Nature's Protection and Defences

We patronize the animals for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate

of having taken form so far below ourselves.

And therein, we err ~ and greatly err!

For the animal shall not be measured by man.

In a world older and more complete than ours, they are more finished and completely gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained ~ living by voices we shall never know.

They are not brethren, they are not underlings.

They are other Nations caught up with ourselves in the net of life and time ~ fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth. (Henry Beston)

After the Storm ~ A Very Mature Cherry Tree in Full Bloom

at the Royal Botanical GardensArboretum

Kathy Renwald asks, in The Hamilton Spectator, “Why did my roof shingles fly off in the windstorm on Friday ~ while the magnolia flowers are still on the tree?” Hamilton had the highest wind gusts in Ontario, recorded at 126 kilometres an hour. Shingles were flying...waves crashed all around Hamilton Harbour...and trees were uprooted and lost limbs. But once the storm was over, the magnolia flowers looked unperturbed. Even the delicate cherry blossoms held on through the mayhem.

Look at a magnolia flower and see that it is firmly attached by a node.

My thought is: the node is strong. It doesn't present a big target for wind damage

and therefore, it rides out the storms. Not so, with big trees.

The photo is magnificent: atop the twisted gnarled tree trunk are the glorious blooms, hundreds of them in 'spring pink' adorning the widespread limbs outstretching to the azure blue sky. And to the side are 4 smaller pics of the delicate pink cherry blossoms, having 'toughed it out' during the storm.

Delicate but Defiant against Nature's storm outburst!

Dave Morgan, an arbourist from Ancaster stated, “Most storms leave an isolated path of destruction, but this left damage everywhere. It really caught the evergreens. Over 90% of their calls were for spruce and fir trees, healthy ones that were knocked down. The wet ground contributed to trees being uprooted. A physics study in 2016 concluded that all trees break in winds of 151 km/hr and upward.

The study used experiments and storm data, based on trees in a forest setting.

Kathy reported that 3 days after the storm, she returned to the RBG to see the cherry trees ~ some are ancient and massive, some are in decline, but all were still standing after the storm. And they were gathering a crowd ~ all there to look at the blossoms, 'delicate but defiant' on a calm May day.

Flora and Fauna...

are two very important aspects of the eco-system. No matter where you go on the planet, there are stunning plants, flowers and wildlife on the earth that are fascinating to observe and study. However, in this technical era, humans interacting more with gadgets, it's almost impossible to find time to interact with nature. Originating from Latin, Flora means Goddess of the flower. According to Roman mythology, Fauna refers to the Goddess of Fertility and sometimes referred to as Fauns meaning Forest Spirits. Without flora and fauna, humans cannot exist. The flora generates and releases oxygen

which is needed by the fauna for respiratory purposes. In return, the fauna produces and releases carbon dioxide which is needed by the flora for photosynthesis. It's a symbolic kind of relativity.

Humans also benefit in research to sources of food, medicine and water.

Mankind's duty is to protect and conserve our flora and fauna.

Through a combination of changing climates...lost habitats...increased poaching...increased food scarcity...business development of lands...mankind needs to interact with plants and animals in addition to protecting our fresh waters. Did you know that stranded vessels and disposals of unwanted waste, pollute our Lakes, our Rivers, Bays and Seashores around the world? And biodiversity is fundamental as it ensures natural sustainability of all life on earth.

The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities

of the Universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.

(Rachel Carson)

Four Falcon Babies Born at the Sheraton

Natalie Paddon from The Hamilton Spectator reports:

“The queen of the peregrine falcon nest at the Sheraton Hamilton Hotel has much to celebrate this Mother's Day. Four seemingly healthy chicks, belonging to parents Lily and Ossie, hatched last weekend ~ the most babies born at one time since 2010. While the couple ~ who have had offspring at the Hamilton hotel since 2015, laid eggs near the edge of the nest ledge last year, no babies hatched.

On the evening of May 3, the peregrine watchers spied Momma Lily

bringing food back to the nest and tearing it apart before one fluffy white head peeked out.

By Sunday, all 4 chicks had hatched and were arguing with one another over food.

Over the years, close to 60 chicks have been born at the Sheraton.

Now, the watchers are kicking it into high gear as they prepare the babies' banding and health checks to take place May 24. At that point, the chicks will likely be named as well.

The Hamilton Community Peregrine Project is looking for volunteeers

to help track the movements of the chicks as they make their first flights.

Avian parents frequently spend more time than human families

in not only the preparation (together building nests),

incubating the eggs 24/7 with parents alternating the day & night schedules,

locating food for the tiny, hungry babes and feeding them,

and when of age, teaching them to fly.

Often, these falcons breed during the spring, early summer months,

thus having a 2^nd or 3'rd pregnancy.

Sometimes, they are life-long mates.

And, like many humans, they fly south for the winter!

M. B-K

For 3 summers, prior to our balcony replacements, I observed, wrote notes

and photo-ed mourning doves as they built their nest on one of my wrought-iron chairs,

incubated the eggs and as they hatched, other neighbouring doves sat

on the hydro/telephone wires to enjoy the birth arrivals.

A Thoughtful Look at the Animal World

Referring to an article written in The Spec's May 7^th issue, titled,
 Humans Not the Only Species, Janet, from Hamilton responded:

I respected Kendra's thoughtful article about animals, the creatures with whom we share the planet.

How resourceful they are. And how vulnerable. It saddens me that so many animals ~ wild and domesticated ~ are treated so badly by human beings.

Anthony Douglas Williams states, “We destroy life and we pollute the oceans
and skies, yet we have the audacity to call ourselves superior beings.”

Written by Merle Baird-Kerr...May 11, 2018

Comments welcome: mbairdkerr@bell.net or inezkate@gmail.com