Biodiversity's Benefit

“We Need to Work Together to Improve the State of Nature”

(wrote Carolyn Zanchetta who is 'stewardship and co-ordinator' of the Hamilton Naturalists' Club.)

The following are excerpts from her recently published writing.

“In the depth of winter, our communities are cold and grey, and getting outside feels like an insurmountable task. Winter might not evoke scenes of living nature or vibrant wildlife, but there is still so much alive and active when we look around and appreciate the subtle beauty of nature in winter.

“Bright red cardinals flit from tree to tree competing with blue jays and juncos for space at the feeder.

Nuthatches and chickadees call back and forth from the forest. Without leaves obscuring the tree branches, this is one of the best times to spot owls, with the particular delight of visiting snowy owls around Windermere Basin and the Beach. Hear coyotes yipping near the escarpment. See squirrels sprinting along the power lines. Watch fish swim under the ice in Cootes Paradise. Deer freeze, watching you cautiously from the trail. Lichen colourfully coats the trees along the street as the snow piles up. The large variety of evergreens provides ample habitat for the sparrows that fluff their feathers to stay warm. These majestic trees are a glimmer of hope for the coming spring.

A plethora of diversity that we never see, contributes even more than we could know to our ecosystems ~ and even our health!

Biodiversity is the variety of life within a region,
or throughout the types of habitat in the area ~
and also within the genetics of a species.

“A healthy ecosystem, a healthy community or a healthy species is diverse and resilient, able to adapt to change and overcome. But this essential variety of life is at risk in our communities and throughout the world. Everywhere, species populations are declining. Habitat loss, pollution, climate change and invasive species all threaten the flora and fauna that live alongside us.

As the Hamilton Naturalists' Club celebrates a century of protecting nature, there is a renewed focus on conserving and enhancing our biodiversity.”

When previously, have we ever been informed about 'climate change'?
Only in current years have I realized our animals' great losses of habitat!

Consider the wolves and coyotes who now inhabit the edges of our cities!

Each seasons' weather is now unpredictable!

I recall April 6, a Thursday about 20 years ago we had a giant snowstorm

Awareness of these 'bio-diversities' is Nature's Wake-Up-Call to you and me!

Critics Slam Proposed Oil Exploration Near 'Unbelievable' Sable Island

To me, the most graceful animals on Earth are horses and deer.

Although having had a yen to travel several islands, Sable is one I'd dearly love to visit, Just off the coast from Nova Scotia, it is a massive shifting sand dune adrift in the wilds of the North Atlantic and we must safeguard its tenuous existence. Its primary inhabitants are wild horses who have bred and lived on this island for many, many years. To visit the island, one must obtain a permit.

From Halifax, Nova Scotia, Brett Bundale reported in The Canadian Press:

A call for energy companies to bid on exploration rites around Nova Scotia's iconic Sable Island has prompted swift condemnation from a coalition of environmental...fishing...and tourism groups.

The rugged and wild wind-swept sandbar in the Atlantic Ocean is a place of endangered species...wild horses...and legendary shipwrecks.

On Monday, the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board launched a competitive bidding process for two exploration licences to probe for fossil fuels in the shallow waters encircling Sable Island.

Gretchen Fitzgerald, the director of the Atlantic Canada chapter of the Sierra Club Canada Foundation, said at a news conference:

“This is a test for how we must change if we're going to truly tackle 'climate change' ~ and protect global biodiversity.”

A colour photo of peaceful Sable Island uninhabited by mankind illustrates...barren land...some tree growth..and grasslands.

We do not see the wind and drifting sands ~ the ideal home for my yet unseen wild horses.

The foregoing assembled by MBK, Feb 7, 2019

Challenge of Life

As a concerned citizen believing in justice, I was recently informed about someone ignoring the procedure to to suit his purpose and doing only what was beneficial to his cause,

And you are convinced that we are beset with challenges!

Recently I read about animals who struggle with life.

Human Parents Feel for Mama Bear Trying to Corral Her Cubs

A mother bear caught on video trying to coax four rambunctious cubs across a busy Connecticut road has parents across the internet nodding in sympathy.

Hundreds of people responded to a four-minute video of the bear’s struggles on the Winchester Police Department’s Facebook page. Other videos of the bears also circulated online. So glad the cars waited for them (wrote one mother from Sedona, Arizona.) The trials and tribulations of all mothers! Poor Momma!! Wrote another woman.

The video taken Sunday, shows the bear trying several times to get the cubs safely across Rowley Street which has a posted speed limit of 40 mph, as a police cruiser blocks traffic. The mother bear would pick up one cub with her mouth and carry it to a grassy area, only to have another scamper back into the road.

Police thanked motorists for being patient and keeping the bears safe, using the video as a springtime warning to drivers.

Native American Legend

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life :
“A fight is going onside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil ~ he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride,superiority and ego.”

He continued: “The other is good. ~ he is joy, peace. love. hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. The same fight is going on inside you ~ and inside every other person too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed!”

Advice from the Earth

Be well-rounded.
Keep a positive atmosphere,
Have a magnetic personality
Celebrate diversity, think globally.
Be good to your mother .There’s no place like home.

Take a quiet walk with Mother Nature.

Composed by MBK March 2021

Spring is Sprung

The first day of Spring, usually calendar indicated
was not on either of my two calendars
in April or May,Our weather change may have been
due to our current “Climate Change” as forecast.

Seems an imminent phenomenon that yearly,
Spring is the 21^st day of a given month.

The neighbourhood in which I reside
is usually a good prediction.

Autumn loudly speaks, turning off Walker’s Line
on to a 2-block residential street.
A local street ~ a tunnel of deciduous trees
becomes gloriously painted in reds and golds.
Jack Frost cannot be rivalled for such a beautious scene,
being the city’s most beautiful street.
Whether ‘drive or stroll’ we are mesmerized
by Nature’s paint brush ~ so colourfully artistic.

Mother Nature, without a calendar
turns Spring lilacs into mauves and whites ...
even the mulberry trees are dressed
in creamy-white blossoms tinged with rose
And when injecting fluid into the barren trees,
they soon embellish the neighbourhood
with tiny leaflets of soft pale greens.
What a Surprise!

My local street is now a green arbour
through which we can drive or leisurely walk.
Hurray for Spring!
And praise to Nature Majesty!
Hurrah for Spring!

So, on my calendars, I’ve greenly accepted
that May 23 is this year’s Opening Day of Spring!

The foregoing was written in May a couple years ago.
MBK...Comments most welcome.

ANIMAL LORE, CULTURE and TRADITION

 Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. (Anatole France)

Animals are such agreeable friends, they ask no questions ~ they pass no criticism. (Goerge Elliot)

Kathleen Prasade announced, “I got to pet a soft koala bear while visiting a Wildlife Park in Sydney, Australia. This experience allowed me to reflect on the vital role, animals have in my career.”

DOGS and CATS

Kitten Survives Being Tossed from Vehicle in Grimsby: An adorable girl with piercing eyes, Holly has endured cruelty in her young life. A Grimsby resident, Frank England, travelling along a Grimsby road came across a seemingly lifeless kitten on the side of the road. As he passed by, the little creature lifted her head ~ her only way of letting him know she was still alive. Frank said, “She couldn't walk. Taking her to the Grimsby Animal Hospital, the staff revived her ~ saving the 4-week-old's life. Founder, Pam Houston, said England named the kitten 'Holly' after mixed martial artist, Holly Holmes. “She's a fighter with a rash on her head (likely from being tossed from a moving vehicle)...as well she has bruises...cuts...a sprained leg... an 'out-of-alignment' spine...also brain swelling.

(Reported to Grimsby News by Mike Zettel)

New Study Shows Cats Heavier Now Than in the 90's: A new study involving more than 19 million cats from across Canada and the United States, suggests most of the animals continue to put on weight after they reach adulthood ~ and their heaviest weight is higher now than it was 2 decades ago.

Researchers at the University of Guelph analized 54 million weight measurements between 1981 and mid 2016 to get a sense of the typical weight gain & loss pattern over the course of a cat's life.

Data showed cats' mean weight reached its peak between 6 and 10 years of age for the most common purebred breeds: Siamese...Persian...Himalayan.. and Main Coon; and at 8 for domestic cats.

Many people have begun to keep their cats indoors.

Treats can have a big impact on their animals. Pet owners may want to begin weighing their cats at home. Another solution is using technology, like automatic feeders.

The ideal of calm exists in a sitting cat ~ observed by Jules Renard.

Pat Brown idealized: One small cat changes coming home to an empty house ~ to coming home!

Love of Dogs: Charles de Gaulle opined: The better I get to know man, the more I find myself loving dogs. Milan Kundera believed Dogs are our link to Paradise. They don't know jealousy or discomfort.

Police Dog Parker Dies Weeks After Retirement: Rest in Peace, Parker! One of the their recently retired police service dogs has died. We are devastated to share that our universally loved, 'Parker' has passed ~ and our thoughts are with his best friend and handler, Sgt. Tara Vivian,” the tweet said with Parker's picture. We are incredibly fortunate to have had such a loyal member amongst us ~ and had hoped for many years of restful retirement. After K9's last shift on April 21, Sgt. Vivian wrote:

Take my hand ~ and I will go anywhere with you.

(Reported to The Canadian Press by Paola Loriggio)

I agree with Josh Billings who wrote: “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.”

Custom Wood Kennels, Memory Foam Beds: (From The Washington Post, Jura Koncius headlines,

“Welcome to the wildly stylish world of modern pet furniture.”

“Pet furniture has come a long way from teal carpeted cat towers and lumpy plaid dog beds. For discerning pet owners who treat their cats and dogs like family ~ designers are creating stylish, even glamourous furniture. Witness the new $5,000 (US) Crystal Clear Lotus Cat Tower by the Refined Feline, with 3 platforms for lounging and a hideaway cubby at the bottom lined in faux fur...scaled with similar nailhead trim and turned legs. Add decor: co-ordinating paint colours...add art and wall hangings...incorporate rugs in each room...a sofa complete with throw pillars...even lamps and toys.

I have studied many philosophies of cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely super, stated Hippolyte Taine.

Arctic Fox Walks More than 4,000 Kilometres from Norway to Canada: Norwegian researchers confirmed this fox's achievement. This young female fox left her birth place on Norway's Scalbard Archipelago on March 1, 2018 ~ and reached Canada's Ellesmere Island by way of Greenland on July in 2018. This distance was among the most ever recorded for an Arctic fox seeking a place to settle down and breed. ~ the institute said in a research article titled One Female's long run across sea ice.

During the walk to Canada, the roughly 2-year-old fox moved at an average rate of 46.3 kilometres per day, the Norwegians scientists said.

If travelled in a straight line, her distance was 1,789 kilometres. The sea ice allows Norway's arctic foxes to reach Greenland and then North America in search of places to breed. With thick fur to survive, they subsist on fish....marine birds.. and lemmings.

The photo of her and a researcher states her walking distance was 4,415 kilometres.

(Reported from Copenhagen to The Canadian Press)

Why Every Garden Needs a Woodpecker: When Adrian Higgins came to Washington, he noticed woodpeckers seemed to be as common as pigeons ~ being reliable visitors to trees, gardens and parks. Impressive to him was the extraordinary coloured plumage. Trees appear to be simple columns of wood ~ but they are whole worlds to the woodpecker: a place of shelter...safety...and food...teeming with insects on and beneath the bark layer. With stiffened tail feathers to act as a brace, they can hammer away with countless skills: agility around the trees ~ and their capacity to turn their beaks, skulls and neck into rapid-fire chisels. In the natural world's symphony orchestra, woodpeckers are the percussionists. In Washington's urban forest, we see woodpeckers frequently because most of the tree canopy has dead trees or branches ~ and it is in the deadwood that woodpeckers excavate a hole to nest.

The cavities that woodpeckers create and later abandon, provide living space for other creatures ~ birds such as titmice, nuthatches and wrens...also for flying squirrels.

The prettiest species is the red-hooded woodpecker ~when I saw one, I thought I had been transported to the tropics: a bird with white body... inky blue wings splashed white.. and an entire red head.

Raccoon Trapped in Vending Machine: Police say a raccoon trapped in a vending machine at a Florida High School, is now free. A deputy stationed at Pine Ridge High School was notified of the trapped raccoon and called Animal Control who rolled the vending machine to an open area of the yard ~ and after about two hours, the raccoon was set free.

Shark Takes Bite Out of Teen's Surf-Board: In Honolulu, a teen surfing off the island of Oahu escaped a shark encounter uninjured ~ but his board didn't. Local media reports 16-year-old Max Kellikipi was waiting for a wave Sunday evening near Makaha Beach when he spotted what he thought was a turtle fin...but it wasn't. The teen says the shark chomped down on the front of his board, just inches from his foot ~ taking off a chunk bigger than his head.

News gathered by MBK...written August 16, 2019