#kai is flooding the wetlands

[probablyasocialecologist]

A flood is not (and never was) a ‘natural’ disaster. The floods of today and the floods to come risk amplifying historically-produced distributions of vulnerability.

Though decisions about flood protection are often made by bureaucrats and engineers, these are intensely political decisions. If flooding is political, then what is needed is a left flood politics, which connects flooding to capitalist dynamics, to class, race, gender and other historically-structured divisions, and to genuine democracy. Such a left flood politics forms part of the broader struggle against what Kai Heron terms capitalist catastrophism, where “capital’s self-undermining and ecologically destructive dynamics have outstripped capitalism’s powers to control them.” 

[...]

Rather than an affordable and less disruptive alternative to flood defence schemes, ‘natural flood management’ is a wedge that opens up questions about how land is valued and who has the power to shape landscapes. In this opening, ecosocialist politics shouldn’t overlook how cycles of flood and ebb have played a role in producing habitable waterways, wetlands and other amphibious spaces for other living beings. Flood defences as they often appear today – as walls and straightened, concrete-lined waterways – are ecological violence. An ecologically-attuned flood politics might reengineer upstream tributaries so that they hold more water, perhaps with the assistance of beavers. It might set houses back from the coast to allow salt marsh and tidal flats to develop. This approach represents an ethics of repair, responding to the decimation of the living world which accompanies and extends beyond climate disruptions.

[demonic-pokeyfruit]

YA'LL

Onision's patreon accounts are goooone~

And Discord will be investigating his server!!

[jennaoliver]

Conservation Research

Issues we must be cautious and aware of that are effect NZ:

our native plants, animals, and ecosystems are under threat

changes to the vegetation on our land are degrading the soil and water

urban growth is reducing versatile land and native biodiversity

our waterways are polluted in farming areas

our environment is polluted in urban areas

taking water changes flows, which affect our freshwater ecosystems

the way we fish is affecting the health of our ocean environment

New Zealand has high greenhouse gas emissions per person

climate change is already affecting Aotearoa New Zealand.

 Over branching factors we must acknowledge universally: 

Deforestation

Pollution

Water Scarcity & Water Pollution

Loss of Biodiversity

Overpopulation

Waste Disposal

Land Management & Urban Sprawl

Wetlands are areas where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and associated plant and animal life. They can be freshwater or estuarine (located at the coast with brackish water) or both! These will be the location of many of your secret spots. “Wetlands act like the kidneys of the earth, cleaning the water that flows into them. They trap sediment and soils, filter out nutrients and remove contaminants; can reduce flooding and protect coastal land from storm surge; are important for maintaining water tables; they also return nitrogen to the atmosphere.”

Human activity provides most threats to New Zealand's remaining wetlands. Threats include:

sand and gravel extraction causes changes in water levels, damages existing vegetation and provides access for weeds

reclamation of lake and river margins, lagoons and estuaries, and draining of farm swamps, reduces wetland areas

pollution by excess run-off of sediment and nutrients from farmlands

plant and animal pest invasion

stock grazing in wetlands and surrounding catchments damages vegetation, decreases soil stability and contributes to pollution

careless recreation practices, including misuse of jet-skiing, hunting, kayaking, power boating and whitebaiting, disturbs plant and animal life and may destroy parts of the physical wetland environment

forest harvesting close to wetlands may damage wetland vegetation and cause erosion

loss of vegetation in surrounding catchments allow excess sediment to run directly into wetlands

pine forests draw water away from groundwater systems leaving depleted supplies, and poorly managed farming practices cause sediment and/or fertilizer run-off

wetland drainage for urban or rural development.

Forests are also a very important fact to NZ and will be definitely part of your secret spots. Forests are rich abundant habitats full of trees and shrubs and all kinds of animals. Before people arrived in New Zealand, 80% of the land was covered in dense forest. Now only 24% of land is native forest, or just under 6.5 million hectares.Two of the main types of native forest in New Zealand are beech and podocarp-hardwood. 

Forests are vital to our lives and the natural systems that sustain us.

Forests protect the soil from erosion and reduce flooding.

Forests cycle water between the soil and atmosphere and help make rain.

Trees produce oxygen for us to breathe.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide so are valuable "carbon sinks" to help counter climate change.

 Forests are also an important part of our economy – our production forests provide a range of timber and wood products for domestic and export markets. Our native forests are popular tourist sites and help to boost our valuable tourism industry.Forests are a habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals. They are powerhouses of biodiversity.

 Out forest however are facing threats such as: 

Introduced pest animals and weeds threaten our forests.

Animal pests include possums, goats, pigs, rats, mice and deer. These animals trample the forest, eat small trees, munch on seeds and eat the leaves of growing trees.

Garden plants escape into the forests and become weeds. Plant pests like Old Man's Beard smother trees. Other plants like Wandering Willie carpet the ground, stopping new native plants from growing.

Fires also threaten our forests, and kauri dieback disease is a relatively new threat to kauri forests.

 What is happening to save and preserve our forests 

DOC and many others are helping to protect and restore native forests.

People around the country are planting trees on Maori and private land, on public reserves, in schools and backyards.

Landowners and community volunteers are also working to control unwanted animal and plant pests in forests to ensure they provide safe and healthy homes for our diverse native wildlife.

 What we can do to help

When you visit a native forest be sure to keep all of your rubbish with you. Take only memories and leave only footprints.

Keep to the tracks to avoid damaging plants, roots, and spreading diseases such as kauri dieback.

Get your hands dirty! Volunteer for planting, weeding, and pest control projects.

If you work with kids, use our natives trees education resource in your local green space.

Our freshwater habitats range from glaciers in the mountains, to lowland rivers and streams that flow into estuaries. We may be visiting rivers and streams so it is also vital to know about their importance. 

Freshwater refers to water from rivers, lakes, reservoirs, underground streams, and other sources. Water is continually evaporated from the oceans and then returned to the land as ice, snow, or rain. Ice and snow melt from mountains to release freshwater to our rivers, streams, lakes, and to resupply underground streams. New Zealand's freshwater habitats range from glaciers and seepages in the mountains, down to lowland rivers and streams that flow into estuaries. They include lakes, rivers, streams, some wetlands, cave systems, geothermal areas and underground aquifers.

Importance of freshwater habitats

Freshwater ecosystems contribute to biodiversity, the economy, recreational opportunities, cultural significance and our well-being.

Freshwater is used by a wide variety of native plants and animals. Some of these are unique to New Zealand and often highly specialised to the habitats they are found in.

Tangata whenua have strong links to water. Awa (river) are an important part of whakapapa (genealogy) and freshwater sustains taniwha and protects wāhi tapu (sacred areas). Awa also provide valuable resources such as mahinga kai (harvesting), harakeke (flax) and habitat for species of cultural importance (e.g. tuna/eels).

Our freshwater ecosystems are impacted by a number of pressures. These include

Intensification

Deforestation

Drainage

reduced flows

Pollution

Sedimentation

Nutrient enrichment 

Spread of invasive species.

These pressures have had significant consequences for our freshwater species, which are vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation, competition and predation from invasive species, over harvest and interbreeding.

Another part of my research involved looking into the native, endangered and protected New Zealand animals and plants. This was a great insight into NZ nature as there were a few things I didn't realise were a part of these groups. This part of the research will be rather good to use in the captions of our images in case we photograph these species. 

References: 

"Forest Habitats." Department of Conservation. Accessed June 14, 2020. https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/habitats/forests/.

 "Freshwater." Department of Conservation. Accessed June 14, 2020. https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/habitats/freshwater/.

 "Nature." Accessed June 14, 2020. https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/.

 "New Report Signals Nine Top Environmental Issues Facing New Zealand." Stats NZ. Last modified April 18, 2017. https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/new-report-signals-nine-top-environmental-issues-facing-new-zealand.

 Nichols, Megan R. "Top Environmental Issues to Worry About." Schooled By Science. Last modified April 9, 2020. https://schooledbyscience.com/environmental-issues/.

 "Wetlands." Department of Conservation. Accessed June 14, 2020. https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/habitats/wetlands/.

[zeldahijinks]

Kay so complete Tumblr noob, so not even sure if I'm doing this right. Anyways, how about a Sidon s/o who can't swim/is deathly afraid of water???? Please and thanks, thanks and please (your writing is lovely)....

[A/N: These compliments are gonna make me cry, thank you ever so much!! I hope this is okay.] 

Sidon/ReaderWord count: 1293WARNING!! DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE AQUAPHOBIA

Your relationship with the Prince of Zora was one of magical fairy-tales, Sidon was ever charming, brilliant and courageous. There was never any doubt that he treated you like his universe and went out of his way multiple times to bring you gifts and verbally confirmed his undying love for you. He could be over dramatic in that regard, you mused, but his earnest personality was wholeheartedly endearing and made you feel special. It would seem your relationship was picture perfect, except for one thing…

You were deathly afraid of water….

It proved to be the only challenge in the relationship with it being Sidon’s entire life. He couldn’t understand the fear you possessed and tried, unsuccessfully, to ease your fears. However, the thought of water emerging around you immediately sent you through a tizzy. It’s been a deep fear instilled in you ever since you were young. You and your father would often go horseback riding across the wetlands, but one unfortunate day, your horse was spooked and threw you off into the raging river. Your young self was instantly carried away like a rag-doll in the rushing waters, pulling you under and smacking against rocks and the rough bed below. After your father had saved you, you were never able to see the water the same again.

It was difficult to be with Sidon when he spent majority of his time in the water, and you truly wished you could to join him. It made you feel like a horrible partner and the Elders openly griped the possible future spouse of their Prince is a failure if they’re afraid of water. It didn’t matter to Sidon, he would interject, that it was you as a person he loved, and not the person loving water similarly to him. You would have believed him, but even if Sidon was skilled at hiding his displeasure, he couldn’t hide the far off look of disappointment and rejection.

He would forget, not meaning to at all, and call you over to join him in the water, but would paused half way through and give a solemn wave. It broke your heart each time, and as you stared at the beautiful glistening element, it was hard to believe something like that petrified you so much, but it undoubtedly did.

One morning, you had woken up with a burning determination to override your fear. You marched with your head high to the outskirt of the domain to where you knew a small pond reside. If you started small, you thought, you could work your way up to swimming with Sidon in the river. The image of his smiling face shining so proud fueled your desire further, and as you approach the pound only about six feet wide all around, for some reason it the small pond was expanding. The jitters slowly made their way from your toes to spread across the rest of your body, and your breathing automatically inhaled deeply for to paused for a period of time.

Your mouth went dry and unconsciously kept gulping to wet it, but to no prevail. As you stood at the edge of the pond you were frozen in fear and having flash backs of your world spinning and rocks bashing against your limbs. It caused you to gasp and collapse to your knees, whole body trembling uncontrollably. You gripped your fists in frustration. No! No! No! You could do this! It’s just water! It’s just liquid! It won’t hurt, you lied to yourself, it is just a pond!

Shakily making your way to stand, fear consumed you, but you pushed through. You told yourself repetitively that you can just stick your feet in, that’s all. Just your feet and then you can get out.  With a fragile resolve, you stood at the edge of the pond again, and looked at its depth, it was shallow, and would come up to your ankles. It didn’t seem too bad. You closed your eyes knowing you’d have to force yourself in the water to even move, and with what courage you had left, pounced.

You anticipated hitting the bottom of the pond but once your feet broke through the water and kept going alarms went off. At the last second before your whole body emerged in the water, you realized the water had magnified its depths. You went in screaming, your mouth engulfed instantly with water and limbs flailing about. It was cold and the lack of gravity was not pleasant in any regard. You felt you had been swallowed up and reached for anything solid to hold you, but your body continued to sink and started choking from the water encasing your esophagus.

White veins flashes filled your vision, and you were absolutely horrified as the world around you moved. The speckle of light from the surface glittered strangely under water preventing you to decipher where the surface even was. You couldn’t feel the bed of the pond and the lack of air made it difficult to further process what else to do. As your vision was filled with your arms desperately searching in front of you, it periodically faded in and out. Your chest and lungs burned and the last thing you could register was a flash of scarlet.

Through the darkness that felt eerily comfortable brightness had broken through, and there was a searing pain in your chest as you felt the heavenly rush of air expand your lungs. Wearily peeking an eye open and letting it focus you saw Sidon above you looking horrified. He called out your name in pure relief, tears pricked the corner of his eyes before bringing your form into his. He petted the top of your head, his other hand gently running his knuckles across your spine.

“Oh thank, Hylia, you are awake! What were you doing, [Name]?! I thought you could not swim!?” He was frantic, his usual confident voice filled with worry. He pulled away, running his fingers along your jawline and peppered your forehead in kisses. Once you had process everything, you couldn’t stop the welding of tears cascading down your face. You hacked and ruggedly inhaled before flinging your body onto his.

Through an ugly sob, you spoke, “I-I just wanted to be perfect for you.” He was taken aback, pulling you from him to stare in your eyes, but you continue to vent, “I don’t feel l-like I’m right for you b-because of my stupid fear!” Tears flooded down your cheeks, and the searing reminder of being in water threw you through another wave of anxiety.

His lips caressed your own, effectively smothering the sobs and whimpers while he delicately brought you back down to earth. His hands splayed along side your face, holding you in place while he poured his love and concerns through the kiss. Pitifully and hungrily, you swallowed it all, finding it more pleasant than a congested amount of water that had once plagued your lungs.

 He pulled from the kiss, lips swollen and planted another kiss to your forehead, “You do not need to do anything for me that puts you in danger and scares you so. I love you for who you are, and there will be differences between us.” He embraced you as he continued, “Please, my beloved, do not ever do that again. If I had not seen you wandering outside and followed you, you…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence and kissed the top of your head instead. “One day you might like the water, but do it for you…not for me.. I love you no matter what may come.”

That was all you needed to hear and smothered your face in his chest.

[shannrussell-blog1]

Hungary is a veritable hotbed of winemaking activity, boasting over 22 different wine regions and hundreds of varietals. Of course, providing you with information about all these regions could make your head spin more than that third glass of wine, so we break it down into the country’s most popular wine regions to make your wine lesson easier to digest. And if you want to explore these beautiful regions and sample the best Hungarian wines, make sure you sign up for an expert-led wine tour.

Villány: Award Winning Reds and Rosés

Steeped in rich wine traditions, Villány is one of the Hungary’s top wine regions churning out a delicious array of reds and rosés, and boasting many of the country’s award-winning wines. The country’s beloved Kadarka, Portugieser and Schiller wines call this region home. They must be doing something right, because Villány’s wine producers have received prestigious awards such as, “Wine Producer of the Year” and “Wine Cellar of the Year” six-times running.

Since the Villány-Siklós wine route is by far one of the most well-renowned, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that the region drives the most visitors hoping to immerse themselves in the local Hungarian wine culture while also immersing themselves in a generous pour of delicious red wine.

Plus, you’ll find that the area’s wine cellars are within close proximity, so you don’t have to walk far to sample all the local wines (we’re not sure if this is a great thing or a dangerous thing).

Photo: Pixabay user BeJan

Somló: The Smallest Wine Region

When you think of Hungary the word “volcanic” probably doesn’t come to mind, but that’s only because you probably haven’t been to the country’s smallest wine region, Somló. Whether you are a professed white wine drinker or it’s just too hot outside to fathom pulling out that spicy red, Somló is the white wine region you should know but probably don’t.

This area was formed millions of years ago thanks, in part to a volcanic eruption. Today the volcanic mountain rises out of the sweeping plains and is nicknamed “The Forgotten Hat of God” (perhaps God just wanted to leave a breadcrumb so he knew where to find the best Hungarian wine).

Basalt bedrock surrounds the hill that leads to the ruins of an 11th century castle. Local lore states that the Christian court dissolved this monastery because the nuns may have been just a little too fond of the wine (and, honestly who could blame them?). For centuries, novelists and painters have sung the praises of this region, calling it one of the most beautiful landscapes in Hungary (they may also have been just a touch inspired by the local wines).

The area is home to three local grapes: the Hárslevelű, the Furmint grape and the well-known Juhfark. Juhfark, which means “sheep’s tail” is exclusive to this tiny northwestern region.

Surrounded by even more lore, it is said that a couple should consume Juhfark on their wedding night in the hopes of conceiving a boy. In fact, the rich and powerful were said to send their women there to drink the wine in the hopes of a male heir. While we can’t vouch for this legend, we are pretty sure that if you send your female companion to this wine region she will most certainly return happy.

With the perfect balance of lemon, smoke and honey notes, these golden volcanic mineral-driven wines of Somló age well and are best served at room temperature.

Photo: Flickr user János Korom

Eger: Home of the Famous Bull’s Blood

Nestled in the northeast region of Hungary between the Mátra and Bükk Mountains is the rolling valley of Eger. This rich soil is also formed on volcanic rock and many wine lovers have nicknamed Eger, “The Burgundy of Hungary”. Eger has a diverse wine history, dating back thousands of years when the local monks made wine from the local grapes. A 30-million-year-old vine leaf fossil, known as the “Vitis Hungarica” was also discovered in Eger.

While Eger offers a variety of different kinds of wines it’s most known for the Egri Bikavér, meaning “Bull’s Blood”, and the Egri Csillag, or “the Star of Eger”. As you might imagine, Egri Bikavér has a very intriguing past. According to legend, during the Ottoman takeover of Eger in the 16th century, the Hungarian soldiers were said to be generously imbibing on this rich, hearty red wine (liquid courage, anyone?).

Let’s just say that when the Turks saw the Hungarian troops with fierce, bloodshot eyes and suspicious-looking red stains in their beards they turned and ran the other way proclaiming that Hungarians drank the blood of the bull (good work, troops). So next time someone says that nothing good can come from drinking wine, kindly share with them the Bikavér legend.

Photo: Gal Tibor Winery

Szekszárd: Low-Acid and Low-Tannin Reds

In the southern region of Hungary, amongst the protected wetlands and stunning flood-area forest of Gemenc you’ll find another famous wine region known for producing wines of deep crimson with a rich aroma and velvety texture. Here, among the rolling hills, you’ll find a wide variety of wines, from cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc to kékfrankos and merlot. You can thank the loess (wind-blown slit) soil, only found in 10 percent of the world, for producing these low-acid, low-tannin reds.

The long, warm summers and mild winters of the southern region are also kind to the country’s red grapes. The Szekszárd blends are full-bodied, spicy, smooth and incredibly dark. However, don’t be fooled; this region has a knack for creating light, refreshing rosés, as well.

Szekszárd is another wine region where you’ll find the Kadarka grape, famous for producing the full-bodied but velvety Hungarian Bikavér (“Bull’s Blood”). The Szekszárd Bikavér is a cuvée, blending together two or three different kinds of wines and boasting a high alcohol-content. Of course, don’t ask one of the winemakers to give away their recipes, as these are top secret.

Fun fact: Several wine cellars were dug into this same soil where they were emergency homes for local families during the war.

Tűzkő Winery. Photo: Szekszárdi Bor

Tokaj: Where the Unique Aszú Wines Are Made

This story wouldn’t be complete if we weren’t to mention Hungary’s famed Tokaji (“toe-kay”) wine. Consider this the pièce de résistance of Hungarian wines. This region is found at the foothills of the Zemplén Mountains in northeastern Hungary. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is comprised of low hills and river valleys, characteristic of the traditional wine-producing landscape. Out of the volcanic ash rises, like a beautiful Phoenix, the sweet golden Tokaji wine.

The key to the wine’s uniqueness lies in the grapes themselves. These grapes are left on the vines longer than most, allowing the botrytis or “Noble Rot” fungus to grow on the grapes. While the same fungus that grows on your carton of strawberries may not look appealing, what it does to wine is nothing short of incredible.

In fact, it is the fungus itself that causes the aszú grapes to shrivel up, so much so juice cannot be squeezed from them. While that might sound like a bad thing, Tokaji one-of-a-kind winemaking has a few tricks up its sleeve. These unique grapes are placed into large tubs, where they are actually crushed into a paste. The thick, sweet paste is then soaked in a lighter wine. Often imitated but never duplicated, these wines have put Tokaj on the map.

Photo: Vineyards in Tokaj

These wines are unlike anything you’ve ever experienced with their rich amber color and high sugar content, which is perfectly balanced with the high acidity. Young Tokaji wines offer fruity, citrus flavors (ranging from subtle orange peel to tart grapefruit) with notes of honey, while aged Tokaji offers a nuttier or more floral profile. Of course, for those with drier palates, you can also find dry Tokaji wines. Discover for yourself why Louis XV of France declared Tokaji, “Vinum Regum, Rex Vinorum” (“Wine of Kings, King of Wines”).

As the famous Hungarian writer, Béla Hamvas once said, “Drinking has its rules: anytime, anywhere and anyhow, it is enough for serious time, serious-minded people, serious-minded nation…” So, if you are a serious-minded person who is serious about wine you can discover your own philosophy of wine with an expert-led wine tour. Sample great wines and delicious local foods while visiting famous wineries, and leave the driving to someone else.

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