#illinois nature

[weird-dirt-creature]

Pulled off to the size of the road SO fast to get out and take pictures of this enormous handsome guy. Snapping turtles are so cool

[eleri-writes]

I found two owl pellets in the backyard!

[uxbridge]

Our neighboring Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies are visible in the top right

[emmbrr]

first snowdrops i’ve ever seen in real life!!!

[the-lost-get-loud]

[oliviarosaline]

Cortinarius sp.

Commonly called "webcaps".

Young cortinarius mushrooms have a veil-like structure called a cortina between their cap and stem, which usually vanishes as they mature. Worldwide, it's estimated over two thousand species of cortinarius exist.

July 24th, 2023

Randolph County, Illinois, USA

Olivia R. Myers

@oliviarosaline

[jvstinderosa]

Country Breeze

[lizardsaredinosaurs]

My mead... ahem, sorry, my milk... is only for the butterflies.

Mead's Milkweed (Asclepias meadii)

Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, USA

Status: Threatened

Threats: loss of habitat to agriculture, invasive plants, pesticides

[tomorrowusa]

🦉 🌎 🌍 Happy Earth Day 2024! 🌏 🌻 🐝

Earth Day originated in 1970 when pollution was the biggest environmental concern. Air and waterways are undoubtedly cleaner 50+ years later. It demonstrates that progress can be made when there's a concerted effort.

A current problem which gets overlooked is the amount of environmental damage which the Russian invasion has caused in Ukraine. Environmental activist Greta Thunberg has called Putin's environmental destruction "ecocide".

Greta Thunberg denounces 'ecocide' in Ukraine

Just about every aspect of the environment has been worsened by Putin's illegal military action.

After Two Years of War, Ukraine Sees Deepening Environmental Wound

A consortium of agencies called EcoDozor has put together a map graphic showing the environmental consequences of the invasion.

Ecodozor

I feel strongly that Russian state assets should be impounded to pay for the damage. Contact your representative at your national parliament and insist that Russian assets be seized to be used to repair environmental damage done in Ukraine by Putin's Russia.

On a historical note, here's a cartoon done by American-Australian underground artist Ron Cobb. It gave rise to the use of the Greek letter Theta 𝚹 to symbolize environmental protection.

In turn, high school students in Springfield, Illinois were inspired to turn that into into a flag for the first Earth Day.

This Homemade Flag From the ‘70s Signals the Beginning of the Environmental Movement

Being mindful of the power of semiotics, it might be useful to revive Theta as a symbol of environmental action. It already exists as an emoji and most of us have devices which can access a Greek font. And at Tumblr we can make stuff green. 𝚹 Θ

[vintagemuseums]

Field Columbian Museum Moon Model, Chicago, Illinois, USA , 1898.

Original caption:  Field Columbian Museum West Court Alcove 103. 1898. Moon Model Prepared by Johann Friedrich Julius Schmidt, Germany, in 1898. Made of 116 sections of plaster on a framework of wood and metal. Wood floor, security Guard in uniform in background, stairs leading up to the left. Sign above door,"Geology," not completely visible.

[weird-dirt-creature]

I dunked my phone in this puddle so I could show you all these tadpoles :)

[emeraldcityminerals]

Vibrant purple-core phantom cubic fluorite (CaF2) crystals, backlit for effect. From the Minerva No. 1 Mine, Ozark-Mahoning group, Cave-In-Rock Mining Sub-District, Hardin County, Illinois, USA. Specimen size: 18 cm x 10 cm x 7 cm.

[shutterandsentence]

Photo: Chicago Botanic Garden, Illinois

[volumes-and-vines]

[uxbridge]

The snow is falling good today 🌨️

[quo-usque-tandem]

Chicago, Illinois