Dracula Parrot aka Pesquet’s Parrot (Psittrichas fulgidus), family Psittaculidae, order Psittaciformes, endemic to New Guinea

photographs by Peter Tan & Greg Hume 

Great Ant-Eater by Cuthbert Edmund Swan. From Wild Beasts of the World, Vol. Two. Written by Frank Finn, published in 1909.

Internet Archive

"In a historic “first-of-its-kind” agreement the government of British Colombia has acknowledged the aboriginal ownership of 200 islands off the west coast of Canada.

The owners are the Haida nation, and rather than the Canadian government giving something to a First Nation, the agreement admits that the “Xhaaidlagha Gwaayaai” or the “islands at the end of world,” always belonged to them, a subtle yet powerful difference in the wording of First Nations negotiating.

BC Premier David Eby called the treaty “long overdue” and once signed, will clear the way for half a million hectares (1.3 million acres) of land to be managed by the Haida.

Postal service, shipping lanes, school and community services, private property rights, and local government jurisdiction, will all be unaffected by the agreement, which will essentially outline that the Haida decide what to do with the 200 or so islands and islets.

“We could be facing each other in a courtroom, we could have been fighting each other for years and years, but we chose a different path,” said Minister of Indigenous Relations of BC, Murray Rankin at the signing ceremony, who added that it took creativity and courage to “create a better world for our children.”

Indeed, making the agreement outside the courts of the formal treaty process reflects a vastly different way of negotiating than has been the norm for Canada.

“This agreement won’t only raise all boats here on Haida Gwaii – increase opportunity and prosperity for the Haida people and for the whole community and for the whole province – but it will also be an example and another way for nations – not just in British Columbia, but right across Canada – to have their title recognized,” said Eby.

In other words, by deciding this outside court, Eby and the province of BC hope to set a new standard for how such land title agreements are struck."

-via Good News Network, April 18, 2024

Hey, I come

NG

Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica)

Saiga don’t only look weird, but are found in the last place you would expect antelope to be- the cold, dry Eurasian steppe. Their large nose helps filter out dust and warm air before it reaches their lungs, and they also develop a warm, grey-brown coat in the wintertime. During the last ice age, saiga antelope were found across the cold northern steppe, from Britain and Mongolia to Alaska. Unfortunately, they are now critically endangered, found only in a few refuges in Kazakhstan and the surrounding countries.

Apis mellifera on Iris tectorum 'Alba' / Western Honeybee on 'Alba' Wall Iris

the student encampments being cleared on the grounds of anti homeless laws it’s all so blatant and brazen and interconnected

[2847/11080] Cuban blackbird - Ptiloxena atroviolacea

Order: Passeriformes Suborder: Passeri Superfamily: Emberizoidea Family: Icteridae (icterids)

Photo credit: Lutz Duerselen via Macaulay Library

Top Israeli and Egyptian officials held a secret meeting in Cairo on 24 April, aimed at discussing Tel Aviv’s plans for an invasion of Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah. Three senior Israeli officials told Axios on Wednesday that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi met with the head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamel, and Egypt’s army chief Osama Askar. The report came the same day that an Israeli defense official said that Israel will launch the operation in Rafah as soon as it gets government approval. Israel is “moving ahead” with the operation, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, but gave no specific time frame.

US and Israeli officials held a virtual meeting last week to discuss plans for Rafah. The decision to launch the operation is “conditions-based and not time-based, and connected to the humanitarian situation on the ground,” Tel Aviv emphasized to Washington during the meeting, according to US officials. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on 23 April, citing Egyptian officials, that Israel’s evacuation plans for Rafah are near complete. The plan will take two to three weeks and will be carried out in cooperation with Washington, Cairo, and other Arab states, including the UAE. Egyptian forces have deployed in the northern Sinai and along the Gaza border, and are at “full readiness” after being briefed by Israel on plans for Rafah, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported on 18 April.

Israel’s evacuation plan involves moving Rafah’s civilian population upwards towards the southern city of Khan Yunis, as well as other areas of the strip, the report states, adding that shelters with tents, food supplies, and medical facilities will be set up. Recently published satellite images show a large tent compound in Khan Yunis and Israeli troop gatherings at army bases and outposts near the strip – signaling that the invasion of Rafah may be imminent.

Those who protest against Israel's genocide are punished for antisemitism.

But for some strange reason, authorities have never cracked down on antisemitism any other time. Any other time, antisemitism is considered free speech.

It's almost as if they know damn well that protesting against Israel is not antisemitism.

If anyone is looking for a keffiyeh, a friend of a friend in Palestine has partnered with an existing factory after their tourism business has been out of work. They finally got a website and a distributor and you can buy them here

Bignonia capreolata / Crossvine

Biden better plant some votes if he wants that election bc I don’t see it for that hoe at all….. he better go to them Illuminati meetings and pop some pussy otherwise it’s curtains for grandpa