The above image is from the worldelephantday.org website.  Today is World Elephant Day when we come together not only to celebrate these amazing creatures, but also to protect them and their habitats.  There's some good information there, and there's even a place where you can pledge your support for a world that protects them.  There are lots of interesting things to learn and know about elephants. 

​Check out this tweet from BBC Ideas to see four things we can learn from elephants.  One of the most notable things is their family life.  What a nice world it would be if they could be left in peace to live with their families, raise their babies, mourn their dead, and thrive on this planet that is theirs, too, without being harmed by humans for their ivory, for entertainment, etc. 

Jane Goodall also shared an opinion on this day regarding the ivory trade still carried on by Canada.  Click here to read her article. 

Here in the U.S., it's back-to-school time starting today and over the next couple of weeks.  It's also the time for one of Autumn's heralds, Joe Pye, to start blooming, which means fall isn't too far away....bringing cooler temperatures, colorful leaves, and crisp blue skies.  It's never too early for a little autumn fever. 

Today is, indeed, World Lion Day.  According to this National Geographic article showing beautiful photographs of lions, "They've lost 90 percent of their population in Africa and Asia in the last 75 years, mostly due to conflict with humans, poaching, and trophy hunting."

In addition, check out this link for worldlionday.com to learn more about these amazing big cats and what you can do to help save them.

Today is the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.  There's a wonderful article on The Nature Conservancy website called Indigenous Women:  Keepers of the Amazon Rainforest.  I hope you'll take a few minutes to click on this link and read about these amazing women.  It's a reminder of the importance of their work, and the work of indigenous peoples all around the world, as well as the importance of the rainforest (and all forests) to the well-being of our planet and everything that comprises it.

Are you a member of our Facebook group, Universal Pantheists?  You don't have to be a dues-paying UPS member to participate.  It's free to join up and start participating or just reading, whichever you prefer.

What are we talking about this week?  Forests, indigenous peoples, climate change and its effects on our food supply, mindfulness, beekeepers, night skies, and a whole lot more!  We have several members (who, by the way, come from all around the world) sharing interesting articles and inspirational pantheistic memes, so there's always plenty to look at and learn from, as we share life on this amazing planet.  Hope to see you there!

Check out the Universal Pantheists group on Facebook.