Sarah Shaw’s Post

People tell you, you alone can't make a difference? Don't listen to them. Kris Tompkins is living proof that this statement is bullsh%t. 30 years ago she and her husband Douglas decided to leave anything behind and put everything they have into rewilding South America. Since then, they have created parklands, protected and restored wildlife, promoted regenerative agriculture, and proved that national parks are economic drivers for local communities. The results speak for themselves: nearly 15 million acres protected, rebounding wildlife populations, and growing economic opportunities in park gateway communities. Because 2 people made the decision to act. You can do it, too, don't let imposter syndrome or your strive for perfection stop you. Start small inside your community with low expectations & high ambition. - do a park clean-up once a week - plant native flowers in our hood - rally like-minded coworkers for veggie lunches - speak up for nature at your town hall meeting ... You would be surprised how addictive it becomes to take action and where it will lead you! __________ With Wildya we want to follow Kris footsteps & protect 1% of this planet. Will you join us? #rewilding #nature #biodiversity #conservation #action

Today, we celebrate the Vernal Equinox - the moment when the sun crosses the plane of the Earth’s equator, and day and night are of equal length across the entire planet. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere: HAPPY SPRING!!🌻 In cultures around the world, the Spring Equinox has long represented a time of renewal, fertility, and rebirth. In agricultural societies, the Spring Equinox also traditionally marks the start of planting season, when many crops are sown. As the days get longer, the increased sunlight stimulates plant growth and the warming temps literally bring the soil to life with increased microbial activity. In other words, farmers depend on the sun’s energy both above and below ground! But regenerative organic farming doesn't focus solely on the life within the soil. Equally important are the farmworkers stewarding the land, and the agricultural communities in which they live. A shining example of ROC's Social Fairness Pillar is CatSpring Yaupon, where founder Abianne Falla has based her business model on the principle that regeneration is about more than caring for the land: it's about community, too. “We work directly with probation officers in rural communities to hire individuals who want their future to look different than their past. In our packaging facility, we hire women with a history of generational poverty. And by offering flexibility in our scheduling, we help make sure their next crisis doesn’t mark the end of their employment with us.” CatSpring Yaupon #FarmLikeTheWorldDependsOnIt #FarmWorkerFairness

I ❤ seeing wildlife programs. Nature is perhaps our most unbelievable teacher 🧑🎓; it shows us unparalleled diversity, interaction, resilience, and beauty. There are so many examples to learn from that it’s difficult to know where to start. I’ll pick one, and it’s about the behavior of elephants. These are highly social creatures. They live in herds, usually led by a matriarch 🐘. The family bond within an elephant herd is incredibly strong, and members work collaboratively to support and protect one another. One of the most remarkable aspects of elephants is how they care for their young. When a calf is born, the entire herd comes together to nurture and protect it. The adults take turns watching over the calf, ensuring its safety and guiding its learning 👍. The older elephants pass down their knowledge about finding food or water, recognizing danger, and other survival skills. This guidance is essential for the young elephants’ growth and development 🙌. It ensures that each generation benefits from the wisdom of those who came before. Our businesses are like a herd. 🤝 The herd wouldn’t survive without collaborative behavior. Your company neither. No matter how skilled you are, you need help. 😊 The herd cares for each other, starting with the matriarch. With the care of a leader, the group is safe. Your business too. 🧏 Experience is crucial. It helps to survive -and thrive- in constantly challenging environmental conditions. Did you know that elephants and humans share the characteristic of a long life beyond reproductive years? For elephants, this longevity is dedicated to nurturing the herd 💯. We can draw inspiration from this shared characteristic, committing our experience to the growth and sustenance of our professional communities. ✅ Do you agree with these concepts? ✅ Do you have any other examples from the wildlife to share? Thank you for reading, and have a fantastic day! 👋   #lightvalleyco #culturechange  #leadership

Do you like seeing wildlife programs? Nature is perhaps our most unbelievable teacher 🧑🎓; it shows us unparalleled diversity, interaction, resilience, and beauty.   There are so many examples to learn from that it’s difficult to know where to start. We’ll pick one, and it’s about the behavior of elephants.   These are highly social creatures. They live in herds, usually led by a matriarch 🐘. The family bond within an elephant herd is incredibly strong, and members work collaboratively to support and protect one another.   One of the most remarkable aspects of elephants is how they care for their young. When a calf is born, the entire herd comes together to nurture and protect it. The adults take turns watching over the calf, ensuring its safety and guiding its learning 👍.   The older elephants pass down their knowledge about finding food or water, recognizing danger, and other survival skills. This guidance is essential for the young elephants’ growth and development 🙌. It ensures that each generation benefits from the wisdom of those who came before.   Our businesses are like a herd. 🤝 The herd wouldn’t survive without collaborative behavior. Your company neither. No matter how skilled you are, you need help. 😊 The herd cares for each other, starting with the matriarch. With the care of a leader, the group is safe. Your business too. 🧏 Experience is crucial. It helps to survive -and thrive- in constantly challenging environmental conditions.   Did you know that elephants and humans share the characteristic of a long life beyond reproductive years? For elephants, this longevity is dedicated to nurturing the herd 💯. We can draw inspiration from this shared characteristic, committing our experience to the growth and sustenance of our professional communities.   ✅ Do you agree with these concepts? ✅ Do you have any other examples from the wildlife to share?   Thank you for reading, and have a fantastic day! 👋   #lightvalleyco #culturechange  #leadership

Most Australians will never see one in the wild. The ignorance of the signs of them by so many eastern and south eastern Australians, means management decisions like tree removal; annual forest burns; cutting down roadside/paddock/forest stags; fireworks/concerts/parties where they roost, nest and hunt leaves these big carnivores trapped in a world of ever-reducing life choices. I'm talking about Powerful Owls. Our biggest native owl. When I describe them to farmers with remnant bush and connected shelterbelts, and show the height of them relative to my leg - they do not believe that something so big has escaped their knowledge. And when they see one of my photos or films and I talk about what they eat and how they are important for keeping possums from defoliating the bush & fruit bats from cleaning out the orchard- the respect for these secret birds goes up massively. They have a place at the top of the food chain, balancing all the layers of arboreal mammals underneath. There is one of these birds within sight of my home. On the neighboring beef farm. This morning I asked that farmer if I could look for its roost tree so I could film for farmers how to find out if the farm is hosting a Powerful Owl. What the actual signs are if you haven't seen or heard them. Film is unscripted. Its me being my authentic self. Its a style I like because you are there with me as I am seeing it. Its quick because the owl is there above me and I didn't want to upset it in whats clearly its preferred bedroom. Please share it with all who will find it interesting and useful. Because when people on the land learn these survey tips for Powerful Owls (and other big owls), it can make a huge positive difference to how they treat the habitat of the owls and therefore the owls futures. #owl #foodchain #ecologicalbalance #farmbiodiversity #authenticself #Biodiversity2037 Trust for Nature BirdLife Australia

In the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, a remarkable initiative is taking root – one that's not just about harvesting, but also about nurturing land and communities. 🏞️ Appalachian Sustainable Development - ASD is our cherished partner, and they're on a mission to create a thriving regional food and agriculture system that embodies sustainability, community health, and economic prosperity for the people of Appalachia. 🌱🌍 Among the lush bounty of Appalachia lies the Slippery Elm, a tree with medicinal bark that soothes and supports throat health.* It's a key ingredient in our Throat Coat teas and we're proud to be part of preserving its legacy. 🌿✨ What makes ASD truly special is their commitment to sustainable harvesting practices. Harvesters like Carol undergo specialized training to ensure they gather these precious resources with utmost respect for nature's balance. 🌳🌱 But it's not just about preserving the environment – it's also about fostering economic opportunities. ASD provides these dedicated harvesters with the means to earn a living while conserving Appalachia's natural treasures. 💪💰 In the video, Carol shares her passion for what she does, and it's inspiring! She's a testament to how the community can come together to harvest respectfully and regeneratively. 🙌🌿 Together with ASD, we're fostering a future where sustainability, prosperity, and the healing wonders of nature coexist harmoniously. To learn more, visit the link below. https://www.asdevelop.org/ #sustainableharvesting #slipperyelm #throatcoat #certifiedorganic #sustainablebusinesspractices #regenerative #appalachianmedicine

It's a great time of year to get ahead of the plants you no longer want to take up space in your garden! Check out this quick read for tips for some of the most common nuisances.

Check out this fascinating article about the complex issues facing honeybees in North America. Did you know that the noises made by a honeybee colony can indicate if it is sick or not? This article provides some great insights into the plight of honeybees. Take a few minutes to read it and learn more. #honeybees #nature #environment

Reasons to be Cheerful! A beautiful morning in Sussex capped a hugely optimistic few days at Knepp Estate with Knepp Wildland Foundation. Starting with an afternoon on the Ecology (and economics, politics, sociology and practicality) of Rewilding with Laurie Jackson and Tony Whitbread. Followed by an evening walk in the glorious weather with Storks, Kingfishers, Woodpeckers, Turtle Doves, and the first Swallows of the summer. And finishing with a couple of hours at dawn on International #DawnChorusDay. A cacophony of birdsong led by a fast growing population of Nightingales. It was great to see, and to understand, the work done for nature by the herbivores - deer, ponies, longhorn cattle, Tamworth pigs (and piglets!) and beaver. And to learn about the profitability of this approach to land management and its resilient mix of income streams (and positive impact on local communities and the economy). Learnings included: Not everyone can do this. We have to pay farmers properly (especially in the uplands) if we are going to make this work at scale and keep the food coming. Some people won't be able to make the transition, we need to be generous to them. Government needs to face up to these challenges and publish a Land Use Framework with sufficient principles, teeth, and investment, to guide the allocation of land for food, nature, renewables, recreation, carbon, timber and more so that we get the right use in the right place. And - We CAN do this! What Knepp has already achieved, with limited government funding, and no Land Use Framework, is extraordinary, and a huge tribute to the owners Charlie Burrell & Isabella Tree, and their teams. My main takeaway - the conversations with the other people there. So much expertise and passion for making the world a better place for people and nature. NORTH WALES WILDLIFE TRUST The Wildlife Trusts 'Dawn Chorus Day has grown from a small event in Birmingham in the 1980s to a global annual celebration, enjoyed in over eighty countries.' https://knepp.co.uk/

https://lnkd.in/gW-qnz77 This #OntarioParks article by Adam Solomon, Discovery Program Leader Kenton Otterbein at Killbear Provincial Park is an interesting piece that points to perspective. Adam is a member of Henvey Inlet First Nation. I’m clipping it directly but it’s worth the read: The Anishinaabek have a different worldview of the Massasauga Rattlesnake (zhiishiigweg) is Ontario’s only venomous snake. This worldview is built upon respect and understanding the rattlesnake’s role in creation. Learning about the worldview’s help guide all of us in our efforts to conserve the natural world. He notes the misinformation on the rattlesnake that has contributed to them often being killed. “The rattlesnake plays an important part in the natural ecosystem as they are known as a natural protector. They spend much of their time during the summer hiding in blueberry bushes avoiding predators and waiting for prey.” He says “When people harvest blueberries, the rattlesnake’s job is to remind them with a shake of its rattle to only take what they need and to leave some for other creatures. The rattlesnake ensures that the plants can continue producing fruit in the future for all of creation.” It is considered a threatened species and is protected wherever it is found throughout the province. What an amazing duxtoposition. The snake reminds people to share and respect nature, misinformation has pushed it to being a threatened species. #kindness #whatsthelesson