Looking for the Little – The Photography of Hendrika Pauley

With just her cell phone vegan photographer Hendrika Pauley shares her love of Nature and the insect world on her Facebook page.

Every morning she and her dog Rexi head out to capture the myriad of marvellous creatures Earth’s ecosystem depends on, and whose lives go unnoticed about us.  While temperatures are low they are still sleeping, or awakening from slumber, and easier to photograph.    Her photos inspire us to look more closely:-

“If you feel lonely, sad, and forlorn–please go to a field early in the morning when little friends are still dreaming away. Tread lightly. They are slowly waking up, unfolding and stretching their dew-covered wings. Slowly air-dry-flapping their delicate wings in soft poetry-like motion”.

 Hendrika’s message:  All life is unique, marvellous, and should be respected.

Enjoy a selection of her photos.

 

Grasshopper enjoying the protection of a water umbrella

Fall Webworm moth caterpillar eating

“Slowly awakening from slumber”…

“Busy bee butt doing busy butt work… Both Morning Glory and bee will soon disappear…”

“We can’t make strong silk from our bodies.  Respect for spiders…”

“She wanted to box with me…”

Two suphurs in an embrace

“Be careful… they sleep… on grasses close to the ground”

“Just hanging…”

A ladybug has found a niche in the market…

“In the NoContraceptivesNeeded Orphanage the overworked and underpaid child care workers are getting beyond annoyed with Mildred. She left her offspring once again without notification and took flight during the dark of night. No doubt looking for another hookup…”

 

 

 

‘It’s As Hot As Hell And We Shouldn’t Take It Any More’ – Thoughts on the European Heatwave

On a working holiday in London in 1970 I looked out my window and saw snow for the first time.  The light dusting that fell overnight had settled on trees and rooves, and I thought it looked beautiful.  Even the summer was chilly as I recall compared to Auckland, and the sky was mainly overcast.

More than fifty years later these memories come to mind as UK temperatures surpass 40 degrees C for the first time in history.  Cases of heat exhaustion and heat stroke are increasing, and more people are drowning as they try to cool off at beaches, rivers, lakes and reservoirs.   

In Spain and Portugal, nearly two thousand people have died since the heatwave started at the beginning of July.   In parts of southwestern France, ferocious wildfires are spreading through tinder-dry pine forests,  and tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from homes and summer vacation spots.   It’s as ‘hot and hell’, and it’s not only humans who  are affected, but the whole biosphere. 

The warming of the planet, including the intensity and frequency of wildfires, storms and drought, is negatively affecting not only us but all other beings – their lives, habitats and food sources.     In Australia in 2019/2020, 97,000km2 of forest and surrounding habitats were destroyed by intense fires caused by climate change. Millions of animals, including kangaroos, koalas, possums and other endemic species burned in agony, died through smoke inhalation, or had their habitats destroyed.  In the oceans, warming and acidification is causing cascading effects on marine life through changing developmental and growth patterns, mass migration, and coral bleaching to name just a few.   

When it comes to containing global warming, the greenhouse gases that are of greatest concern are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. About a quarter – in New Zealand it’s a half –  of greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture and land use activities, mostly in the form of methane and nitrous oxide.  Deforestation to clear land that formerly hosted ecosystems in order to raise cattle or grow crops to feed animals is one of the direct causes, as when trees are felled they release carbon, increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

 

 

 

Agricultural practices on animal farms also directly worsen climate change.  Intensification of animal agriculture has led to billions of farm animals, mainly cows, emitting a large quantity of heat-trapping methane through their burps.    Manure application, use of nitrogen in fertilizer, and nitrogen deposition are also major sources of nitrous oxide emissions in the agricultural sector. 

Leading New Zealand climate scientist James Renwick warns if countries don’t get on top of their emissions the results will be “catastrophic”.  I think the situation has become so critical now that it is individuals, not governments,  who must lead the way.   One of the easiest and most effective things we can do is to convert to a plant based diet.  

 

 

Sandra Kyle is an animal activist, teacher and writer.  She is the Editor of End Animal Slaughter

Over Half The World’s Turtles At Risk Of Extinction

End Animal Slaughter contributor Matt Ellerbeck campaigns for turtles, whose survival depends on people changing their habits.

 

Turtles have been on this Earth for well over 200 million years. Now, however, the turtle is facing a grim future. Over half of the world’s turtle species are at risk of extinction.

The turtle’s current state of danger is due to the actions of people! There are several different factors contributing to the endangerment of the world’s turtles.

Chinese Big-Headed Turtle (Platysternon megacephalum). This turtle is a critically endangered species, declining due to being exploited and hunted for meat. Photo credit: Matt Ellerbeck

 

The biggest issue impacting these animals is the loss or fragmentation of their natural habitat. Turtle habitats of all kinds are being degraded and destroyed at an alarming rate. Wetlands are drained, forests are destroyed and waterfronts are developed. Turtles are literally losing their homes.

The loss of habitat and the increase of human activities and recreation on the water and on beaches also affects turtles and their nests in a negative way. Waterfront developments restrict turtles from prime basking and nesting sites. Containments and sewage runoff from such developments can also cause harm to turtles.

Pesticides, oils, chemicals, and industrial pollution may contaminate the habitats of turtles and their local prey items. When the turtles eat contaminated prey, they may become poisoned and die. These developments may also cause water levels to rise which can drown nest sites, destroying turtle eggs.

Plastic waste and pollutants can harm and kill turtles in a variety of ways. Plastic bags and twine can choke and strangle turtles, while ingesting waste can cause death. You can help by properly storing waste, cutting plastic rings, and cleaning litter around wetlands, waterfronts, and beaches 
Photo credit: Ildar Sagdejev

 

Matt with a Chinese Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis). Populations of these turtles are decreasing. They are hunted for meat and are now listed as a Vulnerable Species.

 

Recreational activities on the water can also have devastating impacts on turtles, such as being killed or severely injured when they are hit by boats or water vehicles. Fishermen will often kill turtles for fear of their preying on game fish. Driving on beaches with cars and four wheelers can destroy nests in the sand.  Killing turtles for sport is still widespread in parts of the United States.

 

The Reptile And Amphibian Conservancy states that shooting basking turtles for sport remains a persistent problem throughout much of the Southeastern United States. Photo credit without graphics: Danielle Brigida

 

The Indian Tent Turtle (Pangshura tentoria) is impacted by various forms of exploitation. According to the IUCN, this species is collected for both domestic and international food markets and pet trade. Trade and seizures of subspecies circumdata have increased in recent years. Habitat loss and degradation also impacts certain populations of these turtles. Photo credit: Charles J. Sharp

 

The Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata) is sadly disappearing. The IUCN states subpopulations are continuing to decline and lists the turtle as a Vulnerable Species. The destruction of wetland habitats is a major threat to this gentle species. Photo credit: Yathin S Krishnappa

 

Where good habitat does exist it is often altered by roads and highways. This leads to the deaths of countless turtles on roads when they are struck by vehicles. Legions of turtles must cross roads when looking for nest sites to lay their eggs. This is particularly detrimental to turtle populations because not only does it lead to the death of a large portion of the breeding population (i.e. the mature female turtles) but the next generation of turtles is also killed off when the eggs are destroyed. This can lead to local populations of turtle species becoming exterminated. Even if the female turtles do successfully find nesting spots and lay their eggs, the baby turtles have a small chance of reaching maturity. Nests are often destroyed by predators like raccoons and skunks. While human activities have had negative impacts on turtles, they have helped increase these turtle predators. Human waste provides an unlimited food source for these predators. This has caused their populations to grow and this surplus of predators takes a very heavy toll on turtle nests.

Turtles, including rare and endangered ones, also suffer from being harvested from the wild at an almost unfathomable rate. Turtles and their eggs are collected for the pet trade, food markets, or to be used in traditional medicines. Sometimes the turtles and their eggs are captured right off nesting sites. Many turtle species are also hunted to be killed for meat.

Turtles including rare and endangered ones, suffer from being captured from the wild, sometimes from their nesting sites. Both turtles and their eggs are used in traditional medicines, and their shells are used for trinkets.  
Photo credit: Muntaka Chasant

 

When the factors above are combined, it accounts for massive losses. This is why the conservation and protection of these animals is paramount for their survival.

Follow Protect All Turtles on Facebook

 

 

Canadian reptile advocate Matt Ellerbeck, whose preservation work has earned him both a Green Globe Nomination and an Award from the Cataraqui Conservation Foundation.

Winners of Wildlife Photography of the Year, 2021

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, founded in 1965, is an annual international showcase of the best nature photography. In 2021 the contest attracted more than 50,000 entries from 95 countries. 

 

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. 

 

View the twelve 2021 winning entries in this Atlantic article:

 

View winners from previous years on the Natural History Museum website here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fish Feel! What the documentary ‘Seaspiracy’ Has Taught Us.

The important documentary by filmmaker Ali Tabrizi is swearing people off eating fish.  One of the most important reasons for this is that fish are sentient.

‘Each fish is an individual with a unique personality and the desire to live. Fish experience pain in a way similar to humans, communicate in complex ways (herrings, for example, signal each other by farting), and can feel fear.

So, when massive commercial-fishing nets rip the animals from their homes, pack them so tightly that their eyes may burst out of their skulls, drag their sensitive scales along the ocean floor, and force them to undergo decompression—which often ruptures their bladders and pushes their stomachs out of their mouths—fish likely experience an excruciating, terrifying journey to the surface. Then, if they are still alive, fishers often cut their gills and leave them to bleed out or toss them onto ice to freeze or suffocate slowly. You wouldn’t want to be kicked, thrown, suffocated, or hacked to death on a chopping block—and neither do they.’

Read the PETA article here:

Watch Seaspiracy on Netflix