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A homo neanderthalensis and a homo sapiens. Happy pride!

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todd michael

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A paper in Forest Ecology and Management documents the first new generation of overstory aspen trees in Yellowstone’s northern range in 80 years, three decades after wolves were reintroduced to the nation’s oldest national park. Without predation pressure from wolves, which had been extirpated from the park by 1930, elk populations grew to the point that their browsing was thwarting the growth of young aspen. The ecosystem effects were widespread as aspen stands support a range of species including beavers and cavity-nesting birds. With wolves back in the mix along with bears and cougars, a nearly extirpated predator whose numbers increased along with wolf reintroduction, elk numbers have been reduced and aspen are once again working toward becoming full-grown trees.  “The reintroduction of large carnivores has initiated a recovery process that had been shut down for decades,” said the study’s lead author, Luke Painter, who teaches ecology and conservation in the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences. “About a third of the 87 aspen stands we examined had large numbers of tall saplings throughout, a remarkable change from the 1990s when surveys found none at all.” Another third of the surveyed stands had patches of tall saplings growing into new overstory trees, he added, and the rest remained suppressed by herbivory.

22 July 2025

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This morning I was just minding my business on a hike only to look over and see a ton of flaccid stinkhorns (Mutinus ravenelii) adorning a sandstone cliff face.

(July 2025)

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Finished one of my embroideries. Female red winged blackbird. Dont have a title for it yet but thinking “Bullrush guardian”

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Apollo & Hyacinthus 🌞🦢💏

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A bat ray (Myliobatis californica) off the coast of Los Angeles, California

by divindk

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Dartmoor National Park UK

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i feel like if you stabbed an angel the blood trail would look like this

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"In a huge win for British water, birds, and communities, the UK environment ministry has announced a rapid phase out leading to a total ban on lead ammunition.

Global health authorities agree unanimously that there is no safe level of lead exposure, and lead shotgun pellets and small-caliber ammunition are two of the most persistent poisons of bird life, particularly waterfowl.

In 2008, the California government introduced a phase-out/ban of lead ammunition in the southern geographical range of the California condor, which helped reduced excess mortality from ingestion of lead by these scavengers.

Though not scavengers, waterfowl are also at high risk of lead poisoning since they’re traditionally hunted with shotguns that fire clusters of lead pellets, called shot, and because these birds habitually ingest small stones as a digestive aid. They’ve been known to mistake shot and bullets for these stones.

Starting from 2026 and coming into total effect by 2029, any shot containing more than 1% lead or bullets with more than 3% lead, will no longer be legal to use. Announced on Saturday by Environment Minister Emma Hardy, the decision was informed by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive, which had originally proposed a longer phase-out period.

Hardy declined, and opted instead for a faster, 3-year phase out.

“Britain is a proud nation of nature lovers, but our rivers are polluted and iconic birds are declining. This ban will help reverse that, protecting birdlife and restoring our countryside,” Hardy said in a statement.

Steel, copper, tungsten, and bismuth are all ballistically similar to lead, and to most hunters and shooters, any differences would be undetectable; substantially more subtle than variations in groupings and placement brought about from mere human influence like trigger panic or shoulder fatigue.

Exemptions will be made for law enforcement and military in the case of small-caliber bullets where no alternative is available.

According to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), some 100,000 birds die annually in the UK from ingesting lead shot. Voluntary methods, which have shown some success in protecting condors in America, haven’t worked as well in the UK, and a study from the country in 2022 found that 99.5% of hunted pheasants that were tested for lead found the heavy metal in their bloodstream.

The WWT called the decision a “huge day for wildlife,” while the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds called it “long overdue.”"

-via Good News Network, July 22, 2025

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Two Women Teaching a Child to walk by Rembrandt.

Circa 1640, sketch

British Museum, London

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Aphrodite and baby Eros 💞

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" The Gatekeeper Patrolling " //© Jen City

Music: Danger Twins - Thing of Beauty

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Young trees, Skottvång Sweden.

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HOMECOMING🐺🌫️

Because the heart knows where it's home is, wherever it may be.

(Print available)

This print has been waiting in the wings for a while now!! I've been teasing it for a bit so I'm very happy to finally share it!! It initially started out as a self-indulgent piece to help me combat my homesickness, but I think it might be one of my favourite illustrations to date!!

And now that I have a printer, I can print my own art now!! And this print is my first to use proper fine art matte paper, not to mention being one of my biggest designs to date (11 x 17 inches)!! I'm really excited!

The print is up for sale, as always, on my ko-fi shop!!

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