In the ponds of Alhambra, the Iberian bluetail dragonfly reigns supreme. With multi-faceted eyes and physics-defying wing flaps, no insect is safe from its predatory instincts.
From the Series: Wild Castles: Alhambra http://bit.ly/2RDe0BQ
Category Archives: Wildlife
Wildlife Video: “Otters Band Together To Survive Collapsing Glacier Ice”
Otters band together to survive collapsing glacier ice | Spy In The Wild – BBC
Narrated by David Tennant.
Nature & Science: Making Flowers Of Food Plants More Attractive To Insect Pollinators (Cambridge)
A rising world population means we’ll need more food in the coming years. But much of our food relies on insect pollination, and insects are in decline around the world. Can we make flowers better at being pollinated, to help solve this problem?
Research from the Glover Lab (https://twitter.com/Beverley_CUBG) in the Department of Plant Sciences (https://twitter.com/PlantSci)
Wildlife:”The Wolves Of Yellowstone” (60 Minutes)
In the dead of winter, 60 Minutes went looking for wolves in Yellowstone National Park, and we weren’t alone. These fierce and feral animals are the darlings of tourists willing to endure frigid temperatures to catch a glimpse of a distant pack crossing a snow-covered ridge.
Photography: “2019 Ocean Art Photo Competition” Winners Announced
January 13, 2020 – The prestigious Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition, organized by the Underwater Photography Guide, has announced its 2019 winners. The 8th annual competition attracted an extremely high caliber of photos from oceans around the world. These photos showcase the best underwater photographs of the year. 2019 was one of the most competitive years to date. Our two new categories, conservation and blackwater diving, had an overwhelming response of incredible photos and were two of the highlights of the competition.
Travel: “Okavango – River Of Dreams” Directed By Beverly And Dereck Joubert (Video Profile)
Beverly Joubert and Dereck Joubert on OKAVANGO: RIVER OF DREAMS (DIRECTOR’S CUT), a documentary premiering at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.
Okavango: River of Dreams, follows a cast of wildlife whose destiny is forever linked to this unique desert oasis and its extraordinary journey as it winds its way to the Kalahari Desert, the only river in the world to disappear inland.
Presented by Dropbox.
Video Profiles: 73-Year Old Legendary River Runner & Activist Herman Hoops
“A river trip in a boat is a magic carpet. It’s a ballet and you can feel in the oars what the river is saying. That’s the part that’s really hard for me to give up, that feeling of using all my knowledge and skills to dance on a river. If you’re a river runner, this is it, man…”
In the final chapter of his life, legendary river runner and activist Herm Hoops has the opportunity to take one last river trip through his treasured Desolation Canyon on the Green River. “Salad Days” gives us a rare glimpse of what it means when a person has the chance to reflect on a lifetime of passion and river running as they knowingly go through the stages of dying.
Nature Videos: “Majete Wildlife Reserve” Revived And Now “Flourishing” (National Geographic)
When Tizola Moyo started as a ranger in 1993, Majete Wildlife Reserve was devoid of any wildlife. Now, with the help of the park’s rangers and community collaboration, it’s flourishing.
Engineering In Nature: “Honeybees Use Their Wings For Water Surface Locomotion” (Caltech)
From a Caltech online article:
When a bee lands on water, the water sticks to its wings, robbing it of the ability to fly. However, that stickiness allows the bee to drag water, creating waves that propel it forward. In the lab, Roh and Gharib noted that the generated wave pattern is symmetrical from left to right. A strong, large-amplitude wave with an interference pattern is generated in the water at the rear of the bee, while the surface in front of the bee lacks the large wave and interference. This asymmetry propels the bees forward with the slightest of force—about 20 millionths of a Newton.
Walking on Caltech’s campus, research engineer Chris Roh (MS ’13, PhD ’17) happened to see a bee stuck in the water of Millikan Pond. Although it was a common-enough sight, it led Roh and his advisor, Mory Gharib (PhD ’83), to a discovery about the potentially unique way that bees navigate the interface between water and air.
To read more: https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/bees-surf-atop-water
Top New Wildlife Films: “Chungungo – A Mentor’s Tale” Directed By Ben Goertzen (2019)
Written and Directed By: BEN GOERTZEN
Producers: RENE ARANEDA CONTRERAS, MAURICIO HANDLER-RUIZ
Executive Producers: DENY STAGGS, RENE ARANEDA CONTRERAS, MAURICIO HANDLER-RUIZ
Director of Photography: BEN GOERTZEN
Underwater Director of Photography:MAURICIO HANDLER-RUIZ
An endangered, South American Marine Otter mother and her two pups act as a vehicle into a poetic exploration of the threshold between comfort and action. Through blending traditional blue-chip cinematography with a philosophical narration the smallest marine mammal in the world is used as a mentor to teach humans about trusting their internal compass and confronting difficult questions. From showing a caring mother, to a playful sibling bond, to the kelp forests that nourish their entire ecosystem, this film aims to build empathy for animals as complex beings with more depth than we give them credit for.
Website: http://www.aquaterrafilms.com/
