Photo by @amivitale. Here's a little inspiration to get a jump into your Monday! This West African giraffe is leaping outside of Doulouwal Peulh, Niger - a village about 50 miles outside of the capital of Niamey. The giraffe population in the area made their way here in the late 1980's from neighboring Mali, driven by drought and war. When Amadou Hama, a Fulani herder in his 70's first encountered the animals, he said, "We thought it was the devil, because of that neck and those horns. People had told me about dangerous animals like lions, but nobody had ever told me about the giraffe. We were frightened. Even the cows were frightened,” He overcame their fears and today, like everyone here, is living side by side with the endangered West African giraffe in the country's government-defined Giraffe Zone. Today, there are only about 600 West African giraffes left on the planet (up from a low of 49 in the wild, itself a conservation success). In December 2018, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (@giraffe_conservation), with the Niger government and other partners, endeavored to move eight of these highly threatened giraffe from the zone to Niger's Gadabedji Biosphere Reserve, where they have been absent for more than 50 years. Follow @giraffe_conservation to learn more and get involved in saving this iconic species. @nikonusa #SaharaConservationFund #protectgiraffes #giraffe #savegiraffes #niger https://www.instagram.com/p/CgKnlXnPDtb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

it was an act of Love (of God) who created all of True nature and the creatures of beautiful earth to entrust people as the caretakers.

Mother earth is the garden of the universe (an instrumental womb of seeds)

and the first order of things (just as the physical body) will indeed pass away, eventually. as there is a full rebirth coming (a sacred promise) and it begins in the heart and will at some point be seen in the body, to include the rebirth of the heavens and the earth.

(Anew, genesis)

we are entrusted to guard spiritual truth as children of Light, for this world contains much illusion.

[natgeo]

Photo by Ami Vitale @amivitale | A tower of reticulated giraffes seek shelter under trees in the shrubby landscape of the 850,000-acre Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, in northern Kenya. A distinguishing feature of the reticulated giraffe is its coat: brown-orange patches clearly defined by a network of thick and striking white lines.

Giraffes, unfortunately, are in trouble. Giraffe populations have dropped 30 percent in three decades, plummeting from approximately 155,000 in the late 1980s to about 110,000 today. Reticulated giraffe number fewer than 16,000. The decline is thought to be caused by habitat loss and fragmentation and poaching, but with the lack of long-term conservation efforts in the past, it's hard to know exactly.

Learn more, including how to help, by following @amivitale @sdzsafaripark @r.e.s.c.u.e and @giraffe_conservation

@thephotosociety @natgeoimagecollection #protectgiraffes #DontLetThemDisappear #giraffe #savegiraffes #kenya

7.27.19 • Instagram

and just as God creates things, being made in His image we desire to create things.

[meijergardens]

Mark di Suvero's 'Scarlatti' is beautifully situated in a meadow of wildflowers on our Sculpture Park!

7.27.19 • Instagram

Photo by @amivitale. A giraffe nibbles on a snare caught on the neck of the giraffe, on the left, seemingly trying to help her friend in the Singita Grumeti Reserves, a conservatory adjacent to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Snares are traps, most often made of wire, that are set out by poachers to catch animals for the illegal bushmeat trade. While many animals caught in snares are used for food, many others will be left to rot or be so severely wounded they cannot feed or hunt, and as a result will die. I can not help but feel that my own country has been caught in a snare. For anyone feeling overwhelmed, this is exactly the moment to get to work. Every single one of us can make powerful impacts every single day. I'd love to hear your ideas on things you are doing to help one another, animals and wildlife and this planet itself. #protectgiraffes #DontLetThemDisappear #giraffe #savegiraffes #kenya https://www.instagram.com/p/CffYjIdMROn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Photo by @amivitale. Fancy a snack? Don't mind me - I'll just nibble on these leaves down here. It has long been held as true that the reason a giraffe's neck is so long is so that it could reach the highest leaves on the trees. Darwin himself cited the giraffe as a clear portrait of evolution. However, recent research has called this into question. Many now believe that necks elongated for sexual selection. Male giraffes battle each other for mates by necking, or slamming their necks into one another. A larger neck gives them an advantage. Others have postulated that the long neck allows for better dissipation of heat under the sweltering sun. Whichever it may be, they are wonderous and they need our help. Across Africa, they have been undergoing what's been termed a silent extinction. Populations plummeted from approximately 155,000 in the late 1980s to about 110,000 today. The decline is thought to be caused by habitat loss and fragmentation and some poaching. Learn more by following @r.e.s.c.u.e and @sararafoundation #protectgiraffes #DontLetThemDisappear #giraffe #savegiraffes #kenya https://www.instagram.com/p/CgcJEZzsxH-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Photo by @amivitale. Ever seen a giraffe in a tractor? This fellow was one of nineteen Rothschild's (Nubian) giraffes who went on an epic journey across Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park and across the Nile River. They were threatened by the impacts of humanity from oil drilling to poaching so a plan was made to take them to the more secure, remote southern sector of the park. Because giraffes don't swim, moving them south of the river provides an extra layer of security for them. The dramatic move was made by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (@ugwildlife) with support from Namibia-based @giraffe_conservation and local partners Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC), @makerere University , international zoo partners and funded by the Metzler Foundation. Learn more, including how to help, by following @giraffe_conservation @murchisonfalls @nikonusa #protectgiraffes #giraffe #savegiraffes #uganda #nikonnofilter #nikonusa https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf-bJAisBC6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Photo by @amivitale. Did you know that a giraffe's spots are as unique as our fingerprints? No two giraffes have the same pattern, and researchers use the different patterns to tell them apart. And those spots are not just for camouflage. Spots help them regulate their body temperatures. Beneath each patch is a network of blood vessels and sweat glands to dissipate heat. This young West African giraffe is browsing outside of Doulouwal Peulh, Niger - a village about 50 miles outside of the capital of Niamey where people live side by side with the endangered West African giraffe in the country's government-defined Giraffe Zone. At one point, the range of West African giraffe stretched across the Sahel, from Nigeria to Senegal. Illegal hunting, climate change and habitat loss all contributed to the population's decline, and by the mid-90's, only 49 remained in this zone. Today, while still highly threatened, thanks to conservation efforts, they number over 600. In December 2018, in order to help the long term survival prospects of this subspecies, the Nigerien government with help from a team from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (@giraffe_conservation) and Sahara Conservation Fund worked together to translocate eight giraffe from the Giraffe Zone to the Niger's Gadabedji Biosphere Reserve. The idea was to create a satellite population to help their survival. Learn more, including how to get involved by following @giraffe_conservation and @amivitale. #SaharaConservationFund #protectgiraffes #giraffe #savegiraffes #niger #worldgiraffeday https://www.instagram.com/p/CfwnZvgOqgj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Photo by @amivitale. Do you know why giraffes are so tall and have long necks? I'd love to hear your thoughts if you do not already know! These West African giraffes are browsing outside of Doulouwal Peulh, Niger, a village about 50 miles outside of the capital of Niamey. The giraffe population in the region almost went extinct. They were down to 49 animals but found their way in the late 1980's to Niger, from neighboring Mali, driven by drought and war. Amadou Hama, a Fulani herder had never seen giraffes or even know what they were when they first showed up. He said, "I thought they came from the devil, because of that neck and those horns. People had told me about dangerous animals like lions, but nobody had ever told me about giraffes. I was frightened. Even the cows were frightened.” Today, there are over 600 giraffes because people and the government are working to protect them in the country's government-defined Giraffe Zone. Learn more, including how to support protecting giraffes, by following @giraffe_conservation @nikonusa #protectgiraffes #giraffe #savegiraffes #niger #africa #nikonnofilter #nikonusa https://www.instagram.com/p/CftnKdrOeZ1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Photo @amivitale. Nineteen of the most endangered giraffe subspecies, the Rothschild's giraffe, were moved on an epic journey across the Nile river in August 2017 inside Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park. These vulnerable giraffes were under growing threat from oil drilling and poaching and taken from the northern section of the park to its more remote southern sector. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (@ugwildlife) first darted and then moved the giraffe by trailer with support from Namibia-based @giraffeconservationfoundation and local partners Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) and @makerere University, international zoo partners and funded by the Metzler Foundation. The goal of Operation Twiga's artificial migration is to create a giraffe insurance policy by taking advantage of one fact: Giraffes don't swim. Once south of the river, it provides an extra level of security for them. Between 1985 and 2015, the African herbivore's numbers have plummeted nearly 40 percent in what some scientists have termed a silent extinction. Habitat loss and fragmentation, coupled with poaching, have mostly driven the decline. Learn more, including how to help, by following @giraffeconservationfoundation @murchisonfalls @nikonusa #protectgiraffes #giraffe #savegiraffes #uganda https://www.instagram.com/p/CfW4iBqusSR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Photo by @amivitale. A group of endangered Rothschild’s giraffes were marooned on Longicharo Island, a rocky lava pinnacle in the middle of Kenya’s Lake Baringo. The rising lake levels, caused by persistent above-average rainfall, trapped the giraffes on an ever-shrinking island. In a dramatic rescue, they were transported by @savegiraffesnow and @kenyawildlifeservice on a raft across the lake to Ruko Community Conservancy. Scientists believe the heavy rainfalls are a direct result of climate change. As Lake Baringo and Kenya’s other Rift Valley lakes continue to rise, thousands of villagers are forced to flee their homes. This photo is featured in a new book, entitled The Evidence Project, an unmatched collection of powerful images by leading photographers from many countries across the globe, including works by @sebastiaosalgadooficial @brianskerry @stevewinterphoto @chamiltonjames @javier_aznar_photography @brentstirton @lucalocatelliphoto @joannemcarthurphotography and more. With their images, the Project's creators and editors are aiming to produce a book to provide the evidence to call upon governments, lawmakers, businesses, opinion leaders and consumers to implement the urgent and necessary changes to ensure a safe and sustainable future for all humans and animals. Available in Spanish and English. Learn more and reserve your copy on Kickstarter at http://kck.st/3PnvRZp @nikonusa #protectgiraffes #giraffe #savegiraffes #niger #nikonambassador #nikonlove #nikonnofilter #nikonusa https://www.instagram.com/p/CfUbXxburJb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Photo by @amivitale. A West African giraffe tries to snuggle up to its mother in the "giraffe zone," a government-defined region where giraffes and humans coexist in Niger. Newborn giraffe measure approximately six feet tall and can stand within a half hour of hitting the ground at birth. (Their entry into the world can be more than a five-foot drop: mothers give birth standing.) Today there are about 600 West African giraffe in existence, so creating a satellite population of the highly endangered giraffe was undertaken by the Nigerien government, with help from a team from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (@giraffe_conservation) and Sahara Conservation Fund. Learn more, including how to get help, by following @giraffe_conservation. @nikonusa #SaharaConservationFund #protectgiraffes #giraffe #savegiraffes #niger #nikonambassador #nikonlove #nikonnofilter #nikonusa https://www.instagram.com/p/CfKUbLlPi-R/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Photo by @amivitale. A tower of reticulated giraffes seek shelter under trees in the shrubby landscape of the 850,000-acre Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, in northern Kenya. A distinguishing feature of the reticulated giraffe is its coat: brown-orange patches clearly defined by a network of thick and striking white lines. Giraffes, unfortunately, are in trouble. Giraffe populations have dropped have dropped 30 percent in three decades, plummeting from approximately 155,000 in the late 1980s to about 110,000 today. Reticulated giraffe number fewer than 16,000. The decline is thought to be caused by habitat loss and fragmentation and some poaching. Learn more, including how to help, by following @r.e.s.c.u.e and @sararafoundation @nikonusa #protectgiraffes #DontLetThemDisappear #giraffe #savegiraffes #kenya #nikonambassador #nikonlove #nikonnofilter #nikonusa https://www.instagram.com/p/CfIEM_NsI6f/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Photo by @amivitale. Rothschild's (Nubian) giraffes browse on Longicharo Island, a rocky lava pinnacle, in the middle of western Kenya's Lake Baringo. The rising lake levels inundated lush lands with water, turning the peninsula into an island and trapping the giraffes. In a dramatic rescue, all of the giraffes were transported across the lake, on a makeshift raft, also called the "giraft" to Ruko Community Conservancy. Today, fewer than 3,000 Rothschild's giraffes are left in Africa, with about 800 in Kenya. “The hope is that this is just the first step of reintroducing these giraffes back to their historical home across the Western Rift Valley, hopefully over the next 20-30 years,” explained David O'Connor, president of @savegiraffesnow. Please learn more and help save these entrancing creatures by supporting and following @savegiraffesnow @kenyawildlifeservice @nikonusa #RukoGiraffe #protectgiraffes #DontLetThemDisappear #giraffe #giraffes #SaveGiraffesNow #SaveGiraffe #stoppoaching #kenya #nikon #nikonlove #nikonambassador #nikonnofilter #worldgiraffeday https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce4i8WNsZ1g/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Photo by @amivitale. An orphaned baby reticulated giraffe embraces @sararacamp wildlife keeper Lekupania. This giraffe was rehabilitated and returned to the wild, as a number of others have done before him. Today, reticulated giraffes number fewer than 16,000 individuals and total giraffe populations across Africa have dropped 40 percent in three decades. Scientists are now undertaking major studies to better understand why giraffe are disappearing and what can be done to stop it. Follow @doconnor16 @giraffe_conservation @sdzsafaripark to learn more. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In these uncertain times, I hope we use this moment to reflect and reimagine a different way forward, where we focus on building a universal trust and we reforge vital connections in our community and with the earth. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ @natgeo @conservationorg @kenyawildlifeservice @thephotosociety @natgeo @r.e.s.c.u.e @photography.for.good #protectgiraffes #DontLetThemDisappear #giraffe #giraffes #savegiraffes #stoppoaching #kenya #northernkenya #africa #everydayafrica #photojournalism #nikon #nikonlove #nikonambassador #nikonnofilter #natureisspeaking #conservation #amivitale (at Sarara Camp) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_NbD5-BxrM/?igshid=6954zzlvj24d

Photo by @amivitale. Pasaka, a younger Rothschild’s (Nubian) giraffe, was the second of the giraffes to be rescued from Longicharo Island, in western Kenya's Lake Baringo, on a makeshift raft. Longicharo Island used to be a peninsula, but rising water levels in Lake Baringo turned it into an island. The local community worked with conservationists from the @savegiraffesnow @kenyawildlifeservice and @nrt_kenya to build the barge and transport him and the other marooned animals to a sanctuary on the shores of the lake. The giraffes had to be tranquilized, which is a dangerous procedure; with their anatomy, they're at risk of choking on their own saliva, and changes in blood pressure can cause brain damage. A vet was on hand to immediately counteract the drug; the animals were then hooded and led onto the barge with guide ropes. Learn more, including how to help by following @savegiraffesnow. And listen to the latest podcast from @afarmedia's "Travel Tales by AFAR" - "Inside a Daring Giraffe Rescue in Kenya" to hear more about the ambitious undertaking. (Link in profile). @thephotosociety @nikonusa #RukoGiraffe #protectgiraffes #DontLetThemDisappear #giraffe #giraffes #SaveGiraffesNow #SaveGiraffe #stoppoaching #kenya #northernkenya #africa #everydayafrica #photojournalism #nikon #nikonlove #nikonambassador #nikonnofilter #natureisspeaking #conservation #amivitale #empathyiseverything (at Lake Baringo Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQSKRurh_uI/?utm_medium=tumblr

Photo by @amivitale. Rothschild's (Nubian) giraffes browse on Longicharo Island, a rocky lava pinnacle, in the middle of western Kenya's Lake Baringo. The rising lake levels inundated lush lands with water, turning the peninsula into an island and trapping the giraffes. In a dramatic rescue, all of the giraffes were transported across the lake, on a makeshift raft, also called the "giraft" to Ruko Community Conservancy. Today, fewer than 3,000 Rothschild's giraffes are left in Africa, with about 800 in Kenya. “The hope is that this is just the first step of reintroducing these giraffes back to their historical home across the Western Rift Valley, hopefully over the next 20-30 years,” explained David O'Connor, president of @savegiraffesnow who helped orchestrate this inspiring move with The Northern Rangelands Trust (@nrt_kenya) and @kenyawildlifeservice. Please learn more and help save these entrancing creatures by supporting and following @savegiraffesnow @nrt_kenya @kenyawildlifeservice @thephotosociety #RukoGiraffe #protectgiraffes #DontLetThemDisappear #giraffe #giraffes #SaveGiraffesNow #SaveGiraffe #stoppoaching #kenya #northernkenya #africa #everydayafrica #photojournalism #nikon #nikonlove #nikonambassador #nikonnofilter #natureisspeaking #conservation #amivitale #empathyiseverything #worldgiraffeday (at Lake Baringo Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQPF09Kh0iT/?utm_medium=tumblr

Video by @amivitale. An orphaned baby giraffe grazes at @sararacamp in northern Kenya where it is being rehabilitated so that it can return to the wild. You can win a trip here and support @sararacamp's community-based efforts to protect wildlife. The trip will be scheduled once it's safe to travel. Enter now by clicking on the link in my profile. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Today, reticulated giraffes number fewer than 16,000 individuals and total giraffe populations across Africa have dropped 40 percent in three decades. Scientists, like @doconnor16 with organizations like @savegiraffesnow @giraffe_conservation and @wildlife_conservancy are now undertaking major studies to better understand why giraffe are disappearing and what can be done to stop it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ @sararacamp @sararafoundation @natgeo @conservationorg @kenyawildlifeservice @thephotosociety @photography.for.good #protectgiraffes #DontLetThemDisappear #giraffe #giraffes #savegiraffes #stoppoaching #kenya #northernkenya #africa #everydayafrica #photojournalism #nikon #nikonlove #nikonambassador #nikonnofilter #natureisspeaking #conservation #amivitale (at Sarara Camp) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEcneMUB2-0/?igshid=qip8ma7jclr1