Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, Bangalore
A Forest With Miranda Rights
Click above for the video made by Australian environmental activist Miranda Gibson, who has been living on a platform in a Eucalyptus tree in Tasmania’s southern forest. She has vowed to stay there until the forests receive more protection from logging. She writes about it at Observertree:
Observer Tree needs your help!
I’ve been at the top of this tree for over 300 days now. I think it’s time for the world to know I’m here. The more people who find out and add their voice to the call for forest proteciton… the sooner we can save Tasmania’s forests and I can get down! Continue reading
Indian Green Chili
Chilies are an important food ingredient for all Indian recipes, especially in South Indian curries. They are commonly cultivating throughout India, although the fruit itself originated in the Americas and only spread eastward in the Columbian Exchange. They are now an important part of cuisines across the globe.
New York Public Library Is Privileged
If you have an interest in books and especially their role in libraries, as we do here because of their educational and cultural contributions to communities, you could not have ignored the stories of this man‘s shift from leading Amherst College to his present role at the New York Public Library. Looking at NYPL’s history, from the 19th Century to more recent times it seems on occasion more like a tool for the aggrandizement of wealth and privilege than a public institution. But not so, or not entirely so. Speaking to research librarians in an hour-long gentle provocation, NYPL’s President and CEO frames its role in a manner any modern library lover must be willing to speculate on:
Research libraries have long been considered the intellectual hub of a community, whether it’s a university or a city. With the shift to digital content, network-based services, and globalization, research libraries have been challenged to adapt in unprecedented ways. Some even question their ongoing importance.
Bird of the Day: Sabine’s Gull
Monterey, CA
Nature’s Relics
Entomologist, author and photographer Piotr Naskrecki, based at Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, has published a book whose photos we first saw here, and whose attention to cycads we first took note of here. His book is available here. For an ever-expanding catalogue of his amazing nature images with accompanying entomological (and other) interpretive guidance, see his blog here.
From Behind the Wheel: Standing Room Only
Near Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Orion Nature Quarterly’s Online Evolution
From a magazine we appreciate for its 30+ years of awesome long form non-fiction writing on important issues related to nature, as much as its audio-visual contributions on the same, in the item featured here:
Photographer Douglas Gayeton explains the genesis of his giant-sized, mural-like photos designed to protect from corporate marketing the meaning behind the words we use to describe sustainability. The project began as a language experiment in Tuscany, Italy.
Wild Periyar – Peninsular Rock Agama
Periyar is a reptile haven. One of its residents is the Peninsular Rock Agama, a medium-sized, predominantly rock dwelling lizard commonly seen at low elevations. Its colouration is cryptic, matching that of the rocks among which they live. In the breeding season the males turn black with brilliant crimson head and foreparts.
World Class Photographs Of Earth’s Beauty
Thanks to the citizens of the USA, and the people they employ at NASA’s Earth Observatory, there is a large collection of photographs available free for the browsing. Each day they upload new, amazing images of the planet, its weather patterns, geological formations, etc. Case in point: high resolution versions of the photos above, providing fine-grained details, can be found here, here and here.
Artful Dodging
In honor of all those who prepared for what would have been today’s New York City Marathon, we remind you of one of last year’s participants. If Christoph Niemann cannot put a smile on the face, hope may seem lost.
But even then, it just takes a bit more effort. He drew and annotated the whole Marathon experience. He started with the pre-race sleep patterns; continued with a self-critique of the first art of the day; and he was off to the races, so to speak.
We have pointed to his wit on at least one other occasion, but we suspect today in particular there are plenty of people who will appreciate his efforts one year ago today. The visuals and verbals do not fail to entertain (click the image to the left for the whole experience). From sunrise to sunset we see the artist at work, deep in thought and sharp in perspective:
@abstractsunday Christoph Niemann
Really!?!?? That’s all I could come up with? My goal is to be creative today and this is the lamest start ever. http://t.co/LigcGCOW
Here Comes A Great One
David Attenborough photographed at home in Richmond. Photograph: Suki Dhanda
We are reminded that David Attenborough will be sharing another round of greatness in the coming weeks (click the image to the left for the story):
Other stars to receive homage in 60 Years in the Wild include Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey for their ape-observation work, Francis Crick and Jim Watson Continue reading
Earthly Constellations
Thanks to Krulwich Wonders for the link and the observation, five minutes well spent looking and listening (click the image above to go to the video):
In this video, we are flying over the Earth, looking down and seeing what astronauts see when it’s nighttime, when lightning storms flash like June bugs, when cities look like galaxies, when you can see where people are. It’s quietly astonishing.
Wild Periyar – Indian Python (Python molurus)
The tropical climate with evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forest in Periyar creates a perfect environment for snakes. The Indian Python is seen in dense as well as in open forest. Pythons are slow moving snakes, appearing timid and rarely rousing seriously to escape even when attacked. Pythons also have a peculiar method of movement, the body moving in a straight line like a millipede.
Rose – Sympathie
Rosa Sympathie has double, dark red elegant flowers with a velvet appearance with strong, glossy green leaves. These roses are common in the gardens of the High-Ranges and bloom throughout the year.
Genomic Approach To Art Discovery
Click the banner above to explore, or go to the site’s explanatory page, where the founder lays out the idea in plain and simple language:
Welcome!
On behalf of the Art.sy team, welcome to Art.sy and thank you for joining our beta. Our mission is to make all the world’s art freely accessible to anyone with an Internet connection. Art.sy is a free platform where you can discover, learn about, and collect art. Continue reading
From Behind the Wheel: Nine Out of Ten Nurses Recommend…
Writer’s Craft
There will never be a need for Chabonologists in the way there are Dylanologists. The market for anyone-ologists is created by artists (novelists, poets, song-writers included) who cannot or will not talk about their work. Capable and willing artists seem to be the exception rather than the norm so we celebrate them when we find them. Chabon is a superb conversationalist, and is on on the road talking about his book. Thankfully he spent some time with the Guardian‘s great Sarfraz Manzoor describing the inspirations behind Telegraph Avenue. Click the image above to go to the video.
Bird of the Day: Indian Cormorant
Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala
Farming, Biodiversity & Cooperative Conservation
All over the world farmers like Bishnu Maya (in Nepal) are the main custodians of agricultural biodiversity through the conservation, use and improvement of plant genetic resources on-farm
Click the image above to go to the source of this interesting look at the relationship between farming, biodiversity and conservation:
The study ‘Flows under stress: availability of plant genetic resources in times of climate and policy change’ describes how eight members of the CGIAR Consortium, whose research is focused on plant genetic resources, are (re)organizing their conservation and improvement activities in light of climate change adaptation. Continue reading
Organikos 