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n124_w1150

A few nice marine animals images I found:


n124_w1150
marine animals
Image by BioDivLibrary
Oceanic ichthyology. v.22 atlas.
Cambridge, U.S.A. :Printed for the Museum,1896.
biodiversitylibrary.org/page/4330720

Euthycera cribrata

Some cool animal species images:


Euthycera cribrata
animal species
Image by lotlhmoq
Very similar species is E. alaris.
ID was made with help of the site : aramel.free.fr/INSECTES15-8.shtml (thank you)
"Euthycera cribrata, gris-noir, face blanche, front plat, fémurs noirs et partie apicale des tibias noire, 7-12 mm de long."

Portugal, Ericeira, May 2, 2010
© lotlhmoq


Euthycera cribrata
animal species
Image by lotlhmoq
Very similar species is E. alaris.
ID was made with help of the site : aramel.free.fr/INSECTES15-8.shtml (thank you)
"Euthycera cribrata, gris-noir, face blanche, front plat, fémurs noirs et partie apicale des tibias noire, 7-12 mm de long."

Portugal, Ericeira, May 2, 2010
© lotlhmoq


Camouflage unveiled by Flash
animal species
Image by DiscoveringNewSpecies
This is another species of the Phaeacius genus I found in Malaysia.
Phaeacius are diverse in the South East Asia.
This is the first one I found from Ranau.
They are masters of camouflage in the Arachnid world.
Notice the shiny blue spots tagged in the photo, (see above) they are only present when I give it a camera flash shot.
See the previous photo of this jumping spider without flash.

Name: Salticidae > Spartaeinae > Phaeacius Sp.
Gender/ Sex: Female
Size: 8mm
Location: Ranau Hot Springs jungle trail, Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia.

Cool Animal images

Check out these animal images:


Animal Kingdom - Through The Ferns
animal
Image by SpreadTheMagic

Nice Animal Pound photos

Check out these animal pound images:



Florida alligator
animal pound
Image by cuatrok77
A large adult American alligator's weight and length is 800 pounds (360 kg) and 13 feet (4.0 m) long[citation needed], but can grow to 14.5 feet (4.4 m) long and weigh over 1,000 pounds (450 kg).[2] The largest ever recorded was found in Louisiana and measured 19 feet 2 inches (5.84 m).[3] The Chinese alligator is smaller, rarely exceeding 7 feet (2.1 m) in length. Alligators have an average of 75 teeth. Alligators are only native to the United States and China.

American alligators are found in the southeast United States: all of Florida and Louisiana, the southern parts of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, coastal South and North Carolina, Eastern Texas, the southeast corner of Oklahoma and the southern tip of Arkansas. According to the 2005 Scholastic Book of World Records, Louisiana is the state with the largest alligator population.[6] The majority of American alligators inhabit Florida and Louisiana, with over a million alligators in each state.

Sleepy-time

Check out these wild animals images:


Sleepy-time
wild animals
Image by Kamia the Wolf
A tired out Nimoy takes a catnap.


cobra
wild animals
Image by CaioSchiavo
Foto tirada no Zoo de São Paulo, a cobra estava atrás de um vidro, por isso a foto não ficou tão boa...

This picture was taken through the glass.
Zoo in São Paulo, Brazil


Waiting on Death - FuijiFilm Finepix S2950
wild animals
Image by ladytimeless
.. this is buzzards.. there were at least 30 of them around in the trees.. creepy..

Creature of the Day

Some cool pictures of animals images:


Creature of the Day
pictures of animals
Image by EpochCatcher
Brown boobies are found worldwide around tropical and subtropical seas. Now, please, try not to laugh at their name! They do not spend their entire lives at sea (which is why this exhausted booby stopped for a breather on the diveboat), but they do conduct all of their hunting on the ocean. As you can guess, the booby's favorite food is fish. Boobies and their relatives, gannets, possess streamlined bodies designed for plunging headfirst into the water and snatching fish far below the surface. This gives them a significant advantage over most other seabirds, which cannot dive very deep (if they can even dive at all), and allows them to catch fish that would otherwise be unreachable. View image on my site: bit.ly/19kPVBw My website: bit.ly/VIb9Ev Facebook: on.fb.me/13IOQ1G Twitter: bit.ly/VIb9Ex Tumblr: bit.ly/13IOSXc Pinterest: bit.ly/VIb9Ez YouTube: bit.ly/13IOQ1I


Creature of the Day
pictures of animals
Image by EpochCatcher


Creature of the Day
pictures of animals
Image by EpochCatcher
Grouper are one of those fish you'll never forget. They can be quite inquisitive, especially if you have food, and they have an insatiable appetite. This particular grouper, known as the Malabar grouper, approached me and my fellow divers without fear. Malabar groupers aren't the largest of the groupers, but they can still get quite big. They can attain a length of 4 feet (1.2 meters) and weigh 330 lbs (150 kg). They are found throughout the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific, from east Africa and the Red Sea to northeast Australia, Japan, and Tonga. View image on my site: bit.ly/12FGjj2 My website: bit.ly/VIb9Ev Facebook: on.fb.me/13IOQ1G Twitter: bit.ly/VIb9Ex Tumblr: bit.ly/13IOSXc Pinterest: bit.ly/VIb9Ez YouTube: bit.ly/13IOQ1I

Nice Animal Abuse photos

Check out these animal abuse images:



bitch
animal abuse
Image by Shira Golding
this and many other photos like it were pasted to the window of the pet store near my office. the sexualizing of these already comodified puppies is beyond fucked up.

Arnold Arboretum, 18 May 2010: Portrait of the red-tailed hawk on a tree branch at Bussey Hill

A few nice service animal images I found:


Arnold Arboretum, 18 May 2010: Portrait of the red-tailed hawk on a tree branch at Bussey Hill
service animal
Image by Chris Devers
Some of these pictures of the hawk are pretty blurry, but heck, I'm just pleased I was this close to it at all: the bird startled my son & I by flying within an arm's length of us before landing on a low branch and looking around on a couple of low branches for a few minutes, before it finally got sick of me chasing it around with the camera and flew away. Awesome. :-)

The Arboretum has an interactive map on their web site. This map is found at the Arborway Gate.

Pasting from Wikipedia: Arnold Arboretum:

• • • • •

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is an arboretum located in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale sections of Boston, Massachusetts. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and is the second largest "link" in the Emerald Necklace.

History

The Arboretum was founded in 1872 when the President and Fellows of Harvard College became trustees of a portion of the estate of James Arnold (1781–1868).

In 1842, Benjamin Bussey (1757–1842), a prosperous Boston merchant and scientific farmer, donated his country estate Woodland Hill and a part of his fortune to Harvard University "for instruction in agriculture, horticulture, and related subjects". Bussey had inherited land from fellow patriot Eleazer Weld in 1800 and further enlarged his large estate between 1806 and 1837 by acquiring and consolidating various farms that had been established as early as the seventeenth century. Harvard used this land for the creation of the Bussey Institute, which was dedicated to agricultural experimentation. The first Bussey Institute building was completed in 1871 and served as headquarters for an undergraduate school of agriculture.

Sixteen years after Bussey's death, James Arnold, a New Bedford, Massachusetts whaling merchant, specified that a portion of his estate was to be used for "...the promotion of Agricultural, or Horticultural improvements". In 1872, when the trustees of the will of James Arnold transferred his estate to Harvard University, Arnold’s gift was combined with 120 acres (0.49 km2) of the former Bussey estate to create the Arnold Arboretum. In the deed of trust between the Arnold trustees and the College, income from Arnold’s legacy was to be used for establishing, developing and maintaining an arboretum to be known as the Arnold Arboretum which "shall contain, as far as practicable, all the trees [and] shrubs ... either indigenous or exotic, which can be raised in the open air of West Roxbury". The historical mission of the Arnold Arboretum is to increase knowledge of woody plants through research and to disseminate this knowledge through education.

Charles Sprague Sargent was appointed director and Arnold Professor of Botany shortly after the establishment of the institution in 1872.[2] Together with landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted he developed the road and pathway system and delineated the collection areas by family and genus, following the then current and widely accepted classification system of Bentham and Hooker. The Hunnewell building was designed by architect Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr. in 1892 and constructed with funds donated by H. H. Hunnewell in 1903. From 1946 to 1950 the landscape architect Beatrix Farrand was the landscape design consultant for the Arboretum. Her early training in the 1890s included time with Charles Sprague Sargent and chief propagator and superintendent Jackson Thornton Johnson.[3] Today the Arboretum occupies 265 acres (107 hectares) of land divided between four parcels, viz. the main Arboretum and the Peters Hill, Weld-Walter and South Street tracts. The collections, however, are located primarily in the main Arboretum and on the Peters Hill tract. The Arboretum remains one of the finest examples of a landscape designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and it is a Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site) and a National Historic Landmark.

Robert E. Cook is the seventh and current Director of the Arnold Arboretum. He is also the Director of the Harvard University Herbaria located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Status

The Arboretum is privately endowed as a department of Harvard University. The land, however, was deeded to the City of Boston in 1882 and incorporated into the so-called "Emerald Necklace". Under the agreement with the City, Harvard University was given a thousand-year lease on the property, and the University, as trustee, is directly responsible for the development, maintenance, and operation of the Arboretum; the City retains responsibility for water fountains, benches, roads, boundaries, and policing. The annual operating budget of ,350,644 (fiscal year 2003) is largely derived from endowment, which is also managed by the University, and all Arboretum staff are University employees. Other income is obtained through granting agencies and contributors.

Location

The main Arborway gate is located on Route 203 a few hundred yards south of its junction with the Jamaicaway. Public transportation to the Arboretum is available on the MBTA Orange Line to its terminus at Forest Hills Station and by bus (#39) to the Monument in Jamaica Plain. The Arboretum is within easy walking distance from either of these points.

Hours

The grounds are open free of charge to the public from sunrise to sunset 365 days of the year. The Visitor's Center in the Hunnewell Building, 125 Arborway, is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sundays 12 p.m.–4 PM. The Visitor’s Center is closed on holidays. The Library, located in the Hunnewell Building, is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.. The Library is closed on Sundays and holidays. Stacks are closed and the collection does not circulate.

Area

Two hundred and sixty-five acres (107 hectares) in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale sections of Boston, Massachusetts, located at 42°19′N 71°5′W / 42.317°N 71.083°W / 42.317; -71.083, with altitudes ranging from 46 feet (15 m) in the meadow across the drive from the Hunnewell Building to 240 feet (79 m) at the top of Peters Hill.

Climate

Average yearly rainfall is 43.63 inches (1,102 mm); average snowfall, 40.2 inches (102 centimeters). Monthly mean temperature is 51.5 °F (10.8 °C); July's mean temperature is 73.5 °F (23 °C); January's is 29.6 °F (-1.3 °C). The Arboretum is located in USDA hardiness zone 6 (0 to −10 °F, −18 to −23 °C).

Collections (as of September 14, 2007)

At present, the living collections include 15,441 individual plants (including nursery holdings) belonging to 10,216 accessions representing 4,099 taxa; with particular emphasis on the ligneous species of North America and eastern Asia. Historic collections include the plant introductions from eastern Asia made by Charles Sprague Sargent, Ernest Henry Wilson, William Purdom, Joseph Hers, and Joseph Rock. Recent introductions from Asia have resulted from the 1977 Arnold Arboretum Expedition to Japan and Korea, the 1980 Sino-American Botanical Expedition to western Hubei Province, and more recent expeditions to China and Taiwan.

Comprehensive collections are maintained and augmented for most genera, and genera that have received particular emphasis include: Acer, Fagus, Carya, Forsythia, Taxodium, Pinus, Metasequoia, Lonicera, Magnolia, Malus, Quercus, Rhododendron, Syringa, Paulownia, Albizia, Ilex, Gleditsia and Tsuga. Other comprehensive collections include the Bradley Collection of Rosaceous Plants, the collection of conifers and dwarf conifers, and the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection. Approximately 500 accessions are processed annually.

Collections policy

The mission of the Arnold Arboretum is to increase our knowledge of the evolution and biology of woody plants. Historically, this research has investigated the global distribution and evolutionary history of trees, shrubs and vines, with particular emphasis on the disjunct species of East Asia and North America. Today this work continues through molecular studies of the evolution and biogeography of the floras of temperate Asia, North America and Europe.

Research activities include molecular studies of gene evolution, investigations of plant-water relations, and the monitoring of plant phenology, vegetation succession, nutrient cycling and other factors that inform studies of environmental change. Applied work in horticulture uses the collections for studies in plant propagation, plant introduction, and environmental management. This diversity of scientific investigation is founded in a continuing commitment to acquire, grow, and document the recognized species and infraspecific taxa of ligneous plants of the Northern Hemisphere that are able to withstand the climate of the Arboretum’s 265-acre (1.07 km2) Jamaica Plain/Roslindale site.

As a primary resource for research in plant biology, the Arboretum’s living collections are actively developed, curated, and managed to support scientific investigation and study. To this end, acquisition policies place priority on obtaining plants that are genetically representative of documented wild populations. For each taxon, the Arnold Arboretum aspires to grow multiple accessions of known wild provenance in order to represent significant variation that may occur across the geographic range of the species. Accessions of garden or cultivated provenance are also acquired as governed by the collections policies herein.

For all specimens, full documentation of both provenance and history within the collection is a critical priority. Curatorial procedures provide for complete and accurate records for each accession, and document original provenance, locations in the collections, and changes in botanical identity. Herbarium specimens, DNA materials, and digital images are gathered for the collection and maintained in Arboretum data systems and the herbarium at the Roslindale site.

Research

Research on plant pathology and integrated pest management for maintenance of the living collections is constantly ongoing. Herbarium-based research focuses on the systematics and biodiversity of both temperate and tropical Asian forests, as well as the ecology and potential for sustainable use of their resources. The Arboretum's education programs offer school groups and the general public a wide range of lectures, courses, and walks focusing on the ecology and cultivation of plants. Its quarterly magazine, Arnoldia, provides in-depth information on horticulture, botany, and garden history. Current Research Initiatives

Plant Records

Plant records are maintained on a computerized database, BG-BASE 6.8 (BG-Base Inc.), which was initiated in 1985 at the request of the Arnold Arboretum and the Threatened Plants Unit (TPU) of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC). A computerized mapping program (based on AutoCAD (Autodesk)) is linked to BG-BASE, and each accession is recorded on a series of maps at a scale of 1-inch (25 mm) to 20 feet (1:240) or 1-inch (25 mm) to 10 feet (1:120). A computer-driven embosser generates records labels. All accessioned plants in the collections are labeled with accession number, botanical name, and cultivar name (when appropriate), source information, common name, and map location. Trunk and/or display labels are also hung on many accessions and include botanical and common names and nativity. Stake labels are used to identify plants located in the Leventritt Garden and Chinese Path.

Grounds Maintenance

The grounds staff consists of the superintendent and assistant superintendent, three arborists, and ten horticultural technologists. A service garage is adjacent to the Hunnewell Building, where offices and locker rooms are located. During the summer months ten horticultural interns supplement the grounds staff. A wide array of vehicles and modern equipment, including an aerial lift truck and a John Deere backhoe and front loader, are used in grounds maintenance. Permanent grounds staff, excluding the superintendents, are members of AFL/CIO Local 615, Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Nursery and Greenhouse Facilities

The Dana Greenhouses, located at 1050 Centre Street (with a mailing address of 125 Arborway), were completed in 1962. They comprise four service greenhouses totaling 3,744 square feet (348 m²), the headhouse with offices, cold rooms, storage areas, and a classroom. Staffing at the greenhouse includes the manager of greenhouses and nurseries, the plant propagator, two assistants, and, during the summer months, two horticultural interns. Adjacent to the greenhouse is a shade house of 3,150 square feet (293 m²), a 12,600 cubic foot (357 m³) cold storage facility, and three irrigated, inground nurseries totaling approximately one and one-half acres (6,000 m²). Also located in the greenhouse complex is the bonsai pavilion, where the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection is displayed from the middle of April to the end of October. During the winter months the bonsai are held in the cold storage unit at temperatures slightly above freezing.

Isabella Welles Hunnewell Internship Program

The living collections department of the Arnold Arboretum offers a paid summer internship program [2] that combines hands-on training in horticulture with educational courses. Intern trainees will be accepted for 12- to 24-week appointments. Ten interns will work with the grounds maintenance department and two in the Dana Greenhouses.

As part of the training program, interns participate in mandatory instructional sessions and field trips in order to develop a broader sense of the Arboretum’s horticultural practices as well as those of other institutions. Sessions and field trips are led by Arnold staff members and embrace an open question and answer format encouraging all to participate. Interns often bring experience and knowledge that everyone, including staff, benefits from. It is a competitive-free learning environment.

Horticultural Apprenticeship

The Arboretum created the horticultural apprenticeship program in 1997 to provide hands-on experience in all aspects of the development, curation, and maintenance of the Arboretum's living collections to individuals interested in pursuing a career in an arboretum or botanical garden.

The Living Collections department of the Arnold Arboretum offers a summer internship program[4] that combines practical hands-on training in horticulture with educational courses. Fourteen Interns/Horticultural Trainees are accepted for twelve to twenty-four week appointments. Interns receive the majority of their training in one of three departments: Grounds Maintenance, Nursery and Greenhouse, or Plant Records.

Lilac Sunday

The second Sunday in May every year is "Lilac Sunday". This is the only day of the year that picnicing is allowed. In 2008, on the 100th anniversary of Lilac Sunday, the Arboretum website touted:

Of the thousands of flowering plants in the Arboretum, only one, the lilac, is singled out each year for a daylong celebration. On Lilac Sunday, garden enthusiasts from all over New England gather at the Arboretum to picnic, watch Morris dancing, and tour the lilac collection. On the day of the event, which takes place rain or shine, the Arboretum is open as usual from dawn to dusk.[5]

Associated Collections

The Arboretum's herbarium in Jamaica Plain holds specimens of cultivated plants that relate to the living collections (ca. 160,000). The Jamaica Plain herbarium, horticultural library, archives, and photographs are maintained in the Hunnewell building at 125 Arborway; however, the main portions of the herbarium and library collections are housed in Cambridge on the campus of Harvard University, at 22 Divinity Avenue.

Publications

The inventory of living collections is updated periodically and made available to sister botanical gardens and arboreta on request; it is also available on the Arboretum’s website (searchable inventory). Arnoldia, the quarterly magazine of the Arnold Arboretum, frequently publishes articles relating to the living collections. A Reunion of Trees[6] by Stephen A. Spongberg (curator emeritus) recounts the history of the introduction of many of the exotic species included in the Arobretum’s collections. New England Natives[7] written by horticultural research archivist Sheila Connor describes many of the trees and shrubs of the New England flora and the ways New Englanders have used them since prehistoric times. Science in the Pleasure Ground[8] by Ida Hay (former curatorial associate) constitutes an institutional biography of the Arboretum.

Institutional Collaborations

The Arboretum maintains an institutional membership in the American Public Garden Association (APGA) and the International Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta. Additionally, members of the staff are associated with many national and international botanical and horticultural organizations. The Arboretum is also a cooperating institution with the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC), and as an active member of the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC), it is committed to broadening and maintaining its holdings of: Acer, Carya, Fagus, Stewartia, Syringa, and Tsuga for the purposes of plant conservation, evaluation, and research. The Arboretum is also a member of the North American China Plant Exploration Consortium (NACPEC).

See also

Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection, donated by businessman and ambassador Larz Anderson
The Case Estates of the Arnold Arboretum
List of botanical gardens in the United States
North American Plant Collections Consortium
Adams-Nervine_Asylum

External links

Arnold Arboretum Official Website
Arnold Arboretum Visitor Information
Harvard University Herbaria
American Public Gardens Association (APGA)
Flora of China
Virtual Information Access (VIA) Catalog of visual resources at Harvard University.
Garden and Forest A Journal of Horticulture, Landscape Art, and Forestry (1888–1897)
Boston's Arnold Arboretum: A Place for Study and Recreation, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
The Emerald Necklace: Boston's Green Connection, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan


Arnold Arboretum, 18 May 2010: Red-tailed hawk silhouetted on a branch at Bussey Hill
service animal
Image by Chris Devers
Some of these pictures of the hawk are pretty blurry, but heck, I'm just pleased I was this close to it at all: the bird startled my son & I by flying within an arm's length of us before landing on a low branch and looking around on a couple of low branches for a few minutes, before it finally got sick of me chasing it around with the camera and flew away. Awesome. :-)

The Arboretum has an interactive map on their web site. This map is found at the Arborway Gate.

Pasting from Wikipedia: Arnold Arboretum:

• • • • •

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is an arboretum located in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale sections of Boston, Massachusetts. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and is the second largest "link" in the Emerald Necklace.

History

The Arboretum was founded in 1872 when the President and Fellows of Harvard College became trustees of a portion of the estate of James Arnold (1781–1868).

In 1842, Benjamin Bussey (1757–1842), a prosperous Boston merchant and scientific farmer, donated his country estate Woodland Hill and a part of his fortune to Harvard University "for instruction in agriculture, horticulture, and related subjects". Bussey had inherited land from fellow patriot Eleazer Weld in 1800 and further enlarged his large estate between 1806 and 1837 by acquiring and consolidating various farms that had been established as early as the seventeenth century. Harvard used this land for the creation of the Bussey Institute, which was dedicated to agricultural experimentation. The first Bussey Institute building was completed in 1871 and served as headquarters for an undergraduate school of agriculture.

Sixteen years after Bussey's death, James Arnold, a New Bedford, Massachusetts whaling merchant, specified that a portion of his estate was to be used for "...the promotion of Agricultural, or Horticultural improvements". In 1872, when the trustees of the will of James Arnold transferred his estate to Harvard University, Arnold’s gift was combined with 120 acres (0.49 km2) of the former Bussey estate to create the Arnold Arboretum. In the deed of trust between the Arnold trustees and the College, income from Arnold’s legacy was to be used for establishing, developing and maintaining an arboretum to be known as the Arnold Arboretum which "shall contain, as far as practicable, all the trees [and] shrubs ... either indigenous or exotic, which can be raised in the open air of West Roxbury". The historical mission of the Arnold Arboretum is to increase knowledge of woody plants through research and to disseminate this knowledge through education.

Charles Sprague Sargent was appointed director and Arnold Professor of Botany shortly after the establishment of the institution in 1872.[2] Together with landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted he developed the road and pathway system and delineated the collection areas by family and genus, following the then current and widely accepted classification system of Bentham and Hooker. The Hunnewell building was designed by architect Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr. in 1892 and constructed with funds donated by H. H. Hunnewell in 1903. From 1946 to 1950 the landscape architect Beatrix Farrand was the landscape design consultant for the Arboretum. Her early training in the 1890s included time with Charles Sprague Sargent and chief propagator and superintendent Jackson Thornton Johnson.[3] Today the Arboretum occupies 265 acres (107 hectares) of land divided between four parcels, viz. the main Arboretum and the Peters Hill, Weld-Walter and South Street tracts. The collections, however, are located primarily in the main Arboretum and on the Peters Hill tract. The Arboretum remains one of the finest examples of a landscape designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and it is a Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site) and a National Historic Landmark.

Robert E. Cook is the seventh and current Director of the Arnold Arboretum. He is also the Director of the Harvard University Herbaria located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Status

The Arboretum is privately endowed as a department of Harvard University. The land, however, was deeded to the City of Boston in 1882 and incorporated into the so-called "Emerald Necklace". Under the agreement with the City, Harvard University was given a thousand-year lease on the property, and the University, as trustee, is directly responsible for the development, maintenance, and operation of the Arboretum; the City retains responsibility for water fountains, benches, roads, boundaries, and policing. The annual operating budget of ,350,644 (fiscal year 2003) is largely derived from endowment, which is also managed by the University, and all Arboretum staff are University employees. Other income is obtained through granting agencies and contributors.

Location

The main Arborway gate is located on Route 203 a few hundred yards south of its junction with the Jamaicaway. Public transportation to the Arboretum is available on the MBTA Orange Line to its terminus at Forest Hills Station and by bus (#39) to the Monument in Jamaica Plain. The Arboretum is within easy walking distance from either of these points.

Hours

The grounds are open free of charge to the public from sunrise to sunset 365 days of the year. The Visitor's Center in the Hunnewell Building, 125 Arborway, is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sundays 12 p.m.–4 PM. The Visitor’s Center is closed on holidays. The Library, located in the Hunnewell Building, is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.. The Library is closed on Sundays and holidays. Stacks are closed and the collection does not circulate.

Area

Two hundred and sixty-five acres (107 hectares) in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale sections of Boston, Massachusetts, located at 42°19′N 71°5′W / 42.317°N 71.083°W / 42.317; -71.083, with altitudes ranging from 46 feet (15 m) in the meadow across the drive from the Hunnewell Building to 240 feet (79 m) at the top of Peters Hill.

Climate

Average yearly rainfall is 43.63 inches (1,102 mm); average snowfall, 40.2 inches (102 centimeters). Monthly mean temperature is 51.5 °F (10.8 °C); July's mean temperature is 73.5 °F (23 °C); January's is 29.6 °F (-1.3 °C). The Arboretum is located in USDA hardiness zone 6 (0 to −10 °F, −18 to −23 °C).

Collections (as of September 14, 2007)

At present, the living collections include 15,441 individual plants (including nursery holdings) belonging to 10,216 accessions representing 4,099 taxa; with particular emphasis on the ligneous species of North America and eastern Asia. Historic collections include the plant introductions from eastern Asia made by Charles Sprague Sargent, Ernest Henry Wilson, William Purdom, Joseph Hers, and Joseph Rock. Recent introductions from Asia have resulted from the 1977 Arnold Arboretum Expedition to Japan and Korea, the 1980 Sino-American Botanical Expedition to western Hubei Province, and more recent expeditions to China and Taiwan.

Comprehensive collections are maintained and augmented for most genera, and genera that have received particular emphasis include: Acer, Fagus, Carya, Forsythia, Taxodium, Pinus, Metasequoia, Lonicera, Magnolia, Malus, Quercus, Rhododendron, Syringa, Paulownia, Albizia, Ilex, Gleditsia and Tsuga. Other comprehensive collections include the Bradley Collection of Rosaceous Plants, the collection of conifers and dwarf conifers, and the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection. Approximately 500 accessions are processed annually.

Collections policy

The mission of the Arnold Arboretum is to increase our knowledge of the evolution and biology of woody plants. Historically, this research has investigated the global distribution and evolutionary history of trees, shrubs and vines, with particular emphasis on the disjunct species of East Asia and North America. Today this work continues through molecular studies of the evolution and biogeography of the floras of temperate Asia, North America and Europe.

Research activities include molecular studies of gene evolution, investigations of plant-water relations, and the monitoring of plant phenology, vegetation succession, nutrient cycling and other factors that inform studies of environmental change. Applied work in horticulture uses the collections for studies in plant propagation, plant introduction, and environmental management. This diversity of scientific investigation is founded in a continuing commitment to acquire, grow, and document the recognized species and infraspecific taxa of ligneous plants of the Northern Hemisphere that are able to withstand the climate of the Arboretum’s 265-acre (1.07 km2) Jamaica Plain/Roslindale site.

As a primary resource for research in plant biology, the Arboretum’s living collections are actively developed, curated, and managed to support scientific investigation and study. To this end, acquisition policies place priority on obtaining plants that are genetically representative of documented wild populations. For each taxon, the Arnold Arboretum aspires to grow multiple accessions of known wild provenance in order to represent significant variation that may occur across the geographic range of the species. Accessions of garden or cultivated provenance are also acquired as governed by the collections policies herein.

For all specimens, full documentation of both provenance and history within the collection is a critical priority. Curatorial procedures provide for complete and accurate records for each accession, and document original provenance, locations in the collections, and changes in botanical identity. Herbarium specimens, DNA materials, and digital images are gathered for the collection and maintained in Arboretum data systems and the herbarium at the Roslindale site.

Research

Research on plant pathology and integrated pest management for maintenance of the living collections is constantly ongoing. Herbarium-based research focuses on the systematics and biodiversity of both temperate and tropical Asian forests, as well as the ecology and potential for sustainable use of their resources. The Arboretum's education programs offer school groups and the general public a wide range of lectures, courses, and walks focusing on the ecology and cultivation of plants. Its quarterly magazine, Arnoldia, provides in-depth information on horticulture, botany, and garden history. Current Research Initiatives

Plant Records

Plant records are maintained on a computerized database, BG-BASE 6.8 (BG-Base Inc.), which was initiated in 1985 at the request of the Arnold Arboretum and the Threatened Plants Unit (TPU) of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC). A computerized mapping program (based on AutoCAD (Autodesk)) is linked to BG-BASE, and each accession is recorded on a series of maps at a scale of 1-inch (25 mm) to 20 feet (1:240) or 1-inch (25 mm) to 10 feet (1:120). A computer-driven embosser generates records labels. All accessioned plants in the collections are labeled with accession number, botanical name, and cultivar name (when appropriate), source information, common name, and map location. Trunk and/or display labels are also hung on many accessions and include botanical and common names and nativity. Stake labels are used to identify plants located in the Leventritt Garden and Chinese Path.

Grounds Maintenance

The grounds staff consists of the superintendent and assistant superintendent, three arborists, and ten horticultural technologists. A service garage is adjacent to the Hunnewell Building, where offices and locker rooms are located. During the summer months ten horticultural interns supplement the grounds staff. A wide array of vehicles and modern equipment, including an aerial lift truck and a John Deere backhoe and front loader, are used in grounds maintenance. Permanent grounds staff, excluding the superintendents, are members of AFL/CIO Local 615, Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Nursery and Greenhouse Facilities

The Dana Greenhouses, located at 1050 Centre Street (with a mailing address of 125 Arborway), were completed in 1962. They comprise four service greenhouses totaling 3,744 square feet (348 m²), the headhouse with offices, cold rooms, storage areas, and a classroom. Staffing at the greenhouse includes the manager of greenhouses and nurseries, the plant propagator, two assistants, and, during the summer months, two horticultural interns. Adjacent to the greenhouse is a shade house of 3,150 square feet (293 m²), a 12,600 cubic foot (357 m³) cold storage facility, and three irrigated, inground nurseries totaling approximately one and one-half acres (6,000 m²). Also located in the greenhouse complex is the bonsai pavilion, where the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection is displayed from the middle of April to the end of October. During the winter months the bonsai are held in the cold storage unit at temperatures slightly above freezing.

Isabella Welles Hunnewell Internship Program

The living collections department of the Arnold Arboretum offers a paid summer internship program [2] that combines hands-on training in horticulture with educational courses. Intern trainees will be accepted for 12- to 24-week appointments. Ten interns will work with the grounds maintenance department and two in the Dana Greenhouses.

As part of the training program, interns participate in mandatory instructional sessions and field trips in order to develop a broader sense of the Arboretum’s horticultural practices as well as those of other institutions. Sessions and field trips are led by Arnold staff members and embrace an open question and answer format encouraging all to participate. Interns often bring experience and knowledge that everyone, including staff, benefits from. It is a competitive-free learning environment.

Horticultural Apprenticeship

The Arboretum created the horticultural apprenticeship program in 1997 to provide hands-on experience in all aspects of the development, curation, and maintenance of the Arboretum's living collections to individuals interested in pursuing a career in an arboretum or botanical garden.

The Living Collections department of the Arnold Arboretum offers a summer internship program[4] that combines practical hands-on training in horticulture with educational courses. Fourteen Interns/Horticultural Trainees are accepted for twelve to twenty-four week appointments. Interns receive the majority of their training in one of three departments: Grounds Maintenance, Nursery and Greenhouse, or Plant Records.

Lilac Sunday

The second Sunday in May every year is "Lilac Sunday". This is the only day of the year that picnicing is allowed. In 2008, on the 100th anniversary of Lilac Sunday, the Arboretum website touted:

Of the thousands of flowering plants in the Arboretum, only one, the lilac, is singled out each year for a daylong celebration. On Lilac Sunday, garden enthusiasts from all over New England gather at the Arboretum to picnic, watch Morris dancing, and tour the lilac collection. On the day of the event, which takes place rain or shine, the Arboretum is open as usual from dawn to dusk.[5]

Associated Collections

The Arboretum's herbarium in Jamaica Plain holds specimens of cultivated plants that relate to the living collections (ca. 160,000). The Jamaica Plain herbarium, horticultural library, archives, and photographs are maintained in the Hunnewell building at 125 Arborway; however, the main portions of the herbarium and library collections are housed in Cambridge on the campus of Harvard University, at 22 Divinity Avenue.

Publications

The inventory of living collections is updated periodically and made available to sister botanical gardens and arboreta on request; it is also available on the Arboretum’s website (searchable inventory). Arnoldia, the quarterly magazine of the Arnold Arboretum, frequently publishes articles relating to the living collections. A Reunion of Trees[6] by Stephen A. Spongberg (curator emeritus) recounts the history of the introduction of many of the exotic species included in the Arobretum’s collections. New England Natives[7] written by horticultural research archivist Sheila Connor describes many of the trees and shrubs of the New England flora and the ways New Englanders have used them since prehistoric times. Science in the Pleasure Ground[8] by Ida Hay (former curatorial associate) constitutes an institutional biography of the Arboretum.

Institutional Collaborations

The Arboretum maintains an institutional membership in the American Public Garden Association (APGA) and the International Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta. Additionally, members of the staff are associated with many national and international botanical and horticultural organizations. The Arboretum is also a cooperating institution with the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC), and as an active member of the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC), it is committed to broadening and maintaining its holdings of: Acer, Carya, Fagus, Stewartia, Syringa, and Tsuga for the purposes of plant conservation, evaluation, and research. The Arboretum is also a member of the North American China Plant Exploration Consortium (NACPEC).

See also

Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection, donated by businessman and ambassador Larz Anderson
The Case Estates of the Arnold Arboretum
List of botanical gardens in the United States
North American Plant Collections Consortium
Adams-Nervine_Asylum

External links

Arnold Arboretum Official Website
Arnold Arboretum Visitor Information
Harvard University Herbaria
American Public Gardens Association (APGA)
Flora of China
Virtual Information Access (VIA) Catalog of visual resources at Harvard University.
Garden and Forest A Journal of Horticulture, Landscape Art, and Forestry (1888–1897)
Boston's Arnold Arboretum: A Place for Study and Recreation, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
The Emerald Necklace: Boston's Green Connection, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan


Arnold Arboretum, 18 May 2010: Red-tailed hawk racing toward my son & I (yes really, see notes) at Bussey Hill
service animal
Image by Chris Devers
Some of these pictures of the hawk are pretty blurry, but heck, I'm just pleased I was this close to it at all: the bird startled my son & I by flying within an arm's length of us before landing on a low branch and looking around on a couple of low branches for a few minutes, before it finally got sick of me chasing it around with the camera and flew away. Awesome. :-)

The Arboretum has an interactive map on their web site. This map is found at the Arborway Gate.

Pasting from Wikipedia: Arnold Arboretum:

• • • • •

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is an arboretum located in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale sections of Boston, Massachusetts. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and is the second largest "link" in the Emerald Necklace.

History

The Arboretum was founded in 1872 when the President and Fellows of Harvard College became trustees of a portion of the estate of James Arnold (1781–1868).

In 1842, Benjamin Bussey (1757–1842), a prosperous Boston merchant and scientific farmer, donated his country estate Woodland Hill and a part of his fortune to Harvard University "for instruction in agriculture, horticulture, and related subjects". Bussey had inherited land from fellow patriot Eleazer Weld in 1800 and further enlarged his large estate between 1806 and 1837 by acquiring and consolidating various farms that had been established as early as the seventeenth century. Harvard used this land for the creation of the Bussey Institute, which was dedicated to agricultural experimentation. The first Bussey Institute building was completed in 1871 and served as headquarters for an undergraduate school of agriculture.

Sixteen years after Bussey's death, James Arnold, a New Bedford, Massachusetts whaling merchant, specified that a portion of his estate was to be used for "...the promotion of Agricultural, or Horticultural improvements". In 1872, when the trustees of the will of James Arnold transferred his estate to Harvard University, Arnold’s gift was combined with 120 acres (0.49 km2) of the former Bussey estate to create the Arnold Arboretum. In the deed of trust between the Arnold trustees and the College, income from Arnold’s legacy was to be used for establishing, developing and maintaining an arboretum to be known as the Arnold Arboretum which "shall contain, as far as practicable, all the trees [and] shrubs ... either indigenous or exotic, which can be raised in the open air of West Roxbury". The historical mission of the Arnold Arboretum is to increase knowledge of woody plants through research and to disseminate this knowledge through education.

Charles Sprague Sargent was appointed director and Arnold Professor of Botany shortly after the establishment of the institution in 1872.[2] Together with landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted he developed the road and pathway system and delineated the collection areas by family and genus, following the then current and widely accepted classification system of Bentham and Hooker. The Hunnewell building was designed by architect Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr. in 1892 and constructed with funds donated by H. H. Hunnewell in 1903. From 1946 to 1950 the landscape architect Beatrix Farrand was the landscape design consultant for the Arboretum. Her early training in the 1890s included time with Charles Sprague Sargent and chief propagator and superintendent Jackson Thornton Johnson.[3] Today the Arboretum occupies 265 acres (107 hectares) of land divided between four parcels, viz. the main Arboretum and the Peters Hill, Weld-Walter and South Street tracts. The collections, however, are located primarily in the main Arboretum and on the Peters Hill tract. The Arboretum remains one of the finest examples of a landscape designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and it is a Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site) and a National Historic Landmark.

Robert E. Cook is the seventh and current Director of the Arnold Arboretum. He is also the Director of the Harvard University Herbaria located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Status

The Arboretum is privately endowed as a department of Harvard University. The land, however, was deeded to the City of Boston in 1882 and incorporated into the so-called "Emerald Necklace". Under the agreement with the City, Harvard University was given a thousand-year lease on the property, and the University, as trustee, is directly responsible for the development, maintenance, and operation of the Arboretum; the City retains responsibility for water fountains, benches, roads, boundaries, and policing. The annual operating budget of ,350,644 (fiscal year 2003) is largely derived from endowment, which is also managed by the University, and all Arboretum staff are University employees. Other income is obtained through granting agencies and contributors.

Location

The main Arborway gate is located on Route 203 a few hundred yards south of its junction with the Jamaicaway. Public transportation to the Arboretum is available on the MBTA Orange Line to its terminus at Forest Hills Station and by bus (#39) to the Monument in Jamaica Plain. The Arboretum is within easy walking distance from either of these points.

Hours

The grounds are open free of charge to the public from sunrise to sunset 365 days of the year. The Visitor's Center in the Hunnewell Building, 125 Arborway, is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sundays 12 p.m.–4 PM. The Visitor’s Center is closed on holidays. The Library, located in the Hunnewell Building, is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.. The Library is closed on Sundays and holidays. Stacks are closed and the collection does not circulate.

Area

Two hundred and sixty-five acres (107 hectares) in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale sections of Boston, Massachusetts, located at 42°19′N 71°5′W / 42.317°N 71.083°W / 42.317; -71.083, with altitudes ranging from 46 feet (15 m) in the meadow across the drive from the Hunnewell Building to 240 feet (79 m) at the top of Peters Hill.

Climate

Average yearly rainfall is 43.63 inches (1,102 mm); average snowfall, 40.2 inches (102 centimeters). Monthly mean temperature is 51.5 °F (10.8 °C); July's mean temperature is 73.5 °F (23 °C); January's is 29.6 °F (-1.3 °C). The Arboretum is located in USDA hardiness zone 6 (0 to −10 °F, −18 to −23 °C).

Collections (as of September 14, 2007)

At present, the living collections include 15,441 individual plants (including nursery holdings) belonging to 10,216 accessions representing 4,099 taxa; with particular emphasis on the ligneous species of North America and eastern Asia. Historic collections include the plant introductions from eastern Asia made by Charles Sprague Sargent, Ernest Henry Wilson, William Purdom, Joseph Hers, and Joseph Rock. Recent introductions from Asia have resulted from the 1977 Arnold Arboretum Expedition to Japan and Korea, the 1980 Sino-American Botanical Expedition to western Hubei Province, and more recent expeditions to China and Taiwan.

Comprehensive collections are maintained and augmented for most genera, and genera that have received particular emphasis include: Acer, Fagus, Carya, Forsythia, Taxodium, Pinus, Metasequoia, Lonicera, Magnolia, Malus, Quercus, Rhododendron, Syringa, Paulownia, Albizia, Ilex, Gleditsia and Tsuga. Other comprehensive collections include the Bradley Collection of Rosaceous Plants, the collection of conifers and dwarf conifers, and the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection. Approximately 500 accessions are processed annually.

Collections policy

The mission of the Arnold Arboretum is to increase our knowledge of the evolution and biology of woody plants. Historically, this research has investigated the global distribution and evolutionary history of trees, shrubs and vines, with particular emphasis on the disjunct species of East Asia and North America. Today this work continues through molecular studies of the evolution and biogeography of the floras of temperate Asia, North America and Europe.

Research activities include molecular studies of gene evolution, investigations of plant-water relations, and the monitoring of plant phenology, vegetation succession, nutrient cycling and other factors that inform studies of environmental change. Applied work in horticulture uses the collections for studies in plant propagation, plant introduction, and environmental management. This diversity of scientific investigation is founded in a continuing commitment to acquire, grow, and document the recognized species and infraspecific taxa of ligneous plants of the Northern Hemisphere that are able to withstand the climate of the Arboretum’s 265-acre (1.07 km2) Jamaica Plain/Roslindale site.

As a primary resource for research in plant biology, the Arboretum’s living collections are actively developed, curated, and managed to support scientific investigation and study. To this end, acquisition policies place priority on obtaining plants that are genetically representative of documented wild populations. For each taxon, the Arnold Arboretum aspires to grow multiple accessions of known wild provenance in order to represent significant variation that may occur across the geographic range of the species. Accessions of garden or cultivated provenance are also acquired as governed by the collections policies herein.

For all specimens, full documentation of both provenance and history within the collection is a critical priority. Curatorial procedures provide for complete and accurate records for each accession, and document original provenance, locations in the collections, and changes in botanical identity. Herbarium specimens, DNA materials, and digital images are gathered for the collection and maintained in Arboretum data systems and the herbarium at the Roslindale site.

Research

Research on plant pathology and integrated pest management for maintenance of the living collections is constantly ongoing. Herbarium-based research focuses on the systematics and biodiversity of both temperate and tropical Asian forests, as well as the ecology and potential for sustainable use of their resources. The Arboretum's education programs offer school groups and the general public a wide range of lectures, courses, and walks focusing on the ecology and cultivation of plants. Its quarterly magazine, Arnoldia, provides in-depth information on horticulture, botany, and garden history. Current Research Initiatives

Plant Records

Plant records are maintained on a computerized database, BG-BASE 6.8 (BG-Base Inc.), which was initiated in 1985 at the request of the Arnold Arboretum and the Threatened Plants Unit (TPU) of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC). A computerized mapping program (based on AutoCAD (Autodesk)) is linked to BG-BASE, and each accession is recorded on a series of maps at a scale of 1-inch (25 mm) to 20 feet (1:240) or 1-inch (25 mm) to 10 feet (1:120). A computer-driven embosser generates records labels. All accessioned plants in the collections are labeled with accession number, botanical name, and cultivar name (when appropriate), source information, common name, and map location. Trunk and/or display labels are also hung on many accessions and include botanical and common names and nativity. Stake labels are used to identify plants located in the Leventritt Garden and Chinese Path.

Grounds Maintenance

The grounds staff consists of the superintendent and assistant superintendent, three arborists, and ten horticultural technologists. A service garage is adjacent to the Hunnewell Building, where offices and locker rooms are located. During the summer months ten horticultural interns supplement the grounds staff. A wide array of vehicles and modern equipment, including an aerial lift truck and a John Deere backhoe and front loader, are used in grounds maintenance. Permanent grounds staff, excluding the superintendents, are members of AFL/CIO Local 615, Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Nursery and Greenhouse Facilities

The Dana Greenhouses, located at 1050 Centre Street (with a mailing address of 125 Arborway), were completed in 1962. They comprise four service greenhouses totaling 3,744 square feet (348 m²), the headhouse with offices, cold rooms, storage areas, and a classroom. Staffing at the greenhouse includes the manager of greenhouses and nurseries, the plant propagator, two assistants, and, during the summer months, two horticultural interns. Adjacent to the greenhouse is a shade house of 3,150 square feet (293 m²), a 12,600 cubic foot (357 m³) cold storage facility, and three irrigated, inground nurseries totaling approximately one and one-half acres (6,000 m²). Also located in the greenhouse complex is the bonsai pavilion, where the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection is displayed from the middle of April to the end of October. During the winter months the bonsai are held in the cold storage unit at temperatures slightly above freezing.

Isabella Welles Hunnewell Internship Program

The living collections department of the Arnold Arboretum offers a paid summer internship program [2] that combines hands-on training in horticulture with educational courses. Intern trainees will be accepted for 12- to 24-week appointments. Ten interns will work with the grounds maintenance department and two in the Dana Greenhouses.

As part of the training program, interns participate in mandatory instructional sessions and field trips in order to develop a broader sense of the Arboretum’s horticultural practices as well as those of other institutions. Sessions and field trips are led by Arnold staff members and embrace an open question and answer format encouraging all to participate. Interns often bring experience and knowledge that everyone, including staff, benefits from. It is a competitive-free learning environment.

Horticultural Apprenticeship

The Arboretum created the horticultural apprenticeship program in 1997 to provide hands-on experience in all aspects of the development, curation, and maintenance of the Arboretum's living collections to individuals interested in pursuing a career in an arboretum or botanical garden.

The Living Collections department of the Arnold Arboretum offers a summer internship program[4] that combines practical hands-on training in horticulture with educational courses. Fourteen Interns/Horticultural Trainees are accepted for twelve to twenty-four week appointments. Interns receive the majority of their training in one of three departments: Grounds Maintenance, Nursery and Greenhouse, or Plant Records.

Lilac Sunday

The second Sunday in May every year is "Lilac Sunday". This is the only day of the year that picnicing is allowed. In 2008, on the 100th anniversary of Lilac Sunday, the Arboretum website touted:

Of the thousands of flowering plants in the Arboretum, only one, the lilac, is singled out each year for a daylong celebration. On Lilac Sunday, garden enthusiasts from all over New England gather at the Arboretum to picnic, watch Morris dancing, and tour the lilac collection. On the day of the event, which takes place rain or shine, the Arboretum is open as usual from dawn to dusk.[5]

Associated Collections

The Arboretum's herbarium in Jamaica Plain holds specimens of cultivated plants that relate to the living collections (ca. 160,000). The Jamaica Plain herbarium, horticultural library, archives, and photographs are maintained in the Hunnewell building at 125 Arborway; however, the main portions of the herbarium and library collections are housed in Cambridge on the campus of Harvard University, at 22 Divinity Avenue.

Publications

The inventory of living collections is updated periodically and made available to sister botanical gardens and arboreta on request; it is also available on the Arboretum’s website (searchable inventory). Arnoldia, the quarterly magazine of the Arnold Arboretum, frequently publishes articles relating to the living collections. A Reunion of Trees[6] by Stephen A. Spongberg (curator emeritus) recounts the history of the introduction of many of the exotic species included in the Arobretum’s collections. New England Natives[7] written by horticultural research archivist Sheila Connor describes many of the trees and shrubs of the New England flora and the ways New Englanders have used them since prehistoric times. Science in the Pleasure Ground[8] by Ida Hay (former curatorial associate) constitutes an institutional biography of the Arboretum.

Institutional Collaborations

The Arboretum maintains an institutional membership in the American Public Garden Association (APGA) and the International Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta. Additionally, members of the staff are associated with many national and international botanical and horticultural organizations. The Arboretum is also a cooperating institution with the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC), and as an active member of the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC), it is committed to broadening and maintaining its holdings of: Acer, Carya, Fagus, Stewartia, Syringa, and Tsuga for the purposes of plant conservation, evaluation, and research. The Arboretum is also a member of the North American China Plant Exploration Consortium (NACPEC).

See also

Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection, donated by businessman and ambassador Larz Anderson
The Case Estates of the Arnold Arboretum
List of botanical gardens in the United States
North American Plant Collections Consortium
Adams-Nervine_Asylum

External links

Arnold Arboretum Official Website
Arnold Arboretum Visitor Information
Harvard University Herbaria
American Public Gardens Association (APGA)
Flora of China
Virtual Information Access (VIA) Catalog of visual resources at Harvard University.
Garden and Forest A Journal of Horticulture, Landscape Art, and Forestry (1888–1897)
Boston's Arnold Arboretum: A Place for Study and Recreation, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
The Emerald Necklace: Boston's Green Connection, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan

Cool Wild Animals images

Check out these wild animals images:


Koala
wild animals
Image by Mshai
Koala


Dusky Leaf Monkey
wild animals
Image by dmytrok

Nice Animals Photos photos

A few nice animals photos images I found:


final de tarde ensolarado
animals photos
Image by Gustty
Aveleira, Vila de Rei, Portugal

Cool Animal Species images

Some cool animal species images:


London Zoo, Humboldt Penguins At Penguin Beach
animal species
Image by Martin Pettitt
London Zoo 4-5-2013 London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847. Today it houses a collection of 755 species of animals, with 16,802 individuals, making it one of the largest collections in the United Kingdom.


London Zoo, Sumatran Tiger
animal species
Image by Martin Pettitt
London Zoo 4-5-2013 London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847. Today it houses a collection of 755 species of animals, with 16,802 individuals, making it one of the largest collections in the United Kingdom.


London Zoo, Humboldt Penguins At Penguin Beach
animal species
Image by Martin Pettitt
London Zoo 4-5-2013 London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847. Today it houses a collection of 755 species of animals, with 16,802 individuals, making it one of the largest collections in the United Kingdom.

Nice Animal Pics photos

Some cool animal pics images:




150mm+ Zoom
animal pics
Image by Johnwobert
These pics were all taken @150mm focal length or greater.

i seperated these fro mthe rest as i discovered them to be extremely soft especially when taken with the widest aperture available. Some pics taken at F/8 or greater are useable but still soft.

cos of these pics i have replaced my kit 50-200mm pentax lens with a tamron 28-300 which seems to be sharp all the way through the focal length ... gosh darn it ... i guess i have to go back to Chester Zoo :)))))

bdye_simba_A14581599-6

Some cool animal control images:


bdye_simba_A14581599-6
animal control
Image by bernphotos


rudolph_A14806780_bdye-2
animal control
Image by bernphotos

Cool About Animals images

Check out these about animals images:



seahorse ranch
about animals
Image by dret
one of the most amazing things about seahorses is that they are actually fish. they shouldn't be, they really should be some class of their own. and the "seahorse farm" where this picture was taken really should be called "seahorse ranch".

Cool Animal Humane Society images

A few nice animal humane society images I found:


Edison_7206.JPG
animal humane society
Image by This Year's Love

Cool Names For Animals images

Some cool names for animals images:




DSC06784
names for animals
Image by BethanyWeeks
Fisher (Martes pennanti)

It is a medium-size mammal native to North America. It is a member of the mustelid family, commonly referred to as the weasel family. The fisher is closely related to but larger than the American Marten (Martes americana). The fisher is a forest-dwelling creature whose range covers much of the boreal forest in Canada to the northern fringes of the United States. Names derived from aboriginal languages include pekan, pequam, and wejack. It is also sometimes referred to as a fisher cat, though it is not a feline. Fishers are omnivorous and feed on a wide variety of small animals and occasionally fruits and mushrooms. They show a preference for the snowshoe hare and are one of the few predators able to hunt porcupine. Despite their name, fishers seldom eat fish. - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_%28animal%29

Northwest Trek
December 27, 2011

Nice Video Of Animals photos

A few nice video of animals images I found:


20070915 - Camping in Elizabeth Furnace with Beavis - 136-3666 - toad, Beavis
video of animals
Image by Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL)
Unlike Misfit, Beavis really liked camping. (We didn't have to tie him to the tree; we just let him run around with his harnass on. If he really tried to run away, he wouldn't get more than 30 feet before getting tangled up. It's a good security/liberty compromise.) But little did we know that he would get to meet A TOAD!

Beavis the cat, toad.

Elizabeth Furnace, George Washington National Forest, Virginia.

September 15, 2007.


... Read my blog at ClintJCL.wordpress.com

... View videos of Beavis the cat at www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=ClintJCL&search_q...

... View my camping-related blog posts at clintjcl.wordpress.com/category/hobbies-activities/camping/

Nice Service Animal photos

A few nice service animal images I found:


Pepper
service animal
Image by stephskardal
Pepper is available for adoption. Call Salt Lake County Animal Services (801) 559-1100 and ask for animal ID #A339066.

Nice Pet Animals photos

A few nice pet animals images I found:


Khan
pet animals
Image by fireflydust
Khan comes around to say hello whenever I go outside, he is a frequent photo-bomber.


Sigfreid
pet animals
Image by fireflydust

Nice Animal photos

A few nice animal images I found:



Animal market
animal
Image by Evgeni Zotov
Kashgar, Xinjiang

Deadliest countries to drive in!

A few nice facts about animals images I found:


Deadliest countries to drive in!
facts about animals
Image by brizzle born and bred
If you’re thinking of travelling abroad, then you might be interested in finding out which countries are the worst for driving in or taking a holiday in. Depending on those you think are the most dangerous, the reality may well surprise you.

Deadliest countries to drive in. (per list just compiled by the OECD)

(based on fatalities per million drivers)

1. Russia
2. Slovakia
3. Poland
4. Turkey
5. Hungary
6. Korea
7. Greece
8. U.S.A.
9. Czech Republic
10. Belgium

United Kingdom

So despite what you might think about the UK’s roads and RTAs, Britain doesn’t make it into the top ten and in fact is consistently proven to be one of the safest countries in the world to drive in – alongside Sweden and The Netherlands.

The fact that the UK has such safe roads is partially due to the excellent road network and conditions, the high levels of policing and speed management (though this point is always hotly debated!) and of course the stringent tests that drivers in Great Britain have to pass before being allowed onto the road.

So why is Russia so bad?

Although Russian drivers also have to pass extensive examinations to earn their driving licences, it seems that there is a world of difference between what a Russian can expect to learn about the road while preparing for a test and what they actually find out there when they pass.

With around only 10% of their accidents being blamed on drunk-drivers, the other 90% seem to come from a combination of bad driving, terrible road conditions (in some areas it seems that the white lines that we expect to separate the lanes on a major road are worn away or completely missing) and a lack of policing.

The Government Auto Inspection (or GAI) the Russian version of the Transport Police does attempt to enforce regulations but has to do so with a small budget and old vehicles which makes it almost impossible. So until more money is given to the GAI it seems that Russia will continue to dominate the list of countries to avoid driving in if you want to come home in one piece.

In this crime-ridden, ex-Soviet state, no longer does the government stuff their Armani suits with rubles, but the vandals and gangsters. The Russian mafia runs amuck, there are more gangsters than police, and a Russian is assassinated every 18 minutes, averaging 84 murders per day in a nation of 143 million. The nucleus of Russian crime is stationed in the Republic of Chechnya, a region within Russia just north of Georgia. Prostitution, drug trafficking, and underground restaurants are arbitrarily controlled by the Chechens. Foreigners are kidnapped more frequently due to the higher ransom allocated. Crimes towards include but are not limited to: pick pocketing wallets, cell phones, cameras, cash, and physical assaults. From superpower to Third World country, think tanks are beginning to speculate if communism really was the cure for Russia.

Most Dangerous Countries to have a holiday

Afghanistan is the most dangerous country in the world to drive in. Keep an eye out for our noble soldiers will driving through Kandahar, but also make sure you keep your other eye on the traffic. See, for every 100, 000 people on Afghanistan's roads, 39 people die. You don't want to be one of them.

Iraq

It doesn’t matter whether you are George Bush, Pele or Chuck Norris – you are not safe in Iraq. Despite its rich history and its oil reserves, it is a ruined nation that is wracked with violence, despair and confusion. Since 2003, the United States has occupied Iraq which has led to a civil war claiming the lives of more than 650 000 civilians. Al-Qaeda, Sunni insurgents, Shiite security forces, Kurdish rebels, American soldiers, Turkish troops and criminals are involved in a cycle of violence that unfortunately, will not abate any time soon. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs) and mines are a constant threat, as are suicide bombers who have slain hundreds. Kidnappings and random killings are reported with almost mind-numbing frequency. Since 2003, 2 million Iraqis have fled to neighboring countries and another 1.9 million in Iraq remain internally displaced. Depleted uranium used as armor-piercing rounds will poison Iraqi civilians and US servicemen for decades. Truly, a hell on earth.

USA

For the average traveller, the USA is fairly safe, but the numbers do not lie. There are more than 200 million guns in the USA and more than 50 murders a day, 10 times the rate of Germany. Nearly 5000 people die a year in truck crashes, about 6000 pedestrains die on the streets and 31000 people end their own lives. The USA now leads all nations in violent crime and leads all nations with incarcerations now standing at 2.3 million. American citizens also make up the greatest number of criminals serving time in overseas prisons. Militias, hate groups and other right wing radicals all spread their message of violence and are known to throw around the odd pipe-bomb. The government is not much better, spending a whopping 0 billion a year on defense in order to contain the handful of nations hostile to it.

South Africa

Any nation described as the ‘rape capital of the world’ should be one to take extra special care in. Although rape had shown a declining trend to 113.7 in 2004, it increased in 2005 to 118.3 per 100 000. Another damning statistic for South Africa is its appallingly high murder rate. The 2010 World Cup host is consistently in the Top 5 list of countries by homicide rate. Most crime is confined to poor areas but it hasn’t stopped gated communities springing up all over South Africa and armed guards protecting wealthy tourist groups. Farming in South Africa has become one of the most dangerous professions in the world. The murder rate for farmers is 313 per 100 000 – about 8 times the national average. And like anywhere, sex can be very dangerous in South Africa, where more than 10 million people are infected with HIV.

Burundi

This small, densely populated and poor nation has giant problems. A civil war between Hutus and Tutsis tore the nation apart between 1993 and 2006. A ceasefire was declared however most provisions have not been implemented. Mass murder and mayhem compete with environmental problems as the biggest headaches for the people of Burundi. The list of assassinated leaders is extensive, and control of the nation has changed hands numerous times in the last 50 years. Crimes committed by roaming gangs and armed children are risks for visitors. Muggings, carjackings and kidnappings await, so you are advised not to stop the car for souvenirs. Should you be injured or harmed while in Burundi, you may need to be well trained, as local clinics have almost no resources to assist you.

Antarctica

While murder, rape and robbery may not be a big problem in this part of the world, the hostile conditions are. Antarctica is home to some extreme weather conditions, with the mercury regularly dropping below -60 degrees Celsius (-100F) and winds tearing in at more than 100km/hr. If exposed to this weather for more than an hour, you will most certainly die. Antarctica has no hospitals, no food to forage and if you get lost, not a lot of hope. Stay with the tour groups. At least there is a McDonald’s at Scott Base if you manage to find it.

Somalia

Somalia is a failed state known for its anarchy, corruption, lack of government, and starvation. Travelers are warned against entering Somalia, the self-proclaimed “independent Republic of Somaliland” or even sailing near the Horn Of Africa. Pirates patrol these waters armed with AK-47s and will seize craft and hold crews to ransom. Inter-clan fighting has claimed thousands of lives in the north of the country, while territorial control in the capital, Mogadishu is carved up between many clans and warlords. Ethiopia attacked Islamic troops in Somalia in late 2006, resulting in hundreds of casualties and the internal displacement of thousands. Heck, if this place is too much for the Marines, what chance do you stand? Make sure your insurance is fully up to date.

Sudan

Desperation, death and destruction are synonymous with Sudan. Terrorism is a mainstay of this nation, which has been controlled by Islamic military regimes since its independence. Some of the worlds most famous killers have earned their stripes in Sudan, finishing with degrees in car-bombing, rocket launching and genocide. Violence is rife in the Darfur region between government-backed militias, government troops and local insurgent groups. Sudan has been in open warfare with Chad partly due to the Darfur conflict. Since 2003, 230,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to eastern Chad from Darfur. More than two million have died during the 2 civil wars that spanned the last 50 years. Along with its bleak desert conditions, Sudan is one of the worst places on the planet.

Brazil

For anyone traveling to Brazil, it is not a matter of whether you get mugged, it is a matter of when! Grinding poverty still lives alongside incredible wealth in a country that is riding a wave of economic growth. But with prosperity, rates of crime have also soared. Street crime is rampant in parts of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo, and whilst many victims are left unharmed, having a broken bottle put to your throat for your bracelet is not pleasant.

The incidences of “quicknappings” has risen in major cities. This involves being abducted and taken to an ATM to pay your ransom. If you can’t pay, thanks to mobile technology, your family is only a call away. Along with street crime, organized criminal groups have waged wars against police and public institutions that were unable to be bribed. Prison riots are brutally suppressed, drugs and narco-terrorism claim civilian casualties and if you survive all that – the piranhas are waiting.

Brazil is a beautiful country, with sunny beaches, clear waters, lush rainforests, incredible culture and many other attributes that make it a lovely travel destination. Unfortunately there is also a down side, a dark side of Brazil you’re bound to experience if you ever go. Despite the accelerated economic growth of recent years, poverty is still a serious issue here and people will do just about anything when their survival instincts kick-in.

You could end up with a switchblade pressing hard on your throat and be forced to surrender your wallet and valuables in order to keep your life. Kidnappings aren’t unusual in large cities like Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paolo; you just get pulled into a car and taken to the closest ATM in order to pay your own ransom. If you can’t do that, well, you better hope your family can or you’re in serious trouble.

Drug cartels have a firm grip over the slums of many of Brazil’s large cities and the police simply don’t have the power to bring them to their knees, so you might be unlucky enough to find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time and become a victim of their crossfire.

Poland

Poland’s ranking is not a surprise. Its decades-old, mostly two-lane roads are poorly marked and not built for today’s heavy truck traffic. Last month, on the four-hour main route from Breslau to Poznan that is entirely over winding narrow roads, we frequently witnessed impatient auto drivers pass long lines of trucks without sufficient clearance.

Crashes were often averted only when vehicles in both lanes moved onto the road’s shoulders. Beware if you plan to drive “east.”

United Arab Emirates

Sure, they may be the most prosperous of all Arab nations, but you'd think they'd be able to afford some better road safety programs. The land of oil, excess and seven-star hotels also happens to be one of the most dangerous places to get behind the wheel, with an estimated 37 out of every 100, 000 drivers and passengers dying on the road.

The Gambia

Memo to the chicken who crossed the road: don't in The Gambia. Massive car pile-ups are so frequent there that officials created a "road safety week" this past November. The West African country has a road fatality rate of 36.6 per 100, 000 citizens.

Angola

Malaria a major cause of premature death in Angola, but believe it or not, car collisions aren't far behind. In the past five years, a staggering 10, 000 Angolans have died in driving accidents. Bad roads, drunk driving and speeding are some of the main causes of the country's road traffic death rate of 37.7 per 100, 000 citizens.

Niger

As if famine and overpopulation weren't enough, Niger also has to put up with reckless drivers. If you're thinking of cruising down the scenic African country's dusty roads, keep in mind it has a traffic fatality rate of 37.7 per 100, 000 people.

Iraq

Okay, so chances are you won't be spending your holidays in Iraq, but if by some odd chance you are, try hiking everywhere instead of driving. The main stage of the War on Terror has a traffic fatality rate of 38.1 per 100, 000 motorists and passengers.

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

In 2007 alone, 2,138 Libyans died in auto-collisions. Among the reasons cited by Libyan authorities are excessive speed (oh really?) and poorly planned roads. Libya ranks as the second most dangerous Arab locale to drive in, with a fatality of rate of 40.5 per 100, 000 people.

Egypt

Blazing through the desert in a jet black jeep may have looked really cool while playing Tomb Raider 4, but about 42 people per 100, 000 die on Egypt's roads. That just drains all the fun right out, doesn't it? Considering the country's estimated 6,000 traffic-related fatalities a year, some curse-happy Pharaoh must have a huge chip on his shoulder.

The Cook Islands

They're renowned for their friendly people, tropical weather and relaxed pace of life - that is, when vehicles are smashing into one another. The Cook Islands have a road death rate of 45 per 100,000 drivers and passengers.

Eritrea

With an estimated 48 road traffic deaths per 100, 000 people, the small, poor African country of Eritrea tops the list. Oh, they also don't have a publicly available pre-hospital care system in place, so try not to get into any smashups.

Colombia

Its not the driving you have to worry about? Kidnapping is the main worry in Colombia. There were 2338 kidnappings in Colombia in 1998. Of the victims, 138 were killed by their captors. Ranked Fourth in the world for murders with 69.98/100000 in 2006, the popular targets are mayors, with dozens of them being slain each year. And of course, who can forget cocaine? Colombia supplies 75% of the worlds supply and thanks to Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel, paramilitary groups have waged war on the government in a bloody conflict with no end in sight. Even those working in the name of charity are not excluded from the frenzy. In 2005, 5 Catholic missionaries were murdered, down from 9 in 1999. Colombia’s beautiful coast and rugged mountains should make it a tourist paradise, instead it is among the most feared destinations you can visit.

World's most dangerous roads

Bolivia The Old Yungus Road 50-mile mountain road that connects Coroico to La Paz

Brazil Interstate 116 Potholes, poor signals and heavy traffic in southern Brazil

China Sichuan-Tibet Highway A rough, high-elevation road between Chengdu and Tibet where landslides and rock avalanches are common.

Costa Rica Pan American Highway Called the Hill of Death, the stretch from San Isidro de El General to Cartago is full of potholes and steep curves.

Croatia Coastal roads Adriatic Coast roads are narrow, curvy, and congested, and many lack shoulders and guardrails.

Ecuador Cotopaxi Volcan road 25-mile dirt road that crosses a swift-moving stream at the Cotopaxi National Park entrance.

Egypt Luxor-al-Ghurdaqah road Many crashes on this road to the Red Sea occur at night because Egyptians drive with headlights off.

England A44 More than 25% of crashes on the stretch linking Leominster and Worcester are head-on.

Greece Patiopoulo-Perdikaki road A steep, gravel road with an unmarked edge in the Agrafa region.

India Grand Trunk Road Heavily used by trucks, the country's busiest road is overloaded with ox carts, animals, bicycles and pedestrians.

Kenya Nairobi-Nakuru-Eldoret Highway More than 300 die annually in crashes commonly caused by speeding, improper passing and drunken driving.

Mexico Highway 1 A winding, narrow potholed road from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas that lacks guard rails, shoulders and road signs.

Morocco Marrakesh-Agadir Road Heavy truck traffic and buses and taxis that pass on steep, blind curves

Namibia Swakopmund-Walvis Bay road Heavy truck traffic and frequent head-on collisions when drivers misjudge distance between vehicles while passing.

Nepal Prithvi Highway Landslides and road cave-ins during the rainy season are common on this narrow road with heavy traffic linking Kathmandu to Pokhara.

Nigeria Lagos-Ibadan-Ogbomosho-Ilorin-Jebba-Minna-Abiyo Expressway A congested road with deep potholes and a median in disrepair that links northern and eastern Nigeria. Drivers may drive on the wrong side to avoid traffic.

Pakistan N-35 (Karakoram Highway) Landslides, floods and mud can block this northern Pakistan mountain road that passes through deep gorges and is a route to China.

Peru Kuelap-Celendin-Cajamarca road Narrow, gravel mountain road with sheer drops and hair-pin turns on descent from Barro Negro Pass to Las Balsas.

Portugal IP3 Steep, deteriorating road with no barrier between lanes linking Coimbra and Viseu.

Scotland A77 A winding single- and two-lane road in southwestern Scotland with varying speed limits and many fatal crashes.

Spain Carretera Nacional N340 A narrow Costa del Sol coastal road where drunken drivers and tourists unaccustomed to driving on the right have caused many crashes.

South Africa N3 Between Warden in Free State Province and the bottom of Van Reenen's Pass in KwaZulu-Natal Province, there's a high crash rate because of fog, rain, wind and winding stretches.

Turkey Bodrum-Milas-Soke road Winding coastal road without barriers on many stretches that's especially dangerous when wet.


Mute swan feeding
facts about animals
Image by LHG Creative Photography
Just a close up taken with my canon 75-300mm at slimbridge.

I deliberately took it with the offset tilt, just made it seem a bit more dynamic.

What originally attracted my eye was the light striping in the head from the water reflections created by low autumn evening light. They make an animal with quite a bland all-over tone seem a bit more interesting to me.

Swans are always like a blank canvas when it comes to their plumage, you have to work hard to make something about them a bit more tactile. Avoiding preconceptions of them are good, everyone prejudges them as a bird that has to be represented as pristine white and always graceful or a compliment to a scenery and thats not really their nature.

Being bright though,does mean you get light interplay between them and their environment in a mutual visually affecting way, and personally, I like to concentrate on that and their behaviour, perhaps try to see them more as they see each other, as functional kinetic beings rather than purely as ornamentation. It seems to be the less well trodden path, and theres still new things to see there.

Again I was also trying to get right into the personal space of the animal using telephoto in the hope of revealing something about it. There were loads of them at location, at least four dozen, but though there is a group social structure in play, each one kind of does its own thing, keeping an eye on whats going on around it, so being the devils advocate, I focused in on one to see what he was doing in his personal moment apart from the group mentality. There was a relationship between him and me too, what you often see in large groups is a lot of aggression.

Now your average swan especially a male or an alpha couple tend to intimidate the younger birds around them a little, perfectly understandable in a heirarchical situation, so what younger birds who are used to being around humans tend to do is get closer to you, and use you as a barrier or an intimidatory space that an aggressive swan is less likely to invade.

Even when trusted the average human still reads as a predator to a bird, so territorial scuffles are less likely to happen within a few metres of feet of you because even dominant birds don't like to be suckered by a predatory attack while they are dealing with heirarchical business.

Predators have long exploited courship in other species as an opportunity to attack, so canny youngster raised in wildlife reserves uses that instinctive fear to cut themselves a 10 minute break now again so that they can feed and preen, even take a 5 minute kip. This youngster knows me quite well by now, he's seen me since he was the size of a tennis ball at least once a fortnight, knows i'm not a real threat, and when I sit at the waters edge he just comes over and uses me as a bit of protection against his dominants, gets to chill out, relax a bit.

Its not what you'd call really wild nature photography, but its nice to know he gets something out of the deal when I take photos of him. I think everyone tends to think you have to feed birds to get them close, but actually trust works far better when the animal has had time to get to know you.

He knows I rarely have food on me and doesn't beg, he just comes over to take a look and uses me for protection, which lets face it , is clever of him, I don't know if he knows he's exceeding the fear instincts of other swans and exploiting it logically, but he certainly does know how to avoid being picked on by choosing the right person to sit next to.

I wouldnt put it past him to have read my personality though, he knows I'm not about to chicken and run in front of an aggressive swan and he probably uses my no-fear kind of defiance and confidance I have to shield himself. and it does kind of make you feel warm and fuzzy. He reads confidance, I am an ex-animal rescuer and can handle swans with skill, i'm neither intimidated by their aggression, or in any physical danger from even the most commited swan, because come to crunch I could subdue one without hurting it in about 4 seconds flat, and i'm pretty sure a swan can pick that up off you. Its a bit like other peoples cats don't really come to you until youve had a cat of your own,( I raised an otter, so the otters at slimbridge squeak to address me directly and look straight into my eyes when they avoid the gaze of others, and I can even call them over if I wish to, yet Ive never fed them, and I even seem to be able to get a communication going with some of the higher order more intelligent reptiles like iguanas etc primarily because I owned a six footer myself ) you unconsciously learn something, almost like an identifier code in your behaviour, that makes them trust you. When youve worked with birds before much can be settled in a look.

I mean there are prerequisites in nature for this sort of thing, plains animals use other species to avoid conflict, a zebra getting picked on by its dominant might use a buffalo or an elephant as cover knowing full well that violence kicking off next to it would probably see some zebra get put into orbit, so things stay peaceful. The swan being adaptable has just worked that out for itself, and happens to think humans will do. Ive had it from other animals too a mother mallard duck with maybe 30 creched young she was looking over, brought them over to me when a gull started scoping them out. I was just sat there with a camera , cross legged in the path taking pics, but she knew the gull wouldnt dare strike so close to me, so she used me and so did all 30 odd ducklings. It was quite weird being surrounded by little chirping dudes. But fun.

Thing is though, it makes you wonder about how much the animals have noticed about you, did she use me as cover because I was just that relaxed and still, or did she use me because she noticed that I noticed the situation, and being a gooey human felt a tiny twinge of the paternal instinct, and somehow transmitted that emotion, or was she just assumming I'd kick off if anything violent happened around me as most other animals would, and that would be protection enough for the gull not to try anything. How did she know the gull might know that I might kick off? Can all this really be just learned from other examples perhaps shes tried it before... if its her first time then how does she know, is it instinctively hard wired in to all of us, the human and the two different bird species? Even baitballs of fish have used cameramen and scientists as cover, and in a shoal of young fish in the middle of the pacific theres no way they will have seen a human before, so how do they know they are any safer by the human than they are by the tuna? Its not like humans havent hunted fish in dive suits before.

Thing is though birds and ourselves have very little in common when it comes to expression. Sure the eyes speak volumes when you look at context, but as primates we are heavy of facial expression and when sitting still as photographers low on bodily expression. A bird has almost zero facial expression simple because their beak is rigidly fixed and even their eyes dont have that much freedom of movement, the surrounding muscle structure is mostly flush with the skull.

So is it that they are used to dealing with such tiny subtleties of expression and they find us easy to read from signals we are almost completely unaware of transmitting, or are they looking at a wider view of events which lets face it, denotes a really intense intelligence ( though that might not surprise me, almost every animal studied for intelligence turns out to be smarter than we originally assume) or do they simply gamble and remember, trial and error. Because if thats what they do, their rationales sem incredibly loose and very lucky by a margin of something significantly more than the law of averages. If we taught em poker we could make a bloody fortune!

Either way its a fascinating thought. Just how do they make these assessments? Is it really just "i'll take a chance here, cos its an unknown, but i'm definitely gonna die over there" ?

In any case, I like the fact that a mutually beneficial touch of symbiotic behaviour doesnt have to revolve around bribery or trade, yet still serves purpose. Wild, half wild, domestic, it doesnt really matter, the longer you hang around animals they always show you something new.


Cool Toys Pic of the day - SOPA Countdown / Blackout SOPA / American Censorship
facts about animals
Image by rosefirerising
I'm all about freedom of speech, freedom of information, open
education, open science, transparency, etcetera. So the blackout
starts in a couple hours. I blogged about it yesterday so you'd all
have more warning than I can give you today.

Want to participate in the blackout or support it? Check out yesterday's
post or go to American Censorship.

American Censorship:
americancensorship.org/

Need an image to black out your Twitter or Facebook stream, or a
banner for your blog? Get them at BlackOut SOPA.

Blackout SOPA:
www.blackoutsopa.org/

When is this really happening? You can find that at the SOPA Countdown.

SOPA Countdown:
sopacountdown.com/

Or can you? Read on, things are changing, even as we speak.

The bill is on-again, off-again, but folks tracking it have already
pointed to some new bills with similar missions. What they say is
true. With the big guns behind this, like Disney and the MPAA behind
this idea, it won't go away. They'll keep proposing new bills. There
are more in the works even now. So here's a few little tidbits to
think about. While folks were gearing up for the tail end of the this
fight to preserve important freedoms, the White House responded to
petitions about SOPA, basically saying there are some real problems
with the current form of the legislation.

Combating Online Piracy while Protecting an Open and Innovative Internet
By Victoria Espinel, Aneesh Chopra, and Howard Schmidt
wwws.whitehouse.gov/petition-tool/response/combating-onli...

"“We will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression,
increases cybersecurity risk or undermines the dynamic, innovative
global Internet. ...
Any effort to combat online piracy must guard against the risk of
online censorship of lawful activity and must not inhibit innovation
by our dynamic businesses large and small. ...
We must avoid creating new cybersecurity risks or disrupting the
underlying architecture of the Internet. ...
We expect and encourage all private parties, including both content
creators and Internet platform providers working together, to adopt
voluntary measures and best practices to reduce online piracy."

Obama Administration Responds to We the People Petitions on SOPA and
Online Piracy:
www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/01/14/obama-administration-r...

"The White House has responded to two petitions about legislative
approaches to combat online piracy. In their response, Victoria
Espinel, Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator at Office of
Management and Budget, Aneesh Chopra, U.S. Chief Technology Officer,
and Howard Schmidt, Special Assistant to the President and
Cybersecurity Coordinator for National Security Staff stress that the
important task of protecting intellectual property online must not
threaten an open and innovative internet."

White House Says It Opposes Parts of Two Antipiracy Bills:
www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/us/white-house-says-it-opposes...

"The bills currently under consideration in Congress were intended to
combat the theft of copyrighted materials by preventing American
search engines like Google and Yahoo from directing users to sites
that allow for the distribution of stolen materials. They would cut
off payment processors like PayPal that handle transactions.
The bills would also allow private citizens and companies to sue to
stop what they believed to be theft of protected content. Those and
other provisions set off fierce opposition among Internet companies,
technology investors and free speech advocates, who said the bills
would stifle online innovation, violate the First Amendment and even
compromise national security by undermining the integrity of the
Internet’s naming system."

What happened next? Well, Congress decided they better go back to the
drawing board and rethink this.

Controversial online piracy bill shelved until 'consensus' is found
thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/204167-sopa-...

Putting SOPA on a shelf:
www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2012_01/puttin...

So, everything is good, right? The bill has been canceled. No one
needs to worry. It's gone. But the momentum is still going, and the
SOPA strike is still being planned, and more folk are signing up for
it all the time. Does that seem ... illogical? Is the strike still
needed? The folks who've been pushing for SOPA seem to think that
continuing with the strike is basically ill-mannered and ill-bred.
Danny Sullivan used stronger language to describe what their view was.

MPAA issues statement slamming SOPA/PIPA "blackout" protests as
"dangerous gimmick". By Xeni Jardin at 1:24 pm Tuesday, Jan 17:
boingboing.net/2012/01/17/mpaa-issues-statement-on-jan.html

Motion Picture Association of America:
mpaa.org/resources/c4c3712a-7b9f-4be8-bd70-25527d5dfad8.pdf

"It is an irresponsible response and a disservice to people who rely
on them for information and use their services. It is also an abuse of
power given the freedoms these companies enjoy in the marketplace
today. It’s a dangerous and troubling development when the platforms
that serve as gateways to information intentionally skew the facts to
incite their users in order to further their corporate interests."

Does this mean that the MPAA doesn't do things to further their
corporate interests?

OpenCongress: S.968 - PROTECT IP Act of 2011: Money:
www.opencongress.org/bill/112-s968/money

Oh. I guess someone is spending a lot of money to lobby! ,672,497 to
support SOPA vs. ,839,707 to oppose it, and that just mentions the
top recipients of donations. As Danny pointed out, does that mean buy
people's consent with money is OK, but inspiring action is not? Now,
where is the real passion here? I'm remembering a song I used to sing
way back when ... "'Tis sad when you think of her wasted life, for
youth cannot mate with age, and her beauty was sold for an old man's
gold ... She's a bird in a gilded cage." I don't know that I agree
with the ageism of the song's lyrics, but the idea that there is
something different between actions inspired by money and those
inspired by passion does seem to be relevant.

So back to the blackout. You'd be surprised how many people I've seen
who were ready to call it quits, and just let the big boys handle the
blackout. Then they read the MPAA document. Now, they are even
angrier, and even MORE people are joining the blackout. It is pretty
obvious that even if SOPA does die, this is just one skirmish. The
original mission of the blackout was to let people find out, in a very
small way, what life might feel like if this bill, or others like it,
pass. That might still be a useful and valuable lesson, you know. Just
maybe.

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