Green is the New Black

Guest Blogger: Justin Demutiis

Green is good, but it’s not just a temporary new year’s resolution. In an age where green is the new black, it has become not only a trend, but a lifestyle commitment to help save our planet.
Below is a small example of the amazing amount of “green” products on the market today.

Nothing packs our landfill quite like paper and cardboard. Below is an example of how I not only recycle boxes and packaging, but I will also eventually repurpose them.

Finally, is recycling simply inconvenient for you? Well the iRecycle app makes it one step easier. It will tell you where you can recycle anything from a car battery, to CD’s. And for something fun, I have Eco Citations to hand out for major infractions. Let’s just say that several H2′s in my apartment complex have received an Eco Citation, and there are many more to hand out.



I thought I would end this post with a reminder of why saving our planet is a good idea. I like to think that when I have kids, they will enjoy the same beauty of nature that I did.

Sometimes the greenest thing you can do is buy something
only once, and keep it for the rest of your life.

More about Justin DeMutiis

My first glimpse at becoming a professional photographer came when I was a freshmen in college. I became one of eight college students in North America to win a scholarship to attend the North American Nature Photography Association's annual summit. To this I owe my style. Not long after, I found my true calling in Wedding Photography. A place where all my technical skills seamlessly blend with so many things I love. More than that, wedding photography provides something that nature photography and all other forms of photography couldn't for me, emotional impact. To me, nothing compares to providing a timeless set of images that tells the story of one of the most important and happiest days of two people's lives. http://www.justindemutiisphotography.com

Give a Voice to the Wildlife in Your Community

What is it about human nature that makes us continually seek out the new and unfamiliar? As a species, a common trait that we all seem to share is a longing for the emotional high that comes with a 'puppy-love' of people, places and things. However, as anyone can tell you, the inevitable conclusion to this roller-coaster of passion is a sudden dulling of the senses, when that object of our desire suddenly doesn't look as shiny anymore, and new things must be sought to sustain the level of euphoria that we crave. Our relationship with the natural world is no exception: How often do we find ourselves flitting from one flower of intrigue to another, without ever really tasting the sweet nectar of a deeper relationship built through careful observation and respect?

In his book Photography and the Art of Seeing, photographer Freeman Patterson recounts the story of a friend in South Africa who desperately attempted to grow a patch of dandelions in her garden, all the while trying to subdue the beautiful African daises, which could do nothing but thrive. And yet, here in the U.S. I know of gardeners who treasure these beautiful flowers because they are exotic and different from the local norm. This irony has not been lost on me: I didn't truly appreciate the beauty of my own state of South Carolina until after I returned from my first trip to Western Australia in 2001.

With the smell of eucalyptus and the laughter of kookaburras still ringing fresh in my mind, I recall looking out of my kitchen window at the autumn leaves which seemed so incredibly vibrant after visually digesting weeks of blue grey bush land. At that moment, a fiery male cardinal landed on a nearby shrub and I immediately recognized that its beauty was every bit as striking -if not more so- than the crimson rosellas that I had been drooling over for days during my time in Oz. I began to wonder what other amazing things I might have overlooked as a casualty of a mindset that had led me along in a high-speed pursuit for "bigger and better" things.

It didn't take long for me to recognize that there was a great deal which had in fact I had been missing. As I began to work with local conservation organizations, biologists, and naturalists, the deep diversity of the Southern Appalachians and surrounding landscape generously fed my growing curiosity both day and night. Whether I was in my backyard or out on a remote trail, I always found something that I hadn't seen before, which in-turn led to something else, and something else again. As I began to share what I had learned with others, another realization also began to materialize: virtually no one that I came in contact with had any knowledge of what was in their own backyards as well. I began to wonder, is this a trend that exists in other parts of the U.S.A., or even the world as a whole?

In attempt to answer this question, and change the perception of the value of close-to-home nature, Meet Your Neighbours was born. It is a concept that I have developed with a long-standing advocate of local wildlife, iLCP Founding Fellow and accomplished conservation photographer Niall Benvie.

Meet Your Neighbours is, in its essence, an environmental education program, which uses beautiful imagery as a vehicle to spread the message that common, local species are amazingly beautiful, are all around you, are in danger of becoming the endangered creatures of tomorrow if they are not recognized and protected today. It is our mission at MYN to offer participants a platform where they can create a dialogue within their own neighborhoods about these wild things and encourage people to get out and see them for themselves. Perhaps more importantly, we hope to press upon viewers that our children need to see and experience nature first-hand so that they might be future champions for conservation.

So photographers, how about it? Are you willing to take a stand for the wildlife in your neck of the woods? Niall and I surely hope so, because your wild neighbors need you to step up and give them a voice. If you are a conservation-minded photographer why not drop us a line at clay@meetyourneighbours.org or visit our website at http://www.meetyourneighbours.org/for more information.

We are accepting applicants for the first round of submissions until April 30th, 2010.

Clay Bolt is an award-winning natural history photographer whose work has been featured by organizations and publications such as The Nature Conservancy, The National Wildlife Federation, Outdoor Photographer Magazine, Partnership for the Blue Ridge and Wildlife in North Carolina Magazine. His work focuses on environmental issues facing the Southeastern, United States and its amazing diversity of native flora and fauna. He is an Affiliate Council Member of the International League of Conservation Photographers.

Focus on the Big Picture

by Gregory Mayse
Photographer

The debate rages on… Right versus Left, Greenies versus Corporations, Tree-huggers versus Profiteers. Which data - or adjusted data - are we to believe? One thing is for certain - Earth needs our help.

I have heard my share of passionate discussions, both in the national media and in the workplace. I really do not care where each person reading this chooses to stand on the subject of Global Warming, Climate Change or whatever you choose to call it.

As a photographer, I choose to look at the BIG picture on most things in life, and the question raised by looking at the Big picture is simple - Are we doing things to improve our environment and to protect the creatures who share our little rock that rotates around the sun?

What should matter to all of us is that if we do not continuously make a focused effort to preserve what we have, it will be increasingly difficult for us to survive on Earth. I am not talking about the sudden end of the world according to the Mayan calendar in 2012. I am talking about the continual destruction of our natural resources that we MUST have in order to survive. Do not turn your back on Mother Earth. Her natural ReSources are our only Sources.

When all of the rainforests have been logged, when our water is no longer safe to drink, when we have taken away the habitat and culture of all indigenous people as well as wild animals around the globe, then we may look back and ask “What were we fighting about back then?”

Is this really a political discussion? NO. It is simple. Do you want your children, grandchildren and their descendents to be able to appreciate the things in their lives that we may take for granted? Do you want your great-great grandchildren to grow up and look back at our generation and ask, “What were they thinking?”

The native cultures that were here in what we now call America held strongly to the belief of respecting the sustainability of Mother Earth for seven future generations. What if we dare to take on that philosophy once again? Do you believe we can survive with the global environmental damage being done by some of the planet’s major corporations and governments?

So next time you see an photograph of a polar bear leaping between floating icebergs, or the surviving indigenous people standing in a clear-cut area of their rainforest, don’t just brush it off as another one of those “environmentalist global warming photos.” Instead, let it remind you that everything is interconnected, that the planet as a whole, is a living organism that needs all of its parts to function healthily – there is value in every creature – every habitat – every culture.

We humans hold the power either to make our planet better or worse for future generations. The responsibility was somehow handed to us over the other animals of this planet. I’m not sure if this was the right decision. All I ask is that all of us FOCUS on the BIG PICTURE. If we don’t work hard to preserve our planet now, who will…and when?

Awards and Inspiration-James Balog and Jane Goodall at Wild 9

Time to get caught up to today, Tuesday(Martes). Sunday morning offered a bit of free time which allowed us to get a small taste of the real Merida because we were able to connect with my friend Nancy and her husband Barry who moved down here last year and are in the process of remodeling a home that they purchased about 6 blocks from our hotel. They have an interesting blog and website which details their move to Merida, their remodeling adventure and has lots of interesting info about Merida. They appear at left with their 3-legged dog buddy.

As Nancy and Barry walked us back to our hotel, they explained that every Sunday one half of the Paseo Montejo, which is a main artery through the center of town, is closed down until noon so that families can ride bikes with their children without worry for the crazy traffic. It also allows families to take a leisurely stroll without left traffic noise and exhaust. What a brilliant idea! Can you just envision half of College Avenue closed down each Sunday morning! It encourages family activity, exercise, not driving, slowing down a bit ... I am ready to come back and lobby the city council for that!

Jane Goodall gave a very moving keynote presentation on Sunday and set the stage for an in depth discussion of her Roots and Shoots Program for Children. If you have never seen this woman speak, you must make a point to do it before she stops travelling and speaking. She only does so out of a sense of urgency for the protection of primates. She says she has not been back to the land she loves for 15 years because she knows that she is their best hope for the future. I don't think she will rest as long as she knows she can connect one more person to the issues and raise one more dollar for protection. Jane inspires simply by her presence but when she says she is inspired and made hopeful by this gathering, it reminds us of the privilege and the power of taking part in this congress.

On Sunday evening, James Balog received the inaugural iLCP Conservation Photographer Award - voted as the very first recipient by his peers, both for his lifetime body of conservation work and expecially for his current project, "The Extreme Ice SurveyHis expansive visual documentation through time lapse photography of the rapid recession and disappearance of glaciers is waking up hearts and minds arounbd the world. He recently testified before the US Congress on the issue of climate change. And all I can say is that if they saw what we saw in Jim's presentation, they had to walk out of chambers scared to death. There is no other way to say this - it is simply horrifying to see the full measure of decline of the glaciers - it is NOT part of the natural cycle. It IS catastrophic! Below is a cut from his presentation at the 2009 TEDGlobal conference in Oxford England. It will give you a good idea of what we saw the other night.

There is SO much more but I'll save it for another post. Adios. Linda

".

The Red Desert - Up Close and Personal

By Linda Helm
Photos by Morgan Heim

Those of you who are tuned in to the issues surrounding energy development here in Colorado, likely also know that there are similar, if not more pressures in Wyoming. Like Colorado, the issues are complex, the solutions equally so.

While I do not pretend to be an expert on all of these concerns, I do know that complex problems deserve our utmost attention and research - especially because the decisions and actions we take (or fail to take) today will have lasting impacts on us as well as our children and grandchildren.

I just found out about a fantastic opportunity to get to know the Red Desert area in a more intimate way - CAR CAMPING TRIPS sponsored by the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance out of Laramie, WY.

They start this weekend and run through mid June and include various destinations, lengths of trips and difficulty. Trust me - after talking with more than a few photographers who have worked in this area - you will derive huge benefit from going with people who know the territory. It can be rough going if you get weather, car trouble or ... dare I say ... lost ... But then that's also part of the lure of this landscape - remote, peaceful, dangerous, unforgiving ... WILD.

Environmental photojournalist and writer Morgan Heim, whose images appear below, has studied and photographed extensively in this area. She is extremely well versed on the issues surrounding oil and gas development in this landscape. You can see more of her work on the Red Desert at http://www.moheimphotography.com/

Anyway, check out the BCA website http://www.voiceforthewild.org/ for details on the Red Desert Caravan, Adobe Town, Powder Rim, Wild Cow Creek Backpack, and Ferris Mountains and Dunes excursions.

The scheduled outings are as follows:

May 23-25 - Red Desert Caravan.
A three-day tour to visit the units of a potential Red Desert National Conservation Area. This three-day auto safari will take in Adobe Town, the Kinney Rim, and Jack Morrow Hills highlights such as the Boar's Tusk, Killpecker Dune Fields, and Honeycomb Buttes. Auto tour with car camping and light day hikes.

May 30-31 - Adobe Town.
A two-day tour of Adobe Town, the crown jewel of Wyoming's desert wilderness. Car camping and light to moderate day hikes along the lofty Skull Creek Rim and among the pinnacles of the Adobe Town Rim, with a likelihood to spot wild horses and other wildlife.

June 6-7 - Powder Rim Tour.
A two-day tour of the Powder Rim, home to ancient juniper woodlands, a desert elk herd, and haunt of outlaws from the Powder Wash Gang. Enjoy bird watching for unique juniper obligate songbirds and wild horse viewing with light day hikes and car camping.

June 27-28 - Wild Cow Creek Backpack.
A moderately strenuous two-day over nighter through rugged country representing the last remaining wilderness along the Atlantic Rim.

June 13 - Adobe Town Day Trip.
Enjoy short day hikes among the spectacular geologic formations of Adobe Town.

June 20-21 - Ferris Mountains and Dunes.
An auto tour with day hikes among the Ferris Dunes, with forays to Whiskey Gap and the forested flanks of the Ferris Mountains, a BLM Wilderness Study Area.

The tours are free to the public but space is limited. Interested persons should contact Carmi McLean at (307) 742-7978 or carmi@voiceforthewild.org to make reservations.