Month: April 2024

Earth Day
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Earth Day

Hail Brave Hearts

April 22 is Earth Day and who deserves it more?  The fabulous creativity of this great planet, so full of awesome wonder.  A place for all of us, great and small.  This magnificent planet, orbiting in a universe of immense space, with no other planet as creative.  No one, but our own great planet, with the perfect combination of everything, to give life like the life we live.  We are the fortunate ones, who live so bountifully, in a universe otherwise devoid of life.

A planet which takes care of us, from nutrition, to clothing, to shelter.  A planet which provides adventure, excitement and discovery.  A planet which feeds our brains with discovery, curiosity and aptitude.  A planet with feeds our bodies with nourishment, mastery and skills.  The ability to care for ourselves and each other, not just the human, but all of the Earths creatures, adapting to their environments and thriving in a world for themselves.

Earth 101 | National Geographic (youtube.com)

But the dark side of life is looming, as war, climate change and global warming threaten us.  Pesticides, pollutants, emissions and spills, make us and the environment unhealthy.  Environmental agencies race to save a species in peril, but environmental change and disasters are increasing, leaving destruction in their wake.  Costly clean up efforts abound, as earthquake, volcanic eruptions, hurricane and tornadoes, sweep across the planet, ruining much.  It leaves us in peril.

Our responsibility in saving ourselves is immense.  Our duties are the highest.  We must act in a manner which protects the Earth and the environment, in order to save ourselves.  Our actions are loud and sometimes scary.  We plunder and fight, killing much and leaving destruction all around us, destroying ourselves, the environments that save us, the soil, water and air.  War is killing so much.  Our obligations are high.  We are not alone on this great planet.  We share with so many other creatures, that all of our self destruction, ruins other species as well.  Sometimes nothing can be repaired.  The loss of a species, the vanishing rivers, increasing deserts, soil erosion and increasing glacial melting.  Once gone, these might never return.

Our duty of care is enormous.  Only one great planet, only one place in this universe for us.  This is our home and our destiny.  Live and die.

The escalating loss of wildlife and wilderness torments us.  Forest fires and drought ruin habitat necessary for natural species and for us.  The natural world is Earth’s world.  Plunder and die.

Of course, there’s always the bright side of life.  The wholesome side, where each of us makes that important decision to save our planet, every day.  Some small initiatives like reduce, reuse, recycle can make large impacts if supported by large numbers of people.  Reducing the square footprint of housing,  turning down the thermostat, driving less and walking more or taking public transport.  Clean air and clean water are healthy for us, and are healthy for the Earth as well.

Celebrate this Earth Day with gladness.  Planetary health is essential for us.  Saving our world saves ourselves.

Happy Earth Day.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

April 21, 2024

National Wildlife Week
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National Wildlife Week

Hail Brave Hearts

It’s National Wildlife Week and of course, we celebrate!  We  celebrate what is good for all of us.  The fabulous great wild and all of the wonders of nature that it supports.  The landscape, the sea, the air, the land, the wilderness, the wildlife and that fabulous, awesome view.  That incomparable view of a mountain, a lake,  prairie, field, river,  stream, swamp, forest, marsh, rock, ocean, beach, waterfall,  jungle, icebergs, sky and sometimes just thin air.  The view, and all of the wild that it supports.  Our wildlife are the living, breathing, existence in such beautiful places, that we strive with all of our being to get to.

A remote location, with that rare beauty of a flower.  The locations of fossils, in high, alpine places.  A rock turned over by a hungry bear.  An early crocus peeking out from nearly frozen land.  Waves cresting on the beach.  Our love for these special places, of play, sport, solitude, and curiosity.  This is the marvelous world of wildlife.

Watch them swimming in the oceans and scurrying along on the sand.  Some have shells to pick from the ever changing tides, washing them ashore.  The hungry birds swirling in the air, looking for the catch of the day. A dainty butterfly lands on a hand   The brilliant colours of it’s wings, shimmer in the sun.

Wander along the stream, picking a route along the rocks,  to the tumbling waterfall with a  view of the tumultuous torrent of cascading water.  This could be a swimming pool in an untouched area, preserved for enjoyment and fun.

A chattering squirrel sits on a branch and a robin passes by.  A deer springs onto the road and sails, speedily to the other side.  A massive bison blocks the way.  Outstanding!  Fortunate are we, to have these places of preservation, to appreciate the wonders of the natural world.

Canadian Wildlife Federation: National Wildlife Week 2024 (cwf-fcf.org)

It was with foresight of our needs as human beings, that natural areas are protected.  Those special places, housing an intricate ecosystem of life beyond our doorstep.  The wondrous life, for curious minds, who delve into the environment of anthills, snakes, pond life and more.  The experts, still looking for birds,  animals, fish and amphibians and all of the terrain that they occupy.  An educated mind, wandering to find that rare species and to count again it’s population in its wild domain.  The amateur,  just enjoying the sparse knowledge they have, but feeling the pride of a trail to walk, with diggings, droppings, prints and maybe a sighting of an elusive creature, hiding shyly in the bush.

This is the wonder of nature, a world so impressive it requires protection and education.  The perseverance to come forward, to research and publish and demand the ongoing right, to the privilege of enjoying the environment, that supports the life of the Earth’s creatures.  World Wildlife Week is not a week, it’s a lifetime.  A lifetime of supporting the care of the planet and the brilliant wonders of the natural world.  The world that supports our very existence through sport, play, relaxation and enjoyment.

Our world is a fragile place.  It’s environments are in dire need of care.  Walk the great wild with compassion for it’s creatures.  They belong here.  This is their world.  This planet Earth belongs to them as well.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

April 11, 2024

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The Path of Totality

Hail Brave Hearts

April 8, 2024 will gift some of us with a rare, celestial occurrence, a total eclipse of the sun.

Although eclipses occur about once every eighteen months, the moon’s orbital path changes to such an extent, that it only follows the same path, about once every three hundred and sixty to four hundred and ten years.  The moon, the sun and the Earth are all slightly tipped, so the moon travels around the Earth in a slightly different path, each orbit and  is seen in a slightly different location, in the sky, with each passing.  Most of the time, the eclipse occurs over the Earth’s oceans, so, although it occurs with a frequency, it is not easily viewed from land.  The April 8, 2024 total eclipse of the sun will be seen in North American, throughout the United States and in Southern Canada and Newfoundland.  Some of the other parts of the country, will experience a partial eclipse of the sun, where the moon will darken only a portion of the sun.  In a total eclipse, the moon will darken the sun entirely and the Earth will have no sunlight at all.  In a partial eclipse, the moon passes over only a section of the sun and only partial darkness occurs.

In these eclipses, the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking out the sun’s rays to the Earth and causing darkness. Due to the high speed which the moon travels, the eclipse usually lasts only a few minutes, but has been recorded as lasting up to seven and a half minutes.  The solar eclipse only occurs during eclipse season.  This is when the sun is in either the ascending or descending stage of the moon.

Total solar eclipse: Who will be able to see it, when is it and why does it happen? (youtube.com)

The first recording of a total eclipse of the sun is in either 1375 or 1223 BC, in what is present day Syria.  Astronomers have chosen to prefer the second date.

Astronomers chart the movement of celestial objects and are able to forecast the locations of the sun, the moon and the Earth.  With this information they are able to give a prediction of the whereabouts of these sky objects and when and where the next eclipse will appear.  The April 8, 2024 is a solar eclipse.  A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the moon and the sun and prevents the sun’s rays from illuminating the moon.  The moon darkens for a few minutes, while the Earth passes by.

Although this is an exciting event to witness, it is necessary to take precautions, during the viewing, of this phenomena.  The sun’s light is so bright that if it is directly viewed by the human eye, it can cause blindness.  The retina has no sense of pain and therefore there is no warning as to the injury to the eye.  It might take several hours, before eye injury is noticed.  This eye injury is irreversible.  Protective shields and eyewear must be worn so that the sun doesn’t cause eye damage.

However, if you have the ability to witness this event, take advantage of it, with precautions.  This might be your only opportunity to witness this rare event.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

April 7, 2024