Podcasts about northwestern hawaiian islands

fWotD Episode 2678: Laysan honeycreeper Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Tuesday, 3 September 2024 is Laysan honeycreeper.The Laysan honeycreeper (Himatione fraithii), also known as the Laysan ʻapapane or Laysan honeyeater, is an extinct species of finch that was endemic to the island of Laysan in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The bird was first recorded in 1828 and in 1892 received its scientific name from Walter Rothschild, who placed it in the genus Himatione along with the ʻapapane. The specific name, fraithii, refers to George D. Freeth, the self-appointed governor of Laysan, but was misspelled. Rothschild attempted to emend it to freethi in a later publication. This was accepted by most subsequent authors throughout the 20th century, and the bird was also considered a subspecies of the ʻapapane, as H. sanguinea freethii, for most of this time. By the 21st century, after further research, the original name was reinstated and it was considered a full species again. As a Hawaiian honeycreeper, a grouping within the finch subfamily Carduelinae, its ancestors are thought to have come from Asia.The Laysan honeycreeper was 13–15 cm (5–6 in) long and its wing measured 64–69 mm (2.5–2.7 in). It was bright scarlet vermilion with a faint tint of golden orange on the head, breast and upper abdomen; the rest of its upper parts were orange scarlet. The lower abdomen was dusky gray that faded into brownish white, and the undertail covert feathers were grayish. The wings, tail, bill, and legs were dark brown, and the iris was black with a brown outline. Immature birds were brown with paler lower parts, and had green edges to their wing-covert feathers. The bill was slender and downturned. The sexes were alike, though the bill, wings, and tail were slightly shorter in the female. The ʻapapane differs from the Laysan honeycreeper in features such as being blood-red overall and having a longer bill. The song of the Laysan honeycreeper was described as low and sweet, consisting of several notes. Laysan is a remote coral island with an area of 3.6 km2 (1.4 sq mi). The honeycreeper lived throughout, but was most abundant in the interior among tall grass and low bushes near the open plain that bordered the island's lagoon.This bird was very active and, though less trusting than other birds, sometimes entered buildings to hunt moths and for roosting at night. It was nectarivorous and insectivorous and, unlike the ʻapapane, also foraged on the ground. It gathered nectar and insects from flowers, such as caterpillars and moths called millers, only eating the soft parts of the latter. The nest was made of fine grass and rootlets with some dry grass. The breeding season was probably between January and June, and the clutch size was four or five eggs. The eggs were glossless white, with blotches and spots at the larger end. A typical egg measured 18 by 13.7 mm (0.71 by 0.54 in). The bird did not seem to be abundant when discovered and was considered the rarest of the island's birds. In 1903, domestic rabbits were introduced to the island and proceeded to destroy its vegetation. By the visit of the Tanager Expedition in 1923, Laysan had become barren and desert-like, and only three Laysan honeycreepers were found, one of which was filmed. A few days later, on April 23, a sandstorm hit the island, and the last birds perished due to lack of cover. The destruction of Laysan's vegetation led to the extinction of three out of five of its endemic land birds.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:30 UTC on Tuesday, 3 September 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Laysan honeycreeper on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Joanna.

Charlie Thomas is an artist and environmentalist based on Waiheke Island, New Zealand. With a strong connection to the ocean and all its inhabitants, Charlie shares how his passion is creating a life of stewardship, leadership, and traveling.Charlie spent his summer holidays on Great Barrier Island and has worked full-time in wildlife conservation since leaving high school when he was only 16. He has visited, or lived on, some of the most remote (and important) islands in the world, including the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and New Zealand subantarctic islands. ​During 2020, Charlie spent nine months on Kure, one of the most isolated atolls in the world, in an effort to restore the island by helping its seabirds and marine wildlife, eradicate invasive weed species, and clear marine debris. And he shares his recent expedition with the  Antarctic Heritage Trust's Inspiring Explorers Expeditions™ in South Georgia as part of the Trust's visual arts outreach team where he uses watercolor to illustrate South Georgia's incredible wildlife and landscapes.Charlie works in education and teaches young people about the importance of being guardians for our native species and spaces. His passion for nature, particularly birds, has led him to create art in all forms highlighting how we can help take better care of the planet. Visit  www.charliesbirds.com to learn more about Charlie and how he connects people of all ages and backgrounds to the natural wonders in their own backyards and in places they've never heard of before. A very special episode on Speaking of Travel! Tune in! Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Maui housing. Governor Josh Green signed another Emergency Proclamation Relating to the Wildfires. How this one aims to help survivors find a home. The Maui County Finance Department failed to collect millions of dollars in taxes. What a recent audit of the department uncovered. NOAA wants to designate parts of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as a protected sanctuary. How you can share your feedback. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sea birds face all kinds of threats these days: a warmer climate, decreasing food supplies, attacks by invasive species, and others. One of the most basic is rising sea level, which threatens to cover some of their nesting grounds. To help species survive, conservationists are relocating sea bird chicks to higher ground.An example is the Tristram's storm petrel. It breeds in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. But it was wiped out on the island of Midway by rats, and it's threatened by plastic pollution on other islands in the chain.And on the island of Tern, it's threatened by the rising waters. Tern covers just 26 acres. And much of that was built up by the Navy during World War II for use as an airstrip. The runway is rarely used today, but it's still there. Even so, there's plenty of room for petrels and other species of birds, sea turtles, and seals.But the island extends only six feet above sea level. And with the ocean rising, petrel nesting grounds could be flooded out in the years ahead. So a conservation group recently moved about 40 chicks to new digs on the island of Oahu, 500 miles away.The group had already moved some chicks to another island a few years ago. And it's done the same thing with other species, including albatross and another species of petrel. Most of the chicks have survived and returned to their new homes to breed.So relocating a few chicks today could help Tristram's storm petrel survive for decades to come.

Tane Casserley is our guest today on the Outdoor Adventure Series. Tane is a Research, Resource Protection, and Permitting Coordinator at the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and Mallows Bay - Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary. He is responsible for developing programs to address commercial and recreational uses in and around the sanctuaries.Tane has led NOAA archaeological expeditions in the Florida Keys, the Great Lakes, California, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Alaska, and USS Monitor. He's participated in projects including a sunken Boeing B-29 Superfortress in Lake Mead, a Civil War blockade runner in Bermuda, USS Arizona, and was most recently part of an expedition to RMS Titanic. Tane's projects have used technical diving, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and manned submersibles.Topics We Discussed The 2022 telepresence expedition to USS Monitor and helping to create VR video experiences at both Monitor and Mallows Bay.Reaching new and diverse audiences? Using shipwrecks like the Monitor or the Ghost Fleet wrecks at Mallows Bay as a gateway to discuss larger topics like marine habitat and climate change.Aha MomentSeeing that both an 80-year-old and an 8-year-old's eyes light up when you share an interesting piece of information about the sanctuary.Insight2goA quote from the documentary, Descendant, a documentary on the slave ship Clotilda, "I don't want the momentum of the story just to be focused on the ship; it's not all about that ship."Media & Resourceshttps://3d-shipwreck-data-viewer-noaa.hub.arcgis.com/https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article261885685.htmlhttps://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article261885685.htmlNext Steps To learn more about the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and Mallows Bay - Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary, visit their websites at https://monitor.noaa.gov/  and https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/mallows-potomac/Click here to learn more and plan your visit to, The Mariners' Museum and Park.Click here to learn more and plan your visits to the North Carolina Aquariums, including Roanoke Island, and the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum - HatterasClick here to learn more about the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.The Outdoor Adventure Series is a Podcast Production of Fox Coaching, Inc. 

#026 – What are the ancient teachings of primordial plants, and what messages of healing are they offering to us now? Join us for a very special Plant Spirit Podcast conversation with Culturalist and Alchemist Ke'oni Hanalei, who honors the ancient plant medicine lineage of his Maui grandmother (tūtū), Kau'ikeonalani, in his work and connection with plants. In this episode, Ke'oni offers profound insight into the ancient, timely wisdom of Pohala (to recover consciousness), and how plants can support this process. Recognizing that the vast majority of what he knows regarding plant medicine comes from his direct lineage where plants are gathered and honored in ceremony and in connection with the moon phases, Ke'oni shares about the protocols of plant medicine collaboration. He also shares about his experience and direct knowledge of Pua'aehuehu, which is Fern Medicine, or emotional intelligence. He offers messages and wisdom on the healing gifts of Ferns, including what they can tell us about coming into balance and homeostasis on the planet at this time. Ke'oni Hanalei is a descendant of the Mū people, the inhabitants of Papahānaumokuakea (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands) before the migration of the Polynesians, through the lines of Kā'ō'u'ikalanikaleimaumau, Ololu on his maternal grandmothers line, and Mahat on his maternal grandfathers line. Ke'oni comes from a long line of healers, mystics, fisherman, navigators, and farmers embedded in ‘ike, or knowledge, and he is the founder of PōHALA Hawaiian Botanicals, based in Maui and Kaua'i in the Hawaiian islands. A vast majority of what Ke'oni knows regarding plant medicine and distillation comes from this direct lineage. His grandmother and female elders taught him the trade of plant extraction. Most of the methods he resources in medicine making remains loyal to these practices. Medicinals, including the oils, tinctures, hydrosols, and essences and essentials, are gathered and honored in ceremony and thus extracted in small batches over a period of time loyal to distinct moon phases which place a botanicals specific house of power. This is the old way and ensures a plant transfers its life-force (mana) into product form. Pua'aehuehu, Fern Medicine, or emotional intelligence, is one aspect of this ‘ike, and dominates what he expresses today. This is the legacy of his lineage. Fern Medicine is the awareness of the movement of emotions, and the release from control fixation. Ke'oni is also versed in ancient primal, meditative, and movement practices, such as ‘Ulu, which incite cellular memory, DNA activation, and the comprehension of familial and lineal wisdom through the reading of the nervous system and DNA. To connect with Ke'oni, please visit www.pohala.net and IG @pohala_hawaiian_botanicals For more info, please visit Sara's website: www.multidimensionalnature.com and IG @multidimensional.nature 

Listen To This Episode If…You are a spiritual entrepreneur who provides services to clients rooted in indigenous or traditional ancestral knowledge and are unsure how to present this information in a way that is ethical but relatable to a contemporary audience. SHOWNOTES: As I deepen my relationship to Daoist spirituality and philosophy, I am learning that there is more that connects us than divides us. When we anchor into traditional practices, regardless of where it comes from, the thread that roots the work is our connection to nature. I had the honor of interviewing Ke'oni Hanalei who is a descendant of the Mū people, the inhabitants of Papahānaumokuakea (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands) before the migration of the Polynesians, through the lines of Kā'ō'u'ikalanikaleimaumau, Ololu on his maternal grandmothers line, and Mahat on his maternal grandfathers line. What I found fascinating about our conversation is that despite the fact that our spiritual lineages were separated in time and space, there was so much overlap that we were able to find a common language to speak about the energetics of boundaries, presence and trauma activation through the unique lens of our traditions. Come join us as we discus how practitioners inspired by traditional medicinal lineages can share ancient ways of knowing in a way that honors the sacred core principles of its teachings.What You'll Learn in this Episode:Holding healthy boundaries around traditional medicine and ways of knowingHow boundaries can be seen an invitation rather than rejectionThe importance of staying present in the body to spiritual practice How sacred trauma can act as an activator for re-alignment with your DaoHow balanced yin and yang can facilitate the ability to discern and then take practical actionResources:Episode 2 of Ke'oni's podcastKe'oni's online store for tinctures, mists and oils:Your Speakers:Kat Lee  is an Intimacy + Relationship Coach, host of The Empowered Curiosity Podcast and Creator of The Heart Lab. She guides pattern-breakers to alchemize their emotions and embody their healing journey to cultivate intimacy as a spiritual practice. Kat Lee's Website // InstagramKe'oni  is a descendant of the Mū people, the inhabitants of Papahānaumokuakea (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands) before the migration of the Polynesians. His maternal grandmother, Kau'ikeonalani, was a well known healer on the island of Maui. Ke'oni was fortunate to become hanaid (adopted) by Kau'ikeonalani upon birth and spent the first 5 years of his life immersed in ancient practice and mysticism. He is just one of only a handful of practitioners who have access and are willing to share this ancient archaic knowledge, or “pre- flood ‘ike.” Pua'aehuehu, Fern Medicine, or emotional intelligence, is one aspect of this ‘ike, and dominates what he expresses today. Ke'oni's Website// InstagramThis podcast is made possible with sound production by Andre Lagace.Original music by Mayan Kites

In April of 1822, the ships Pearl and Hermes were hunting whales far from the main islands of Hawaii when they found something bigger. They ran aground on an atoll -- a ring of coral reefs atop a dead undersea volcano. The sailors made it to one of the atoll's tiny islands, where they lived for months before rescue. And today, the atoll is named for their ships.Pearl and Hermes is near the northwestern tip of the Hawaiian Island chain, about 1300 miles from Honolulu. It's part of the oldest section of the chain, which formed more than 20 million years ago.The atoll covers about 450 square miles. The islands -- roughly a half-dozen of them -- cover just 80 acres. There are no trees on any of them -- just grasses and a few other scrubby plants. But the islands are nesting grounds for many birds, including several rare species, as well as monk seals and sea turtles.And the waters of the atoll teem with life -- fish, shellfish, and many others. In fact, Pearl and Hermes has a higher concentration of marine life than any other part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.Today, the atoll is part of America's biggest national monument. That protects its isolated life from human contact -- but not human problems. Plastic and other debris collects in the reefs. A few years ago, conservationists cleared out about 90 tons of junk.Archaeologists have found several shipwrecks on the reef -- including those of Pearl and Hermes -- whaling ships that caught a big one.

Welcome back to Hidden Compass: The Podcast, where we venture to the frontiers of courage and curiosity and ask the question of season two's theme: “What Have I Done?”On today's episode, co-hosts Sabine K. Bergmann and Sivani Babu sit with author Keith Skinner to discuss reading poetry written in battle, finding humanity in a blood-thirsty conqueror, and facing the impermanence of it all. But first, journey with us, as Keith takes us to the Orkney archipelago off the northeastern coast of Scotland and delves into the life and legacy of a brutal Viking earl.Story“The Raven-Feeder's Island” first appeared in the spring 2018 issue of Hidden Compass: The Magazine as a feature in our Chasing Demons department. See the full story and photos here: https://hiddencompass.net/story/the-raven-feeders-island/.Storyteller Keith Skinner is a writer of fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, and travel narratives who constantly probes for the hidden or forgotten stories of the places he visits and the people he meets. Read more of Keith's stories at his website, https://keith-skinner.com/. Check out his Hidden Compass profile at https://hiddencompass.net/journalist/keith-skinner. And, you can learn more about Orkney (and vikings) at http://www.orkneyjar.com/ and the Orkney storytelling festival at https://orkneystorytellingfestival.co.uk/main/.Hidden CompassHidden Compass is an award-winning, women-led media company that's forging an Alliance to turn storytellers and explorers into heroes and champion a new age of discovery.To learn more about us and support storytellers like Keith, visit https://hiddencompass.net and contribute to our fundraising campaigns. We split campaign proceeds 50/50 with the writer of each story, and storytellers receive their cut on top of their article pay.To support Hidden Compass, recommend us to someone who's looking to stand up for journalism, science, history, and hope. You can also buy tickets to our virtual events at https://hiddencompass.net/events, and learn more about becoming an Ally at https://hiddencompass.net/alliance. Sign up for our newsletter at https://bit.ly/2Yc2HH1. See you next week, when we'll go to Laysan, an atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and speak with Russell Bradley about the wandering gooney birds to which he once sang “You Should Be Dancing.”

Join Rising Sea Voices' host Felicia Olmeta-Schult and Oregon State University and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife postdoc fellow Cori Kane as they discuss underwater research, interdisciplinary work, and career pathways and opportunities in marine ecology. This podcast episode will make you travel to the kelp forests of the U.S. West Coast; coral reefs in Moorea, French Polynesia; the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands; and marine protected areas in Hawaii and Oregon. Cori shares her personal challenges, enriching encounters, and love of fishes. Go outside of your comfort zone and be curious! Cori also suggests you visit the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Reserves' website at https://oregonmarinereserves.com/ to learn more about their work

Special thanks to the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for today's field recordings. Mōlī, or Laysan albatrosses, breed in large numbers across the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, with nearly a million birds counted on Midway island alone.

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is one of the most remote places on Earth. Now, it’s threatened by climate change, pollution and politics.

Download PDF Welcome to Larisa English Club #21 What’s in The News? Unusual Coral Reefs Discovered in The Pacific Ocean. Speaking Practice. At the Bank. English Grammar. Prepositions of Time: after/later/on/in/at What’s in The News? Unusual Coral Reefs Discovered in The Pacific Ocean. Scientists had long believed that the waters of the Central and Northeast Pacific Ocean were inhospitable to certain species of deep-sea corals, but a marine biologist’s discovery of an odd chain of reefs suggests there are mysteries about the development and durability of coral colonies yet to be uncovered. Scientist Amy Taylor of Florida State University (FSU), in collaboration with researchers from Texas A&M University, found the reefs during an autonomous underwater vehicle survey of the sea-mountains of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. “I’ve been exploring the deep sea around the Hawaiian Islands since 1998, and have seen enough to know that the presence of the reefs at these depths was definitely unexpected,” Amy Taylor said. Some ocean areas, such as the North Atlantic and South Pacific, are particularly fertile habitats for deep-sea reefs, but a combination of factors led scientists to believe that finding these coral colonies was exceedingly unlikely in the deep waters of the North Pacific. The researchers suggest potential reasons for the improbable success of these hardy reefs. Among them, higher concentrations of chlorophyll in the areas of reef growth suggest that an abundance of food may provide the excess energy needed for calcification. English Grammar. Prepositions of Time: after/later/on/in/at While there are reasons why we do what we do in English, often there is no reason at all. Common phrases or expressions are created by people. Most from the past. Phrases or time expressions are often referred to as “Colloquial Speech or Collocations”. Is there “always” a reason for what we say in English? Short answer: NO! The main idea is to learn time expressions by heart. Study, Practice and Speak English with common phrases to speak and understand others. Here are brief explanations and examples. Have fun! Use after + phrase, and use later alone (at the end of a sentence or phrase). I’ll call you later. I’ll call you after I get home from work. First he bought a new car. Two weeks later, he bought a new motorcycle. He bought a new motorcycle two weeks after he bought a car. You can say “later + time period” to refer to an unspecified time in the future, for example: I’ll finish the project later this week. We’ll go on vacation later this year. Read more here https://larisaenglishclub.com/pdf-resources/larisa-english-club-21-pdf-version/

This week we are going to explore the Havana Rabbit breed. If you would like to support the podcast, you can support through Patreon for one dollar a month. Patreon is an established online platform that allows fans to provide regular financial support to creators. Thank you for listening. If you would like to support the podcast, and keep the lights on, you can support us whenever you use Amazon through the link: It will not cost you anything extra, and I can not see who purchased what. When I hear the name Havana rabbit I picture a rabbit that came from Cuba, but as we have discovered several times the breed is named for a place that it does not originate from. The Havana rabbit originates in Holland, not the Caribbean as you might expect. They get their name from the fact that the chocolate variety closely resembles the color of the deep brown Havana cigars, not because the breed hails from Cuba. When you think Havanas, think cigars, not Cuba. The rich dark brown coloration of the original Havanas was reminiscent of Havana cigars to the early breeders, hence the name was applied to the newly developed breed.  The Havana Rabbit had its beginnings in a small Dutch village near Utrecht, Holland (not Cuba), in 1898, by total accident. History Havana Journey: A rabbit farmer named Mr. Honders tossed a newly acquired common farm rabbit into the stable with his other communal rabbits. The black and white doe was bred by who knows which of the bucks in the farmer’s warren, and soon gave birth to a litter of brown and white rabbits with modified Dutch markings. The Havana’s journey began with breeders’ vision, work, and dedication since it first arrived on the rabbit scene in 1898. The rabbit breed known as ‘The Mink of the Rabbit Family’ includes an evolution defining its type today into the lovely compact breed known for its intense color and luxurious fur. I thought this would be an appropriate time to trace the Havana evolution to its breed standard today. Because of their unusual chocolate color, the farmer retained these offspring for further breeding. Being chocolate, their eyes had the typical ruby glow in them when viewed in bright light. It was anything but usual to Mr. Honders. He named these new rabbits “Fire-Eyes of Ingen” (Ingensche Vuuroog). The rabbits were a dark reddish brown, and weighed around 7.5 pounds. For a brief historical overview, the Chocolate variety of the Havana was the first, and appeared in a litter of a Dutch marked doe in Ingen, Holland in 1898. These new rabbits were first given the name of Ingensche Veuoraoz, “Fire-eye from Ingen,” because of the unusual ruby glow to the eyes when viewed in good light. The breed soon became known as “Havana” after the rich chocolate color of Havana cigars. Havanas were soon being bred in France, Switzerland, and Germany and Chocolate Havana of widely different types were displayed at various shows in Europe. In the first decade of 1900, the new chocolate rabbits quickly made their way through Europe via Switzerland and Germany. They varied wildly in type, size, and quality. Little by little, Havanas began to look like Havanas, as breeders used out-crosses to correct faults and enhance fur quality. They showed up in the UK in 1908. England’s National Havana Club formed in 1920. The breed also made its way to the USA in 1916. The Havana breed made its way to the United States and was accepted into the ARBA in 1916 as the ‘Standard Havana’. Havana quickly became popular due to their eye appeal and their mink-like fur quality and texture, which placed Havana pelts in great demand. The Havana Rabbit Breeders Association was established in 1925. The Havana Club in the US was formed in 1920. At the time, the rabbit was still 7+ pounds, and reportedly difficult to breed. Over the next 30 years, Havanas took two shapes - large and small. The heavyweight variety never caught on, but the medium-sized Havana we know today was well-received. Lee Own Stamm originated the Blues in 1965 and the Blacks in 1980. The Havana of today evolved from a much different type. Havana breed is based on intense color and mink-like fur, and the emphasis of those features becoming more intense over the years. The compact body type, however, has evolved over the decades to the standard we depict today. 1914 In the 1914 ‘Rabbit Culture and Standard,’ The Complete and Official Standard of all the Rabbits (1), “Havanas were one of the latest varieties listed… The correct color listing was described as dark brown to dark chestnut brown and blood red brown changing with the varying light.” The development of two distinctly different sizes of Havana were being exhibited, with one a smaller, neat, short-coated variety and “… larger ones often exhibit a dewlap and are somewhat coarse and awkward looking.” The 1914 standard reflects the importance of color with 30 points and type with 30 points; however fur was only allotted 10 points and was to be short, fine and silky. 1920’s In the 1926-27 and 1928-29 editions of The American Rabbit and Cavy Breeders Association Guidebook and Standard, the Havanas were listed as “one of the most beautiful fur breeds and a very useful rabbit for their skins require no dying but can be used in the natural state as the rich chocolate color is very attractive...” Havana Rabbit Club Standard continues to emphasis color with 30 points, and the coat was to be short, fine and silky and cut severely for white hairs. Type was still being determined as the breed tried to meet the demand for beautiful pelts. Senior weights were 4 ½ to 7 pounds exhibiting quite a range. 1930’s The 1930’s appeared to be a period when the Havana was being defined as to type. The Standard Havana description began to change to make room for a new variety. There were now 2 varieties, chocolate in color, known as the Standard and the Heavyweights. The Heavyweights were later called the American Havana, with an ideal weight of 9 pounds. The emphasis was for a larger fur pelt which was in high demand at the time; however they lost much of the body type and quality of fur and the Heavyweights were dropped from the standard by the 1940’s. Meanwhile, in 1930, Mr. Walter Huey discovered a new mutation of Havana with an entirely new coat mutation. Initially, these ‘Havanas’ were known as Satin Havana and shown in competition against the Standard Havana; however there was a storm of protest. From this protest came the acknowledgment that the coats were an entirely new coat mutation and we had the start of the Satin breed with the White Satin. Satin Havana Mutation In 1934, the Satin mutation occurred in Indiana. For a short time, they were recognized as a variety of Havanas, however they were unfair competition since the satin shine was so striking. By 1946, breeders of satinized rabbits organized a national club for a dedicated Satin Rabbit breed. 1940’s - 1980’s The Standard Havana continues to be recognized for its coat which is often called near mink. The most recent variety is broken, achieving acceptance in 2008 thanks to the efforts of Brad and Katie Boyce. Brad and Katie Boyce presented the Broken, which was accepted in 2008. Julie Spier presented the Lilac, which was accepted in 2016, providing the breed with the five varieties accepted in the standard and shown today. The flatter body type of the time is reflected in the standard description: “The body shall be cobby type, rather flat and compact, with full, meaty shoulders, tapering slightly to broader and higher haunches. Avoid snaky and too-rounded type, high, rounded hips, or hips cut in under. The head should have a short neck, having full appearance of head being joined directly to shoulders.” The emphasis is on the bold eye reflecting the origin of the breed and on meaty shoulders and broader hindquarters. The breed is ancestral to several others, including the Fee de Marbourg, Perlefee and Gris Perle de Hal. TODAY The Havana of today embraces the compact body type in its definition. General type of the competitive Havana is rather short and compact, tapering slightly from hindquarters to shoulders. Top body line should be a continuous curve from the ear base with a high point over the center of the hips and falling in a smooth curve to the base of the tail. Judging continues to emphasize the breed’s best characteristics: color and fur with 45 points, and a compact type with lots of depth balancing width for 45 points. Eye appeal of an animal that is full, smooth, and well rounded, displaying intense color with lots of luster and mink-like texture of fur is the standard to strive for. Body Havanas are small-medium sized rabbits with short, deep bodies and deep, rich color. Their lustrous fur gives them the nickname “the mink of the rabbit family.” Although they don’t often catch the fancy of pet owners, their beautiful type is a joy to the practiced eye of judges and breeders. The Havana rabbit is a compact breed that should not exceed 6.5 lbs. They have short, rounded bodies. The top line should form a half-circle that rises over the hips before or down to the tail. They have short, straight legs with dark-colored toenails, short ears which are relatively close together, medium-sized eyes and a short head with full cheeks. Approximate Size: 4 1/2 to 6 1/2 pounds Havanas are recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association in four color types: chocolate, blue, black, lilac, broken and which is best described as a mix of colors that looks like a Dalmatian. Their average weight is between 4.5 pounds (2.0 kg) and 6.5 pounds (2.9 kg). Coat This breed of rabbit has short, soft, fly-back fur that does not much need maintenance to keep in tip-top condition. To keep their shedding to a minimum, indoor rabbits can be groomed once a week with a slick brush and when shedding time comes around (around Spring), increasing their brushing to twice a week. In any show breed, there’s the ideal type – that wonderful, deep, smooth, sleek body – and then there’s what representatives of the breed really look like. No matter what the standard says, how close does that breed come to meeting it, on average? In some breeds, the real and the ideal are rather a long ways from each other. But there are a few breeds that have been developed to the point where the average show breed is a fine representation of the standard, and the best ones are nearly perfect. One of those breeds is the Havana. It’s no wonder that Havanas are often honored with the Best in Show award at local, state, and even national levels. There’s nothing particularly flashy about this breed, such as might grab a pet owner’s attention, but to the trained eye of a judge, a top notch Havana is simply breathtaking. The body type is incredibly short and deep, approaching a “half basketball” shape when viewed from the side. When viewed from the top, the hindquarters evenly taper to the shoulders. Ideally there should be no flat or narrow spots in the body type, no squared hips, no pinched hindquarters. The head and ears are of medium length and balance with the body. Although type is important, the coat and color are to be given strong consideration as well. Havanas have fly-backs – fur that returns very quickly to its usual position when the rabbit is stroked from tail to head. Havanas do not have a Satin sheen, but their fur does carry an unusually high luster. There are currently four recognized colors: black, blue, chocolate, and broken. The solid colors are all of a dark, rich shade. Havanas have short, fly-back coats which need minimal grooming. A quick brushing once a week should be enough to keep your rabbit looking his best. You can also go over their coat with slightly damp hands to remove static. Havanas may need more frequent grooming when they are molting. Things to Avoid: A long, narrow, or flat body. Flatness over the shoulders. Narrowness over the loin. Hips that are pinched or undercut. Roughness over the spine or hips. Long head or long neck. Unmatched toenails are a disqualification. Color that looks faded, light, rusty, mealy, or has scattered white hairs. Care Requirements: Like any other breed of rabbit, Havana bunnies require a diet consisting of pellets. The rest of their diet is made up a healthy balance of hay, leafy greens, fruits and vegetables. Be aware of what kind of leafy greens you feed your rabbit, as some of them (like iceberg lettuce) contain no great amount of vitamins or nutrients and contain laudanum, which can be harmful in large quantities. Also be careful of what kind of vegetables you decide to feed your rabbit, as some of things are harmful, and some fruits contain too much sugar. Havana rabbits do well whether they are indoors or outdoors, provided they are given plenty of room in their enclosures to stretch their legs and catch some much-needed sunshine. Outdoor enclosures should be made of wood or wire and need to be raised off the ground in order to provide protection from wildlife. Indoor rabbit enclosures should be made of wire and have bedding that should be spot-cleaned every day for cleanliness and completely changed out at the end of every week. Health The Havana rabbit is not known to be susceptible to any particular health issues, but like any other rabbit, measures must be taken in order to raise a healthy, happy rabbit. Remember to check their mouths once every week or two for ingrown teeth, which can grow into their jaw and faces and cause a lot of pain. The best way to prevent overgrown teeth is to have a proper diet with hay, as the hay will naturally file down their teeth. Should you rabbit live outdoors, be aware that they will be more susceptible to fly-strike. Fly-strike is an extremely painful condition in which flies lay their eggs in a rabbit’s fur near dirty areas. When the eggs hatch, they begin sustaining themselves by way of eating your rabbit from the inside out. In order to avoid fly-strike, always check your rabbit for dirt or feces stuck on their coat. Always make sure your rabbit’s enclosure and coat is clean and that your rabbit’s eating habits remain constant. Should you decide to spay or neuter your rabbit, some owners notice that their rabbit tends to be less aggressive. However the Havana rabbit is not known to be hostile, so neutering them may do nothing to their personality. Does can be spayed once they are 4-6 months old while bucks can be neutered as young as 3 and a half months old. Temperament/behavior The Havana Rabbit is known for having a relaxed, friendly personality. However there are also examples that have been known to have a bit of an attitude so it’s well worth researching the lines you’re thinking of purchasing from to make sure that all of his relatives have been even tempered. As long as he’s been allowed to get used to humans and other pets from an early age your Havana rabbit should be calm and able to cope with human interaction without getting stressed. It’s vital that anyone who’s going to be charged with looking after the rabbit knows exactly how to handle it as they can struggle if they feel vulnerable or uncomfortable when picked up. Despite his small size, he will be very strong and can kick and scratch, potentially injuring himself or his handler. Most rabbits are active in the morning and the evening and he will be grateful for boxes, tubes and toys to play with. Rabbits are sweet creatures who easily bond with their human family so long as they are given time and space to properly socialize on their own terms. While not the most energetic rabbit breed by any means, these medium-sized rabbits are perfectly capable of running around indoors or out and letting out a little mid-air hop. Should you decide to engage in some one-on-one playtime, you may find that your particular rabbit enjoys some ear or head scratches and some gentle back petting. Because of its medium size, the Havana rabbit makes a great pet for families with children of any age. Because it isn’t too high energy, it makes an attractive pet for seniors looking for a fuzzy companion in their lives. Some rabbits need to be entertained with many toys (whether it is a store-bought one or something as simple as a toilet paper roll is entirely up to you), others don’t need much to keep them happy. It all depends on your particular rabbit’s personality. When it comes to potty-training your rabbit, you may find it is significantly more difficult than training another pet such as a cat or dog. While more challenging, it is definitely not impossible to litter-train rabbits but they do require much more patience and time than other animals. Many pet parents have found that placing several litter boxes around the house works best, as your rabbit won’t have to travel to the other side of your house to do the deed and risk not making it. If you would like more info on a House rabbit, you can check out the house rabbit episode. uses Rabbits tend to be bred for one of four things: meat, fur, show, or pet use. Havana rabbits are usually show rabbits, and are very popular as such. They come very close to their breed standard, often winning top honors at local and national shows. Often referred to as the ‘mink of the rabbit family’. Club The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) maintains the breed standard for all of the recognized rabbit and cavy breeds for it's international membership. Recognized breeds are eligible for Registration and Grand Champion recognition. The AMERICAN RABBIT BREEDERS ASSOCIATION, INC. is an organization dedicated to the promotion, development, and improvement of the domestic rabbit and cavy. In the USA, Havanas weigh 4.5 - 6.5 pounds. They have a compact body type, and are useful for show and pets. And additionally, their fur has a special glossiness, which makes it great should you also wish to utilize their pelts. One is not limited to Chocolate. Four additional varieties have been accepted in the US: Blue, Black, lilac and brokens. The British Rabbit Council (BRC) is a British showing organization for rabbit breeders. Today, the BRC among other things investigates rabbit diseases, maintains a catalog of rabbit breeds, and sets rules for about 1,000 rabbit shows annually in the UK. In the UK, Havanas are dark chocolate “with a purplish sheen.” The glossy normal fur is approximately 1 inch in length. Havanas should weigh 2.722 kg (6 pounds) with a half-pound latitude permitted either way. Have I Missed Anything about the Havana? If you know something about the breed standard, history or status of the Havana rabbit, please let me know. Do You Have a Story About The Havana? What do you love about them? Do you have any tips or tricks up your sleeve for what might make the Havana happiest? Perhaps you're a breeder of the Havana rabbit. Let me know, and maybe we can set up an interview? http://www.thenaturetrail.com/rabbit-breeds/havana-rabbit-breed-information/ http://rabbitbreeders.us/havana-rabbits https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana_(rabbit) http://www.raising-rabbits.com/havana-rabbit.html http://www.petguide.com/breeds/rabbit/havana-rabbit/ https://www.pets4homes.co.uk/breeds/rabbits/havana/ http://www.havanarb.net/breed-history.html Plant of the Week: Wheat Word of the Week: Brilliant Every week I would like to bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience, and I have researched enough to recommend. Today’s HOTR Amazon Item of the week is the This weeks item is a Headlamp:   This weeks item is a NiteCore Cree Headlamp. I use this NiteCore Cree Headlamp to check on my rabbits outside. This is Purpose-designed for hiking, climbing, camping and general outdoor recreation. It is All metal high-performance dual-beam headlamp Aluminum "unibody" construction is highly rugged and provides excellent cooling performance. It Utilizes a premium CREE XM-L2 (T6) LED Powered by a single 18650 lithium-ion battery for up to 565 lumens of output. High-efficiency circuit provides up to 400 hours of run-time. It produces an extremely wide beam. This is probably the best NiteCore Cree Headlamp I've found to-date. What I like about the NiteCore Cree Headlamp: It's bright - for most stuff, the 2 highest settings are way more than you'd want for anything that's within a few yards of you. It'll also blind anyone you're looking at. Easy to use control buttons. Built in red lamp which is useful for retaining your night vision. I think the red light level is just about right - you're really not going to see anything more than a few yards out with it, but it's meant to preserve your night vision. It would be nice if you could adjust the brightness, but that would just be a nice bonus. This has long battery life - I usually use this at the 2nd dimmest level as that's enough for most projects, and I get many many hours. I usually re-charge it once a month, and I use it several times a week or more. The only real issue is the strap isn't the greatest. I usually have to have it on a little tighter than I'd prefer for longer usage duration to keep it from falling off if I'm sideways or upside down. If you're not contorting yourself in crazy positions it probably won't be an issue. You can also put the NiteCore Cree Headlamp on over a hat. Rabbit Dance an Oneida legend retold by Desiree Barber http://www.uwosh.edu/coehs/cmagproject/ethnomath/legend/legend16.htm Long ago, two hunters went hunting deer for their village. They hunted for a very long time without seeing any signs of deer, but they didn't return to the village for they knew they had to provide food for the winter. Suddenly, they heard a very loud thump! They stopped and listened to see if there would be another thump, and sure enough, they heard it again! This time the thump was louder, "THUMP!" One hunter said to the other, "What is that?" The other hunter said, "I don't know, but IT sounds very close!" So, both hunters got on their bellies and crawled to a nearby clearing surrounded by bushes. In the center of the clearing they saw the biggest rabbit they had ever seen! The first hunter started to aim his bow and arrow at the huge rabbit, but the second hunter stopped him and said, "Let's wait to see what he is going to do." Both hunters waited and watched the huge rabbit as he lifted one of his big back legs and thumped it three times on the ground. Then, out from every direction hopped regular sized rabbits. The hunters watched very closely not wanting to miss anything. The little rabbits gathered around the big rabbit, and the big rabbit began to thump his back leg in a pattern as the little rabbits danced. The hunters watched in awe as the rabbits danced. Then the big rabbit thumped his leg in the directions in which the hunters lay. The huge rabbit looked in that direction and leaped into the sky. Then all the rabbits quickly hopped away. The hunters watched still in awe. They realized they had to go back to the village and tell the people what they had seen and heard. They ran all the way to the village and asked if they could speak to the elders. After they told their story, one of the elders said, "Show us how the beat and the dance went." The hunters showed them exactly what the rabbits did. Another elder said, "The rabbits gave this dance to tell us to show them respect and appreciation for what they give to us. We will name the dance after them, and we will dance it at our socials to show them our gratitude." So this is the way it was then and is now. That is how the rabbit dance came to be. News http://www.mauinews.com/opinion/columns/2017/06/rabbit-fever-could-be-deadly/ It is the law in Hawaii to keep rabbits contained and off the ground if they are outside. Environmental impacts not withstanding, rabbits also pose a threat to human health. Tularemia, aka “rabbit fever,” can be a serious disease for both humans and animals. Several years ago, a researcher working with sparrows at a rabbit farm on Maui fell ill. He was fev-erish and tired, then started getting sores on his skin. Doctors weren’t sure what it was and although he was never officially diagnosed, he responded to treatment for tularemia, a disease caused by a bacteria carried by rabbits, rodents and other animals. Officially, tularemia has never been documented in Hawaii. It’s difficult to culture the bacterium and handling it poses a significant infection risk to lab workers. “If not here, there is a real threat that tularemia could, at any time, be introduced into Hawaii. It affects so many animal species, and once here, mosquitoes and other blood-sucking arthropods could spread it, “says Fern Duvall, head of Maui’s Native Ecosystem Protection and Management program with the Department of Land and Natural Resources. On the Mainland, where tularemia is widely present, the disease is rare among people. They are exposed to the disease if they handle infected animals, or if bitten by ticks or another insect that fed on an infected animal. When bacteria come in contact with the skin, they cause ulcers that spread through the body, eventually reaching the lungs. If the bacteria are inhaled, the results can be deadly. Occasionally, there are serious localized outbreaks of the disease. The summers of 2000-01 saw 19 cases of tularemia on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., and one proved fatal. The Centers for Disease Control came to investigate. An unusually high number (14 out of 19) had pneumonia (the bacteria had entered the lungs) and many involved landscapers. What the CDC suspected was that lawnmowers or other cutting tools struck the carcasses of dead, infected rabbits and the bacteria went airborne. In 2015, there were outbreaks in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska. The CDC theorized these outbreaks may have been triggered by increases in rabbit populations, which grew in response to more vegetation, caused by higher than normal rainfall. Vegetation, rainfall and landscapers are plentiful in Hawaii; what we don’t have are populations of rabbits running wild — at least not yet. According to state law, people can keep rabbits but they must be contained. If kept outside, rabbits must be in a cage off the ground. The penalties for noncompliance may reflect the seriousness of the threat: loss of your pet, fines or even jail time. Duvall says the natural predators of rabbits in Hawaii — cats, rats or mongoose — are unlikely to keep populations of wild rabbits in check. Rabbits evolved with a multitude of predators: weasels, coyotes, bobcats, owls, hawks, snakes, foxes and raccoons. To survive high mortality rates, they breed like, well, rabbits. The female (doe) can become pregnant with her first litter at 3 months of age, and again just a month later, within days of giving birth. One pair of rabbits can produce 100 kits (baby rabbits) per season, and up to 1,000 in a lifetime. “We know they can become invasive,” explains Duvall. In 1989, six illegally released rabbits quickly became 100 at Hosmer Grove in Haleakala National Park. On Laysan, a small island in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, free-roaming rabbits ate the island bare in the early 1900s, likely causing the extinction of three bird species — Laysan millerbird, Laysan apapane and Laysan rail. Beyond environmental impacts, rabbits running wild increase the risk of tularemia. “Rabbits are more often in contact with people,” explains Duvall. Whether as pets kept outdoors or released to the wild, more rabbits means more rabbit-human interactions. Other pets can be affected: dogs, cats and livestock can get tularemia from ticks or direct contact with an infected animal. Early treatment with antibiotics is critical. You can help protect Hawaii. If you have a pet rabbit, spay or neuter it. If you raise rabbits, keep them contained. If you see a rabbit running wild, report it. Call the Maui Invasive Species Committee at 573-6472. Irish R&B Trio Hare Squead’s New Video Is Just The Thing For A Rainy Summer Day http://www.thefader.com/2017/06/09/hare-squead-video-pure-premiere Ireland's imaginative rap and R&B group Hare Squead presents a new video for their soulful track “Pure." Before this release, the Dublin trio appeared on Goldlink's recent At What Cost album, crooning on the song, "Herside Story". In their latest visual, the three artists find themselves on a mental journey, on what seems to be a long day of looking for escape. They play pool and carouse through the city in a G-Class Benz, singing “I just want to leave sometimes/ You should let me breathe sometimes.” “This song represents more of a serious side," Hare Squead told The FADER over email. "We recorded it in a haunted studio in a village in Ireland where Michael Jackson used to record. We were very inspired by old antiques and eerie fields and that had a play on the whole vibe of the track. The meaning of the track is something personal, each of us has a different interpretation. Overall, we could say the meaning of the song is about how fresh love and pure intentions get twisted and messed up as we struggle and fail to understand one another. It's not a summer song. Play it on that one day it rains in the summer.” http://vevo.ly/yPXDHn Peter Sallis, voice in 'Wallace and Gromit,' dies at 96 And with him, one of the great characters in animation. http://www.metro.us/entertainment/movies/peter-sallis-wallace-and-gromit-dies Peter Sallis is one of those actors you probably know more by his voice than his face. He was one of England’s many go-to workhorse actors, appearing on stage and on screen, but usually in minor roles. (These include tiny parts in “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning,” the Timothy Dalton “Wuthering Heights” from 1970 and 2005’s “Colour Me Kubrick.”) But his most famous turn was a biggie. He was the voice of Wallace, the absentminded, cheese-loving inventor of the beloved “Wallace and Gromit” stop-motion animation series — one of the great British exports of the ’80s through the early 2010s. It’s reported that Sallis has died. He was 96 years old. Sallis’ passing leaves us bereft of one of movies’ and television’s most soothing sounds. Hearing him say, in his Northern English drawl, “Cracking good cheese, Gromit,” caused a Pavlovian chill in fans of the franchise, which spanned four award-wining shorts, a television show (2010’s “Wallace and Gromit’s World of Invention,” Sallis’ last credit) and, sadly, only one (delightful) movie: 2005’s “Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit.” Apart from supporting characters — including Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter in “Were-Rabbit” — Sallis was often the only voice you heard on “Wallace and Gromit.” After all, Gromit was his dog, who, of course, never spoke. He didn’t need to; he had one of the most expressive faces in animation, even if it was often used for Buster Keaton-style deadpan, regular there to show his loving exasperation with his owner/flatmate. A rare kind-hearted mad scientist, he was always coming up with harebrained contraptions that got him and Gromit into trouble. In our favorite “W&G” product, the Oscar-winning short “The Wrong Trousers,” Wallace’s oversized, mechanical trousers are commandeered by a devious penguin (posing as a chicken, with a latex glove over his head, natch), who wants to rob a bank. We’re speaking of the “Wallace and Gromit” franchise in the past tense. That’s because we’re not sure if it will continue after Sallis’ passing. Aardman, the peerless stop-motion animation house that made the series (as well as “Chicken Run” and the “Shaun the Sheep” series), did retire their characters in 1996, only to repeatedly revive them, as a world without more “Wallace and Gromit” just seemed to grim to bear. And now that he’s gone, it is. Still, it would be surreal and sad to hear someone taking over for Sallis — much like the disconnect when you hear someone voice Kermit after Jim Henson’s death: The voice is similar, but something’s off. Instead, we can honor Sallis’ legacy by gorging on the “Wallace and Gromit” work we do have. Friends from England tell us it’s tradition there to spend Christmas Day watching a big movie — “Gone with the Wind,” or the original “Star Wars” trilogy” — as well as the original three “Wallace and Gromit” shorts. Might as well make that a tradition here as well. Rabbit in the Moon come to Orlando House of Blues this summer http://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2017/05/30/rabbit-in-the-moon-come-to-orlando-house-of-blues-this-summer The psychedelic duo will be performing at the House of Blues on Saturday, Aug. 19. Doors open at 8 p.m. Since their reunion at Ultra Music Festival in Miami in 2016, following a six-year hiatus, singer-performer Bunny and producer David Christophere have been making more regular appearances together. https://youtu.be/nDCnWn-WrNw Tickets for the show go on sale Friday, June 2. Unicorn drinks, rabbit pizza on Stampede menu https://www.durhamregion.com/news-story/7321411-unicorn-drinks-rabbit-pizza-on-stampede-menu/ CALGARY — The annual reveal of new foods coming to the Calgary Stampede has been released, and the list includes both the sickeningly sweet and the simply weird. The Unicorn White Hot Chocolate offers white hot chocolate surrounded in rainbow sour poppers, sprinkles, sugary stars, a ribbon rainbow tail, and blanketed with a fluffy cotton candy cloud. Cereal Monster Sandwiches consist of a massive amount of ice cream crushed between two marshmallow squares, while the Cookie Dough-ne offers raw cookie dough in a waffle cone that is surrounded by cotton candy. From the fryer, there's deep-fried Jell-O, pork belly and something confusingly called Butter Chicken Bear Balls, which is described as "golden deep-fried balls smothered in a delicious butter chicken sauce ... and topped with a candy-coated anise." Canadian bacon Pickle Balls are a hot dog and pickle wrapped in bacon, fried in batter and served on a stick, while the World’s Hottest Pizza delivers its flavor punch by simply packing on the ghost peppers. If unconventional meat is your thing, try the rabbit pizza, crispy chicken feet on a stick or the Angry Chicken sandwich, smothered in both chipolte aioli and sweet and sour sauce. And no Stampede would be complete without a not-routine poutine, and this year the prize must go to the Tropical Bobster, consisting of lobster and mango salsa atop crispy fries. The Calgary Stampede runs from July 7 to 16. By The Canadian Press Photo Magic Minot Camera Club awards winners in ‘Year-End Competition http://www.minotdailynews.com/life/arts-entertainment/2017/05/photo-magic/ Along with winning first place for “Prairie Storm,” Zeltinger was voted winner of the Eileen McEown Outstanding Member Award. Submitted Photo “Have You Seen a Rabbit?” by Minot photographer Erich Linser earned first place in the monochrome division. Submitted Photo “Have You Seen a Rabbit?” by Minot photographer Erich Linser earned first place in the monochrome division. As Zeltinger captured the ferocity of a lightning storm, Kyra Hansen, of Minot, seized the magic of “Fireflies” in the artistic division. “Kyra is an up and coming photographer,” Nordstrom said. “She has an incredible eye for catching pictures and adds a unique artistic quality to them. Kyra has a bright future.” For the fourth year in a row, Hansen was awarded Outstanding Photographer of the Year. While Hansen caught the mesmerizing “Fireflies,” Erich Linser, of Minot, tested the curiosity of viewers in his first-place monochrome winner, “Have You Seen a Rabbit?” “This picture has placed in various North Dakota competitions,” Nordstrom said. “Erich has a special way of capturing the eyes of viewers.”   For Wichita artist, a bunny a day keeps the boredom away http://www.kansas.com/entertainment/ent-columns-blogs/keeper-of-the-plans/article150898277.html By Matt Riedl Wade Hampton doesn’t have a bizarre obsession with rabbits. He just likes their form, artistically – simple as that. “From an artistic standpoint, I think rabbits are the perfect subject if you’re going to draw an animal,” Hampton said. “I don’t have some weird obsession with rabbits, like I’m running around the yard chasing them.” As a creative challenge, Hampton is drawing a bunny every day for a year and posting the results on Instagram. Some of his rabbits are cute – the kind with carrots and flowers included – and some are creepy, with dark circles under their eyes and cigarettes dangling from their mouths. People have enjoyed the project on social media – whenever Hampton shares his drawings on Facebook, they typically garner upward of 150 reactions. Not bad for quick daily doodles. “For me, it’s an experiment,” Hampton said. “I know the majority of them are not very good. That’s not a big deal to me. It’s like publicly putting out a sketchbook.” Hampton is well-known in Wichita for hosting “home shows,” in which he would invite friends and strangers to his home, where the walls were covered with hundreds of doodles like these, all for sale. While Hampton said he has decided to stop doing the home shows, he wanted to keep his artistic chops sharp – hence the bunny project. “I did a bunch of shows a long time ago called Art from the Gut, where you just do a bunch of drawings and you don’t really think about it too much,” Hampton said. “The thinking is that if you don’t think about it too much, some magic can happen.” About three months into the project, Hampton said Tuesday he’s considering putting on a bunny-drawing show at a gallery later this year. Those plans are still in flux, though, so until then, your primary viewing outlet will be at www.instagram.com/drawabunnydaily. “Hand to God, when I did these, it was totally for an experiment. ... You know me: If I wasn’t doing a show, I’d probably do some kind of video where I burn them all and some guy in a rabbit costume dances around it and call it art,” Hampton said. “It’s nice for these pieces to find a home – otherwise, they just sit in a sketchbook until I die. I’d much rather have somebody say I framed this and stuck it on my wall than it sit in my drawer.”   http://www.petgazette.biz/14537-burgess-celebrates-national-pet-show-success/ Burgess celebrates National Pet Show success Burgess Pet Care has announced that this year’s National Pet Show in London has been its most successful yet. The company more than doubled its sales from last year. Burgess’ team highlighted the welfare needs of small animals and provided information about the benefits of high-quality feeding hay. Dr Suzanne Moyes MVB MRCVS, veterinary director at Burgess, held a series of presentations aimed at educating small animal owners – and those considering a new addition to the family – about the responsibilities of pet ownership and the best ways to ensure the health and happiness of small animals. As organizers of this year’s Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW), the National Pet Show provided the team with a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness around the importance of high-quality feeding hay in rabbits’ diets. Once again, the Burgess team joined forces with Julian Norton, star of Channel 5’s hit TV show The Yorkshire Vet, who was in attendance at the Burgess stand to sign copies of his new book and talk about the importance of feeding hay as part of this year’s RAW campaign. The #HoptoHay campaign is raising awareness around the fact rabbits should have between 85-90% of feeding hay and grass in their diets every day. Charlotte Varley, Event Manager at Burgess Pet Care, said: “This year’s National Pet Show in London has been our biggest yet, and we couldn’t be happier with the feedback we’ve had from visitors at the stand. Our sales were more than double of that last year – we even sold out of some product lines by the end of the first day! “The wellbeing of animals is at the heart of everything we do, and events such as the National Pet Show provide an amazing opportunity to engage with enthusiastic pet owners who share our love of animals, and help them learn more about how they can keep their animals well looked after and happy. “As we move closer to this year’s Rabbit Awareness Week, we’ll continue to work with our partners to help better the lives of more rabbits and to help more people understand one of Britain’s most misunderstood pets.” Rabbit awareness week takes place this year between June 17-25 and is supported by a variety of partners, including Agria Pet Insurance, RSPCA and RWAF     South Pasadena bans sale of dogs, cats, rabbits from pet stores http://www.sgvtribune.com/government-and-politics/20170519/south-pasadena-bans-sale-of-dogs-cats-rabbits-from-pet-stores SOUTH PASADENA >> By a unanimous vote, the City Council outlawed the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits from pet stores and other commercial establishments within the city. The ban received overwhelming support from community members and animal rights’ groups who see it as a step toward shutting down puppy mills, said Councilwoman Marina Khubesrian. “The thank you letters are still pouring in this morning,” she said on Friday. Recommended by the city’s Animal Commission, the new ordinance was first approved Wednesday night by a 5-0 vote. It must receive approval upon second reading in June and takes effect 30 days after final approval, she said. Puppy mills usually breed cats and dogs in poor conditions and sell them to pet stores and other retail outlets. But the sale of puppies, kittens and rabbits has become an interstate business facilitated by ads on Internet sites, something the retail ban will not address, the city report states. “Such an ordinance will assist in reducing the demand for animals bred in substandard facilities,” concluded the report from Arthur Miller, chief of police. Once in effect, the ordinance will mostly affect Pet’s Delight, which sells puppies, kittens and rabbits. The store, located at 725 Fair Oaks Ave., also sells rodents, reptiles, birds and fish and the sales of these animals are not banned by the ordinance. A woman answering the phone said the store would have no comment. The Urban Pet, down the street at 900 Fair Oaks, does not sell animals and therefore would not be affected by the new ordinance. Khubesrian said the city had not heard from Pet’s Delight, adding: “This will not put them out of business.” The city had not received a response from anyone opposing the change, she said. Dozens of people spoke in favor of the ordinance at City Hall Wednesday night. Khubesrian said the city received 60 to 70 emails in support. On Thursday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent each council member and police Capt. Mike Neff who helped craft the ordinance vegan chocolates in the shape of rabbits as thank you gifts. “Cruel puppy, kitten and rabbit breeding mills churn out animals into a world that’s already bursting at the seams with homeless animals, said Tracy Reiman, PETA executive vice president in a statement. “PETA hopes South Pasadena’s progressive example will inspire other cities across the country to ban the sale of animals in pet stores.” Instead of buying kittens, puppies or rabbits from Internet dealers or pet stores, Khubesrian encourages residents to adopt them from the Pasadena Humane Society, whom the city has a contract, or from pet rescue organizations. The city will encourage more pet adoption events to be held at pet stores, she said. She said buying from a puppy mill often means the puppy is not healthy and can end up costing the buyer in veterinarian bills. Licensed pedigree dog and cat breeders will not be affected by the ban, she said. “Pedigree breeders don’t subject the animals to constant litters and the animals are raised in a much more humane environment,” said Khubesrian.

Evidence of the cultural and scientific significance of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument comes to life in this riveting special edition of the Traditions of the Pacific lecture series entitled Expanding the Journey.Bishop Museum invites you to join three of our very own experts as they share their stories and experiences of research in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands:Dr. Mara Mulrooney, Director of Cultural Resources will share about her recent expedition to Nihoa in the Monument and about the relevancy of her work the Museum’s cultural collections.Dr. Norine Yeung, Malacology Researcher and IUCN WCC 2016 Speaker will speak about the role of the Museum in connecting people to nature through cultural heritage and research.Dr. Richard Pyle, Associate Zoologist will speak about current breakthrough research and discoveries in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and reveal a new species of fish. Dr. Pyle will also touch on the recent headline news of President Obama’s expansion of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

Evidence of the cultural and scientific significance of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument comes to life in this riveting special edition of the Traditions of the Pacific lecture series entitled Expanding the Journey.Bishop Museum invites you to join three of our very own experts as they share their stories and experiences of research in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands:Dr. Mara Mulrooney, Director of Cultural Resources will share about her recent expedition to Nihoa in the Monument and about the relevancy of her work the Museum’s cultural collections.Dr. Norine Yeung, Malacology Researcher and IUCN WCC 2016 Speaker will speak about the role of the Museum in connecting people to nature through cultural heritage and research.Dr. Richard Pyle, Associate Zoologist will speak about current breakthrough research and discoveries in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and reveal a new species of fish. Dr. Pyle will also touch on the recent headline news of President Obama’s expansion of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

Nathan Johnson joins me via phone (internet problems!) to discuss this week's important Ocean Conservation topics, including: Fisheries declining faster than we thought; SCUBA diving is great for Africa's Oceans; Celebration of 15 years of Marine Protected Area for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands; and, a Researcher talks about plastic pollution in the Ocean and it's negative effect on seafood and the people who eat it. Support the Podcast: http://www.speakupforblue.com/patreon Shop for the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/shop 10 Ocean Tips to Conserve the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/wordpress/sufb_optinpdf Show Notes: http://www.speakupforblue.com/session96

Aloha! Guest Andy Collins from the newly designated Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument talks about some of the healthiest and most extensive coral reef habitats in the world, and the small atolls and islets that they surround. Claire Johnson from NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary program also called in to highlight the recent research cruise she returned from. * note first two minutes got cut off from original recording.