Thousands of Brooding Octopuses off the Coast of Monterey, California

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/videos/gallery/rare-thousands-of-brooding-octopuses-found-off-california-coast/sharevideo/5855861738001/most_popular

So many octo... octopi?

For any of you who remember Nature Nimbus' Hall of Fame (it's still there, just not with it's own tab!) but Monterey was where Ed Ricketts (marine biologist friend of author John Steinbeck) lived.

(Sorry for all the parentheses tonight)

Dear Divers --Sustainable Diving Practices

Hi guys... finally started a post-secondary Environmental Technician course so have been working on homework more than blog posts, but a couple publishable pieces coming soon!

In the meantime, for for ocean-lovers and divers (and aspiring ones), here is an article published by world nomads about safe diving practices:

https://www.worldnomads.com/make-a-difference/responsible-travel/planet/redefine-the-dive-10-tips-for-sustainable-divers?utm_source=worldnomads&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nomadsnews-73-oct-row&utm_content=button

If you've been reading Nature Nimbus for a while you might have already noticed some keen personal interest shown in diving. Spending time close to nature is probably the most natural way we come to deeply appreciate it (no puns intended); nature lovers don't typically need to be taught this. At the same time, even in ecotourism humans are known to accidentally leave a negative impact on what we love so much.

Also, some freedivers on Instagram have cautioned for those using dive scooters to also make sure they don't end up chasing aquatic wildlife (as tempting as it may be) to get as close to them as possible.

If you happen to be going on a trip whether it's diving or exploring nature some other way, a quick google or asking a local naturalist or expert can help in getting some simple tips to ensure we are respecting the beauty we have come to visit, and seek to become a part of in that moment.

History in the Storeys of Sediments in an Ontario Lake

Hi guys, hope everything is having a great summer in the northern hemisphere/winter if you are in the south.

Just wanted to share some local news from Ontario on the research side of things, as the Weather Network reported that a team of researchers believes they may have found a treasure trove of environmental history at the bottom of a lake, which happens to be right here in Ontario!

What they're looking for is a way to examine what might have been a turning point due to human activity, changing the way our planet operates on a significant level.

Francine McCarthy, who is leading the research team, explained that Crawford Lake is an ideal place to be taking samples because nothing lives as the bottom, as the lake is 22 meters deep and anoxic, (anoxic meaning there is little to no oxygen).

If you have ever explored the Niagara escarpment, chances are the stones rocked your world. These are not only parts of the habitat beautiful to the eye, but over time they also can tell a story. McCarthy explained that over summers, pieces from the rocks bordering the escarpment will sink to the bottom. This creates layers of information-containing organic matter that can be analyzed like the rings of a tree.

The goal is to get some insight on just how much human activities have affected the environment, as these layers can help tell the story of what has happened globally through those years.

Specific information they are looking for includes amounts of materials related to human activities such as plutonium and microplastics. These can serve as something measurable to help with defining the start of the anthropocene, marking when humans really did take over the planet.

Source:
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/team-of-researchers-from-ontario-believe-a-turning-point-in-earths-history-is-sitting-in-a-lake-in-milton-brock-carleton-mcmaster-university-sediment-crawford-lake/109666

Introducing 'Cranberry Works' | feat. Ocean Minded Water(colour) Art

If you have explored the navbar recently, you might have noticed some changes to the directory from "Cirrus Photography" to "Photography & Projects".

Meet the newest sister project, Cranberry Works.

This is the name of my new online art shop being kickstarted via the online market and print shop, Society6. It features mainly artwork, and may also include some words making cameo appearances from another one of my projects. Products are printed on-demand to avoid waste, and artists of all skill levels from around the world can publish their pieces and put together collections.

I do accept custom orders and commissions for personal use and events and if you are looking for more info please visit the page in the navbar, but one of the main features of the shop will be the Ocean Minded Water(colour) series.

The name 'Ocean Minded' is meant to imply daily mindfulness of how our activities affect life in the water -and by extension, life on land- and being open to making changes in harmony with that.

Here the ones from the series featured so far:

For myself, simply going swimming or looking at animals or images of animals is always a good reminder to take shorter showers, recycle e-waste, and be careful of what I put down the drain, and it is my hope that my personal hobbies can hopefully help others feel good about making adjustments to live more in harmony with nature as well.

Also, I believe that like spending time outside, the process of creating little pieces inspired by nature can help strengthen that bond we have, and I'm not the first to see this. At many environmental conferences in school and festivals a man would often come in to do a sketch, Paint, and Shoot workshop. If you create any nature-related work you'd like to share, please don't feel shy to drop a reference in the comments, it would be lovely to see more projects.

(l~w parallel post under the same date, 20/08/2018)

Recent Adventures in Watkins Glen and Algonquin Park

 

Posted Aug 20, 2018, postdated to Aug 19; see both on lunar-winds and naturenimbus .blogspot.

Happy World Oceans Day

Sea mindful and keep an ocean mind, and have a happy World Oceans Day, all 💙

Battle of the Blossoms - May 2018

Which is your favourite?

 

^bonus

Note: This post is shared between naturenimbus.blogspot.ca and lunar-winds.blogspot.ca.

Day-After-Earth-Day, Featuring: Plastic Pollution in the ocean

Happy Day-After-Earth-Day, all. It feels kind of like the day after coming home from a vacation, party, or seeing a friend you don't get to spend time with as often as you like. For treehuggers and nature-lovers it's close enough because we want every day to be Earth Day, so here's a day-after post to extend the inspiration and good feelings.

Within the last few years I've lived vicariously through divers who post photos and videos of their adventures having peaceful, voluntary interactions with wildlife. Divers on Instagram like @kimkertz and @its.krystalclear are inspirational not only as athletes and explorers, but artists and advocates for ocean conservation, and conscientious interactions with wildlife.

One of the biggest problems facing Earth's oceans is plastic pollution, so reducing consumption of plastic is always a great resolution to renew, and definitely one I intend on revisiting more this year.

Recently a newsflash hit explaining that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is actually even more hug than originally estimated... it's now estimated to be three times the size of France. Plastic all around the oceans will keep floating, keep releasing toxins, and keep ending up inside the bodies of animals.

Doing things like remembering to bring reusable shopping bags in-store and remembering to bring a reusable water bottle, and coordinating everything to pack a litterless lunch make a difference. Personally, I know I have a hard time remembering things; I was notorious at an old workplace for forgetting my reusable water bottle at our booth.

The most practical things that have helped me include investing in a glass water with a bright orange cover; it's hard to forget, and easy to clean without gross smells last-minute if I forgot to the night before. (Sorry if that's TMI, it's true.) And for reusable shopping bags it's pretty easy; keep it in another bag. The thin, foldable ones that wrap up inside themselves nicely have been great to keep in a purse, and their very presence in my canvas bag helps serve as a reminder to bring other ones.

Here are a few links to more information if you're interested in reading more and seeing their visualizers (I highly recommend the video in link #2 in particular).
Sailing Seas of Plastic interactive map: http://app.dumpark.com/seas-of-plastic-2/
TWN how to really make a difference Earth Day feature: https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/what-earth-day-means-when-humans-possess-planet-shaping-powers/99911/
5 Gyres information on plastic continents and how to help: https://www.5gyres.org/ 

For this Earth Day, I resolve to remember what to do to reduce plastic consumption, and remember why I'm doing it (with the help of the divers and ocean photographers of instagram). What has inspired you this past Earth Day?

Hope you all enjoy basking in the Earth Day afterglow and carry it forward, lighting the way to better living.

(Repost) Types of Treehuggers

(A belated*) Happy Earth Day!

In honour of Earth Day, here is an updated repost originally from to Nature-nimbus.blogspot.ca for May 24, 2016, but with the found original doodles to go with it. Each illustration is consciously exaggerated just for kicks so please don't takes offense to what is written here... hope you have fun reading them :) 

The reality is all of these roles have helped raise awareness on environmental needs -that is how they are so recognizable- and a person can combine the traits of any number of them, but the coolest part of sharing this with friends was seeing everyone feel out where their niche is and perhaps even feeling re-inspired to participate in green activities that they enjoy.

Hope you enjoy reading this, and have a lovely Earth Day every day.
~~~

All these characters were drawn on cue cards I cannot find yet, but that can be another post for another time. (2018 Update: Found them, here they are!)

It was a lot cooler when I was sitting at the kitchen table explaining it in a extemporaneous babble to relatives and my dog a little differently each time, but it and went something like this and I hope you find it amusing :)

The Hippie/Flower Child

The classic treehugger stereotypee right out of the 60s who really got environmental movement started. Clad in tye-dye and hemp, and sitting cross-legged in front of trees preaching their message of love, peace, and unity, they are also known for making some lovely tunes to get people in a mood and mindset of unity.

The Rebellious Radical

Sometimes seen as a close younger cousin of the hippie, The Rebellious Radical is loud and grabs attention, and sometimes that might be the exact push people need. Louder the better; think activists chaining themselves to trees maybe with some funky coloured hair. These people make bold statements pointing to the goal of drawing attention and spreading awareness of big issues that really matter.

The Wild Child/Conservationist

It's that kid that's always climbing trees and running around exploring outside with messy hair. They really are in their element/natural habitat outside, probably making mud pies and isn't afraid of getting dirty or touching creepy crawlies. These are the ones who probably know the common, maybe the scientific, and given personal names of backyard wildlife. These friends of the forest, conservation officers, camp counselors, and more have a contagious sense of wonder they are often eager to share with others.

The Humanitarian

The Humanitarian  recognize that people are part of the ecosystem just like other animals, and sincerely care about the wellbeing of fellow humans. Whether they be doctors, aid workers, or concerned citizens, they see how people around the world are affected by environmental issues and are ready to see how can to help. From pollution putting people's health at risk to climate change displacing entire communities, they recognize sustainability as a must, and clean air and water as basic human rights which they will fight for and seek to see as many people as possible having access to.

Engineer/Technician

These are the ones that really make all these advancements work. A lot of what they do is behind-the-scenes, but they use the power of their minds to make it possible to drive new sustainable technologies forward such as in renewable energy. The research they do also gives treehuggers the world over something to actually work with to show the world that what the heart says is the right thing to do also makes logical sense.

Politician/Consultant

"Work The System" is the name of the game here. These guys in the big leagues kind of have to be disguised in big business suits sometimes and they work undercover. Sometimes they develop "green" products, creative marketing to inspire people to take to them, or policies to help change the world. Among politicians and corporates, the suit-wearing or clip-board-yielding ones advocate for the environment in the big leagues using the system to further their agenda, to help the environment on a big scale.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to share your thoughts on which treehugger stereotypes you and your friends relate to in the comments, as well as any ideas for green activities people of different types might like participating in!

Originally posted by Melody Tadeo to Nature-nimbus.blogspot.ca for May 24, 2016
Edited April 9, 2018... also finally uploaded the photos!
*Reposted day after Earth Day 2018 because I forgot to pre-schedule on NN in addition to lunar-winds... sorry!

Breathing Earth: A sobering map visualizer

http://www.breathingearth.net/

This one really drives home the reality of overpopulation and the carbon footprint humanity is leaving.

Branching out to ecosia, a search engine that raises funds for tree-planting!

Title says it all!

https://www.ecosia.org/

Personal counter: https://ecosia.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201657341-How-does-the-personal-counter-work-

Their mission: https://info.ecosia.org/what

How to make it your default search engine in Chrome:
http://theinsiter.org/features/68200/time-to-start-using-ecosia-as-your-default-search-engine/


Edited April 9, 2018

Comments on Cancer Villages Map

Awareness truly can change the way people look at things. It's not just a cliche that knowing what reality is like in less privileged situations increases appreciation for what we do have when taken to heart.

Five years ago I learned about China's Cancer villages, and it has never left the "featured" list on this blog since. It is a terrifying, and moving report. But what I didn't know was that Deng Fei, a Chinese journalist, published a map of these cancer villages in China. Today, English-readers have a translated version of that map available to explore here:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1R70M9vbPN104K-YqFlUnK1xUDoY&hl=en_US&ll=30.187076758346265%2C112.28646500000013&z=5

If you zoom in and select specific villages, there is even a short description of their specific situation on the left.

Eg: (found at G106 / the southernmost point on the mainland)
"name

Shaoguan, Wengyuan Counties; Xinjiang Township, Shangba village and 5 others

description

Legal Daily: 2001 report

A large amount of mining wastewater flowed into Shangba village. The “village of fish and rice,” saw its arable land take on a brownish-red color. Reports say an increasing number of villagers are contracting skin disease, liver disease and cancer. As for ducks, the fastest death happens within 4 to 5 hours, and the slowest occurs within 3 to 4 days"

This visual had brought something to my attention that may or may not be relevant, that all the listed  villages fall within the Eastern half of China.

Why? To be honest I don't know. Maybe that is the "only" ground Deng Fei could cover. All the same, I'd want to thank him for bringing this to the world's attention because evidently what he did has started steps to clean things up.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23212-china-takes-steps-to-clean-up-cancer-villages/

Soggy Soccery Sympton: Changing Climate Affecting Soccer, Cricket, and Golf Games in UK

The change in climate has been affecting sport enthusiasts in soccer, cricket, and golf whose playing-scapes have been made too soggy to play on, and rising sea levels from melting ice in Greenland to the Himalayas are causing the erosion of coastal golf courses in Scotland.

The Weather Network posted a Reuters report yesterday that mentioned six out of the seven wettest years on record in the UK have been since the year 2000. Piers Forster who is a professor of climate change at University of Leeds contributed to the study told International News Agency, Reuters, "Britain is particularly susceptible to storms coming in from the North Atlantic."

Image A: Image credit: GISS NASA / Jack Cool, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

The above illustration shows the flow of the North Atlantic current, its branches, and the flow of water it crosses paths with off the coast of UK.

Despite all these things that may pique curiosity for climate geeks and potential research project on the horizon, clearly not everyone feels the same way about this information:

Ok, I'll admit a cry of "the soccer fields are soggy" sounds trivial on its own and may cause flashbacks of schoolkids disappointed with the "tarmack-only" recesses.

And to be honest I don't even like golf. (There, I said it.)

Nevertheless there is a point to acknowledging this. It just seems like an interesting climate-related observation that everyday people like you and I might actually be seeing. If you or I frequented such fields, and that is assuming you are an 'everyday person' like me which might not be true in this context, but anywho... you probably get where I'm going with this. It's readily observable, and helps contributes details to an ever-so-slightly bigger-picture perspective.

Sources
News: https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/soccer-cricket-and-golf-handicapped-by-uk-climate-change/95195/
Image A: GISS NASA / Jack Cool, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/briefs/legrande_01/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:North_Atlantic_Circulation.gif
Image B: Under GNU Free Documentation Licence
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Circulacion_termohalina.jpg

Coral Pink and Peach

Some days I could sink a ship with my navy (blue) mood

Drag it down, such a downer in the dumps

While my coral peach

Feels so out of reach.

---

More water works poetry: http://lunar-winds.blogspot.ca/search/label/water

---

Fact about coral, 'Bleached' white coral does not equal dead coral: http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-great-barrier-reef-not-dead-20161014-snap-story.html

A big fan

I'm very much for renewable energy, but more solar than wind because the side effects of wind turbines are concerning.

You could say I'm not a big fan.

Badum-cha.