Vox asks 'Are zoos...bad?'

It's time for a question that with an answer I'm not entirely happy about as Vox asks Are zoos...bad?

Do the benefits of zoos justify the fact that some animals are clearly stressed out?
...
Many of us have fond memories of visiting the zoo as a child (or at any age), and more than a few of us probably credit those visits with turning us into animal-lovers. So, how should we square those warm fuzzy feelings with research that shows the psychological harms of captivity for some animals?

That’s what Vox subscriber Gaurav Patil wanted to know, so producer Liz Scheltens started digging in. One way that zoos maintain their social license to operate despite our growing understanding of the harms to certain species is by marketing themselves as beacons of conservation.

Proponents argue that not only do zoos help preserve endangered wild populations, they also help make humans better conservationists. But when you look at the research, a different picture starts to emerge.

I don't make a secret of my being a fan of the Detroit Zoo and my students like zoos, too, so I'm disappointed to find out that people come out of zoos being less supportive of preserving wildlife habitat than when they came in. Habitat destruction is one of the key reasons why the Monarch butterfly is endangered, for example and preserving habitat is the best way to keep species from becoming extinct in the wild. Sigh. Zoos might have to emphasize preserving animals' natural habitat in their signs and other educational material to counteract that.

Also, I've written about a reintroduction program by the Detroit Zoo for a species that went extinct in the wild, so I know those work. However, it was for a snail, so it definitely wasn't for a "cognitively complex species." I like my snails, but I know they're not bright animals.

I don't know if I will show this video to my students, but I wouldn't be surprised if one of them shows part of it as their visual aid in a presentation. In the meantime, welcome to more blogging as professional development.

World Giraffe Day and National Seashell Day on the Summer Solstice

Happy World Giraffe Day and National Seashell Day on the Summer Solstice! I begin with World Giraffe Day (Virtual Habitat Chat) from the Detroit Zoo.

Celebrate World Giraffe Day with a Virtual Habitat Chat! Learn about Zara, Mpenzi, Kivuli, and Jabari and how their habitat at the Detroit Zoo helps them not just survive, but thrive.

Not only is that a solid dose of "Vitamin Z," the Detroit Zoo's marketing term for the zoo experience, but a worthy educational exercise about the lives of giraffes in a zoo. To read more about these magnificent mammals, I recommend perusing Synapsida's blog posts about giraffes. Happy reading!

Next, National Seashell Day (June 21) - Activities and How to Celebrate National Seashell Day by 8SA - Books, Biographies and Literature Summary on YouTube.

National Seashell Day is observed next on Tuesday, June 21st. It has been observed the first day of Summer since 2016.

This is a surprisingly accurate and even-handed description of the day, given that this is an account I'd never never encountered before. The information is good enough and the holiday content strong enough that I decided to subscribe. May I not regret that decision.

Finally, I'm sharing some science content from KERO, 23 ABC News in Bakersfield, California, Science Sundays: Science of the Solstice.

[I]t's the first day of astronomical summer, or the day of the summer solstice. It has felt like summer out there all month. So let's talk about the science of the solstice, and why this is different than meteorological summer.

I'm glad to see one of the stations I watched when I lived in Bakersfield 40 years ago sharing such a clear explanation of the seasons.

Stay tuned to see whether I follow through on posting about World Rainforest Day or if I decide the January 6th Committee hearings deserve my attention instead.

The first National Detroit-Style Pizza Day

Happy inaugural National Detroit-Style Pizza Day!

On June 23rd, join the celebration born in the birthplace of the American Automobile and Motown. National Detroit-Style Pizza Day recognizes the square-cut pizza style first served at Buddy’s Pizza in 1946 in the city that also gave us Madonna, the Mustang, and the first paved road. And Detroit-Style Pizza is arguably Detroit’s greatest contribution!

What makes it Detroit-Style? It starts with the crust – deep and thick in composition and yet light and airy in taste. The steel square pans (borrowed from the auto industry) give it a unique shape and one-of-a-kind flavor. Authentic Detroit-Style Pizzas layer the toppings backward, meaning they lay the gourmet pepperoni directly on the hand-stretched dough. Next comes a generous layer of Wisconsin Brick Cheese, spread all the way to the edges of the pan. The resulting caramelized cheese creates an incredibly crisp crust. Finally, racing stripes of tomato sauce finish the top.

Detroit-Style Pizza has grown beyond Buddy’s into a nationwide phenomenon that you can find from Brooklyn to Denver to Los Angeles.
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Buddy’s Pizza in Detroit, Michigan, founded National Detroit-Style Pizza Day to celebrate the pizza category’s 75th anniversary in 2021. In 1946, at a restaurant called Buddy’s Rendezvous, a delicious deep-dish Sicilian-style pizza baked in blue steel automotive drip pans was born. Today, Buddy’s Pizza keeps the flavor and tradition alive by making the same one-of-a-kind square pizza. For generations, they’ve been building their square pizzas from the bottom up. Discover what makes them so special in the Motor City.

In 2021, the Registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed National Detroit-Style Pizza Day to be observed annually on June 23rd.

I couldn't resist celebrating a fake food holiday about Detroit. Neither could WDIV, which uploaded Buddy's Pizza celebrating 75 years with first-ever National Detroit-Style Pizza Day this morning.


Follow over the jump for the complete segment from Live in the D and more about Buddy's Pizza and the Detroit Zoo.

World Giraffe Day at the Detroit Zoo and on 'The Ellen Show'

Happy World Giraffe Day! I begin today's celebration with Detroit Zoo | Educational Lesson: World Giraffe Day!

Celebrate World Giraffe Day live from the giraffe habitat in the Detroit Zoo as animal care staff share a healthy snack with the giraffes and Education Specialist, Akilah and special guest Elizabeth, Curator of Mammals broadcasting live from the Zoo.

Since this is a Metro-Detroit-based blog, it's about time I featured a video from the Detroit Zoo in a post about World Giraffe Day.

The Ellen Show included a plug for World Giraffe Day in Dr. Julian Fennessy on How You Can Help Save the Endangered Giraffes.

Ellen chatted with Dr. Julian Fennessy, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF). He’s also featured in the new discovery+ documentary “Endangered,” which Ellen narrated and executive produced! He talked about what led to his work with giraffes in Namibia, what we can do to help these endangered animals, and what gives him hope that the incredible giraffes will be saved from extinction.

I'm glad to hear some good news about vulnerable animals like giraffes, which reminds me of what I wrote on Juneteenth: "doom can wait, even when I'm writing about threatened species and biomes." Let's see if I can maintain that positive tone tomorrow for World Rainforest Day. Stay tuned

VOA News and WFTX-TV report on World Giraffe Day for the Summer Solstice

Happy World Giraffe Day!  I begin this year's observance by noting that the day has finally appeared at National Day Calendar.

World Giraffe Day is an annual event initiated by Giraffe Conservation Federation to celebrate the longest-necked animal on the longest day of the year.

It’s estimated there are 111,000 giraffes in the world. In some areas, traditionally regarded as prime giraffe habitat, numbers have dropped by 95%.

Giraffe facts:

• Giraffes are typically 14 to 20 feet tall.
• Giraffes weigh between 1,600 and 3,000 pounds
• A full-grown giraffe eats more than 100 lb of leaves and twigs a day.
• Giraffes feed from the tops of trees, using their tongues and lips to pull off leaves.
• Giraffe tongues are long, reaching around 20–21 in
• Giraffes sleep less than two hours a day. In general, they sleep with their feet tucked under them and their head resting on their hindquarters, but they can also sleep for short periods standing up
• Giraffe horns are not horns. They are ossicones.No one seems to know what they are for. The horns may help males intimidate one another during mating season, or they may be a sexually selected characteristic (that is, males with more impressive ossicones may be more attractive to females). It’s possible the ossicones may even help to dissipate heat in the blazing African sun.

Enough facts and text.  Voice of America AKA VOA News uploaded a video last year showing efforts to save the giraffe in World Giraffe Day Brings Attention to Their Declining Numbers.

June 21st is World Giraffe Day, celebrating the iconic long-necked African animal. But giraffe populations have been decreasing at a rapid pace, and researchers warn they could become extinct in the near future. In northern Kenya, a conservation program is working to protect the native reticulated giraffe, known for its distinctive striped patterns. VOA's Deborah Block has more.

That's an example of what's going in in Africa to save the animals.  Follow over the jump for another example of how the one to four species of giraffes (yes, there is some controversy over the diversity of extant giraffes) are being preserved here in the U.S.

Rhinos and gorillas but no elephants at the Detroit Zoo for the Autumnal Equinox

Happy Autumnal Equinox!   Last year, I wrote about national days celebrating elephants, hobbits, and being car free on the equinox, but it turns out that was not even the half of it for this day.  National Day Calendar lists 15 national days for September 22, 2018, quite a few of which are on-topic for this blog.  However, I'm going to begin with one not on their list.


My wife pointed out last month that today is World Rhino Day.

World Rhino Day is celebrated on September 22 every year! This special day provides the opportunity for cause-related organizations, NGOs, zoos, and members of the public to celebrate rhinos in their own unique ways.

We plan on celebrating by going to the Detroit Zoo, which is observing the day, too.

Southern white rhinoceroses Jasiri, 18, and Tamba, 17, will be celebrated – along with their wild counterparts – during World Rhino Day on Saturday, September 22, at the Detroit Zoo. Matt Yurus reports.

Yesterday was my birthday, so this also serves as a birthday party for me.  I've already paid for a joint membership for my wife and me, something I promised I would do four years ago and again three years ago.  Took me long enough.

The Detroit Zoo no longer has elephants, but I can still observe National Elephant Appreciation Day in their absence, as elephants are one of the few animals that longer in the wild than in captivity.  They are better off in either in captivity or in a zoo that can take better care of them.  Also, Monday is World Gorilla Day and the Detroit Zoo has gorillas close by the rhinos.  My wife and I will celebrate that day early today as well.

Normally, I'd write about National Hunting and Fishing Day and National Public Lands Day in addition to recycling Car Free Day and Hobbit Day, but I have a date to go on, which means I definitely will skip Car Free Day.  Buses stop at the Detroit Zoo, but they don't pass by my house, so my wife and I will drive.  Next year.  In the meantime, I wish my readers a happy Autumnal Equinox if they are in the Northern Hemisphere and a happy Vernal Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere and hope those of you who can go to your local zoo do so to see the rhinos, gorillas, and elephants.

For Giving Tuesday 2017, I recommend some of my favorite nonprofits

Happy #GivingTuesday 2017!


National Day Calendar has more on National Day of Giving/Giving Tuesday.

We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Quite simply, take advantage of all the holiday deals to add to your charitable giving. Combined with your family, friends, local and national organizations and through the power of social media, National Day of Giving can become a tradition worth passing on. Use #GivingTuesday to post on social media.

HISTORY

In 2012, 92nd Street Y in New York City created National Day of Giving to bring focus to the charitable season in the wake of the commercialized Black Friday and Cyber Monday. More commonly referred to as #GivingTuesday, National Day of Giving harnesses the power of social media to give back around the world and throughout the year.

Follow over the jump for the nonprofits I've given to and others I recommend.

Detroit Zoo millage renewed plus good news for libraries and parks

I told my readers to "stay tuned for more elections coverage after the polls close" at the end of Renew for the Zoo.  The polls closed four hours ago, but I can now report on the results of the zoo millage vote.  From the Detroit Free Press: Detroit Zoo millage wins heavy support in 3 counties.

Voters were giving strong support Tuesday in renewing the millage tax that supports the Detroit Zoo.
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With 95% of votes counted, Oakland voters were giving the zoo 74% yes votes.

In Macomb County, with about 88% of votes counted, the zoo measure led by a narrower margin: 59% were voting yes, while 41% said no.

In Wayne County, with 50 percent reporting, the zoo was leading 72 percent to 28 percent.

Yay!  Time to break out Professor Farnsworth!


Follow over the jump for other election results about libraries and the environment.

Renew for the Zoo

Original here.
Today is the regular primary election day in Michigan, so I'm going to give my opinion on the millage renewal for the Detroit Zoo.  Deadline Detroit summarized the local media opinion of the millage with 4 Unanimous Editorials: Vote Yes Tuesday to Renew Detroit Zoo Support.

There's nothing divisive or partisan about animals. Even L. Brooks Patterson and Mark Hackel don't try to obstruct the Detroit Zoo's tax support, which four publications endorse...

That's a reference to the two County Executives obstructing a millage proposal for a regional transit plan, which I mentioned in Clawson 4th of July Parade.  I'll have more about that later.  Back to Deadline Detroit.

Wayne, Oakland and Macomb ballots Tuesday have a proposed renewal of a .1-mill property tax from 2018-28 for the popular attraction at Woodward and I-96.

The millage, which brings in more than $11 million annually, costs $10 a year for a home worth $200,000.

The 10-year renewal is is widely expected to pass, based on strong support in 2008 and on 2015 polling by the zoo...

Deadline Detroit then quotes editorials from the Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Crain's Detroit Business, and Downtown Birmingham/Bloomfield supporting the millage.  I can add a fifth from Daily Detroit as well as mine.  Vote yes.  I know I will.

And now, MLive shows one of the great projects that the Detroit Zoo has completed, the new Polk Penguin Conservation Center.

Inside the largest penguin facility in the world, Detroit Zoo's new Polk Penguin Conservation Center.

Enjoy the penguins and stay tuned for more elections coverage after the polls close.

Examiner.com article on Detroit Zoo snails

The Detroit Zoo sent more than 100 Partula snails like this one at the London Zoo back to Tahiti.
Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images.

Detroit Zoo ships snails to Tahiti to repopulate endangered species

In a statement released Tuesday, May 26, the Detroit Zoo announced that it had sent one-hundred land snails to Tahiti to repopulate their native habitat.  The snails belong to a species,  Partula nodosa, that had been extinct in the wild for more than twenty years. 

The announcement was more than twenty-five years in the making.  In 1989, the Detroit Zoo received specimens of P. nodosa as part of a collaborative effort with other zoos to save the species from extinction.  By the time the snail was declared extinct in the wild in 1994, all the P. nodosa on the planet resided at the Detroit Zoo.

“Our efforts and successful breeding of the snails resulted in the rescue and recovery of the species,” said Scott Carter, Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) chief life sciences officer in a statement.  “Currently there are six thousand individuals living in North American zoos, all descendants from the Detroit Zoo’s original small group.”

There's more at the link, including a video.  Unfortunately, it's not this one from WXYZ: Detroit Zoo saves Tahitian Land snails.

Detroit Zoo saves Tahitian Land snails from extinction.

Just the same, I'm happy to have found both a video and a photograph from the Examiner.com library to illustrate the article.  I was worried I wouldn't find either, so I looked for them first.  As the article itself, it's a science story involving snails and Detroit.  Therefore, I had to write it.

Nablopomo for January 2015: HABIT

Time for a new theme for a new month and year.  From this month's email:

January's NaBloPoMo Theme: HABIT!
It's that time of year when you look at your habits: which ones you want to break, which ones you want to keep, and which ones you need to start.

It can be overwhelming if you go about trying to build or break a habit alone, but NaBloPoMo gives you a built-in set of cheerleaders. By setting the habit of blogging daily, you also end up picking up new readers as well as new blogs to read. NaBloPoMo is so much more than a writing challenge; it's also a supportive community.

So let's cheer each other on as we work on our habits this month. We'll be delving deep with blog posts, looking at what we do well and what we need to start doing. And hopefully, by the end of January, the resolutions you've made will be firmly in place, ready to kick off a wonderful 2015.

You can read more about the new NaBloPoMo theme on our opening post.

Follow over the jump for the relevant text from Form Some New Habits With January's NaBloPoMo.

Blackfish: unexpected sustainability at Tipsy Bartender

While watching the outtakes for the videos in Holiday leftovers from DNews and Tipsy Bartender, I found an unexpected sustainability moment in Outtakes Nutella Fireball Christmas.


Yes, Inna wished for zoos to be shut down and the animals released.  I can sympathize with her, although I can make a case for the value of zoos as both institutions of both education and conservation.*  What I found even more noteworthy was the Tipsy Bartender's recommendation of "Blackfish," the documentary that expands on the topic of The ethics of orcas as entertainment.  Here's the official trailer for the film.

BLACKFISH tells the story of Tilikum, a notoriously aggressive orca that killed three people while in captivity. Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite uses shocking footage and emotional interviews to present a convincing case against keeping these wild animals for human entertainment.

CNN is one of distributors of the movie and here is their segment promoting the film: "Blackfish" looks at whales in captivity.

The documentary "Blackfish" examines the treatment and well-being of killer whales in captivity.

I recommended this film to my environmental science students yesterday for extra credit.  I also warned them that this will be an uphill battle, as Americans love their entertainment and don't want it messed with.  As my friend Nebris has described my observations about the topic, I have written repeatedly that "Americans will take all manner of social, economic and political abuse, but will rise up with righteous fury when you disturb their Entertainment."  I told my students that, too.

*That written, I told my students that I thought it was a good idea that the Detroit Zoo gave up its elephants.  Unlike most other animals, elephants live shorter lives in captivity than in the wild, so it made no conservation sense to keep them.  Yes, people miss them, but there are animals that can be just as entertaining and educational and will actually benefit from being kept.

Also, one of my resolutions last year was to became a member of the zoo.  I didn't follow through.  I've rolled that over to one of this year's promises.  Here's to keeping it.

Detroit Zoo director's salary goes up along with zoo's rating as a charity

In At least Detroit has great charities, I described the work that some of Detroit's top charities do.  I concentrated on those fighting hunger and food insecurity, such as Forgotten Harvest, Gleaner Community Food Bank, Yad Ezra, then explained how I use non-profits in my teaching.

I have my students research sustainability-related charities in Detroit every semester and I’m amazed how how many high-quality charities there are here. In fact, Charity Navigator rates Detroit’s charities as better than those of New York and Washington, D.C. I’ll have to write up that research and post the link.

I don't have time to do a complete write-up right now.  Instead, I direct my readers to the site's Metro Market Study 2013.  It shows Detroit's charities rank 11th in the U.S., while Washington, D.C.'s rank 17th and New York City's rank 18th.

One of the non-profits that contributed to Detroit's high ranking was the Detroit Zoological Society, which ranked fifth out of the region's top 45 charities in financial stability, accountability, and transparency with a score of 67.28.*  One of the ways the zoo got such a high ranking was cutting down on administrative costs, which raised its rating from only two stars four years ago to four stars today.  Now, WXYZ reports that salaries are going up, starting with the man at the top, Ron Kagan.

Director of the Detroit Zoo takes big pay raise


As long as administration's share of the budget doesn't go up and the program services continue to improve, the zoo's Charity Navigator rating shouldn't be harmed.  In fact, Kagan's salary has gone up at the same time the zoo's ratings have improved, so I'm not too worried.  Just the same, I'll keep an eye out for next year's ratings to see if the zoo's score goes down and brings Detroit's ranking down with it.  Only then will I think that WXYZ's concern was justified.

*The local charities ranked higher than the zoo are Helping Hand for Relief and Development in first with a score of 69.25, Forgotten Harvest in second with a score of 67.82, Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society in third with a score of 67.73, and American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association in fourth with a score of 67.35.  Among the local organizations my students would write about for their assignments, that places the zoo in third behind Forgotten Harvest and the Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society.  That's something to be proud of.

Hot enough for you?

First, Next Media Animation for the global perspective.

The US is going through a prolonged heatwave that has blanketed the eastern half of the country. Although the heatwave hit the South and Mid-west the hardest, the hot weather is moving towards the East Coast in the coming days.

As people in the affected areas turn on their air conditioners, the nation's power grid is coming under strain. This summer is a hot one not just for the US, but also in other corners of the globe.

Beijing recently hit 105F, nearing records. A Stanford study says heatwaves could become common in the US in the next 30 years due to global warming.

But more and more Americans are becoming skeptical.

Now the local one from WXYZ-TV.




Today's forecast

Any local newscast will find human interest stories for an event like this. The first is at least relevant to this blog, as it could be considered a biodiversity story--keeping animals cool at the zoo.




Zookeepers try to help the animals beat the heat at the Detroit Zoo.

But what about the people?




Action News finds the coldest place in Detroit during this heat wave.

Yeah, one could expect a story like this in any heat wave.

It's not all human interest stories. Remember the first video pointing out that this heat wave was straining the power grid? The electricity went out last night in Ferndale.




Equipment problems are causing power problems in Ferndale.

This caused me some inconvenience, as I drove through the town expecting to get some take-out for my wife. I ended up driving to Troy instead. Neither my car nor the planet needed the extra miles on my car.

On top of all that, the heat wave coincided with austerity news and not in a good way.




Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano says they may have to close Detroit's only waterpark to balance the budget.

The timing really couldn't be worse.

Finally everyone, stay cool!

Sustainability news from national and local commercial sources for the week ending June 18, 2011

In part one, I wrote:

Part three will consist of sustainability news from national commercial and miscellaneous sources. I also have a part four from local commericial sources in the works, but that's turning into two themed blog posts, one on redistricting and another on a local sustainability issue that looks like just a zoning and development issue, but has turned into something else entirely, plus a leftover linkspam.

As you can see, I've had a change of plans. I decided to combine the local stories that didn't fit into the two theme posts with the national stories for a combined part three. That's because what I advertised as a strength in part two ended up being a weakness.

I'll make up for the weak selection of general sustainability articles in the first two parts of this linkspam with part three. There will be lots of solid general sustainability articles there.

The national stories were so strong in general sustainability that they were lacking in the subfields. On the other hand, the local stories had some strength in those areas. Why have both a main course with no side dishes and leftovers later when I can turn them into a complete meal? Don't answer, just enjoy the linkspam.