Oriental Poppy (Papaver) Closeup
Spotted at the local nursery during a visit last week.
From my Instagram Feed
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I am a board member of Friends of the Island Fox and help do a variety of work to preserve this threatened/endangered species that live just right off our coastline. They are amazing animals and I highly encourage everyone to visit the Channel Islands (Santa Cruz Island is our usual destination) and spend some time among the foxes and other nature. It is a relatively quick 1.5 hour trip out from Ventura Harbor vis Island Packers. A great way to spend a day.
You can find many pictures of the channel island fox on my Instagram and Flickr photo accounts.
As a Valentine’s Birthday gift to me (and the foxes), please consider a donation to continue our work to protect and educate the public (through school programs and Road Scholar presentations) about this amazing animal in their own backyard.
You can donate any amount by visiting the Friends of the Island Fox web site and clicking the donate button. You’ll also find tons of information there about the foxes, their habitats, their issues and what we and our donors have done to help them, the National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy and many others.
It’s February – time to help the unique island foxes that live on California’s Channel Islands!
Why does Friends of the Island Fox ask for your donations?
Funding is essential for island fox conservation.
You can help this pup. Won’t you be her Valentine?
Island fox F257 is a female 10-month-old island fox. Last summer she was captured on Santa Rosa Island during annual health checks. A sample of her blood was taken, she was micro-chipped, and a whisker was collected for diet analysis.
In December of 2019, she was fitted with a radio-tracking collar funded by FIF and had another whisker removed for analysis.
All of this work–the examination and work by the technician; blood sample testing, the microchip, radio-tracking collar, and diagnostic research on the whiskers–requires funding.
That is where you can make a difference. We ask you to donate, so FIF can help fund important island fox conservation work across the Channel Islands in conjunction with the various island land managers.
Pup F257 has so much to tell us.
Throughout her life, when captured, her microchip reveals her identity. Her data, gathered during annual check-ups, will form her profile history. Data collected on individual foxes is valuable for researchers and understanding how to keep island fox populations healthy and stable. Her radio collar will monitor her movements and safety.
The analysis of her two whiskers will tell us how her diet has changed from a very young pup to her life at 10 months old. If the winter rains don’t return and F257 faces her first year in drought conditions, will she change her diet? FIF’s Research Grant recipients are investigating important science on island fox health. Are foxes finding adequate nutritional food in their island ecosystem? Can we expect F257 to live a lifespan of 8–12 years?
This young pup is starting her life on Santa Rosa Island. You can be part of her success. Your donation will help make sure she is watched over and healthy.
Get ready to count some birds, because Audubon’s Great Backyard Bird Count starts this Friday, February 14, and runs through Monday the 17th. This is a beginner-friendly event, even easier to join than the Christmas bird count.
You don’t even need a backyard. Just find a place where you’re likely to see some birds. This is a great time to visit a local park or wildlife refuge. To participate, count birds for at least 15 minutes “in as many places and on as many days as you like.” You’ll keep a separate checklist for each outing. In addition to noting the types of birds you see, make sure to count (or estimate) how many individuals you saw. Two cardinals at your feeder. 20 geese on the lake.
An interesting link found among my daily reading
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@douglaswelch Breeze in the trees #trees #breeze #garden #nature #outdoors
♬ Escapism – Steven Universe (feat. AJ Michalka, Zach Callison, and Grace Rolek)
From my Instagram Feed
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The stark white trunks and limbs of the sycamore shown brightly in the afternoon sun here in the neighborhood.
From my Instagram Feed
The stark white trunks and limbs of the sycamore shown brightly in the afternoon sun here in the neighborhood.
From my Instagram Feed
