#preserve nature

[australgarden]

A small part of my backyard and one of my friendliest tenants.

[sublimedevastation]

Ponemah Bog, Amherst NH, June 2023

[realaleiussofar]

[shojoboy]

dropout tv is like . what if there was an animal shelter but it was for 30 yr olds with BAs in Theater

[aclkplm208-blog]

Happy Earth Day: Be One with the Sea

Happy Earth Day with Be One with the Sea!

[reasonsforhope]

"Tilia is a vest-wearing conservation dog that the 444-acre [Mequon] nature preserve relies on for vital conservation and restoration work.

The dog’s responsibilities include sniffing out invasive and endangered species in the prairies, forests, and wetlands of Mequon.

Conservation dogs have become more commonplace in wildlife organizations, tapping into their astonishing scent-detecting abilities.

“Dogs in general already have up to 200 million olfactory sensors,” Cory Gritzmacher, the director of operations at the nature preserve, told Wisconsin Life.

Humans, on the other hand, have about 5 million.

“[Dogs are] already set up and designed for scent detection,” Gritzmacher added. “It’s really just finding a dog that’s motivated, that wants to do it on a regular basis and is excited to do it.”

Tilia was the pup for the job.

One of her main roles is to detect wild parsnip, an invasive species that staff removes once it is found on the property.

Compared to humans, Tilia can find parsnip in its first year, while it’s still close to the ground and camouflaged by other plants. This is vital, since parsnip will start to spread rapidly by the time it reaches its second season in the preserve. 

Studies show that the estimated damage caused by invasive species has cost the United States around $120 billion annually, as it impacts agriculture, recreational industries, and wildlife management. 

By catching invasive species that take hold of local flora and fauna early, Tilia achieves something no humans can.

“The best trained volunteers or staff in the world won’t even be able to find what a canine can,” Gritzmacher said. “That’s the pretty impressive part of it. And who doesn’t want to go to work with a dog?” ...

Tilia began training as a puppy, and now nearly seven years old, she’s a pro at scent detection — which all started with some treats hidden in cardboard boxes...

“As she continues to hit on the correct scent, then she gets rewarded. So, she’s going to get paid again. We do our work, we get paid. She does her work, she gets paid.”

Tilia can also spot Blue-Spotted and Easter Tiger Salamanders, which are endangered in the area. Her other scents include Wood Turtle and Garlic Mustard.

Of course, her workload remains balanced with time off. Her official owner is the director of Mequon Nature Preserve, who is happy to embrace her as the family dog when she’s not out sniffing.

But Gritzmacher, who trains and works alongside Tilia, adores her, not only for her companionship, but for the miracles she is able to work as an asset to Wisconsin’s conservationists.

“Canines are going to start to play a huge role in the conservation field just because of their amazing detection skills,” Gritzmacher said, “especially when resources are limited, staff is limited and you have to search potentially thousands of acres or miles.”

In fact, Tilia was joined by a partner in crime a few years ago: Timber, another chocolate lab who is actually the offspring of Tilia’s sister.

By following in her pawprints, Timber’s “powerful nose will be a key tool” in the preserve’s “land restoration efforts,” according to its website.

“For years, scientists have tried to replicate the power and efficiency of the canine nose,” Mequon Nature Preserve adds on a webpage for Tilia and Timber.

“The results keep coming back the same: The canine nose is second to none. Coupled with an insatiable desire to work and serve, Tilia and Timber help us find things humans often can’t.”"

-via GoodGoodGood, December 2, 2024

[maureen2musings]

Katmai, Alaska

acacia.johnson

[donttellmeyourewoke]

LET'S STOP DESTROYING THE BEAUTY OF THE WORLD...

[olowan-waphiya]

Biden creates a new national monument near the Grand Canyon - https://www.npr.org/2023/08/08/1192622716/biden-national-monument-grand-canyon-arizona

The move protects lands that are sacred to indigenous peoples and permanently bans new uranium mining claims in the area. It covers nearly 1 million acres.

—

"It will help protect lands that many tribes referred to as their eternal home, a place of healing and a source of spiritual sustenance," she said. "It will help ensure that indigenous peoples can continue to use these areas for religious ceremonies, hunting and gathering of plants, medicines and other materials, including some found nowhere else on earth. It will protect objects of historic and scientific importance for the benefit of tribes, the public and for future generations."

—

The new national monument will be called Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. According to the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition that drafted a proposal for the monument, "Baaj Nwaavjo" means "where tribes roam" in Havasupai, and "I'tah Kukveni" translates to "our ancestral footprints" in Hopi.

all land is sacred (and should be returned) but this is good news.

[australgarden]

The tiny bees that have their private world in a crack of bricks behind the wall of my bathroom.

If you like this type of content check my profile, my reach is minimal and I won't be here for long time without audience.

[tazmiilly]

fiddleford drawing number four thousand

[sonic06apologist]

Girls on dating sites always wanna be doing something like where are the girls that wanna do nothing I wanna do nothing I wanna lay there and do nothing where are my nothing girls at

[majunju]

heat pack

[zegalba]

Anya Gallaccio: Preserve Beauty (1999)

[wandering-jana]

Spanish Pond Trail.

Timucuan Preserve, Florida

June 2024

[madeleineengland]

INTERNATIONAL SNOW LEOPARD DAY 🐱 (23rd october)

Snow Leopards are often called the 'ghosts of the mountains' due to their elusive nature & their ability to blend seamlessly into their icy, high-altitude habitats. Their thick fur, large paws and long tail are adaptations to the harsh environment.

Snow leopards live in the mountains of Central Asia. Their range of distribution is over 1.8 million km2, with the largest share in China, followed by Mongolia and India, but only 3,920-6,390 individuals remain in the wild now.

Let's celebrate them but also raise awareness on Conservation and Protection of these animals. The snow leopard acts as an indicator of the health of the mountain ecosystem in which they live. Sadly they face many threats in the wild including habitat loss due to climate change and poaching.

Here a useful link to donate: https://snowleopardconservancy.org/

Curiosity:

○ snow leopards can have between 1 and 5 cubs.

○ The cubs have blue eyes for the first few weeks.

○ Snow leopards parents don't raise their cubs together. The male leaves right after the mating.

○ The mother usually warps her long furry tail around the cubs like a fluffy blanket.

○ Due to the shape of their throats, snow leopards cannot roar.