Nature
A Turtle's Smile. Second Place in Capture the Wild Challenge.
It can be hard leaving family behind for college, especially if you're close with them. On August 16, 2017, I wasn't leaving my family - rather, my little brother was leaving me for the Florida Institute of Technology.
By Kathryn Milewski5 years ago in Earth
Whatever it Takes Dolphin Run
I can’t promise this is the best dolphin in the wild picture ever but it might just be the most real. I did crop out the guys arm and zoom in on this momma and baby playing. It was the journey getting to this pixilated dream come true that is most amazing. I am afraid my camera skills are lacking to capture the true intensity of this sheer joy moment. Like any great story it has a beginning, the hook, beautiful blondes in the middle, and the ending (all be it a bit non climatic in this case). Most often I have found true peace of mind and soul to be this way as well. You think you are hunting for some pie in the sky high and there it is on any given regular Sunday morning worship service.
By Holly Yandle5 years ago in Earth
A Butterfly Flower
I live in a small beach town by the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, that keeps beauty at the forefront of our community. Our small city has won beautification awards on a national level and I volunteer when I can to help meet our communities’ goals. Now having three children, my volunteer hours are a tad less than they use to be. I remember driving to the beach early one morning and seeing volunteers from our community driving from planter to planter watering the hanging baskets of flowers downtown, at 5 AM in the morning. So, it was no surprise to me when I heard about an Urban Forest was being created within the city limits. An Urban Forest is where you take a deserted location in a city and dedicate it back to nature. Ours happens to be an old Ringling Bros. Circus railroad corridor that was abandoned, the tracks and pilings buried. The goal was to use native flora to attract native fauna. Since I volunteered my time for the non-profit, Venice Area Beautification Inc. that happened to be building this beautiful Urban Forest, they hired me for this sub-committee. They wanted me to create, design, and develop awareness for their new project. I chose to do this through photography, website design, and social media posts. It went hand in hand, as the photography I took I could then edit and create social media posts from the , to share and bring awareness to our community.
By Victoria Dietz5 years ago in Earth
Teaching a Monarch Butterfly to Play Dead
Today we will be Citizen Scientists tagging Monarch butterflies for the annual migration. Dew-covered cobwebs blanketed the undulated landscape at the Heard Nature Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney, Texas, on a cool autumn morning in 2007. The Sanctuary sits on less than 300 acres of untamed wilderness between suburban city sprawl in the Dallas Fort Worth area less than a mile from the major Highway 75 thoroughfare. The neighborhoods adjacent to "The Heard" are comprised of million-dollar homes on 1 acre lots. Yet, looking out over the natural tall grassed clearing we pulled up to and getting set to traverse, we saw an overgrown field of chest-high prairie grasses, scattered thistle and bramble dotted with goldenrod, milkweed, Indian paintbrushes, and johnsongrass. In addition, our guide, Scott, was happy to see us all in long sleeve shirts and jeans and protective footwear like rubber boots. He dutifully informed us of the possibility of stumbling upon all manner of wildlife such as water mocassin snakes, rattlesnakes, copperhead snakes, raccoons, foxes, bobcats, and hundreds of types of insects. Including ticks, we would have tick checks throughout the day, which meant finding a buddy and checking to see if any ticks could be found on their clothing or hair.
By JoAnne Scalf5 years ago in Earth
Cows, Cairns and the Rugged Wilderness of Caledonia
In October 2017, my partner and I left the frenetic and frenzied atmosphere of a bustling city in Southern England and headed north, to the remote and dramatic wilderness of Scotland. We were burnt out and in desperate need to get away for a while, to reconnect with nature.
By Michael Howkins5 years ago in Earth
The Virtual Conservationist. Top Story - June 2021.
I am woken by the sun throwing its first rays of the day over my face as it begins its slow journey from the horizon to the heavens. Dawn is breaking and the African bush is calling me. I stretch and yawn and throw off the covers. I feel like I’m the only human for miles around. There is no sound except the birds singing their morning chorus and the insects joining in on percussion. I gently sit up, and then creep softly to the shower, trying to preserve the morning calm.
By Jenifer Nim5 years ago in Earth
No Trees, No Human
Once upon a time, there was lovely timberland. There were many trees in a forest, one of which was very thick and tall. Many birds and animals like sparrow, parrot, monkeys a fox they are all friends of the tree. They were all live here happily. All the animals and birds of the forest came to this tree, ate its fruit and rested in its dense shade. The bird would sing happily sitting on the branches of the tree. Everyone was living happily in the forest. They were like a big family. There was also a lumberjack living near this forest. One day, as he was passing by, he saw a tall, dense tree. He thought why not cut down this tree for which he would get a good price. So he went out to cut down trees the next morning. One day, it was raining heavily in the forest, the entire animal in the forest was enjoying the rain of the tree fellow, all the friends were chattering. Suddenly they heard that a lumberjack was coming. All the animals and birds of the forest came to this tree to save him. The tree forbade them all to leave so that this lumberjack would not harm you. The little sparrow spoke immediately “We can't leave you alone in this difficult time. You give us food. You provide us shade. You are our best friend. We will not leave you alone in this difficult time." Mean while a fox said, "Go behind the tree, all of you. When he is released, we will all attack him, so he will run away in fear." Woodcutter drew close to the tree. He said be prepared to cut you tree. The shrewd wolf previously advised the arrangement to every one of them, so when the woodcutter drew close to the tree to cut every one of them began bouncing around him and monkeys began hopping on him. The woodcutter was very clever. He knew that many birds and animals are friends of trees, so he brought his gun with him. The lumberjack immediately picked up the gun, which frightened all the animals and birds. At the point a cunning fox slipped out and reached the lion and advised him to come there. The lion roared uproariously and came to there by running. Subsequent to hearing lion's roar, the woodcutter was apprehensive and fled from that point. Every one of the creatures and birds said thanks to the lion just as wolf for his cunning.
By Nimra Sohail5 years ago in Earth
Woodland Trail
For about 10 years, before my friend left the East Coast for a job in New Mexico, she and I separately got our kids ready for school and as soon as it was light, 6:30 or so, rain or shine, temperatures above 20°F and below 95°F, we’d go on a three mile trek every weekday.
By Natalie Wilkinson5 years ago in Earth
