[In The Jungle we have but one word, Oo-oo, but an infinite variety of inflections. Humans, by contrast, are so primitive that they have to resort to communicating with their hands. SB SM] from the MIT Press Reader by way of The Browser An excerpt from François Caradec’s book “Dictionary of Gestures.” We might believe... Continue Reading →
[It won't be difficult to get the 'Gators to join the Orcas and the Silverbacks in their revolt against the humans. SB SM] Photographs of the Los Angeles Alligator Farm (ca. 1907) From 1907 until its relocation in 1953, the area of Lincoln Heights was home to what the Los Angeles Times dubbed “the city’s most exotic residents”:... Continue Reading →
summarized by Bryan Pfeiffer published in chasingnature.substack.com, May 26,2023 Clockwise from upper left: Atala (Eumaeus atala), Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis), Little Metalmark (Calephelis virginiensis), Leonard’s Skipper (Hesperia leonardus), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) Sara Orangetip (Anthocharis sara) / All images @ Bryan Pfeiffer Butterflies: Made in the Americas Lepidopterists everywhere dropped our butterfly nets and... Continue Reading →
Orcas are ramming yachts off the Spanish coast – is the whale world rising up? [Pay attention to this! Forget about the threats posed by AI. That's going to be a second-rate Y2K. The idea of nature striking back at humans, however, is intriguing, not to mention frightening. What if the Orcas teamed up with... Continue Reading →
[Silverbacks do not molt. Neither do humans. This story, however, is a vivid reminder of what a miracle life on this planet, and this universe, is. Do yourself a favor, read this! SB SM] By: Eric Wagner | May 19, 2023 Published in The Last Word on Nothing https://www.lastwordonnothing.com/ Brown Penguins are black and white—everyone knows this—except when... Continue Reading →
Three researchers discuss the possibilities and problems arising as psychedelic plant medicines, held sacred by many Indigenous communities, move into the global mental health and tourism industries. from SAPIENS, May 17, 2023 by Keridwen Cornelius Artwork in Mexico likely depicts María Sabina, a Mazatec shaman who preserved traditional knowledge of psilocybin mushrooms for healing. Artur... Continue Reading →
[Sex is in the air at this time of the year. Birds are twittering, frogs are singing, and the doe is emerging from the woods with fawns, the result of last fall's rut. As the great primates that we are, we might as well get in the swing of things. SB SM] https://chasingnature.substack.com/ by Bryan... Continue Reading →
By Laurie D. Morrissey Call it a flower or call it a weed – clover is a plant everyone knows. Who hasn’t idled away an hour hunting for a four-leaf clover, hoping for good luck? A member of the legume family, clover is common in lawns and fields, in disturbed sites, and along roadsides. Of... Continue Reading →
Love live the Queen! Queen Season: Bumble Bees in Spring By Kenrick Vezina Hear ye, hear ye! The queens have emerged! We’re talking about bumble bees (genus Bombus). For several weeks each spring, any bumble bee you see is a queen – and very hard at work. She must construct her kingdom. Her mother (the... Continue Reading →
https://www.ribbonfarm.com/ [Silverbacks and 'belles frequently lament the fact that our Silverpups (offspring and offspring-of-offspring) are growing up in a world that does not value reading, writing, and word glorification in the same way that our generation did. My wife sent her grandson a birthday card. He said "Thank you, Nana, but I can't read it... Continue Reading →
