#conservation initiatives

[howdoesone]

How does one convince a Tapanuli Orangutan to be the face of a conservation campaign?

The Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) is one of the rarest and most endangered great ape species on the planet. With fewer than 800 individuals remaining in the wild, urgent action is needed to protect this critically endangered species from extinction. Convincing a Tapanuli orangutan to be the face of a conservation campaign requires a deep understanding of their behavior, needs, and the…

[delicatelysublimeforester]

The Urgency of National Wildlife Week: A Call to Action for Biodiversity Preservation

[cruiseeventplanner]

Discover unforgettable luxury cruises in Kolkata that prioritize sustainability, offering eco-friendly experiences and conservation initiatives.

[radioregine]

thinking about how a few years ago, i was recommended for this conservative political office job around here that would've paid life-changing salary to me but i was & still am too principled to accept something like that. wasn't just 'oh my boss is a repub but the job has nothing to do w his beliefs' i wouldve been voluntarily contributing to local campaign material and that flies in the face of everything i strive towards ...

[milowing]

twitter was fun today!

context under the cut

[kaleidoscope1967eyes]

reinventing mara jade as a rebellious, burned out gifted kid (circa the 60s and 70s)

[avtr0zoan]

Dr. Jaclyn Ogden from the Avatar: Flight of Passage's pre-show.

[lonelywretchjervistetch]

The State Bird Initiative: New Jersey (#3) - Results

Another week, another poll! And this one...this one had the results in super fast. So, we're gonna get right into it, as well as the personal choices by the SBI. But OK, which species does Tumblr think should be the State Bird of New Jersey?

Which of the following should be the state bird of New Jersey, the Garden State?

Look...I'd be lying if I said I didn't vote for that one, too.

SBI Elected State Bird of New Jersey: Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)

The American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) has been replaced by popular vote by the Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) in the latest polls! And there's a part of me that wonders if this is for the meme...and there's a part of me that thinks this actually makes sense.

Read the original post here if you want my rationale, but...yeah, I stand by this being a good choice. NJ is a coastal state with a long coastline and a strong beach culture, to the point where "the Shore" is a recognized area in the state with an international reputation. And yes, while other shorebirds could be associated with the state, the Laughing Gull is essentially the only one whose breeding population heavily depends on its Jersey population. Plus, it's a recognizable and iconic bird with a known presence, and could easily be associated with the state it's been selected for. I can dig it. Just sayin'. And yeah, this is the bird chosen as a personal choice by the SBI as well. If you'd like to see the other personal choices from the SBI, stick around after the jump! And if this is all you were waiting for, then no worries! Check out Georgia's entry and give it a vote while you can!

The State Birds Initiative Personal Pick - New Jersey (#3)

State Game Bird of New Jersey (SBI): Brant (Branta bernicla)

Wait...WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? I never brought this bird up as a contender for State Bird? So, what is it doing here? Well, I never brought this guy up for State Bird because they don't breed in New Jersey, and honestly couldn't come up with a solid argument for it to be in that position. However, it was always a contender for State Game Bird, because New Jersey is home to the largest population of this goose, the Brant (Branta bernicla), on the eastern coast, with other concentrations being in Virginia and Rhode Island. But they'll get different birds for this category.

Now, time to talk further about what a State Game Bird is. Game birds are not a single taxonomic classification; rather, they're a sociological one. These are birds prioritized for hunting, usually for culinary purposes, if not just for sport. While they come from a few taxa, the vast majority of game birds belong to orders Galliformes (chickens, pheasants, quail, etc.) and Anseriformes (ducks and geese). The Brant represents our first member of the latter in this category! New jersey is known for its Brant hunting, and the state has major regulations during its Brant hunting season for conservation purposes. I could've put the Snow Goose (Cher caerulenscens) here as well, since New Jersey actually prioritizes hunting of this overpopulated bird...but the purpose of this is to promote birds of conservation interest that have a significant role in the state, and the Brant fits this a lot better than the Snow Goose. With that, let's move on!

State Raptor of New Jersey (SBI): Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonicus)

The Gray Ghost wins the category of State Raptor of New Jersey! This one, of course, I put in the original post and poll, and it unfortunately didn't get far at all. Not sure why, since it's the logo for the New Jersey Audubon Society, it represents a major ecosystem in the state, and it's generally a pretty cool bird. But, hey, that's the price of democracy. Either way, the Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonicus) is a charismatic raptor of conservation concern, and a generally pretty neat bird all around. Check out the original post for more details on this guy, but for now, we'll move on!

SBI's Big Fifty - New Jersey: Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammospiza caudacuta)

So, in my original post, I mentioned that the Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammospiza caudacuta) wasn't a great fit for State Bird due to its similarity to other sparrows, and that would be difficult for the average citizen to parse out. A sparrow is a sparrow is a sparrow, right? Well, not to birders it ain't! This is a pretty big bird for any birder's life list, mine included, making it an important focus for that community. So, in order to give the sparrow its day in court, the Saltmarsh Sparrow wins the prize for New Jersey's representative in SBI's Big Fifty, adding it to the countrywide scavenger hunt that this list represents. Sorry, Massachusetts, I know you could've had this one, too. I'll give you a neat one, I promise.

State Conservation Focus of New Jersey (SBI): Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)

OK, so, the Conservation Focus of New Jersey is sort of disingenuous in this entry, since the bird is far less of a focus than its habitat, but I'll use it as the symbol of the habitat. The Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) is an accessible symbol for the average person to see when going to the ecologically significant (and always in danger) New Jersey Pine Barrens, also representing a larger community of birds with which it tends to be geographically associated. But more than that, the real symbol of the Pine Barrens isn't quite as accessible. For that reason, there really should be two focuses for the Pine Barrens, one for bird people, and one for ecologists. And if you know anything about the New Jersey Pine Barrens, I think you know what the other symbol is.

Now, to be fair, the Pine Barrens Tree Frog (Dryophytes andersonii) is, despite the name, not endemic to the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Instead, it can be found in the Carolinas and the Florida Panhandle, all in isolated areas and...well, pine barrens. But, its populations are decreasing in size, with the Georgia population already extirpated, and is a species of conservation concern. Frogs are, of course, less easy to spot than birds, especially nocturnal ones like the tree frog. So, it's not a great public symbol of the forests as a result, but is still an important inhabitant of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. So, consider this another conservation focus endorsed by SBI. And for the record, it's actually the state frog of North Carolina, so it hasn't been completely shafted!

And with that, we've reached the end of the personal choices by the SBI for ornithological state representatives! Be sure to check out the Georgia poll currently running; still a day or two for votes to be counted!

See you next time, and happy birding!

Introduction to the State Birds Initiative

1. Delaware - Poll | Results 2. Pennsylvania - Poll | Results 3. New Jersey - Poll | Results 4. Georgia - Poll | Results 5. Connecticut - Poll | Results 6. Massachusetts - Poll | Results

[wetslug]

my body has Cool Feature where if im not doing anything ill very easily fall asleep to conserve energy. this feature was probably awesome as a hunter gatherer. but im supposed to b supervising a student this week so im falling asleep in my chair

[howdoesone]

How does one train a Kipunji to host a talk show about rare animals?

The Kipunji (Rungwecebus kipunji) is a rare and elusive monkey species found only in the highland forests of Tanzania. With its distinctive appearance and endangered status, the Kipunji presents a unique opportunity to raise awareness about rare animals and conservation efforts. In this imaginative scenario, we’ll explore how one might train a Kipunji to host a talk show focused on rare animals,…

[delicatelysublimeforester]

Canada Extends Charitable Donation Deadline: A Critical Move in the Fight for Our Planet’s Future

In an act of rare urgency, the Government of Canada has extended the deadline for 2024 charitable donations to February 28, 2025, in response to a disruption caused by the four-week Canada Post service stoppage. The change, announced by Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and National Revenue Minister Élisabeth Brière, provides a critical lifeline to charities—many of which depend on year-end…

[dynamicity-keysmash]

I think that, generously, 95% of people have no clue how DEI or affirmative action work. That includes most people who support those ideas. That's okay though, we don't need to be experts on every issue in our society. However, it becomes a problem when a general lack of understanding allows people with nefarious intent to capture the narrative and control an issue's framing.

Conservatives have somehow convinced most Americans that DEI involves giving preference to marginalized applicants in job selection processes. It does not; that is extremely illegal. That is only possible through narrowly defined, strictly temporary, USUALLY court-ordered affirmative action programs.

Quite to the contrary, the only instance in which is it legal for most employers to cause adverse impact against a protected class through their selection process is if they have proven in court that their adversely-impactful selection tests are needed to assess Bonafide Occupational Qualifications (abilities deemed necessary to basic job performance). This usually affects marginalized groups, nearly never dominant groups. An example of this is the fact that the physical ability tests used to hire firefighters tend to cause adverse impact against applicants who are physically disabled, female, or elderly.

I could write a book about this but tried to keep it short, so don't @ me over the numerous exceptions to my sweeping generalizations.

[farmerstrend]

Why Smallholder Farmers in Western Kenya Are Championing Native Tree Restoration

Smallholders in Western Kenya strongly support native-tree restoration due to long-term benefits for landscape restoration, productivity and livelihoods, new research shows. Digital tools and community buy-in are successfully backing restoration projects A farmer waters seedlings along the Nzoia River in Siaya, Kenya. African nations have grand ambitions to green up landscapes with trees; the…

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Prince William Plays ‘This or That’ & Chats All Things Earthshot With Sophia Li | ‪@EarthshotPrize‬

17 November 2023

The Earthshot Prize Founder, Prince William, sat down with climate journalist Sophia Li after this year's Earthshot Prize Awards.

They discussed his ambitions for The Prize, how he remains optimistic, and whether he prefers coffee or tea!

—

▶️ "This or That" starts at <4:59>.

[bharatvarsh22]

Explore the benefits of ecotourism and how it promotes sustainable travel. Discover how ecotourism supports conservation and local communities.

Do Visit: https://bharatvarshnaturefarms.com/the-benefits-of-ecotourism-sustainable/

[romy350-romyakari]

Guess who got someone to tag along to watch Wicked?

Me! but bt the pure chance my dad felt bad for me running out of options and I couldn't go on my own.

Now time to hope he doesn't botice anything to create a biblical point once we are on our way out of the theater ( ´∀｀ )b