Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. – Mark Twain
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Happy #WorldPhotographyDay! 📷 Here’s a collection of a few images that mean a lot to me.
It’s #WorldHoneyBeeDay! It’s important to know that honeybees are not native to North America. They may benefit farmers but they might actually harm the environment! Honeybees compete with native wild bees for food, making it harder for wild bees to survive, and the health of our native wild bee species is important for healthy ecosystems. That being said, I still think honeybees are pretty cool, and in a perfect world, there would be enough flowers for ALL the bees to enjoy! 😊🐝 Pictured are some honeybees at @terrebleu!
Happy #worldelephantday! 🐘♥️ Anyone that knows me well knows how obsessed I am with these incredible beings. They laugh, love, cry, mourn, celebrate, throw tantrums, have greeting ceremonies when they see a friend after a long time, create and maintain ecosystems that let other plant and animal species thrive, are extremely intelligent beings, and the list goes on!
Unfortunately, elephant numbers are declining due to poaching, habitat loss, human-elephant conflict, etc.
What can you do about it?
Do not support organizations that exploit or abuse elephants and other animals for entertainment and profit.
Support wildlife conservation projects.
When travelling, if you want to see elephants, choose eco-tourism operators who support local elephant conservation projects and who treat elephants with respect and dignity.
Don’t fall for “sanctuaries” that are not really sanctuaries. Do you research first!
Support healthy, alternative, sustainable livelihoods for people who have traditionally relied on elephants.
Avoid buying coffee that is not fair-trade or shade-grown, or products with palm-oil because these are grown in plantations that have decimated elephant habitats.
Go online, do your research, and learn as much as you can about these incredible creatures, the many incredible organizations around the world doing amazing things to help them, and more simple actions you can take to help.
Rivers are so much more fascinating than they first appear. They twist and turn, shaping the environment around them - eroding rocks, creating canyons, flattening hills... dynamic and ever-changing. 🌊
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If there’s one thing I learned from being out in nature so much, it’s patience.
Silhouette of a cedar waxwing sitting on a dead tree branch.
A Halloween Pennant dragonfly, named for its orange and brown striped wings. 🎃 I recently went on a Conservation Volunteers event with @ncc_cnc where we counted butterflies to assess population levels. But we actually ended up seeing so many dragonflies and damselflies as well.
My favourite way of connecting to nature is through going on hikes and doing nature/wildlife photography. It’s one of very few ways that I’m able to be completely present and in the moment - meditative in a way. It also makes me feel so much more connected to the Universe and increases my sense of spirituality. When I need that moment of zen or crave some time with God, I go to the woods instead of temples. 🌿🙏🏽
I like photographing plants from straight above - creates interesting perspectives. 🌿
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