Great White Shark color sketch

20170709_greatwhitesketchSharks are one of the most misunderstood animals; great whites are one of the most feared animals, and current conservation status is Vulnerable. There is a lot we don’t know about sharks, because it’s difficult to observe them and they are difficult to keep in captivity. Great white sharks don’t feed and often die in captivity; the Monterey Bay aquarium has had some success getting them to feed, but has not kept them for a long period of time. Sharks are caught just for the fins (in a practice where the fin is cut off and the shark tossed back to die, which is one of the most cruel practices I can imagine) or get tangled in fishing nets as a result of by catch. Great white sharks are the top of the ocean food chain, and are important to keeping oceans healthy.

Follow this link to dispel some other shark myths!

Steller’s Jay Color Study

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To anyone who has ever been camping or picnicing (generally being outside with food) anywhere in the western US, you’ve met a Steller’s Jay. They sit up in trees and squawk very loudly, then suddenly they are swooping down majestically to steal food. Once while camping in King’s Canyon, they stole our bacon out of the hot frying pan while it was still cooking.

Despite their annoying behavior, they are beautiful, with black, high crested heads and bright blue bodies and wings. Being members of the Corvidae family, they are in the family as rooks, magpies, crows and ravens, and are very smart.

In my color study, I wanted to capture the high contrast of the bright blue against their shiny black feathers

Send a Special Note to Mom and help Monarch Butterflies!

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Mother’s Day is this Sunday; you can send your favorite mom a special note, and NRDC will plant a milkweed plant for each note you send. Milkweed is essential to Monarch butterfly larvae: the larvae eat milkweed, and due to less milkweed available, some populations of monarchs are in decline. This Mother’s Day, NRDC and Monarch Watch are joining forces to plant more milkweed for monarchs. Visit this site, and simply enter the email address of your favorite mom or mother figure and she’ll receive a special email. For each email sent NRDC and Monarch Watch will plant one milkweed plant!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and caretakers out there. Nothing happens without you!

American Bison are Awesome

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The American Bison is the iconic image of the American West. Vast herds of 40,000,000 used to roam the plains of America. Bison is a crucial part of the plains ecosystem.

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Bison were almost hunted to extinction as white settlers moved west in the 1800’s. Today most bison are kept on private lands, with a few small herds roaming free. Yellowstone Park is the only place where bison have lived continuously in the wild.

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Fortunately today there are several groups striving to move bison to the prairie and reintroducing bison to tribal lands.

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Read more bison facts here!