San Diego Zoo Doing Their Part.

You would think with all my Africa talk I had always wanted to frolic with the lions and elephants on the plains of the Serengeti, but truthfully, growing up I wanted to be a marine biologist. I'd stay in freezing cold water for hours on end with my goggles and goofy sun-protecting visor discovering everything I could about aquatic life. That's me in the dorky green hat on my very first dolphin watching expedition. But enough about me, I'm writing to admire someone else's passion for our ocean dwellers. 

Zoos and Aquariums around the world face harsh criticisms with their conservation involvement. I even took an entire class on it in college called: Are Zoos and Aquariums Modern Arks? I have to admit, I too sometimes join in on the skepticism, but from what I've found, what visitors see at the zoo itself is not at all the whole package. At the larger zoos especially, the Smithsonian, the San Diego Zoo, Busch Gardens, the Georgia Aquarium, there are whole teams of people working behind the scenes to conduct research on endangered species all over. The mass crowds they pull in to see these magnificent animals up close end up funding reintroduction and community outreach programs just like this one:

Conservation with a "Porpoise"

I especially appreciated the community based management tactics they are going for with this program. 

Our collaborative group has prioritized the most efficient methods of addressing the human dimension of conservation. We will cultivate a sense of local pride in the vaquita and ultimately transfer ownership of vaquita conservation to the three fishing communities that are our main focus.

To do this, we are engaging the communities in education, outreach, and alternative livelihood opportunities to garner an interest in alternative fishing gear."

I believe a sense of pride and responsibility for a rare species within communities inspires them to examine their own lifestyle choices. Like the SDZG said, it's the most efficient method of conservation. It's worked many times in other places, like in Rwanda with their mountain gorillas. Every year, there is a massive ceremony to name the newborn gorillas, and it gives the locals a personal connection with the animals. They did the same thing with lions in a village in Kenya when poisoning was on the rise, and in SE Asia with red pandas. 

I have high hopes for vaquitas' continued existence. I think these delightful porpoises will be swimming into the imaginations of other little explorers for years to come. 

Read More

Ecology: systems work better as a WHOLE unit.

I LOVE Ted Talks. In fact, Ted Talks are what helped get me through some of my more patience required days of field research in California. I watched, or rather listened to, this video while sitting in a tent monitoring cameras set up on stationary rattlesnakes. Some, not even bothering to come out of their burrows. Thanks to Dan Barber, I still learned some important things about ecology that day, and it has stuck with me ever since. 

I love every message he delivers in this video. Feeding the world, better tasting food, reducing pollution, increasing sustainability, these things are not up to the farmer. They are determined by the basic principles of ecology. Every system works better as a whole. This farm lets nature do its thing, and the fish taste amazing. How about that.

Let me a give you some other examples.

1. In our own bodies:
   I've been watching a lot of health documentaries lately. My family doesn't exactly have the greatest track record with cancer, and what better prevention is there than proper diet and exercise? What I've heard over and over again is that there is nothing better for you than a WHOLE food, plant based diet. For example, what I mean by this, is that we know that beta-carotene is an essential nutrient in carrots and other vegetables, but when we extract it and put it in tablet form, our bodies do not get the same benefits from it as when it is paired with the other organic compounds found in the vegetable.
2. Predator-Prey Dynamics:
   Wolves were hunted to near extinction because they were considered to a be a threat to our food source. When they were reintroduced, scientists were pleasantly surprised to find that their existence in the food chain not only helps keep ungulate populations down, but in doing so, it improves water quality which of course benefits our local freshwater fish. Because ungulates are now weary of the wolves' presence, they do not feed along the banks of rivers and streams, which allows for young vegetation to grow and thus prevents erosion. There are also fewer direct deposits of feces. 
3. Agriculture: 
   We took cows off of pastures and gave them corn instead to supposedly feed more people, quicker. But because they are ruminants, the lack of grass produces and extra acidity in their stomachs which hosts a higher amount of E. Coli (the harmful kind) and creates all kinds of other health problems to the cows. So, we solved this by pumping antibiotics into their systems, which in turn goes through our systems, which leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and washing beef with ammonia. And let's be real, that's just gross. 

I like to point out examples in ecology that we can all easily relate to, e.i. the things we eat, so that when conservationists talk about our oceans' and forests' biodiversity crashing, or a certain species dying out, maybe we'll pay closer attention. 

This fish "farm" in Southern Spain knows what's up. 

Read More

Big oil strikes again.

To tell the story of why I am personally enraged by this news, we'll need to back up a bit. 

As you may know, my study abroad trip to Namibia was more than a life changing experience; it was a catalyst in forming my lifelong goals to work and explore in Africa. Upon meeting Tom LaRock, owner of Tom LaRock's Safari Professionals, I immediately wanted to help his organization expand in their tourism business so that he could have more money to start up his non-profit branch: Impact On Africa.  So I began an informal internship with Safari Professionals. Through this, I have had the privilege of getting to know many of his previous clients, who have since devoted their lives to making a positive difference in the African communities they visited. 

I was especially excited to write an article for a local magazine (which I will post when it is released). For this article, I interviewed past safari goers who dazzled me with the sights they saw in Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda. One in particular recalled his visit to Virunga National Park. I listened to his enchanting stories of going from open grass plains to thick mountain jungles, his guides hacking their way through the forest with machetes, radioing in to the gorilla trackers miles away. After a two hour hike, he was 10 feet away from a group of 18 mountain gorillas. 

I have also heard of the courageous stories of wildlife rangers in the Congo. They often risk their lives to protect the forest and incredible species that inhabit it. 

Then, I see this. Virunga National Park has a new enemy: Oil. It saddens me to think of how so many incredible places could be destroyed because of human and corporation greed. And to think we were just celebrating the increase in the gorilla population. The possibility for oil exploitation in the Congo was also addressed in this article, which has since become increasingly concerning. 

Many people do not realize that the ethical dilemmas that stem from oil extraction focus around people sometimes just as much as it does the environment. This article does an excellent job at pointing out just that, arguing that the local people would never actually see any benefits from the oil extracted. 

On top of lies told by the company saying the communities welcome their presence, I was especially blown away by a comment made by senior SOCO executive Roger Cagle in attempts to justify any environmental degradation:

The environmental destruction already visited on Virunga by decades of deforestation, poaching and war would render “inconsequential by comparison” any adverse affects caused by SOCO’s oil activities."

Two wrongs do not make a right, Mr. Cagle.

And if being protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site doesn't protect a park, what will?

Read More

My Corny Resolution Post.

On a more personal note than the majority of my posts, I'd like to share with you my thoughts as 2012 comes to a close. 

Last year, just before I brought in 2012 with college buddies, my Facebook status read:

This year, instead of making your routine resolutions of losing weight, getting good grades, or whatever it is you see needs improving in your daily life, decide to make a difference in someone or something else's life. If there's something you're passionate about that needs help, fight for it.

Whether it's the environment, wildlife, or people, there is always something you can do.

As I look back on what has been both the best, and absolute worst, year of my life, I stand by that statement. In the first 5 months of 2012, nothing made me happier than working with my best friends to make Roots and Shoots at NCSU the best possible organization it could be. It was fulfilling, to think that I was truly raising awareness on issues I cared so deeply about. I went on to graduate college, drive across the country with my sister (click here for a fun video montage), and made some new friends in California. I explored the Pacific coastal states, and settled into a brand new life in Portland, OR. 

But in between chasing rattlesnakes and becoming an Oregonian, my world was shattered. My beautiful mother and best friend, after a 6 year fight against stage IV colon cancer, passed away on August 28th. I could go on for pages about my mom, about her struggle, my family's struggle, and how much she meant to us, and what a wonderful person she was, but I will leave those details to my sister who more eloquently explains the situation through Still Easier Than Chemo. 

On top of the daily reminders of the giant hole in my life, finding a job has proven to be much more difficult than I imagined, even when Portland offers so many excellent organizations. And it should be noted that I am the type of person who NEEDS to work.

But while my life isn't going all that great right now, and I still have many personal improvement goals, I still think there isn't anything better than doing something good for someone/something else. I recently watched a documentary called "Happy" (which I would highly recommend, it's on Netflix!), and it mentioned how most people achieve a great deal of happiness just by helping others, and being part of a caring community. One of Mom's friends tragically lost her baby due to heart complications after birth, so other families were offering to make meals. My mom volunteered to be the deliverer, that way the family didn't have to worry about visiting with different people everyday, or even having to be home when the meals were being brought. Even though Mom was sick and very tired from rigorous chemotherapy, that little task, that small purpose genuinely made her happier. I could hear it in her voice when we spoke on the phone. 

But your cause doesn't have to be a friend, or even a person, or even the result of tragedy. Me, I love animals, and nature. I love getting dirty and working hard. So I fight for my earth, and even when I get discouraged about the job market or start to really miss my mom, making a difference in the world picks me back up.

So, 2013, I'm comin' for ya. 

Read More

Overfishing alters food chains to the extreme.

Photo credit: Catherine Jubb

Cannibalism has been observed in many different forms of nature. In Nambia, I learned about the white lady spider, who waits underground for the vibrations of nearby prey, or male wanting to mate. The male will perform a "dance" that supplies a rhythm that the female senses underneath. If she likes it, they will mate, but if she doesn't, she will often eat him instead. 

photo credit: David Doubliet

My favorite example is the notorious intrauterine cannibalism performed by some shark species. This is when the strongest or most developed embryo literally eats the other embryos and eggs in the uterus of the shark for nutrition. It is true survival of the fittest before birth.

But until now, only in captivity had lobster cannibalism ever been witnessed. In this article on Marine Science Today, it describes the behavior now being documented in the wild. The overfished stocks of the lobsters' main predator, cod and halibut, combined with the warmer waters in Maine due to climate change, has led to a drastic boom in Maine lobster populations. So much so, they have turned on each other for food. 

Banded lobster claw. Photo credit: junehug via photopin cc

I can't be the only one who's as concerned about the effects we have on our ecosystems...

Not only that, but tensions rise in the business world too as Canadian markets suffer from Maine lobsters sudden drop in price. Simple supply and demand, as this article on Reuters states at the end. The depletion of our resources never ends well. 

Read More