Turtles at Botany Pond

Turtles enjoying the sunshine at Botany Pond this afternoon.

Red-eyed cicada

This red-eyed cicada was sitting on our cedar picnic table. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodical_cicadas

Photo: Marge Ishmael

Experts rate the risks of 14 summer activities

Meredith Miotke for NPR

"It has been around two months of quarantine for many of us. The urge to get out and enjoy the summer is real. But what's safe? We asked a panel of infectious disease and public health experts to rate the risk of summer activities, from backyard gatherings to a day at the pool to sharing a vacation house with another household." - NPR
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/05/23/861325631/from-camping-to-dining-out-heres-how-experts-rate-the-risks-of-14-summer-activit?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.comutm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR25usFwhHSH7LMY0uWmCHUknOxRRf1V6d1yfOFwqNHhvCFrg63PQuqwwNA

Memorial Day blossom

Photos: Marge Ishmael

Young stag

A young stag caught on our trophy cam:

Rabbits face their own deadly virus

CNN

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease type 2 has killed thousands of rabbits in the American Southwest and poses a grave threat to the pet rabbit industry as well as endangered species and other wild animals that eat rabbits. The disease is thought to have originated around a decade ago in European rabbits, which comprise most domestic rabbits sold in the US, and eventually reached the wild rabbit population: https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/18/us/rabbit-virus-hemmorhagic-disease-scn-trnd/index.html

Stopping deforestation can prevent pandemics

Credit: Taylor Callery

Destroying habitats makes viruses and other pathogens more likely to infect humans:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/stopping-deforestation-can-prevent-pandemics1/

Coronavirus and Climate Change (cartoon)

This week's cartoon from KAL: https://econ.trib.al/LfycWFF

Nature is sending us a message

Photo: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images

Destruction of wildlife and the climate crisis is hurting humanity, with Covid-19 a "clear warning shot" say experts:https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/25/coronavirus-nature-is-sending-us-a-message-says-un-environment-chief

Photo of cabin from meadow

Photo: Marge Ishmael

Raccoon through a glass window

Deer

Came face-to-face with this deer on a morning walk. We both froze!

Photo: Marge Ishmael

American Goldfinch

Lots of American goldfinches (aka "wild canaries") on our finch feeder this morning. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-goldfinch

Photos: Marge Ishmael

WWF photo contest -- I won!

I recently won a World Wildlife Fund - A Billion Shades of Green - photo contest and I'm thrilled about it.  There were 8,000 entries and 4 winners including mine, below!
https://lp.panda.org/billion-shades