World Wildlife Conservation Photography

Pollination is the keystone for the health of our ecosystem! From the bees and butterflies to the stronger flying birds and natural windy breezes, our natural world works in a way that keeps the earths filtration system alive and well. Not only is the pollination process happening through the daytime but moth species continue to work throughout the nighttime hours and are often overlooked when talking on this subject. Charles Darwin predicted, 40 years before it was actually discovered in 1903, that there was a moth species with an 11 inch tongue which it used to pollinate an orchid on the island of Madagascar. ​​
The pollination process goes something like this.
Flowers have a male part called stamens that produce a powder called pollen. Flowers also have female parts called the pistil. At the top of the pistil you can find the stigma and seeds are made at the base of the pistil, in the ovule.
Pollen is moved from a stamen to the stigma by any source at all. When pollen from a plant's stamen is transferred to that same plant's stigma, it is called self-pollination. When pollen from a plant's stamen is transferred to a different plant's stigma, it is called cross-pollination. Cross-pollination produces stronger plants. The plants must be of the same species in order for things to work. For example, only pollen from a daisy can pollinate another daisy. Pollen from a rose or an apple tree would not work. 
Harmful farming practices continue to impact the well-being of the key animals needed for pollination. Pesticides from every chemical class have been detected in groundwater and are commonly found in groundwater beneath agricultural areas. Agriculture’s link to global climate change is just beginning to be appreciated. Destruction of tropical forests and other native vegetation for agricultural production has a role in elevated levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Insecticides are commonly used to rid areas of the very animals needed for the pollination cycle to continue while deforestation rapes the earth of natural plant growth; all in the name of money. 
Creating a butterfly garden could be a  helpful way for an individual to help keep a healthy environment around. Choose nectar and pollen-rich plants like wildflowers and old-fashioned varieties of flowers.  Also, include plants like dill, fennel and milkweed that butterfly larvae feed on. Many pesticides — even organic ones — are toxic to bees and other beneficial organisms. There's no need to use powerful poisons to protect your garden from insects and diseases. It's important for change to start close to home in order to have a voice that others will listen to. 
Explore, Learn and Conserve Wildlife

Tracking animals through every sort of terrain has become a true passion of mine over the years. Photography has inspired me to not only know about the animals I am photographing, but also to understand how they move through the forest and how to activity locate them. The collection of images in my database of scats and tracks, and any other animal signs I come across, far exceed my portfolio of "pretty" photographs and the images of animals themselves.
My photography began with a set of coyote tracks I came across many years ago in New Brunswick, Canada, as a mineral prospector, and had the intuition to take a photo. Since that time I have had the opportunity to track all sorts of big game animals (and the smaller types) across the world, and for me, nothing compares to big cat tracking in South Africa where this photo was taken of a prowling African Leopard.
The joy of tracking comes from the honest respect for our natural environment and the yearning to know how other animals act and react inside of it. The gait of an animal tells the story of its movements to survival and educates a person, like myself, on the idea of focus, achieving goals and correct decision making.
Animal tracking is not for everyone in this day of age but years ago it was essential. My biggest fear today is that as the forest dissapears, so will the signs of the life that live within it........

North America is home to some of the world's most powerful creatures. From the North American Bison to the Black-capped Chickadee, these animals endure Canada's extreme 4 season climates with remarkable survival skills. Conserving energy during the cold winter months has birthed amazing behaviors among those who stay to endure it. Far north breeding birds, such as the Snowy Owl, are at the top of the list for preserving body heat in minus temperatures while smaller passerines take full advantage of their "downy feathers" and roost in large numbers during the night=time hours. The American Black Bear's renowned hibernating ritual pends on just 4 breathes per minute  while resting in a den for the winter months. A true Canadian hibernator, the Woodchuck, is able to drop it's body temperature from 36 degrees Celsius to 4 degrees Celsius during the winter. During this time they will breathe once every 5-6 minutes with a heartbeat dropping from it's usual 100 beats per minute to a mere four! 
The animals of the north have jaw=dropping habits to survive the natural environment they live in but unfortunately they haven't evolved in this way against human depression. Deforestation and harmful agricultural practices continue to stress animal population and behaviors. Some opportunistic's are far more capable of lasting in a constantly changing environment as the others continue to cycle through the threatened species program.

​EXPLORE, LEARN AND CONSERVE WILDLIFE