1.5-minute read
Welcome, fall! Here are this week’s nature picks for your perusal.
Big Bird Art
In New York City, the walls have eyes—they also have beaks. The winged watchers gracing buildings across blocks of northern Manhattan are part of the Audubon Mural Project, a collaboration between the National Audubon Society and Gitler & _____ Gallery. The avian conservation art located in John James Audubon’s Washington Heights neighborhood was created to draw attention to climate-threatened species.
On Saturday, October 2, you can benefit the art of nature and help protect the feathered ones from the impacts of environmental change by participating in the Audubon Murals 5K Art Run. Whether you like to run for fun or are more inclined to stroll, snap, and chat, it’s a beautiful way to spend the day! You can register to pound the pavement with Runstreet.
Interested in learning more about the life and times of Audubon? We highly recommend A Country No More: Rediscovering the Landscapes of John James Audubon, by Krista Elrick.
Peak Leaf Peeping
It’s officially autumn—the glorious season—time for a bit of soul-restoring leaf peeping. For your tree-tracking convenience, our partners at American Forests have put together a handy U.S. foliage map so you can find out the best time to delight in a dose of peak reds and golds. Have a look!
Zero Rhinos
And on the opposite side of the Earth: if you’re a regular reader, you know that we’re big fans of Big Life, one on the most effective wildlife conservation organizations in Africa. Despite the tremendous challenges imposed by the pandemic, Big Life has continued to protect some of the most critically endangered animals on the planet—like the Eastern black rhino.
All but lost to poaching, Eastern black rhinos in the Chyulus, a mountain range in southern Kenya, were reduced to a population of only 7 animals. Big Life stepped up and put 50 community rangers to work in an endeavor to save the species. As a result of their strategic efforts, in the last five years, zero rhinos were poached—a much-needed win for African wildlife.
Watch this stunning film to learn how Big Life put boots on the ground to save the Eastern black rhino from local extinction and how you can support their critical conservation programs across East Africa’s 1.6 million-acre Amboseli Ecosystem.
