Amazing Beautiful – Wondrous Things … Animals, Kids, Inspiration, Fun : )

Wildlife biologists are extremely concerned and consider this a major problem.

The culprit has been identified as a white fungus that infests the nose, skin and wings of the bat.

The bats are found flying around in winter rather than hibernating, in extremely poor condition, severely dehydrated and starving.

One little bat was gamely trying to drink from snow to quench thirst. Unfortunately, he will undoubtedly perish as bats cannot survive during the day exposed to cold and light.

Biologists are puzzled as to why the bats are leaving their caves in droves in the daytime, severely malnourished, dehydrated and underweight.

“Bats are primary predators of vast numbers of insects that fly at night, and many such insects rank among North America’s most costly agricultural and forest pests.

These include cucumber, potato, and snout beetles; corn-borer, corn earworm, cutworm, and grain moths; leafhoppers; and mosquitoes.

A single little brown bat can catch more than 1,200 mosquito-sized insects in an hour, and the 25 million Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) that formerly occupied Eagle Creek Cave in Arizona consumed over 250 tons of insects nightly, the majority of which were agricultural pests.

A colony of Mexican free-tailed bats living in the old Orient Mine in Colorado consumes nearly two tons of insects nightly, largely moths.

Just one of the many moths that such bats eat, the corn earworm moth, attacks a wide variety of crops, from corn and cotton to tomatoes and pumpkins.

Since each female moth is capable of laying hundreds of eggs, as few as 100 can force a farmer to spray a large area of crop lands.

Illustrative of the impact that even small colonies of bats can have, just 150 big brown bats can eat sufficient cucumber beetles each summer to protect farmers from 33 million of these beetles’ root worm larvae, pests that cost American farmers an estimated billion dollars annually.

Long-nosed (Leptonycteris curasoae and L. nivalis) and long-tongued bats (Choeronycteris mexicana) are believed to be important pollinators for some 60species of agave plants and to serve as both pollinatorsand seed dispersers for dozens of species of columnar cacti, including organ pipe and saguaro, which rank among the southwestern desert’s most familiar and ecologically important plants.

Loss of these bats could further jeopardize these already declining plants, harming an entire ecosystem.

Bats are primary pollinators and seed dispersers for many of the most ecologically important plants of the desert Southwest. This lesser long-nosed bat is about to pollinate a saguaro cactus.

Mexican free-tailed bats rank among North America’s most valuable wildlife, consuming enormous quantities of insect pests each summer night.”

Full Article Here:
http://www.batcon.org…batsmines_09-16.pdf
(Right Click and Choose ‘Save Target As’ to Download Entire Article)

A large library of Bat Images:
http://www.batcon.org…task=results

More Information
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/wns2.html

Comprehensive Information:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/45088.html

Video of Endangered Species Biologist,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with Bats
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/wns2.html

Images of Bat Situaton
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/wnspics.html

A Stunning and Beautiful Slide Show of Bat Cave Images
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/10/05/
nyregion/20081005_Bats_index.html

“We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes.”

I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes – something known only to her and to the mountain.

I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters’ paradise.

But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view.

Since then I have lived to see state after state extirpate its wolves.

I have watched the face of many a newly wolfless mountain, and seen the south-facing slopes wrinkle with a maze of new deer trails.

I have seen every edible bush and seedling browsed, first to anaemic desuetude, and then to death. I have seen every edible tree defoliated to the height of a saddlehorn.

Such a mountain looks as if someone had given God a new pruning shears, and forbidden Him all other exercise.

In the end the starved bones of the hoped-for deer herd, dead of its own too-much, bleach with the bones of the dead sage, or molder under the high-lined junipers.

I now suspect that just as a deer herd lives in mortal fear of its wolves, so does a mountain live in mortal fear of its deer.

And perhaps with better cause, for while a buck pulled down by wolves can be replaced in two or three years, a range pulled down by too many deer may fail of replacement in as many decades.

So also with cows.

The cowman who cleans his range of wolves does not realize that he is taking over the wolf’s job of trimming the herd to fit the range. He has not learned to think like a mountain.

Hence we have dustbowls, and rivers washing the future into the sea.

We all strive for safety, prosperity, comfort, long life, and dullness.

The deer strives with his supple legs, the cowman with trap and poison, the statesman with pen, the most of us with machines, votes, and dollars, but it all comes to the same thing: peace in our time.

A measure of success in this is all well enough, and perhaps is a requisite to objective thinking, but too much safety seems to yield only danger in the long run.

Perhaps this is behind Thoreau’s dictum: In wildness is the salvation of the world.

Perhaps this is the hidden meaning in the howl of the wolf, long known among mountains, but seldom perceived among men."

~ Aldo Leopold, Thinking Like a Mountain

Thanks to Suzanne Stone, MyYellowStone Wolves
http://myyellowstonewolves.typepad.com/myw/2009/02/wolf-makes-it-all-the-way-to-colorado.html

More Information:
http://www.westernwolves.org/
 

Someone important had written a forum post about the book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution — and How It Can Renew America.

His quote: I’ve never been an environmentalist (or any kind of “ist”, only someone who believes in freedom). Always kind of figured the environment would sort itself out. Well, although there are a lot of less-than-ironclad points in Friedman’s prose (especially mistaking anecdotes for statistical proof), the big picture, the big points, are undeniable…”

Hot, Flat, and Crowded
Thomas Friedman

http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Flat-Crowded-Revolution-America/dp/0374166854/

Here’s a response to that person:

Hello!

Well i guess i am an “ist.” You are forewarned. Let’s start with age.

Are you over 35? Then maybe you think it makes less difference
whether the planet survives our abuse. Or acknowledging even if there
IS any abuse in the first place. But do you have kids? Grandkids?

Are you under 35? Maybe there’s more at stake for you. Like, in your
lifetime things could get super hairy.

For both groups, freedom may be indeed, the huge issue here.

For instance, consider these things possibly afoot:

Your freedom may have to do whether all your food will be genetically
modified and sold in processed form ONLY.

You will be told what you can and cannot eat at all times. Or, it simply
is no longer available. Just TV dinner type foods courtesy of… Monsanto.

It may have to do with fake seafood as the oceans no longer provide
real seafood except to the VERY VERY rich.

It may have to do with changing weather patterns (not warming,
not colding, Changing and More Extreme)

It may have to do with Constant Surveillance because NO ONE will
be trusted anymore due to biochemical terrorism, nano-terrorism,
chemical terrorism, biological agents terrorism (Genetically modified
race specific, gender specific, physical traits specific Bio, NANO,
nuclear, electromagnetic agents. etc. etc.)

It may have to do with limited education so that people are NO LONGER
ALLOWED to learn any sciences that could be used for harm UNLESS
they have ultra-connections or meet STRINGENT security requirements.

It may have to do with limited Internet access for ANYONE who
promotes freedom loving materials that encourage FREE and
DIFFERENT thinking.

It may have to do with NO FREE THINKING allowed that can be
characterized as subterfuge in ANY CAPACITY whatsoever.

It may have to do with limited travel and access to information
(already books and information are being purchased and/or eliminated
from libraries and other sources).

It may be that growing your own food will be outlawed because you
may be introducing contamination, or using corporation patented
materials.

It may be that your homes will ALL BE OWNED by the very rich or
by governments because YOU COULDN’T POSSIBLY afford the taxes
and fees any longer.

It may be that a few companies will have the right to take your
property (Eminent business dominion) just because they want to and
their cronies in government say “sure. Do whatever, my buddy.”

It may be that only government workers will be able to afford health
insurance with their retirement subsidized and guaranteed by the tax
payer – you.

it may be that you will NOT be able to conduct business without being
accused of inssurrection just because some one else wants it, or thinks
you may be a “terror” inciting agent, or whatever.

It may be that your air will be unclean, water filled with pharmaceuticals,
chemicals, pollutants.

And, maybe your children will be forced to take drugs and vaccines that
HAVEN’T been properly tested just because some agency says there’s
danger of… whatever.

And, how about the fact that new diseases and military weapons are
being created EVERY MINUTE that can devastate and re-devastate the
earth as we know it, over and OVER?

Is that madness?

Well sure, but all in the name of defense because there’s a REAL
DANGER of bad people committing terroristic acts.

Nuclear Power? safe? You think? Coal Power? Clean? Safe? You think?

Companies will allow green energy and lose oil profits? You think?

Do you think that if people can be killed for $20 they won’t be
eliminated for “billions” of dollars?

Do you currently trust your politicians?

Do you think the rich corporations (they are considered individuals with
individual rights) have souls and are “considering” your welfare?

Do you think you can sit still, accept what is, and have a perfect,
happy joyful safe life living in bliss till you’re 110?

Do you think the economy will right itself?

Okay. Sure it will. You’re find, all is well. Actually…

THE GOOD NEWS:

Believe it or not, if we all work together for the common good,
THINGS CAN CHANGE. FOR THE BETTER. AND FASTER THAN WE
THINK POSSIBLE.

Americans, Europeans, Asians, Africans, EVERYONE, every ordinary
person is a tidal wave of force. Together we are a SLEEPING GIANT.

We DO have power to convince corporations to change their ways,

WE DO have power to ask our politicians to CHANGE THEIR WAYS
and choose honor, decency, honesty, and GOODness in ALL THAT
they do.

WE DO HAVE POWER to be good to each other, fair with each other,
KNOWLEDGEABLE WITH EACH OTHER, and

NOT PUT OUR HEADS IN THE SAND and pretend everything is just
HUNKY DORY.

SO….

is this a rant? no… it’s just reminding you that things don’t change
unless someone does something about it.

And as much as we want to believe the government will handle
everything, that the SMART PEOPLE of the world will solve all the
crisises,

THINK AGAIN. Are they doing a good job so FAR????

MAYBE YOU HAVE BETTER SENSE THAN THEM… you think?

Chances are they’ve been corrupted by old power, old money, old
habits, old clever entities that don’t want to lose control and power.

Well, maybe these powers will win… I don’t know anymore.

This one can know for sure -

we have a PARADISE OF A PLANET.

we have the most BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS and dear creatures to delight us.

We were given stewardship.

We have the capacities to be AMAZING AND WONDERFUL and LIVE
wonderful lives of true value and goodness.

Will be lose everything because we can’t put forth the effort to REALLY
EFFECT CHANGE??

Your call.

Me? I’m kind of lazy, i’d rather play computer games, watch the telly,
eat junk food, ignore what displeases me…

so, good luck!

PS: Ordinary people. Ordinary good people. THEY ARE SLEEPING
GIANTS. WE ARE SLEEPING GIANTS. Time to wake up…

writing is on the WALL in NEON.

Book: Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution–and How It Can Renew America
_________________
All the best!
Cdin