Zaku 'Spirit of Mother Earth' by Gobinder Jhitta
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Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pod of 23 pilot whales found dead after mass stranding
A pod of 23 pilot whales have died after a mass stranding on Orkney. The mammals were discovered on the island of Sanday on Sunday but it appears they may have been dead for several days. A full investigation into the stranding will now take place. Last summer 77 pilot whales washed ashore on the island. About a dozen that were still alive were euthanised. The carcasses were later buried at multiple land sites, which were approved after tests were carried out to prevent any possible disturbance to archaeological sites. The pod included male whales up to seven metres (22ft) long as well as females, calves and juveniles. Whole pod of 77 whales die in 'biggest mass stranding in decades' How do you dispose of a whole pod of 77 whales?
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
The "Loon Lady" on a mission to save Minnesota's state bird: "We need to do better"
It's peak summer on Minnesota's Gull Lake Chain. Boats are buzzing, jet skis slicing and loons are calling. "So it sounds like a territorial challenge that's starting," said Sheila Johnston, listening to loons in the distance. Johnston, known by her nickname "the Loon Lady," has made it her mission to protect loons. "I've heard people say, 'Well this is our lake.' No. This is their lake and we're sharing it with them," she said. It's a commitment that has been growing most of her life. Johnston grew up spending summers on Gull Lake. She and her husband now live there year round. "I love it here, it's our favorite place in the world." she said. The Johnstons' home is filled with reminders of her passion. Loon photographs and artwork can be seen on the walls. Outside near the shoreline, there's a large totem pole with a loon perched on top. "I think they just somehow stir our soul, and so I just feel really connected to them," she said. That connection began with a paddle and a camera. "I love kayaking and I love photography, so I just started combining the two," she said. For years, she quietly observed loons from the water, photographing them, getting to know them and even naming them. "As you get to know more about loons, they're just so complex," she said. Her work shifted from enthusiast to advocate nearly a decade ago, after a busy Fourth of July weekend when she found a dead loon chick in the water, killed by a boat strike. "I just don't think we take very good care of them," she said. "We need to do better." While loons face natural predators like eagles, snapping turtles and large fish, humans are their biggest danger. Boat strikes, lead poisoning from ingesting fishing tackle and fishing line entanglement are the main causes. Johnston raises awareness by talking to boaters and reminding them loons and their chicks are nearby. "Our slogan is watch ahead, slow down, go around," she said. She also hands out lead-free tackle to anglers. "Lead tackle is plain bad. And there's absolutely no reason that we shouldn't have restrictions on lead tackle," she said. Last fall, she started the Minnesota Loon Rescue, a volunteer group dedicated to rescuing, rehabbing and conserving the loon population. "I think we have rescued at least 10 loons this season that were boat strike injuries and fatalities," she said. So far this season, the rescue has also saved seven hooked loons, 18 sick and orphaned chicks and six loons in distress on land. "These lakes are like freeway traffic in the Twin Cities at rush hour, full speed, going through chick-rearing areas," she said. Her advocacy has helped bring caution buoys and signage to alert boaters in loon nesting areas. "I don't think I'll ever stop this mission," she said. "By changing our behavior to loon-safe boating, and loon-safe fishing, we can protect loons and future generations of loons." For Johnston, and all who treasure Minnesota's natural beauty, protecting loons means protecting our home.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
State's record red maple rooted in family legacy
Aug. 9—LAFARGEVILLE — When fertilized with a dash of patriotic fervor rooted in next year's semiquincentennial celebration of our country, a scenario blossoms on the origin of the largest red maple in New York. The New York State Big Tree Register is maintained by the Department of Environmental Conservation to recognize trees of record size and to promote an interest in learning about the trees we may come in contact with every day. The majestic tree in LaFargeville, the only tree of any species on the state register in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, as of the summer of 2023 when measured, stood at 84 feet tall. The same family, through generations, has cared for it and admired it. The Big Tree Register notes that the previous record, recorded in 2015, was a red maple in Dutchess County, at 104 feet tall. American Forests, which runs the National Champion Trees Program, is the authority for determining which tree species are eligible for champion status. Nominated trees are measured to calculate a total point score, which is the sum of the tree's height in feet, the trunk circumference in inches at 4.5 feet off the ground, and one quarter of the tree's average crown spread in feet. The circumference of the LaFargeville tree is 226.8 inches, compared to 220 inches of the previous champion red maple. The local red maple also beat the Dutchess County tree in "Crown (canopy) points." County tax records show that the Revolutionary War veteran Conrad Walts, born May 5, 1763, in Montgomery, Orange County, constructed his home on the property he shared with the now-record tree in 1835. Experts say the tree is at least 200 years old. Conrad was young when he joined the cause of the rebels in the Revolutionary War, fought from 1775-1783. His military pension records show he enlisted in the spring of 1779, when he was 13. He served with the 4th New York Regiment for nine months and was discharged Jan. 1. 1780 at Morristown, New Jersey. According to the National Park Service, the 4th New York Regiment, organized in 1777, served to the end of 1780. It included the remnants of various regiments raised for the 1775 Canadian invasions. Originally raised in Ulster, Dutchess, Orange and Suffolk counties, by 1777 the 4th Regiment was recruited from all parts of the state. "There is definitely potential overlap between when the tree was planted and Conrad," said Alexander R. Walts, current owner of the homestead. Conrad was Alex's great-grandfather, times-five. Conrad was 71 in 1835 when he built his home. Perhaps thinking of a legacy, or maybe just wanting to create some shade, he carefully placed the red maple sapling in a hole and tended to it on his land through the years, watching it grow up and out. Or maybe the tree's seed was carried on the wind, or buried by a squirrel and in time, admired by Conrad. Regardless, the result is more than something for the record book, said Walts. "It's as much part of the property's legacy as the buildings and the house," he said. "All of my living relatives who grew up there have fond memories of playing under and in the tree growing up." That legacy is what prompted Walts to talk to experts about how to best care for the tree. In turn, that led him to the DEC's Big Tree Register program, previously unknown to him. "Restoring the house and caring for the landmarks like the tree are what I consider part of the legacy I'll leave behind for my daughter and generations after her," Walts said. Walts was born and raised in Rochester. He and his wife, Katherine (Katie) B. Lenninger moved to LaFargeville a couple of years ago to settle down and to raise a family after skipping around the country — from Florida, Maryland and Texas — for colleges and work. They have an 18-month-old daughter. The couple moved to the LaFargeville area from Houston. "We wanted to be closer to family who are still in upstate New York," Alex said. "We were looking to settle down and start a family and realized we don't need to buy a house; we have one in the family that's been sitting there for quite some time." Katie, a Florida native, is a research meteorologist. Alex is an aerospace engineer who helps support NASA's Human Spaceflight Program at Johnson Space Center in Houston. When not working remotely, they are tasked with revitalizing the family home. "I'm down there just about every day trying to refurbish it and to bring it back to its former glory," Alex said. The home has been empty since the mid-1970s. Alex said the last generation to reside in it was his great-grandfather, Ozro E. Walts. "My grandfather and his siblings were born and raised there but didn't spend their entire lives there." Ozro was born in Theresa in 1893, son of Charles and Ada Fuller Walts. Ozro operated the family farm until retiring in 1974 and died at the age of 91 in 1984 after living for 10 years with his children in Monroe County. His wife, the former Emma Rohrmoser, daughter of a well-known local farmer and cheese maker who was born in Germany, died in 1974. Alex's third-great-grandfather, Nelson G. Walts, who died at the homestead at the age of 75 in 1906, was a Civil War veteran. In 1864, at the age of 33, he enlisted with Company E., 186th New York Regiment of volunteers and was engaged in the war's final battles, including the battle and siege of Petersburg, Virginia. "He escaped without wounds, although his gun stock was shot from his hand and a piece of shell carried away the sleeve of his coat," his Aug. 7, 1906, obituary read in the Watertown Daily Times. One of the six children born to Nelson G. Walts and his wife, Minerva (Simmons), was Nelson E. Walts, who attended Potsdam Normal School and had a long career as a teacher before retiring and becoming a farmer on the homestead. Nelson E. died in 1951 at the age of 87. Alex is the son of Robert H. O. Walts, Rochester, who is the son of the late Robert C. Walts. Alex said that his ancestral home has withstood time rather well. Hemlock, especially old-growth hemlock, is known for its strength, stability and resistance to decay. "It has stayed in its form all these years," Alex said. "Of course, generations here and there have added an addition to the back porch or the front, but the core of the original house is still standing. It has stayed in the family since it was built." Alex recalled visiting the house with his father, especially after his grandfather moved out of it. "We would always come up to work on the house and maintain it to make sure it wasn't going to fall down. Nobody was living there, but we were out at least once a month to check on the place for any issues." The red maple, Alex said, was a constant source of questions for his father and grandfather from people who were impressed by it. "The tree has seen a lot in its time and has survived multiple ice storms, lightning strikes, etcetera." He added, "It's one of those things where the tree is as much part of the history of the property as is the house or anything else there." That includes the Walts family legacy — still growing, still steady, and establishing new roots, on common ground. Solve the daily Crossword
