – My 50 Pointer

1. Most of us might grow our own fruits, vegetables and herbs in our backyards or even as a container garden in the kitchen. Few might go vegan or adopt vegetarianism for good.

2. After months of lockdown, we now know what other living beings have been going through for ages, inside the cages in zoo and at home. Maybe, it’s time to set them all free.

3. Greeting which involve physical contacts like hugs, kisses or handshakes might not be a sustainable option now.

4. Tele-visits to consult your GP, doctors or therapists might continue since few might find it as a safe option.

5. An increase in online learning, home schooling and Work-from-home are a sure thing! Companies that sell gym equipment, gadgets and Internet providers will continue to do very well along with online learning websites, online payment system and remote conferencing services companies.

6. Pollution control is the silver lining during the pandemic. Going forward, we might even have a lock-down dedicated for controlling pollution levels. We might bring down the use of air purifiers, with such lock down in the future.

7. With so much news doing the rounds that air travel and hotels are big breeding grounds for virus, few companies might choose to have business meetings online and call off the practice of dinner with clients at expensive restaurants for good.

8. DIY videos for masks, hand wash and hand sanitizers will urge us to make our own products at home. Most countries might start manufacturing everything they need locally. In-sourcing of essential goods could be a good start point.

9. With a tiger contracting COVID-19 in a New York zoo, few reports have come out that the cat family is vulnerable to the pandemic. There are chances people might stop having cats as pets for a while.

10. The lockdown has forced most of the restaurants to be closed, since the take-away weren’t helping either. This has forced us all to realize how homemade food is super healthy.

11. Since people with persistent ailments are more susceptible to COVID-19, this pandemic will increase our awareness and mindfulness when it comes to staying healthy, exercising and regular health checks.

12. Smokers and alcoholics will think twice before going for it.

13. Being indoors, family time fun will increase in few households. Most of us will utilize this housebound time and get back to reading, pick up new hobbies and hone our skills.

14. As an aftermath, even the slightest symptom like a cough will freak out everyone. The term ‘Virus’ is scarier than ‘Cancer’ nowadays.

15. After-parties, audio and trailer release functions, bachelor parties and other gatherings will drastically see a downward trend. All essential meetings with delegates will look like exam halls, where people distance each other.

16. Imagine your favorite actor with a mask in his next movie! Film making will call for a lot of creativity to make a movie or a web series with all the actors socially distancing from each other.

17. Visiting theaters, supermarket, airports or any public gathering for that matter, will give you so much anxiety as if you are at a war zone. Watching movies in theaters might stop soon. Movies, just like web series, will target Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Quibi and the likes.

18. Social distancing is directly proportional to social networking. The more we are housebound, the more we will utilize social networking sites.

19. Brick-and-mortar supermarkets might end up closing their stores and instead sell everything online.

20. We might end up shopping and spending more on masks rather on other clothing. On the lighter side, it might not be surprising if we might have to wear spacesuits in public places as a protective measure.

21. While this pandemic has forced divorce rate to go up in some countries, gang life and prostitution has come down drastically in few others.

22. Though COVID-19 has forced China to ban dog meat, people in some parts of the world continue to eat bizarre food like kangaroo meat and crocodile meat. Poaching and trafficking rhinos and pangolins in the name of making medicines continue though.

23. While few of us will try to stick to our current jobs whatsoever, the ones who lost their job due to the pandemic, might be forced to re-skill in coming days. Multifaceted skills might be the new norm.

24. Even though someone knocking your door during the lockdown is unwelcome and creates some anxiety, delivery guys are our new heroes.

25. We might end up giving up on our servants, household help, nannies, caretakers etc for good, since this lock down period is long enough to train us to be self-sufficient.

26. In few countries, violence against women might come down, while domestic violence faced by women indoors might continue with no voice.

27. Shortage of basic needs, money and food might lead to violence in few parts of the world. Job loss, recession, stock market crash, food shortage, bankruptcy, looting etc might resonate with the aftermath.

28. With the COVID-19 vaccine predicted to be taking a year to come into action, the test kits could be manufactured and sold in large numbers like pregnancy test kits.

29. Not guns, but cough could be the next self-defense mechanism.

30. The pandemic has forced interest rates to be slashed and this might happen for a year or so.

31. Rents remain unpayable by many all over the world. But during this crisis, some good Samaritans, celebrities and the rich have voluntarily come forward to help and empathize with people in need.

32. We might end up becoming self-dependent with our daily necessities like cooking, washing, laundry, cleaning, mowing and domestic repairs. Women will continue to have more workloads with kids learning online.

33. We might clearly understand and implement ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ concept, which was long pending.

34. With wild animals and birds venturing into the cities and other rural areas around the world, we might end up accepting other creatures, at last and begin to live and let live. This way we will know to survive peacefully and give them their space too.

35. With restrictions on visiting places of religion, we will learn to see God in each other. This will teach us to respect all religions and races.

36. Since it is believed that currencies are carrier of the virus, currencies are soon going to be a thing of the past. Digital payment methods are inevitable. This might pave way for accelerated Cryptocurrency adoption.

37. Digital reading, audio books, e-magazines and newspapers are the new norms. Going forward, the best option to gift others could be gift cards, online subscription coupons or anything delivered home.

38. We know that Italy lost many seniors to the pandemic due to the joint family culture it follows. But in few places, job loss might force few youngsters to come back and stay with their families. This will create a lot of contemplation whether youngsters should stay with seniors are not.

39. Visitors to the senior living or old age homes might need a lot of tests and checks to be permitted.

40. With WFH adults and online learning kids, electricity and internet are dire essentials these days. It wouldn’t be surprising if the world moves towards more solar panel installations.

41. We might learn never to waste our food and other resources, the hard way. With food shortage, decrease in food export, import or shipping, population control might soon be the need of the hour.

42. Respect for stay-at-home moms, delivery guys, front liners, health care workers, police officers, handyman and all daily wagers who still show up during the pandemic, will increase drastically.

43. Few opportunists might misuse this period and come up with tricks to rip the peace in us.

44. Soon, with everyone going around with masks on, the sales of lipstick will come down.

45. For those who habitually spit in public places, this might be a chance to change.

46. Automobile sales in near term might come down, with the comfort of WFH and avoiding the unpeaceful, crowded and long travel time to work-place.

47. The current security checks at airport is already exorbitant, but with the pandemic, we might have to spend more time for a mandatory temperature screening and maybe a COVID-19 test too.

48. More people might move to countryside and villages soon, thereby creating another set of problems in the rural areas.

49. With many front liners affected by COVID-19, we might soon see robots in places of doctors, lab technicians, nurses and in other healthcare services. More drones might be used in assisting Police. The adoption of AI will increase multi fold and investments in healthcare might increase.

50. With an increase in masks, gloves and other PPE, developed nations might dump more trash in poor and developing countries.

#post-pandemic #covid-19 #stayathome #coronavirus #life after lockdown #life after coronavirus #life after covid

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newslinq-blog · 8 years ago

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Dad Has ‘No Shame’ For Putting Daughter On A Leash; Leaves Internet Divided

A dad’s post about putting his toddler on a leash is leaving some social media users conflicted.

In a Facebook post that has gone viral, Oregon-based author and blogger Clint Edwards said his daughter, who is a “wild child,” was put on a toddler leash during a recent trip to the farmers’ market. “This thing has already kept her out of the road and from sticking her hand in an ice cream machine, along with keeping me sane,” he wrote on the social media site.

“The real difficulty with having a wild child is that you are damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. Because the fact is, if I didn’t put Aspen on a leash while at amusement parks, the zoo, a crowded mall, or the farmers market, she’d be the lost child announced over the intercom. She’d be the kid popping up in every Facebook feed for wandering into a shopping centre parking lot, unattended. She could be the child climbing into the tiger cage. Because I can’t, for the life of me, keep her from moving. Her curiosity is incredible, and for only having a 12 inch stride, she moves faster than any Olympian.”

He admits that he gets dirty looks from strangers (or hateful comments from readers on his blog), but in Edwards’ eyes, he’s keeping his little girl safe.

“I’m keep this kid safe while maintaining my piece of mind, and that is 100 [per cent] worth it,” he wrote. “Because the reality is she’ll calm down. She’ll figure it out, because all kids do. But until that day comes, I’m going to do whatever I can to keep her out of danger, even if it means a leash.” The great leash debate

Toddler leashes or harnesses are nothing new, and the debate whether they belong on children has been ongoing.

After his post went viral, thousands of social media users weighed in on Edwards’ decision, some agreeing with him and others calling it “bulls**t.”

Some talked about their own experiences using a leash on their children.

“I leashed all 4 of my kids, they are adults now, with no scars from being leashed. Although my brothers taught one of them to bark at people when he had it on, was the only bad thing. I still have this harness to be passed on to use on the grandkids,” user Lesley Stockmaster Cheek wrote.

“I have a monkey harness/leash for my child and I have absolutely no shame whatsoever. I could not care less what anyone else thinks of it. If you ask my son what my job is, he will immediately say “to keep me safe”, and that’s exactly what this mama bear is going to do,” user Tammy Elizabeth wrote.

Others, on the other hand, thought the words “leash” and “kid” don’t belong in the same sentence.

“I guess this is for people that don’t know how to parent? How to teach our kids wrong from right? Who pay no attention to what their kid is doing? This right here is why there are so many damn brats out in this world. What’s going to happen when she starts going to school?,” user Katrina Houston wrote.

Others argued labelling your children “wild” was a bad excuse.

“There are no shortages of resources that can help any parent make improvements to their parenting techniques and methodologies. Especially in establishing a base discipline and behavioral expectations of the child. One thing for sure….it’s not the child’s fault. A leash is wrong,” user Mark Thomson wrote.

Others admitted that they didn’t understand the usefulness of a toddler leash until they became parents themselves.

“I used to be pretty judgey about those things. Then I had kids. Keep on keepin’ on, man,” user Kristin Nosbusch wrote.

What the experts think

Vancouver-based parenting coach Julie Romanowski says toddler leashes are a contradictory and complex issue often smothered in judgement.

“In the wild and unruly parenting world, there is a time and place for most things. It is very dependent on factors such as personality, lifestyle and development,” she tells Global News. “There is no ‘one size fits all’ method. If it is a severe safety issue, I would do whatever it takes to keep the child safe with the intention that it is developmentally appropriate, respectful and effective.”

Dr. Jillian Roberts, child psychologist and associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Victoria, says we need to give parents a break.

“It is really difficult parenting in this age and parental fears are heightened right now,” she tells Global News. “Parents are worried about the safety of their children. If a parent feels more secure by having their child tethered to them in someway, then great, I’m all for it.”

How to teach children safety

If safety is the main concern, Romanowski says, start with small trips to relatively benign locations that won’t overstimulate your kid, like a local green space.

“Work your way up to the zoo or amusement park. If you start off with such a complex and stimulating event or location, you may be doomed from the beginning,” she says.

“Teach your child clear expectations and important safety rules by discussing them with them. The next step is to guide them through the experience, gently reminding them of the expectations and rules.”

And don’t expect perfect results.

“[Expecting perfection] from any child the first time around, especially a toddler, is unrealistic. Kids learn through repetition. It takes time.”

(Source)

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Dad Has ‘No Shame’ For Putting Daughter On A Leash; Leaves Internet Divided was originally published on NewsLinQ

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rachelcarsoncenter · 5 years ago

Text

Tony Weis is a geography professor whose research is broadly located in the field of political ecology, with a focus on agriculture and food systems. He is also a former fellow of the Rachel Carson Center where he worked on a project titled “Ghosts and Things: Trajectories of Animal Life.” Here he talks with renowned biologist Nina Zitani about one of the most significant challenges to inspiring interest in and responsibility towards arthropods and biodiversity. In addition to her work as a research scientist, educator, and curator, Zitani is also a nature photographer and runs an online resource on biodiversity gardening.

*Featured image: Leaf beetles in a cloud forest by Nina Zitani, used here with kind permission.

By Tony Weis

Insects have fascinated Nina Zitani for as long as she can remember. She vividly recalls making her first bug collection at age five, and searching for insects and other arthropods in her backyard and nearby forests in Moorestown, New Jersey, throughout her childhood. Growing up at a time of increasing awareness about the rapid biodiversity loss associated with rainforest destruction, and inspired by tropical ecologists drawing attention to accelerating rates of extinction, Zitani’s curiosity about nature eventually turned to the tropics. Discussion about extinction rates inevitably compels attention to insects, as they comprise by far the greatest number of scientifically-named species within the animal kingdom—as well as an even greater realm of estimated-but-unnamed species, the untold millions destined to be lost before they are identified or even remotely understood. Zitani cites entomologists Scott R. Shaw and E.O. Wilson as especially seminal influences, having instilled a sense of urgency about biodiversity conservation and a recognition that scientific education has a key part to play in it—both of which have been abiding concerns in her wide-ranging work over the past three decades.

Zitani began her career working in science museums (the Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia and the Liberty Science Centre in Jersey City), which included helping to push for a popular “insect zoo” exhibit that drew thousands of visitors a day. Though this was rewarding work, the tug of the tropics and a nudge from the museum’s entomologist, Dr. Betty Faber, helped lead her to graduate school and field research in a Costa Rican rainforest, where she investigated the ecology of parasitic wasps that grow inside certain caterpillars. This involved many late nights trapping insects and long days examining them for minute variations, a course of research that led her to identify 15 new insect species and have 8 other new species named in honor of her contributions to the field (e.g. Leptodrepana ninae). Her strong convictions about science and conservation also flowed into her work as a science educator, teaching undergraduate courses in biodiversity and curating the zoological collections at the University of Western Ontario, as well as leading tropical field courses and lecturing for the Smithsonian Institution.

Insects feature prominently in Zitani’s teaching about biodiversity, which gives most attention to the “big 4” insect Orders: Coleoptera (beetles); Diptera (flies and mosquitos); Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies); and Hymenoptera (bees, bumblebees, wasps, ants). As she puts it, “if you want to understand how ecosystems work, you cannot avoid insects and other arthropods.” Most of all, she wants students to appreciate why the significance of global declines of insects cuts much deeper than the numbers of extinctions, given their crucial ecological functions as pollinators, sources of food for larger animals, and in decomposition and nutrient cycling. Yet to get to the point of comprehension—where students grasp the importance of arthropods in the web of life—she has increasingly come to recognize that the challenge lies not only in the teaching of ecological relations but also in confronting widespread entomophobia and arachnophobia. In other words, fears about arthropods impede how people understand them and, even worse, makes their decimation easier to ignore.

Leaf beetles on butterfly milkweed, by Nina Zitani, used here with kind permission.

Tiger swallowtail butterfly on cup plant, by Nina Zitani, used here with kind permission.

Halictid bee on echinacea, by Nina Zitani, used here with kind permission.

Fly on ninebark, by Nina Zitani, used here with kind permission.

This has led Zitani to reflect on where these phobias come from and how they can be broken down. As a starting point, she is convinced that her curiosity about insects is not unique and that, on the contrary, insects fascinate most children. Part of this conviction stems from her work in science museums, where she repeatedly saw that little kids were rarely afraid of insects; some were hesitant of course, but she insists it is important to distinguish caution from fear. However, whereas her sense of wonder was nurtured by nature-loving parents and free exploration, she believes this tends to be stifled in modern societies, as people are socialized to associate insects and other arthropods with a range of negative connotations, from disease risks to a lack of order and cleanliness. The result is a clear pattern of inquisitiveness shifting to fear and loathing with age, which Zitani encounters in pronounced forms among many (though not all) undergraduate students, many of whom indicate being “grossed out” by arthropods when they enter her courses.

One response Zitani has made in her teaching strategy is to directly discuss fears about insects and arachnids from the outset, whether in classrooms or in the field. This includes stressing the fact that the vast majority of insects seek to flee in response to humans and only act aggressively after they’ve felt threatened. It also involves setting parameters for negativity, recognizing that while initial thoughts or impulses cannot be controlled, the way they are verbalized can be, discouraging comments like “ooh, icch, gross!”—something that might seem small but can help establish a culture of positivity and learning. This is also important for field excursions, enabling silence and attentive listening, which are necessary field biology skills. In reflecting on these strategies, Zitani jokes that while she doesn’t want to “sound arrogant about it” she now feels very adept “at getting students over the fear factor quickly.” On one hand, she sees this as a key pedagogical step in teaching about biodiversity in many contexts today, especially in places like North America where entomophobia and arachnophobia are common. On another hand, she believes there is a much easier and better way to fix this.

Zitani believes that children should be learning about the importance of insects and other arthropods, as well as key concepts in ecology, from kindergarten onwards, in contrast to the little-to-no training that most get over the course of their formative education. And if youthful curiosity about insects were nurtured rather than stamped out, it could go a long way in fostering a new sense of ecological responsibility.

Overcoming the Fear Factor: Teaching and Learning about Insects and Biodiversity

#biodiversity #education #entomology #environment #extinction #insects #Research

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iloveenglish101-blog · 7 years ago

Text

edited personal essay

Keysha Hazelton

Position paper

English 101

It was the 4th grade field trip, a fun place to hang out with friends and the place that we all went to as kids. The zoo. In reality the zoos are inhumane and sad. You always hear people say that zoos are educational for children to visit. A US study found “no compelling evidence for the claim that zoos and aquariums promote attitude change, education, or interest in conservation in visitors.” The animals they are paying to see are meant to roam free, fly, or swim, instead they are trapped behind glass in a concrete box. How can anyone learn from going to the zoo when the animals are not in their natural habitat? These animals are suffering from mental illness, animal abuse, and improper care.

The way that zoos treat animals is inhumane, it is common for zoos to put down animals that they no longer have use for. Most of the time this is something that is kept of the public eye. In Marisu’s case, it was a well know controversy. Marius was an 18-month-old giraffe, he was perfectly health except for the fact that his genes were too common for reproduction. The Copenhagen Zoo decided that they had no use for Marius anymore so instead of selling him so another zoo, or releasing him to the wild, the killed him and fed him to the lions at the zoo. And if that isn’t inhumane enough, they did all of this in front of a group of kids. The zoo advertised it as an exhibit, as if in any way, the killing of a perfectly healthy young giraffe is educational. It’s sad that this happens to animals all the time, but it is not exhibited like Marius. wasPeta.org states. “Zoos routinely trade, loan, sell, or barter adult animals they no longer want.” So, it is not uncommon for zoos to no longer want an animal they have but there is no excuse for killing one for no reason. Zoos make it seem like the zookeepers are like family to the animals, but the truth is, as soon as the animals aren’t ��cute” enough or they aren’t drawing a big enough crowd, or they won’t produce more animals for the zoo, they are willing to throw them out like trash.

Zoos cannot provide the amount of space animals have in the wild. This is particularly the case for those species who roam larger distances in their natural habitat. Tigers and lions have around 18,000 times less space in zoos than they would in the wild. Zoos are also cutting the lifespan of animals in half. According to Peta.org, “A survey of the records of 4,500 elephants both in the wild and in captivity found that the median life span for an African elephant in a zoo was 16.9 years, whereas African elephants on a nature preserve died of natural causes at a median age of 56 years”. This data shows that we simply do not have the knowledge or the resources to be keeping these animals in captivity. It is irresponsible for us to take a life out of the habitat that they belong in and put them in a cage where they have a slim shot at life.

Zoos are also not providing the proper environment for animals. A wild cheetah is meant to run 40 miles per-hour. They thrive in tropical jungles and wide-open spaces. By putting them in small cages in the wrong climate where all they can do is pace back and forth, zoos are disregarding the laws of nature. The orca whale is designed to swim up to 100 miles per day and is capable of communicating via sonar through a vast ocean. Sea parks place them in small tanks where their sonar bounces off the walls, causing some to become violent. Keeping these animals in environments like this where they don’t have enough space can be detrimental to their mental health. An animals’ mental health is not something that is often considered but it is a huge factor in their health. The animals get depressed, psychologically disturbed, frustrated, they harm each other, become ill, go hungry, and are forced to endure extreme and unnatural temperatures. They should not be put in unsafe environments.

Many people think that the animals in zoos are rescued animals but over half of the animals in captivity are not endangered in the first place. So, most of the animals are just there for our entertainment. The animals that are endangered are usually being breaded, but the animals that are being breaded are still being raised in captivity, so they don’t have the skills needed to survive in the wild. When the animals are released to the wild, it is more common than not that they die shortly after being released. The money that the zoos are using for these unsuccessful breading programs should be put toward conserving these animal’s natural habitat.

Zoos should not be the place that children go on their 4th grade field trips. In this day and age, we have the technology to really learn about animals without keeping them in captivity. We can watch livestreams of animals in the wild. We can see how they hunt, run, play, and interact with other animals. That is real education. Looking at these unhappy animals behind bars, in an unfamiliar environment is not the way to teach children about these amazing creatures.

Sources

Zoos: Pitiful Prisons. (n.d.). Retrieved November 03, 2017, from https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/animals-used-entertainment-factsheets/zoos-pitiful-prisons/

https://www.captiveanimals.org/news/2010/03/10-facts-about-zoos

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/09/marius-giraffe-killed-copenhagen-zoo-protests

Top 5 Misleading Claims Zoos Make. (2015, December 05). Retrieved November 08, 2017, from http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/top-misleading-claims-zoos-make/

 Equality, A. (n.d.). Zoos: the life of animals in captivity. An undercover investigation by Animal Equality. Retrieved November 09, 2017, from http://www.spanishzoos.org/

http://zoo-tails.blogspot.com/2014/05/columbus-zoo-heart-of-africa-cheetahs.html

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myawfullybigadventure · 7 years ago

Photo

Southwick’s Zoo - Senior Project Internship

This past spring I had the amazing opportunity to intern at Southwick’s Zoo, in Mendon, MA as a part of my high school’s senior project program.

I was primarily taking part in the education programs at the zoo, which are all a part of the EARTH (Environmental Awareness of Resources and Threatened Habitats) program. As an educator, I talked to park guests about artifacts and different endangered species. Additionally, I assisted in “Zoo-Mobile” trips, which is an education program at the zoo that brings the animals to local schools to teach the kids more about the different species. And of course, I was working at a zoo, so I did a lot of cleaning!

From this experience I learned that I have a love of informal teaching. It brings me great joy to teach people about my passions and watch their face light up with fascination.

0 notes

iloveenglish101-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Position paper

Keysha Hazelton

Position paper

English 101

It was the 4th grade field trip, a fun place to hang out with friends, and the place that we all went to as kids, The zoo. In reality zoos are inhumane and sad. You always hear people say that zoos are educational for children to visit. A US study found “no compelling evidence for the claim that zoos and aquariums promote attitude change, education, or interest in conservation in visitors.” The animals they are paying to see are meant to roam free, fly, or swim, instead they are trapped behind glass in a concrete box. How can anyone learn from going to the zoo when the animals are not in their natural habitat? These animals are suffering from mental illness, animal abuse, and improper care.

The way that zoos treat animals is inhumane, it is common for zoos to put down animals that they no longer have use for. Most of the time this is something that is kept of the public eye. In Marisu’s case, it was a well know controversy. Marius was an 18-month-old giraffe, he was perfectly health except for the fact that his genes were too common for reproduction. The Copenhagen Zoo decided that they had no use for Marius anymore so instead of selling him to another zoo, or releasing him to the wild, they killed him and fed him to the lions at the zoo. If that isn’t inhumane enough, they did all of this in front of a group of kids. The zoo advertised it as an exhibit, as if in any way, the killing of a perfectly healthy young giraffe is educational. It’s sad that this happens to animals all the time, but it is not exhibited like Marius. “WasPeta.org” “Zoos routinely trade, loan, sell, or barter adult animals they no longer want.” So, it is not uncommon for zoos to no longer want an animal they have, but there is no excuse for killing one for no reason. Zoos make it seem like the zookeepers are like family to the animals. The truth is, as soon as the animals aren’t “cute” enough or they aren’t drawing a big enough crowd, or they won’t produce more animals for the zoo, they are willing to throw them out like trash.

Zoos are also not providing the proper environment for animals. A wild cheetah is meant to run 40 miles per-hour. They thrive in tropical jungles and wide-open spaces. By putting them in small cages in the wrong climate where all they can do is pace back and forth, zoos are disregarding the laws of nature. The orca whale is designed to swim up to 100 miles per day and can communicate via sonar through a vast ocean. Sea parks place them in small tanks where their sonar bounces off the walls, causing some to become violent. Keeping these animals in environments like this where they don’t have enough space can be detrimental to their mental health. An animals’ mental health is not something that is often considered but it is a huge factor in their health. The animals get depressed, psychologically disturbed, frustrated, they harm each other, become ill, go hungry, and are forced to endure extreme and unnatural temperatures.

Many people think that the animals in zoos are rescued animals but over half of the animals in captivity are not endangered in the first place. So, most of the animals are just there for our entertainment. The animals that are endangered are usually being breaded, but the animals that are being breaded are still being raised in captivity, so they don’t have the skills needed to survive in the wild. When the animals are released to the wild, it is more common than not that they die shortly after being released. The money that the zoos are using for these unsuccessful breeding programs should be put toward conserving these animal’s natural habitat.

Zoos should not be the place that children go on their 4th grade field trips. In this day, and age, we have the technology to really learn about animals without keeping them in captivity. We can watch live streams of animals in the wild. We can see how they hunt, run, play, and interact with other animals. That is real education. Looking at these unhappy animals behind bars, in an unfamiliar environment is not the way to teach children about these amazing creatures.

Sources

Zoos: Pitiful Prisons. (n.d.). Retrieved November 03, 2017, from https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/animals-used-entertainment-factsheets/zoos-pitiful-prisons/

https://www.captiveanimals.org/news/2010/03/10-facts-about-zoos

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/09/marius-giraffe-killed-copenhagen-zoo-protests

Top 5 Misleading Claims Zoos Make. (2015, December 05). Retrieved November 08, 2017, from http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/top-misleading-claims-zoos-make/

 Equality, A. (n.d.). Zoos: the life of animals in captivity. An undercover investigation by Animal Equality. Retrieved November 09, 2017, from http://www.spanishzoos.org/

0 notes