Tag Archives: Morgan Heim
Who says you have to go to Africa to go on Safari?
Biodiversity Conservation Alliance is taking people out to see the sites of the Red Desert. Better yet, this guided trip is free. Learn more and watch a slideshow of what the trip promises on my Red Desert Blog entry Red Desert Caravan on Labor Day Weekend.
Leave a comment | tags: Biodiversity Conservation Alliance Trips, Morgan Heim, nature photography workshop, photo safari, Red Desert, Red Desert Caravan and photo workshop, Wyoming Nature, Wyoming's Red Desert | posted in Ecotourism
I dug this up from a project I did a few years ago, but wildlife factoids never go out of style. So go ahead and test your wildlife savvy with this wacky wildlife trivia. Some you probably know without breaking a sweat, but others might take you by surprise. (Answers are upside down in the green border at the bottom. You can click on the quiz to view it bigger.)
Leave a comment | tags: animal facts, Animal Photos, Animal Quizzes and Games, cockroaches, Learning about Animals, Mites, Morgan Heim, mustangs, nature photography, nature photos, photos, pika, pronghorn, Quizzes and Games, Salamanders, the nature files, wacky animal facts, weird animal factoids, weird wildlife facts, wild horses, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography, woodpeckers | posted in Wildlife
Nesting mountain plover (Photo/Fritz Knopf)
Here’s some food for thought.
The mountain plover’s populations now range around 20,000 birds left in the world. Across the globe, a very different creature, the saiga antelope, only boasts about 40,000. One of these animals is globally listed as critically endangered, and one was found not qualified for federal endangered species status. Any guesses?
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, after a review of the current scientific and commercial information found mountain plover not warranted for listing, citing threats to its habitat as less significant than previously thought.
Mountain plovers are a small ground-nesting bird that rely on short-grass prairies and shrub-steppe environments in the American West for breeding habitat. Land use and habitat loss have been a primary suspect in the disappearance of the plover, an animal so good at hiding, that science is just now starting to get a better idea of how many are left. Recent research shows that rather than being pushed out by agriculture, mountain plovers are actually using farmland as a refuge during nesting season.
I want to take this as good news, but with short-grass prairie and steppe disappearing, swallowed up by energy development and overgrazing, active cropland does not sound like the most stable of refuges for a bird of small numbers, stature and a master of camouflage. My hope is that not being listed will help avoid animosity of the animal by landowners, and perhaps even foster pride and care of the plover so that farmers will not have to contend with being the harbor of an endangered species.
Saiga Antelope, numbers around 40,000, critically endangered and rightfully so.
How many of an animal is left is not necessarily determinant of whether a species should be protected. Many factors go into the decision. But one has to wonder, what makes a population of 20,000 birds so much more stable than 40,000 of another species?
1 Comment | tags: animals, birds, Conservation, Endangered Species, ESA, Fish and Wildlife Service, Morgan Heim, mountain plover, mountain plover not warranted for endangered species status, nature, photos, saiga antelope, the nature files, Wildlife | posted in birds, Conservation, Endangered Ecosystems, Wildlife in Danger
While learning about all things conservation in Boulder, I was told about a special type of tree that grows in one spot here. The paper birch is a species of tree that has grown here since the time of the last Ice Age. They are rare in the West. Boulder represents the southernmost population of the tree west of Nebraska.
Actually seeing them is like stumbling upon a secret. So I made this quick little video to show you what they look like and some of the cool things about them.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Video of Rare Ice Age Tree, posted with vodpod
What I’ve learned is that there are amazing things right in my backyard. I bet there are in yours too.
What’s special about your local nature?
Send in some photos, put up your YouTube clip or even send a few words, and I’d be happy to share it on Nature Files. I bet you won’t have to look very far.
Leave a comment | tags: Boulder, Colorado, HD video, Ice Age, Ice Age Trees, Morgan Heim, Paper Birch, rare ice age tree in Boulder, the nature files, trees, video, video of ice age trees | posted in Botany, Boulder, Boulder County
Feather-loss disorder has also been observed in African penguins, which inhabit the coast and offshore islands of South Africa. (Photo/Nola Parsons)
Penguins already endure their fair share of image problems. They’re a bit pudgy around the middle (not that there’s anything wrong with that). They have wings, but can’t fly, and a beach strut that’s really more of an awkward waddle. Now these tuxedoed birds can add bald to that list.
In a somewhat alarming twist of fate, penguins are being born featherless, and scientists don’t know why.
The phenomenon first emerged in 2006 when researchers observed featherless black-footed (AKA African) penguin chicks at a rehabilitation center in Cape Town, South Africa. That year about 59 percent of penguin chicks at the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds lost their feathers, followed by 97 percent in 2007. Meanwhile, researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society and University of Washington in Argentina also observed featherless Magellanic penguins in the wild.
In both cases, the featherless chicks grew at slower rates than their downy counterparts, most likely because they had to expend more energy to regulate their body temperature, said the researchers in a press release. The goose-fleshed penguins also had a tendency to spend more time in the sun, compared to feathered penguins. Many of these vulnerable chicks died during the study.
A researcher holds a featherless Magellanic penguin chick. (Photo/Jeffrey Smith)
So far, scientists don’t yet know what’s causing what looks like the avian version of mange. Disease, thyroid disorder, genetics and nutrient deficiencies could all be potential culprits, they say.
On a slightly more positive note, it does look like chicks that survive do eventually grow feathers. Researchers are working furiously to figure out what’s causing the trouble.
“We need to learn how to stop the spread of feather-loss disorder, as penguins already have problems with oil pollution and climate variation,” said P. Dee Boersma, one of the study authors in a press release. “It’s important to keep disease from being added to the list of threats they face.”
Scientific Journal:
Waterbirds
Study Authors and Affiliations:
Olivia J. Kane, Jeffrey R. Smith, and P. Dee Boersma of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the University of Washington; Nola J. Parsons and Vanessa Strauss of the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds; and Pablo Garcia-Borboroglu and Cecilia Villanueva of Centro Nacional Patagónico
Contact:
John Delaney, jdelaney@wcs.org, 718-220-3275, Wildlife Conservation Society
Leave a comment | tags: African penguins, animals, birds, feather-loss disorder, featherless birds, Magellanic Penguins, Morgan Heim, naked, naked penguins, penguins, the nature files, Wildlife Conservation Society | posted in Africa, birds
Click the Photo to Visit Pledge Page.
Make your pledge right away and get a pair of these eco-friendly, high-performance socks. The pledge will warm your heart, and the socks will keep your toes feeling cozy.
We only have five pairs to give away right now. An update will let you know when they’re gone, but don’t let that stop you from pledging.
From $10 on up we’ve got fun thank you gifts, s
uch as postcards and care packages from Thailand, not to mention limited edition prints.
Teko Socks are made from organic meri
no wool, using wind power. They look and feel nice too!
Teko’s Web site http://www.tekosocks.com/
2 Comments | tags: cat in water, cats, eco chic, eco-friendly clothes, fishing cat, giveaways, Morgan Heim, nature, outdoor gear, promotions, socks, Teko socks, Wildlife | posted in Uncategorized
Queen of the Prairie (Photo/cm195902 wikimedia commons)
The last time someone found the Queen-of-the-prairie — a pretty, pink rose-like flower — growing in Indianapolis, Indiana, was in a small damp spot at the edge of Water Canal and 52nd Street. The time was July 1935.
Urbanization has had an untold impact on local wildlife. Of the 700 plus species of plants found in Indianapolis, native species have long been replaced by invasive ones. What we see today makes it hard to imagine what we might’ve seen 50 years ago. But a new study, that also happens to be a fantastic premise for a local conservation photography project, might help with that.
Ecologists at the Friesner Herbarium in Butler University, Indianapolis, compared species composition of 2,800 dried plant specimens predating 1940 to plants collected by students between 1996 and 2006. They found a floral community drastically changed from pre-urbanized days. While the number of species was similar, about 700, about 168 (if my math is correct) native plants, including the Queen-of-the-prairie, have been replaced by non-native ones, such as the amur bush honeysuckle.
Honeysuckles don’t sound so bad, and the US Department of Agriculture’s Soil Conservation Service actually promoted the planting of it as a means to prevent erosion and feed wildlife. The plant has proven to do neither. The invasive honeysuckle now proliferates throughout the city along banks and wetlands and land managers pay hand over fist to eradicate it.
Perhaps the big take away from the study is that the plant changes caused by urbanization, at least in Indianapolis, is taking away their floral individuality, said the researchers in a press release.
So how does this turn into a photo project? The project by Butler University just screams visualization. I’m betting most urban areas have universities or museums with historical plant collections. They might even consider well-done portraits of these collections an asset to their archival and educational endeavors. Just think who you could partner with and what you could illustrate by creating a series of floral portraits comparing past and present plant communities in your city.
If you think a project like this isn’t important, keep these words from study lead and Director of Friesner Herbarium Dr. Rebecca Dolan in mind. “As cities continue to grow, urban green spaces are becoming important refuges for native biodiversity and for people. In coming decades, most people’s contact with nature will be in urban settings, so the social importance of urban plants has never been greater.”
You can find the study in the current issue of the Journal of Ecology.
“As cities continue to grow, urban green spaces are becoming important refuges for native biodiversity and for people. In coming decades, most people’s contact with nature will be in urban settings, so the social importance of urban plants has never been greater.”
Leave a comment | tags: amur bush honeysuckle, Amur mush honesuckle, Butler University, conservation photography project ideas, Dr. Rebecca Dolan, dried flowers, Friesner Herbarium, honeysuckle, Indianapolis, invasive plant eradication, Invasive Plants, invasive plants replacing native plants in cities, Journal of Ecology, Morgan Heim, native verses invasive plants, plant photo projects, pressed plants, Queen-of-the-prairie, Rebecca Dolan, the nature files, urban green spaces, urban green spaces as refuges for native wildlife, urbanization's effects on plants | posted in Conservation, Conservation Photography, ecology, Invasive Plants, Invasive Species, land management, Pests
Smithsonian Wild
Want to spy on wild animals?
Check out this new website launched by Smithsonian that brings together more than 200,000 camera-trap images from seven of their research projects. The online library reveals the otherwise secret lives of rarely seen species, such as the clouded leopard, Amazon red squirrel and the Chinese Takin. Bet you never heard of that one, huh? Well, now you can see a picture of it and while away the minutes as fast as you can say Tremminck’s tragopan. Yes, that’s a real animal, though it looks about as funny as it sounds. Smithsonian Wild
Leave a comment | tags: Amazon red squirrel, Camera Traps, Chinese Takin, clouded leopard, Morgan Heim, Smithsonian, Smithsonian Wild, Smithsonian Wildlife Candid Camera, Takin, the nature files, Tremminck's tragopan, wildlife camera traps, wildlife candid camera | posted in Amazon, Animal Behavior, biology, Camera Traps, Conservation, Conservation Photography, ecology, Wildlife
Support the Kickstarter project to document them in the wild here.
The fishing cat is up and running! We have 90 days to raise the first round of funds for the CAT in WATER expedition. Check out our Kickstarter project and watch the short video. You can also learn about all the paybacks in store for our supporters. Who wouldn’t want a care package from Thailand and the knowledge they are helping a gorgeous, wild animal in need?
Leave a comment | tags: Animal Behavior, Asian cats, big cats, cat conservation, cat in water, cats fishing, Clouded leopard project, Conservation, Conservation Photography, critically endangered, ecology, endangered, endangered cats, endangered felids, Endangered Species, endangered species act, environmental journalism, environmental photojournalism, fishing cat, fishing cats, iLCP, International League of Conservation Photographers, Joanna Nasar, Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, kickstarter, Kickstarter projects, media expedition, Morgan E. Heim, Morgan Heim, Namfon Cutter, nature, nature documentaries, Nature Files, Photography, protecting wild cats, save the fishing cat, saving, swimming cat, thailand, the nature files, wet cats, wildcat conservation, Wildlife, wildlife projects on kickstarter | posted in Animal Behavior, biology, CAT in WATER, Conservation, Conservation Photography, Eco Films, ecology, Ecotourism, Endangered Ecosystems, iLCP, International League of Conservation Photographers, mammals, National Parks, Photography, science, Wetlands, Wildlife, Wildlife in Danger
Watch the “Bag It” trailer. It manages to illustrate a hefty environmental and health issue without coming across as overbearing.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
1 Comment | tags: Are you too plastic, Bag it, eco films, eco movies, environmental films, environmental impacts of plastic, health impacts of plastic, Morgan Heim, plastic bags, the nature files, toxic plastic | posted in Eco Films, Endangered Ecosystems, pollution