Preeminent evolutionary biologist and controversial author Richard Dawkins is famous for taking on the difficult issues. We had the honor of working with him a decade ago when he contributed an essay to Art’s masterwork The Living Wild.
Checking in from the banks of the Chobe River in Botswana.
We had an excellent day today photographing from a boat. We did a lot of work on elephant and hippo, managing to get really close and then were lucky enough to see a leopardess and her cubs come down to drink in the middle of the day – very rare sighting. We got some great shots of the sunset with elephants that I had been visualizing since arrival and I actually pulled it off!
We have been “roughing it” at Sanctuary Retreat “camps” in both Zambia and Botswana and they have really looked after us well.
The first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for “her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace,” Wangari Maathai passed away on Sunday.
Her Green Belt Movement founded in 1977 has planted more than 30 million and helped nearly 900,000 women gain jobs.
With Green Seattle Partnership she helped plant trees and inspired everyone around her during her visit to Washington in 2009.
This Saturday is the grand re-opening of the beautiful Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington.
This is the world’s biggest dam removal, and one of biggest and most significant river restoration efforts. We will see a river coming back to life, with great benefits for salmon runs, the tribe and community. The lessons we learn on the Elwha can inspire other river restoration efforts around the country.
>>CLICK HERE for more info on the Elwha Dam removal project
>>CLICK HERE for an interesting back story on Senator Bill Bradley and the Elwha
Blue Earth’s first project was “The Living Wild”. Since then they have helped photographers create many socially and environmentally critical works. This is a great event that supports Blue Earth and you could walk away with a great piece of art by one of the many talented photographers.
A reminder that we are half way through the International Year of Forests – 2011. Let us not forget the importance of preserving and maintaining this invaluable resource. Here are some important statistics to consider:
– The livelihoods of over 1.6 billion people depend on forests.
– Forests are home to 80% of our terrestrial biodiversity.
– Trade in forest products was estimated at $327 billion in 2004.
– Forests are home to 300 million people around the world.
– 30% of forests are used for production of wood and non-wood products.
– Forests cover 31% of total land area.
– Primary forests account for 36% of forest area.
In the Pacific Northwest, efforts to curb logging to save the spotted owl and critical salmon runs from extinction have resulted in creating a huge carbon sink—larger trees and forests store massive amounts of carbon that would otherwise contributed to greenhouse gases. For once, unintended consequences are terrific for the environment!
