Week One, Post Two

Recently, an orca named Tilikum passed away after living in captivity since 1983. For most of that time, he performed in various shows in places such as SeaWorld, where he spent his last 24 years of life. Tilikum was involved in the deaths of three different people, two of which were SeaWorld employees. Another victim was a man who had snuck into the park after hours.

I bring this event up because this is a biology class and this event is in regards to the captivity of a certain life form-- a certain species-- and some of the ethical issues that this brings. up. Biological ethical issues are prevalent because they are very relevant to the human race, humanity, and the preservation of species in an ethical way. For example, there were several debates over how the deaths of the individuals could have been the result of taking animals out of their natural habitat and forcing them to live in a much less diverse and less nurturing environment. It is thought that Tilikum's death was the cause of a lung infection, which is apparently common for whales and dolphins in captivity. I thought it was an interesting event worth thinking about and exploring.

Actually, I bring it up because I hate it. I hate that Tilikum was taken away from his family and forced to turn tricks for commercialism. I hate that it is even a thing that happened. In class we talk about fitness and natural selection and it is humans that seem to often disrupt ecosystems and cause an imbalance in what is natural. Tilikum did not even have the chance to exist in his natural habitat and truly experience what his life should be like. It is a very personal opinion, but learning of Tilikum's death was very heartbreaking.

Week Two Post Two

Week Two Post One

This week, a dangerous new specimen interrupted our little ecosystem of our little backyard on Locust Street. I could hear her whining through the fence-- I could see her pale blue eyes peeking through a small opening in the fence as Apache danced around trying to get to her. It was a Siberian Husky and it was love at first sight.

Other than having an unprecedented new species emerge to our backyard, nothing really has changed much except for the weather, which has now decided to be cold again. The squirrels are ever so antagonizing to Apache, who just knows that one day he shall really get them. Whatever grass has grown around the perimeters of the fence is very tall now, but it seems a little pointless to cut it because I am afraid grass will not grow where Pach tramples around the Adirondack chairs.

This is such a place of comfort. I will probably be closely monitoring the growth of the grass since there is not much here yet.

Week One, Post One

Bringing mom a stick.

SNOW

The spot I have chosen is the back yard that I spend so much time in now because it is the first winter-spring-summer that I have spent in this house in this new neighborhood after moving a year ago. I am well versed in the wildlife at my old home on Horseleg Creek Road, but I am looking forward to discovering the changes in the wildlife that take place over the course of this semester as the weather continues to change. What makes this place interesting is to see how my dog interacts with the environment and the wildlife behind our fence. We live in a small neighborhood that used to be called Celanese and while it is more developed than the area I used to live in, it is still fun to explore our little piece of wildlife together.  A month ago, when the weather was still really cold, the dirt was dry and the grass yellow. However, the past week the weather has been much warmer and with all the rain the grass is growing again. Yesterday I noticed Apache digging around in the dirt, which smells fresh and earthy in a way that signifies growth. Before I knew it, he was poking a worm that was poking out of the dirt. There is so much biodiversity here in our small backyard, much like the field of wildflowers we looked at in class-- I look very forward to seeing how our small ecosystem changes. I am including pictures of Apache in the snow since it just snowed to weeks ago a
nd now the weather is so warm!