All posts by naltneu

Animals, Children, Nature

A Child’s Delight

Children with a PuppyThis past week I had the honor to be the object of a child’s wonder and delight.  I remember, I was sitting outside having lunch with a colleague.  It was a beautiful, sunny day with a clear blue sky and the temperature was about 75 degrees.  A group of four to five-year old children had just gone swimming and they passed our table.  I saw them and asked, “how was your swim?”.  A little Asian girl with big brown eyes looked straight at me and said, “Great!”.  She then blurted, “Wow, you work there!”.  I was not quite sure how she had figured out where I was working but I was not surprised.

Children have an innate knowledge and trust their feelings.  They also have an amazing ability to touch us and keep us on track.  They remind us to be present and mindful.  And children inspire us to take good care of one another and the natural world.  We live in incredible times.  Let us protect our children, and the planet, and treat them well.

Animals, Tigers

Sweet Story and Blog Update

In-Sync Exotics
In-Sync Exotics

To My Loyal Readers,

Thank you for reading my weekly blogs and for sharing your stories with me.  I am honored.  Going forward, this blog will appear on the first Thursday of each month, instead of weekly.   That said, urgent news will be posted on an as needed basis.

As you spend your vacation days at the beach please click on the link below and read a heartwarming rescue story about Aasha, the beautiful Bengal tiger pictured above.

https://www.thedodo.com/tiger-cub-aasha-transformation-1954642521.html

Children, Climate Change

Politics and Climate Change – Does it Matter?

Kids in the Park

Yes, politics do matter and so does mitigating climate change.  Both are intertwined.  As our planet heats up it affects our economy, our health, our children, our political representatives and our future.  The November elections in the United States will soon be here.  I urge you to make sure you are registered to vote.  I urge you to vote on November 8th.  Your vote is important.  Please don’t tell me your vote does not matter.  It does.  Now is not the time to sit on your hands and do nothing.  Wildfires are raging across Oregon and California, and animals and people are tragically dying.  Ashes in the sky, burned homes and black carcasses come to mind.  It is time to vote for the candidates who are speaking about climate change and doing something about it.  It is time to support them.  It is easy to be angry.  But I ask you to think about the future.  Think of your child or grandchild.  Who do you want them to have as a role model?  Do you want fear and hatred to be the model or do you want intelligence and sanity to be the model?  Do you want your children and grandchildren to live a good life and be happy?  I know you want them to play in the park.  So, do your part, go out and vote.  You matter, we matter, and so do children of the world.  Thank you.

Animals, Forests, Kindness, Leadership

Orangutans – Shocking!

Photograph by Mattias Klum, National Geographic Creative
Photograph by Mattias Klum, National Geographic Creative

I just read something I did not wish to see.  “The Guardian” headline said Bornean orangutans are now critically endangered because of shrinking forests.  Trust me, as an animal lover and environmentalist, I did not want to see that headline.  I would have preferred to read something like forests are growing and orangutan populations are increasing.

Because of habitat loss, illegal hunting and forest degradation we are going to see an 86% decline in the orangutan population between 1973 and 2025.  You are all intelligent readers, but let me put it starkly, that means if you have 100 orangutans only 14 would be left!  The other reality worth noting is that orangutans only reproduce every six to eight years.  So that means it is inherently much harder for orangutan populations to rebound.

So what can I say to make any of this sound more uplifting and less depressing?  Point one, Bornean orangutans are very adaptable and can survive in a degraded forest.  Point two, we can take actions to ensure that the current number of Bornean orangutans, which stands at 41,000, increases.  Please check the label and read ingredients for the foods you eat.  If palm oil is listed Don’t Buy It.  I repeat, don’t buy it.  Palm oil is one of the top reasons forests are being destroyed and depleted.  Point three, your actions make a difference.  Thank you.

Birds

Baby Bird Rescue

EinsteinI had the fortune of meeting Einstein, a baby bird last week.  She or he, we don’t know which yet, fell about eight stories out of its nest and landed on the ground.  Luckily, my colleague found the bird and rescued it.  It is no bigger than my index finger and is living on a mix of egg and some high protein cat food.  Einstein is so tiny that it has to be fed small pieces of food held with tweezers.  Remember, the parents would normally drop food into the hungry bird’s mouth.  If you look at the photo you can see the outline of its yellow mouth.  Right now it looks like Einstein is a catbird but time will tell if that is the case.

 

I just received some great news, Einstein is a bluebird.  Here is a photo below of what he or she is starting to look like.Bluebird

Animals, Sea Otters

Sea Otters – Check it Out

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) cradling sleeping pup Inian Islands
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) cradling sleeping pup Inian Islands

“Animals…are like us in so many ways.  They want to grow up free and raise their families in a world that is safe.  And if we let them disappear from this Earth then a part of us will disappear too….whether they’ll live happily ever after depends on us.”

Morgan Freeman

Sea Turtles

World Environment Day

Sea Turtle

 

On June 5th we observed World Environment Day, a day started by the United Nations Environment Program to raise awareness and have people take action to protect the planet and nature.  The day is celebrated in over 100 countries and was started in 1974.  Each year has a theme and this year focuses on preventing the illegal trade in wildlife.

Illegal trade in wildlife endangers the Earth’s biodiversity and drives animal species to extinction.  Some of the animals at risk include rhinos, elephants, tigers and sea turtles.  I once had the chance to swim with wild sea turtles and was amazed and awed by their size, beauty, intelligence and grace.  They helped me better appreciate the beauty of the natural world and have inspired me to protect it.

Work to counter illegal trade has been successful but there is still more work to be done.  Each one of our choices concerning travel, diet and consumption makes a difference.  Please make sure you stand with endangered species and help safeguard them for your children and your children’s children.  You matter and your actions make a difference.  Thank you.