Nature Enthusiasts

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/32967490

The World Beekeeping Awards will not award a prize for honey next year after warnings of widespread fraud in the global supply chain.

Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations, says it will showcase honey from around the world at its congress in Denmark, but for the first time make no awards for the product.

The decision came as beekeepers and importers face a mounting crisis over the scale of fraud, with warnings that genuine products are bulked out with cheaper sugar syrup. Some common tests to detect fraud can easily be defeated, and beekeepers say there has been a failure by food watchdogs and the industry to combat the fraudsters.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/31680768

Flood Hub’s AI uses diverse, publicly-available data sources, such as weather forecasts and satellite imagery. The technology then combines two models: the Hydrologic Model, which forecasts the amount of water flowing in a river, and the Inundation Model, which predicts what areas are going to be affected and how deep the water will be.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/31670913

I am reaching out to solicit your feedback and insights on an initiative that I believe aligns deeply with our shared values and aspirations for nurturing nature.

Attached is a comprehensive article detailing a vision for a future where education, community development, and environmental stewardship intertwine harmoniously. The vision includes innovative educational approaches, sustainable urban planning, and advanced ecological enhancements aimed at fostering a balanced and thriving coexistence with nature.

As I embark on this journey towards becoming a dedicated steward of the environment, I am eager to hear your thoughts on how this vision can be refined to better serve both people and nature as a collective. While I recognize that this group may not be specifically focused on political or systemic change, I believe our mutual commitment to environmental care makes this forum an ideal space for collaboration.

Your expertise and perspectives would be invaluable in shaping a more inclusive and impactful approach. Together, we can work towards becoming true allies in the care of our natural world.

Today, I found myself in the company of a yellow jacket, a creature often misunderstood and dismissed. Yet, in this moment, there was a quiet connection, a mutual recognition of existence. As it walked near me, its delicate antennae moving with purpose, I couldn't help but be struck by its intricate beauty, the elegance in its tiny movements. I spoke to it softly, words of admiration flowing naturally "adorable," "beautiful," "cute."

As I reached for my phone and turned on some music, Frank Sinatra's timeless melodies filled the space. The yellow jacket seemed to respond, drawing closer to the sound, its curiosity evident. It moved with a kind of grace, exploring its surroundings, fluttering past the shower curtain and eventually joining another of its kind on the opposite wall. Together, they danced in the air, their antennae quivering with energy and life.

I continued to speak to them, as I would to my cats, with a gentle tone that conveyed care and affection. There was a profound sense of peace in this interaction, a moment where the boundaries between species seemed to blur. In this brief encounter, I was reminded of the simple truth that all life, no matter how small, is deserving of our respect and kindness. These yellow jackets, often feared or swatted away, revealed themselves to be creatures of beauty and wonder, worthy of appreciation.

It was a moment of unexpected connection, a reminder that when we approach the world with openness and respect, even the smallest beings can touch our hearts. In their presence, I found a sense of calm, a quiet joy in recognizing the shared life that pulses through all of us.

More photos on pixelfed!

https://pxlmo.com/i/web/post/731645515845491178

Kawuneeche Valley in the Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Lake, CO, USA. I still don't know that peak's name, but I will figure out soon.

More on pixelfed: https://pxlmo.com/i/web/post/729701334736943497

It's incredible to me that those microscopic creatures can assemble into such colorful and beautiful patterns! Seen today while hiking.

I was photographing the flowers when this cute little fellow landed there and made the scene a thousand times better!

More photos on pixelfed!

https://pxlmo.com/i/web/post/710716844312163942

Bear peak and some portion of the Flatirons as seen from the flatter parts of Boulder CO, USA. Photo taken yesterday evening.

Pixelfed post: https://pxlmo.com/i/web/post/705587106532867949

Pic taken in the Altmühl valley in Bavaria, Germany

Little-appreciated, semiaquatic, and cute-as-hell, muskrats can survive almost anywhere. So where are they?

Member of the Bombylius genus are a flies mimicking a bumblebees and are parasitic on solitary bees.

You can tell this is specifically a Bombylius discolor because it has dark spots on the wings

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/12901877