Photo:  Australian Green Tree frog       (Forster, N.S.W, Australia)


Frogs are amphibious creatures that have ancestry going back at least 200 million years and were the first land animals to have vocal cords.
There are over 7000 species of frog and they are the largest group of amphibians  ranging in size from smaller than a human finger to bigger than a human foot. 
They are a cold blooded animal that is extremely adaptable and that has made their homes almost everywhere throughout the world.
Toads are similar to frogs with a few subtle differences. Frogs have smooth and moist skin whereas toads have a dry warty skin. Frogs are also more likely to be found near a water source such as ponds, creeks and streams. 
Frogs also have longer hind legs that allow them to hop vast distances quickly and swim through water rapidly. 

A few examples of their adaptability are:

The Wood frog of North America that can live north of the Arctic Circle and survives the extreme cold with up to 65% of it's body water frozen. They achieve this by having glucose in their body which acts as an anti-freeze protecting its vital organs.

The Water-Holding frog that lives in Australia can live for years without drinking and in periods of hot dry weather buries itself in up to a meter (3 feet) of sandy ground in a water-tight cocoon made of its own skin. 

The male of the Darwin's frog carries his young in the vocal sacs in his mouth for up to 70 days. When the female lays her eggs the male keeps watch until the tadpoles hatch and he swallows them where they can safely grow within his vocal sac until they are baby frogs where upon he releases them. 
There are 2 species of Darwin's frog. One is in southern Chile and Argentina and the Northern Darwin's frog is found in northern Chile although hasn't been seen since 1981 and may be extinct.

Sadly frogs have been in decline since the 1950's and are thought to be bellwethers for the state of the environment. 
However, there are many ways to make your own yard frog friendly and listed below are some wonderful ideas you may like to read about plus more interesting information on frogs and toads. 

Links on building a frog friendly garden:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhRiUqjhkx4

gardenculturemagazine.com/frog-friendly-gardens/

nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2000/Want-to-Host-a-Garden-Party-for-Frogs

Links for information on frogs and toads:
www.burkemuseum.org/collections-and-research/biology/herpetology/all-about-amphibians/all-about-frogs

www.livescience.com/50692-frog-facts.html

www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/frog-fact-sheet/

​
Brendon Crook

Photos:  Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.



Bees are fascinating creatures and are all about us. 
They aren't given anywhere near the credit nor reverence they deserve for both their pollinating importance and their community spirit. 

There are over 20,000 species of bees ranging in size from 2mm up to 39mm and can beat their wings at over 11,000 times a minute. 

Bees can be solitary or live in communities that are highly organized and structured. Included in these are the most well known of the bees, the Honey bee of which there are 8 recognized species, They are incredibly important for human food pollination and it is estimated that one bite of food in 3 depends on bees for pollination. 

Beekeeping has been known as far back as ancient Egypt and Greece and appear in mythology, art and literature from ancient times. Fossils of Honey bees are known to be 40 million years old.

Their lives are a fantastic example to humanity of how to live cooperatively and with perseverance. 

We could do well to follow in the bees localized community-focused footsteps and get to know our own communities. Gettting involved with community based garden projects and caring for one another are positive and benficial to all who live there.
 
Bees are sadly believed to be in decline along with many other insect species but there are ways we can help encourage them.

​Planting bee friendly flowers and plants and even leaving out nectar water is a great way to attract them.

Nectar water is one part sugar to one part water by weight or volume and in winter two parts sugar to one part water to make a syrup for them.

Also pesticides kill off many insects including bees, so look at other ways of gardening that don't include pesticides. 

I shall include some links below on a pesticide-free garden and interesting bee links.

We need bees more than many people think or are aware of. They are an integral part of the ecology of the earth and indeed our own food production. They are also valuable in their own right as members of the living earth.

Next time you see a bee take a moment to think about what they do and the positive effect they have on other species of flora and fauna on the planet and the way they carry out their tasks efficently and cooperatively.

​We could learn much from bees. 

Pesticide free gardening 
www.birdsandblooms.com/gardening/grow-chemical-free-garden/

www.abchomeandcommercial.com/blog/6-ways-maintain-pest-free-garden-yard-without-chemicals/

How to attract bees in the garden
www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/beneficial/attracting-bees.htm

​www.thespruce.com/bee-plants-1401948

www.xerces.org/publications/books/attracting-native-pollinators



​- Brendon Crook

Photo: Migrating Ruby Throated Hummingbirds in the borderlands of U.S/Mexico



Although Migratory Bird Day is celebrated in May in the U.S and Canada it is celebrated in October in Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean and as birds know no human borders and are currently migrating from varies places in North America I thought it would be wonderful to celebrate our travelling feathered friends as they enrich us with their presence. 

Bird migration occurs all over the world so is a truly global event at many times of the year. It is driven mainly by seasonal food depletion and nesting opportunities. Birds of all sizes and from many different habitats migrate from the far reaches of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere to all points in between.
Many of them travel astounding distances and end up landing in exactly the same location year after year using the sun, the stars and the earths magnetic field as navigational tools, 

Stopping along the way to rest and recuperate many are finding their resting areas are being eroded by human activities such as development and recreational activities causing habitat loss and fragmentation. Harmful pollutants along with noise pollution also cause great suffering to the birds.

If you know of migrating birds in your area it is a great experience to witness them and enjoy their presence.
We can also bring awareness to the public the plight of migratory birds if their habitat is threatened by human activity in your local area.

Below are links that are interesting and educational for both knowledge and activism.

www.migratorybirdday.org/

nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds

​




​Photo:   Albatross off Wollongong, N.S.W, Australia.

Today is World Animal Day. It is an international day for animal rights and welfare. 

It dates back to 1925 when Heinrich Zimmerman, the publisher of the German magazine Man and Dog organised the first celebration in Berlin to raise awareness and improve the welfare of animals. 

This day is not just for domestic animals but also wild animals, endangered species and those threatened with habitat destruction or lack of protection. 

Although as pantheists I'm sure we think of our domestic and wild kin often there are folk who don't pay them much attention at all. Some people aren't in a position to or are socially seasoned to not give them regard, consideration or contemplation. They are missing out on a rich and fulfilling experience and the creatures are missing out on some much needed help, care and love. 

Helping others in this situation to expand their hearts, minds and compassion can open them to new ideas and information about the world of other non-human beings around us and their plight and can yield a positive and illuminating exposure to someones conscience.
Please spare a thought today for the wild creatures struggling with vanishing habitats and the many homeless cats and dogs wandering aimlessly through their short lives and give your own house pet a loving hug.

Indeed it is a most noble quest to help the creatures in need and celebrate the awe, the beauty and the relationship we have with our fellow earthlings.