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twotailednekomata · 11 months ago

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Guess what I was up too ( =｀ω´= )

A few days ago, I wanted to check out the latest Clangen update. However, the majority of the clans I have has some level of a big plot point or story commitment that I didn't want to screw up so...

Meet AClan (colloquially known as GullClan)! I originally wanted to nicknamed it 'SeagullClan' but quickly realised it was too much of a mouthful for me

Long story short, this was supposed to be a dummy clan to transfer one of my older clans onto (before that no longer became necessary) and it ended up lingering in my saves before I decided to finally play it recently.

I also recently learned that MSP doodles are fun and a great way to warm up with digital art so I smushed that with Clangen and, boom, MSP kitty madness ฅ(ﾐゝ ᆽ ＾ﾐ)∫

Introduction to founding cats under the cut (I will explain the doodle board in the reblogs)

Also, if anybody has tips on how to export MSP saves in a way that keeps the pixels sharp and clean (& not a blurred mess) please let me know ˄·͈༝·͈˄ So far, the best idea I have is to copy & paste the save into Krita and export it from there ♪~ ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ

Leader and Deputy

First one up is our loveable granma: Warmstar (Formally Warmdawn)! She cares so much for her rambunctious clan and treats them all like her children (✿ >ω<)♡

Next up is our deputy ♥ I believe GullClan has a tradition of appointing kind-hearted cats as their leaders/deputies hence why these cats have the positions they do The doylist explanation is that I did not think about the cat choices at all.

Fluttersmoke is a mother (as we will soon see) and a great one at that. She also likes to aid around the camp and is overall a pretty nice cat.

Healers

This is our senior healer, Troutheart. He technically wasn't the starting healer but 'deep StarClan bond' on a healer is too good to pass up so I retconned it so that he was always a healer and mentored the starting one. (I need figure out how to doodle his bengal pelt (;^_^A )

Besides that, there isn't too much for him.

I love his name. Such interesting imagery Snowyflame is a fun-loving medic that doesn't mind getting into a little bit of trouble. He is also the only cat whose MSP design I dislike (it looks too similar to one of the warriors and feels a bit generic).

Otherwise, he is a nice guy and started forming a bond with the clan's kit.

Warriors

First warrior up is our adventurous kitty, Rathaven >3 ! He is a simple cat in the sense that he just wants to do amazing travels and hikes but sticks around the clan due to its sense of community.

Quick aside: He has a bob tail :3

Not much to say about Tallcreek besides the fact he is a little childish and can get really enthusiastic about things.

Love Antlerhare (≧ᴗ≦✿)♥ She shares a prefix with one of my Lifegen cats (one of the parents of MC #2) but she is a playful, determined cat with a fierce tongue.

However, Antler has bad burn scars all over her tail which makes me wonder how she got them (especially since the clan is located in a beach where fires would be rare to non-existent).

*chuckling* Well that text prompt describes Trembletooth amazingly. He's Rathaven's former apprentice and one of Flutter's kits. A bold and rambunctious prankster as an apprentice, he recently got his warrior name so there isn't much on that front. He is close with his younger sibling and is a cool, older brother to them.

On that topic...

Apprentices (of which there is one, who is...)

Goldpaw! Fluttersmoke adopted this little orphan out of sympathy, when Gold was a kit, and he has become one with his family. I imaged he was Tremble's no. one partner in crime and they got up to all sorts of mischief. He wants to be the fiercest warrior the clan has ever seen and be like his exellent brother ฅ(≈>ܫ<≈)♥

Quick aside: He has a blep tongue (inspired by the Odd family)

Kits

And last but not least, we have little Fidgetkit ˄·͈༝·͈˄ Warmstar is not just a granma in the metaphorical sense, but a literal one as well! Fidget is just a little youngin' but I can tell she wants to be taken seriously. Like I mentioned already, she as seem to have formed a quick bond with Snowyflame (=^ェ^=)

(Note: You may have noticed that Warmstar is listed as Fidget's direct parent. In game, I marked Fidget as Warmstar's adopted kit to prevent any potential accidental incest. That way, Fidget can express any potential recessive genes she could've gotten from her parents and not just give birth to kits that look exactly like her or Warmstar.

I am aware that this will make the in-game family tree a little off-based from what is 'canonical' but this is the best solution I could think of to express the fact that she and Warmstar are grankit/granparent. Without some super technical wizardry)

I'm currently one moon in (well, a part of moon one. I have yet to do any patrols on that moon) but I am excited for this clan's journey after months in digital limbo (^･ω･^)ﾉ"

Oh! But before I leave I want to quickly show-off this cat:

✩⋆｡ ˚ StarClan Guide ⋆｡˚✩

Yep, this ancient as hell motherfucker is our guide. Don't ask me anything about him. He very recently died and I have a bit of a conspiracy theory that he and Warmstar are related.

Anyways I hope y'all have an amazing rest of your day (or Barbadian Independence Day, for those who celebrate).

ฅ ̳͒•ˑ̫• ̳͒ฅ

#key's post #personal clangen bullshit #clangen #warrior cats #art #animals #mammals #cats #long post #This took hours!#*slight sobbing* But it's done!#I will explain the doodle board either tomorrow afternoon or during the weekend

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asgardian--angels · 2 days ago

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Planet's Fucked: What Can You Do To Help? (Long Post)

Since nobody is talking about the existential threat to the climate and the environment a second Trump term/Republican government control will cause, which to me supersedes literally every other issue, I wanted to just say my two cents, and some things you can do to help. I am a conservation biologist, whose field was hit substantially by the first Trump presidency. I study wild bees, birds, and plants.

In case anyone forgot what he did last time, he gagged scientists' ability to talk about climate change, he tried zeroing budgets for agencies like the NOAA, he attempted to gut protections in the Endangered Species Act (mainly by redefining 'take' in a way that would allow corporations to destroy habitat of imperiled species with no ramifications), he tried to do the same for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (the law that offers official protection for native non-game birds), he sought to expand oil and coal extraction from federal protected lands, he shrunk the size of multiple national preserves, HE PULLED US OUT OF THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT, and more.

We are at a crucial tipping point in being able to slow the pace of climate change, where we decide what emissions scenario we will operate at, with existential consequences for both the environment and people. We are also in the middle of the Sixth Mass Extinction, with the rate of species extinctions far surpassing background rates due completely to human actions. What we do now will determine the fate of the environment for hundreds or thousands of years - from our ability to grow key food crops (goodbye corn belt! I hated you anyway but), to the pressure on coastal communities that will face the brunt of sea level rise and intensifying extreme weather events, to desertification, ocean acidification, wildfires, melting permafrost (yay, outbreaks of deadly frozen viruses!), and a breaking down of ecosystems and ecosystem services due to continued habitat loss and species declines, especially insect declines. The fact that the environment is clearly a low priority issue despite the very real existential threat to so many people, is beyond my ability to understand. I do partly blame the public education system for offering no mandatory environmental science curriculum or any at all in most places. What it means is that it will take the support of everyone who does care to make any amount of difference in this steeply uphill battle.

There are not enough environmental scientists to solve these issues, not if public support is not on our side and the majority of the general public is either uninformed or actively hostile towards climate science (or any conservation science).

So what can you, my fellow Americans, do to help mitigate and minimize the inevitable damage that lay ahead?

I'm not going to tell you to recycle more or take shorter showers. I'll be honest, that stuff is a drop in the bucket. What does matter on the individual level is restoring and protecting habitat, reducing threats to at-risk species, reducing pesticide use, improving agricultural practices, and pushing for policy changes. Restoring CONNECTIVITY to our landscape - corridors of contiguous habitat - will make all the difference for wildlife to be able to survive a changing climate and continued human population expansion.

**Caveat that I work in the northeast with pollinators and birds so I cannot provide specific organizations for some topics, including climate change focused NGOs. Scientists on tumblr who specialize in other fields, please add your own recommended resources. **

We need two things: FUNDING and MANPOWER.

You may surprised to find that an insane amount of conservation work is carried out by volunteers. We don't ever have the funds to pay most of the people who want to help. If you really really care, consider going into a conservation-related field as a career. It's rewarding, passionate work.

At the national level, please support:

The Nature Conservancy

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Cornell Lab of Ornithology (including eBird)

National Audubon Society

Federal Duck Stamps (you don't need to be a hunter to buy one!)

These first four work to acquire and restore critical habitat, change environmental policy, and educate the public. There is almost certainly a Nature Conservancy-owned property within driving distance of you. Xerces plays a very large role in pollinator conservation, including sustainable agriculture, native bee monitoring programs, and the Bee City/Bee Campus USA programs. The Lab of O is one of the world's leaders in bird research and conservation. Audubon focuses on bird conservation. You can get annual memberships to these organizations and receive cool swag and/or a subscription to their publications which are well worth it. You can also volunteer your time; we need thousands of volunteers to do everything from conducting wildlife surveys, invasive species removal, providing outreach programming, managing habitat/clearing trails, planting trees, you name it. Federal Duck Stamps are the major revenue for wetland conservation; hunters need to buy them to hunt waterfowl but anyone can get them to collect!

THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE, but these are a start.

Additionally, any federal or local organizations that seek to provide support and relief to those affected by hurricanes, sea level rise, any form of coastal climate change...

At the regional level:

These are a list of topics that affect major regions of the United States. Since I do not work in most of these areas I don't feel confident recommending specific organizations, but please seek resources relating to these as they are likely major conservation issues near you.

PRAIRIE CONSERVATION & PRAIRIE POTHOLE WETLANDS

DRYING OF THE COLORADO RIVER (good overview video linked)

PROTECTION OF ESTUARIES AND SALTMARSH, ESPECIALLY IN THE DELAWARE BAY AND LONG ISLAND (and mangroves further south, everglades etc; this includes restoring LIVING SHORELINES instead of concrete storm walls; also check out the likely-soon extinction of saltmarsh sparrows)

UNDAMMING MAJOR RIVERS (not just the Colorado; restoring salmon runs, restoring historic floodplains)

NATIVE POLLINATOR DECLINES (NOT honeybees. for fuck's sake. honeybees are non-native domesticated animals. don't you DARE get honeybee hives to 'save the bees')

WILDLIFE ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER (support the Mission Butterfly Center!)

INVASIVE PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES (this is everywhere but the specifics will differ regionally, dear lord please help Hawaii)

LOSS OF WETLANDS NATIONWIDE (some states have lost over 90% of their wetlands, I'm looking at you California, Ohio, Illinois)

INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE, esp in the CORN BELT and CALIFORNIA - this is an issue much bigger than each of us, but we can work incrementally to promote sustainable practices and create habitat in farmland-dominated areas. Support small, local farms, especially those that use soil regenerative practices, no-till agriculture, no pesticides/Integrated Pest Management/no neonicotinoids/at least non-persistent pesticides. We need more farmers enrolling in NRCS programs to put farmland in temporary or permanent wetland easements, or to rent the land for a 30-year solar farm cycle. We've lost over 99% of our prairies to corn and soybeans. Let's not make it 100%.

INDIGENOUS LAND-BACK EFFORTS/INDIGENOUS LAND MANAGEMENT/TEK (adding this because there have been increasing efforts not just for reparations but to also allow indigenous communities to steward and manage lands either fully independently or alongside western science, and it would have great benefits for both people and the land; I know others on here could speak much more on this. Please platform indigenous voices)

HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS (get your neighbors to stop dumping fertilizers on their lawn next to lakes, reduce agricultural runoff)

OCEAN PLASTIC (it's not straws, it's mostly commercial fishing line/trawling equipment and microplastics)

A lot of these are interconnected. And of course not a complete list.

At the state and local level:

You probably have the most power to make change at the local level!

Support or volunteer at your local nature centers, local/state land conservancy non-profits (find out who owns&manages the preserves you like to hike at!), state fish & game dept/non-game program, local Audubon chapters (they do a LOT). Participate in a Christmas Bird Count!

Join local garden clubs, which install and maintain town plantings - encourage them to use NATIVE plants. Join a community garden!

Get your college campus or city/town certified in the Bee Campus USA/Bee City USA programs from the Xerces Society

Check out your state's official plant nursery, forest society, natural heritage program, anything that you could become a member of, get plants from, or volunteer at.

Volunteer to be part of your town's conservation commission, which makes decisions about land management and funding

Attend classes or volunteer with your land grant university's cooperative extension (including master gardener programs)

Literally any volunteer effort aimed at improving the local environment, whether that's picking up litter, pulling invasive plants, installing a local garden, planting trees in a city park, ANYTHING. make a positive change in your own sphere. learn the local issues affecting your nearby ecosystems. I guarantee some lake or river nearby is polluted

MAKE HABITAT IN YOUR COMMUNITY. Biggest thing you can do. Use plants native to your area in your yard or garden. Ditch your lawn. Don't use pesticides (including mosquito spraying, tick spraying, Roundup, etc). Don't use fertilizers that will run off into drinking water. Leave the leaves in your yard. Get your school/college to plant native gardens. Plant native trees (most trees planted in yards are not native). Remove invasive plants in your yard.

On this last point, HERE ARE EASY ONLINE RESOURCES TO FIND NATIVE PLANTS and LEARN ABOUT NATIVE GARDENING:

Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Resource Center

Pollinator Pathway

Audubon Native Plant Finder

Homegrown National Park (and Doug Tallamy's other books)

National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder (clunky but somewhat helpful)

Heather Holm (for prairie/midwest/northeast)

MonarchGard w/ Benjamin Vogt (for prairie/midwest)

Native Plant Trust (northeast & mid-atlantic)

Grow Native Massachusetts (northeast)

Habitat Gardening in Central New York (northeast)

There are many more - I'm not familiar with resources for western states. Print books are your biggest friend. Happy to provide a list of those.

Lastly, you can help scientists monitor species using citizen science. Contribute to iNaturalist, eBird, Bumblebee Watch, or any number of more geographically or taxonomically targeted programs (for instance, our state has a butterfly census carried out by citizen volunteers).

In short? Get curious, get educated, get involved. Notice your local nature, find out how it's threatened, and find out who's working to protect it that you can help with. The health of the planet, including our resilience to climate change, is determined by small local efforts to maintain and restore habitat. That is how we survive this. When government funding won't come, when we're beat back at every turn trying to get policy changed, it comes down to each individual person creating a safe refuge for nature.

Thanks for reading this far. Please feel free to add your own credible resources and organizations.

#us election #climate change #united states election #resources #native plants #this took 3 hours to write so maybe don't let it flop? i know i write long posts. i know i follow scientists on here #that study birds and corals and other creatures #i realize i did not link sources/resources for everything. i encourage those more qualified to add things on. i need to go to work

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