Testing out my monocle and honestly the most longlasting memorable observation was the cianopica (Azure-winged magpie)!

Oh, and of course, the Eurasian griffon vulture!

#natureobservations #ebird #birdwatching

Can't help but notice that sparrows seem to be getting much more brazen about coming inside buildings to hunt for food. I've been noticing this in various parts of Aotearoa over the last month or 2. Is it just me?

If not, I wonder what environmental change might have promoted this change in behaviour? Have the conditions been particularly good for sparrow breeding over the last few months? Are their normal outdoor food supplies being reduced somehow?

#wildlife #NatureObservations

Spot the bumblebees!

#NatureObservations #nature #angelica

From "Difference Between #OrganicGardening and #Permaculture" by April, published in 2018:

"Permaculture design has:

- Focus on closing the nutrient and water loop by using waste, and reducing the dependence on inputs.
- Creation of healthier soil and diversity of produce.
- Responsibility for waste. There is an aim to eliminate waste. i.e. no excess nitrogen nor weed seed, released.
- Variety keeps residents engaged and excited about growing their food.
- Imitating nature by conserving the soil and water, and genetic capital. There is an intensive use of space. Plants are allowed to set seed and are inter-planted for pest control. You are unlikely to see food plants in rows. The permaculture site will look more like a #FoodForest with some open glades full of herbs and perennials.
- Optimisation of natural energies, e.g. wind, dust, leaves, bird droppings.
- Nutritious food and habitat for people AND native animals and birds.
- Dependence on observation. Permaculture design is a mixed technology. Bill Mollison (co-founder of permaculture movement) said that permaculture, like a bicycle, it is adaptable and has great potential but is only as good as the user.
- Minimal risk. If we fail at permaculture, nature simply takes over. The soil will continue to heal, the forests grow and someone else can step in to rebuild our efforts."

Read more:
https://permaculturevisions.com/difference-between-organic-gardening-and-permaculture/
#SolarPunkSunday #Gardening #NatureObservations #NatureBasedLearning

Excerpt from "What is #Solarpunk Everything you need to know about solarpunk, how it connects to #ClimateJustice and how to get involved with the movement" by Andrew Sage, published January 16, 2023:

How does solarpunk relate to #degrowth?

"The overlap between solarpunk and the degrowth movement can be found in the understanding that #capitalism’s built-in imperative to grow, expand, exploit, and profit endlessly cannot continue in the context of a #FinitePlanet.

"The degrowth movement is about rejecting the #GlobalCapitalist system’s pursuit of endless growth and advocating for a world based in care, solidarity, and autonomy in which our social and ecological well-being are at the forefront.

"Degrowth means #ClimateJustice and a good life for all within #PlanetaryBoundaries.

"Although aspects of solarpunk and degrowth may benefit from particular government policies, these movements cannot rely on the state. The state is structurally unsuited to ecological restoration, and can even potentially operate as an obstacle.

"The inherently violent and ecocidal character that has marked states from their earliest inception and up to their present incarnations does not lend itself to our liberation. Top-down approaches have consistently failed where local approaches to #rewilding have succeeded.

"The solarpunk movement emphasises local power, local organising, and local #autonomy because the world we envision cannot be imposed from above.

"A forest is more than its trees; ecological restoration requires intimate knowledge with the local nuances of the land, the water cycle, and the network of microorganisms, fungi, plants, and animals that sustain it.

"Our planet will be healed on the #grassroots level. We will need to circumvent the impositions of those in power through direct action to bring a solarpunk world into being."

https://shado-mag.com/all/what-is-solarpunk/
#AntiCapitalism #Degrowth #TheLimitsToGrowth #Sustainability #Ecosystem #NatureBasedLearning #NatureObservations #SharingEconomy

Alright that's one green bin full. With all that rain the trees are growing like crazy

#SW14 #NatureObservations

New blog post... The Summer of Discontent... https://ianlewisphoto.co.uk/personal/the-summer-of-discontent/

#WildlifePhotography #MacroPhotography #NatureLovers #ClimateChange #InsectPhotography #NaturePhotography #Summer2024 #Gardening #Butterflies
#WildlifeConservation #EnvironmentalAwareness #NatureObservations #Biodiversity #ChangingSeasons #ClimateCrisis