Category Archives: Nature Photography

© Jonathan Mattise/AP
Advocates gather for a rally at the state Capitol complex in Nashville to oppose several bills that target the LGBTQ community on Feb. 14.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) said he intends to sign a controversial bill restricting where drag shows can take place in the state — the latest effort by Republican legislators across the country to target the performances amid broader backlash to expanded LGBTQ rights.

Tennessee’s House and Senate voted to make it illegal for anyone to engage in “adult cabaret” performances on public property or in a place where children might see them — claiming these practices may be harmful to children.

Lawmakers called out “topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators” who provide entertainment of an overly sexual nature. Broad language — restricting performances by these “or similar entertainers, regardless of whether or not performed for consideration” — has sparked fears in the LGBTQ community of a broad crackdown on drag performers, including in settings such as Pride parades.

Tennessee lawmakers also passed a separate bill earlier in February banning gender-affirming care for most trans minors.

“I intend to sign both of them,” Lee said, referring to the bills in a news conference on Monday.

The bill would be one of at least 26 introduced nationwide in the current legislative session by Republicans seeking to impose restrictions or conditions on drag events, as The Washington Post has reported.

Lee on Monday did not directly answer when asked if he knew of any specific incidents relating to drag shows that enacting this bill would solve.

“I think that the concern is what’s right there in that … building,” he said, gesturing toward the Dr. William Burrus Elementary School in Hendersonville, Tenn., where he was speaking to journalists. “Children that are potentially exposed to sexualized entertainment, to obscenity, and we need to make sure that they’re not.”

Lee also addressed a yearbook photo circulating online and appearing to show him in high school in 1977, dressed up as a woman. The photo prompted some local Democratic politicians and activists to accuse the governor of having a double standard.

Utah banned gender-affirming care for trans kids. What does that mean?

Lee, who was asked whether he remembered “dressing in drag in 1977,” said it would be “ridiculous” to conflate “something like that to sexualized entertainment in front of children.”

Lee’s office did not immediately respond to requests for further comment early Tuesday.

Jade Byers, a spokesperson for Lee, told the Tennessean in a statement that the bill restricting drag shows “specifically protects children from obscene, sexualized entertainment, and any attempt to conflate this serious issue with lighthearted school traditions is dishonest and disrespectful to Tennessee families.”

GOP targets drag shows with new bills in at least 14 states

The two chambers will have to reconcile their bills before sending the final version to Lee’s desk, according to the Tennessean.

A first violation of this law would be considered a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 11 months and 29 days and/or a maximum fine $2,500. Any further violation would be classified as a Class E felony, which could come with a prison term of between one and six years, and a fine of up to $3,000.

Montgomery police to patrol drag story hours after Proud Boys protest

Opponents argue that the bill discriminates against drag performers by signaling without evidence that drag shows — which can run the gamut from sexually explicit to family-friendly — may be harmful to children.

“The dangerous practice of banning LGBTQ+ events, spaces, and culture — including drag performances — is part of a large-scale attack on the LGBTQ+ community,” the Human Rights Campaign said in a statement. The advocacy group called the Tennessee bill an attempt to label LGBTQ+ people “as dangerous.”

The ACLU, in a statement about a separate bill under consideration by state lawmakers that would require “adult cabaret” performers to obtain a permit and ban minors from attending these performances, said that limiting drag performers’ expression violates their constitutional rights.

“Dance, fashion, and music — essential components of a drag performance — are all protected by the First Amendment. Yet, these laws are written so broadly and vaguely that they would allow government officials to censor performers based on their own subjective viewpoints of what they deem appropriate on any given day,” the group said.

Proponents say drag performances are not appropriate for minors. Initiatives such as Drag Story Hour, in which drag performers read books to children in libraries and schools, have become a particular focus of controversy.

In Tennessee, the bill’s backers say they are not seeking to ban drag shows but rather limit children’s exposure to them. “I’m not trying to take away anyone’s First Amendment rights,” state Sen. Jack Johnson (R), who introduced the bill in November, previously told The Post. “But you should be able to take your kids to a public park or library and not be surprised by seeing sexually explicit entertainment taking place.”

‘Our state is at war with our family’: Clergy with trans kids fight back

Kimberly Kindy contributed to this report.

Police cut down the timber tripod structure with a chainsaw, but would not allow the act to be photographed or recorded.

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Finland’s National Police Board has vowed to investigate an incident at a logging protest in Lapland last week, when police stopped activists filming officers cutting down a log tripod the demonstrators had built to prevent logging activities.

Protesters managed to halt logging at the Aalistunturi fell site on several occasions before last week’s incident.

On Monday 20 February, a small group of demonstrators set up a tripod made of logs in the middle of the logging road. Police cut down the timber tripod structure with a chainsaw, but would not allow the act to be photographed or recorded.

Jyrki Kivirinta, the head of Oulu police department’s surveillance emergency operations unit, told newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that the photography ban was justified because the demolition of the structure was a tactical and technical method used by the police.

He said such methods should not be made public because they are, in principle, secret.

“They are not to be photographed,” he told HS.

Deputy chief of the Lapland police department, Jyrki Pelkonen, offered a similar opinion to local newspaper Lapin Kansa, saying that they were tactical and technical methods used by police.

However, University of Eastern Finland law professor Tomi Voutilainen told the local paper that he thought the police clearly overstepped their authority in the situation.

The logging site protesters, who call themselves Metsäliike, includes activists from groups including Extinction Rebellion, the Finnish Nature Alliance and Greenpeace.

They have demanded that the state-owned forest management firm Metsähallitus stop logging in the area until conservation proposals have been processed by the Ministry of the Environment.

There are 63 national parks within the National Park Service, but most people only glimpse a fraction of what they have to offer. The eight most-visited parks got more than a quarter of all recreational visits last year, according to newly released numbers.

“Everybody just kind of has these big, big visions” national parks advocate and author Stefanie Payne said of titans like Yellowstone and Yosemite. “But I think as you start to travel in nature at a more 2.0 or 3.0 level … you can start to tie into experiences that are a little bit different.”

From “mind-bending” landscapes to wildlife you won’t find anywhere else, America’s least visited national parks are bursting with wonders, not crowds.

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“You wind up seeing things and hearing the sounds and smelling the aromas and just experiencing the natural environment in a different way when there are fewer people there,” said Payne, whose latest book is “100 Things to See in the National Parks” (Simon & Schuster). 

Here are some of the gems the masses are missing.

Quiz: How well do you know America’s national parks?

Mark your calendar: National parks are free to enter on these five days in 2023

15 least visited national parks of 2022

• Pinnacles National Park – 275,023
• Voyageurs National Park – 221,434
• Guadalupe Mountains National Park – 219,987
• Congaree National Park – 204,522
• Virgin Islands National Park – 196,752
• Great Basin National Park – 142,115
• Dry Tortugas National Park – 78,488
• Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve – 65,236
• Katmai National Park and Preserve – 33,908
• North Cascades National Park – 30,154
• Isle Royale National Park – 25,454
• Lake Clark National Park and Preserve – 18,187
• Kobuk Valley National Park – 16,925 
• Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve – 9,457
• National Park of American Samoa – 1,887

Source: National Park Service

Love national parks?: You have Buffalo Soldiers to thank

What do you mean by a national park?

There are 424 units within the the National Park Service, ranging from national battlefields to national seashores. Of the those, 63 are formal national parks like Everglades, Grand Canyon and Zion. 

Has anyone been to every national park?: This family spent 6 years completing the challenge

Is Gates of the Arctic worth visiting?

Gates of the Arctic National Park has been among the least visited national parks in the U.S. for years, and it’s easy to understand why. It’s hard to get to. There are no roads or trails across its 8.4 million acres. It’s not designed for novice travelers to explore on their own. And between hiring a guide to booking a bush plane, it can get quite expensive, but it’s worth it for many visitors.

“The Alaska parks are the ones that are deepest in my heart because they are in such a remote and rugged landscape,” Payne said. “I wouldn’t say it’s biblical, but it is like time before humans in a lot of ways … It’s really just mind-bending to be in some of those areas, especially when the mountains are so big and the glaciers and the terrain is really challenging and you start to see what you’re made of.” 

“I think people who do make the effort to go there are enriched in such a profound way,” she added. Half of last year’s 10 least visited national parks are located in Alaska.

A veteran’s legacy: Free, lifetime access to national parks for fellow vets, Gold Star Families

What is special about North Cascades?

North Cascades National Park is also dear to Payne, who grew up in Washington and visited the park throughout her childhood.

“I’m not sure why it is always on the least visited list other than the fact that it’s actually a part of a complex with two recreational areas, and people are more likely to go to those,” she said. “It’s more of a backcountry park, but there’s plenty of day hiking.”

“It’s easy to get to from Seattle and simply beautiful evergreen and mountain wilderness that creates stunning backdrops for photography,” she added.

Is Isle Royale National Park worth visiting?

It’s not easy getting to Isle Royale National Park in Michigan. You need to take a seaplane, ferry or private boat to reach the park in the middle of Lake Superior. 

“You’re in the middle of nowhere,”  Payne said. “There’s no connectivity. There’s no internet. There is a store but it’s 95% wilderness there.”

“You can truly unwind,” she added. “Lots of stars in the night skies and opportunity to see the northern lights.”

Many who visit keep going back. Fans like to call it one of the least visited, but most revisited national parks. “People just fall in love with it. There’s amazing paddling. There’s really wonderful hiking and camping,” Payne said. “There’s this predator-prey study (with wolves) that happens there and really cool learning with that. And kids love it.”

What is special about Congaree National Park?

Congaree National Park in South Carolina boasts “the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States,” according to its website.

“It’s probably not on everyday Joe’s radar, but there’s really good fishing there,” Payne said. “It’s kind of a niche park where birdwatchers might see a rare species that they can’t see in other places.”

“It’s small and mostly a one-day park, so a great stop-through if visiting the area,” she added. “You get to make your adventure here — great for creative explorers who value the nuances of nature.”

The park also has rich history, which includes serving as a refuge for enslaved people before the Civil War. “Facing threats from both slave catchers and the unpredictability of nature, they chose to resist their enslavers and live as free people in the wilderness, determining their own future rather than having it determined for them,” the park said on its website.

Visiting the least visited national parks

Every national park has its own rich history and natural wonders.

“Having an open mind is really important,” said Payne, who visited every national park within one year and many multiple times.

She recommends researching ahead of time, like she did, to make the most of trips. “Learning from the rangers and reading about a park before you go there is a really valuable way to enhance your experience.”

This year, USA TODAY will spotlight all 63 of America’s national parks and share more of what there is to discover at each one.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: America’s least-visited national parks: Perfect for the nature lover who hates crowds

There are two conversational topics guaranteed to be icebreakers, politics and weather. The two often find themselves in the same sentence these days, especially when talking about ice breaking up or melting. I steer clear of political talk even in the sanctuary of home with the occasional lapse at holiday times. But as Mark Twain said, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.”

Photographing the Town of Yarmouth’s Winter Carnival over the long holiday weekend, weather was on everybody’s mind. The day I was there, Saturday, was seasonably cold, mid-30s with a slight wind but abundant late February sunshine and lengthening daylight. The other two days saw much warmer weather. Despite the mildness, winter was on display, outdoor ice skating and even a rare sighting of a yeti and snow princess, actually Yarmouth librarians dressed for winter story hour and crafts.

Photo Shoot: Lessons from an old-school Cape Cod Times photo editor

The mild weather came up in just about every conversation I had. It was not scientific polling, but just about everyone was relieved to have had it easy from Mother Nature so far this winter. One hearty New Englander did opine about not having at least one old-fashioned snowstorm so far this year, just wait, we both agreed March can still bring a bad nor’easter our way. It was only five years ago in March 2018 the Cape got back to back ocean storms beating up the peninsula badly.

Photo Shoot: Musical moments

Several kids by the skating rink were still looking for snow days and sledding. The skating rink by the way was synthetic, plastic panels snapped together making a large rectangle, plenty of space for a nice circular glide using real skates. The surface is lightly sprayed with a coating to make it even more slippery.  Ever the skeptic, I did the slip test, and almost toppled over. Online research, well, a couple of Google searches, showed the popularity of these new artificial ice rinks, a 21^st century solution to cope with a changing climate.

Story continues

Wishing away winter for an early spring on Cape Cod is something even a groundhog without a shadow can’t be sure about. But no matter the weather, old photo wisdom remains the same, “bad weather makes good pictures.”

Gain access to premium Cape Cod Times content by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Mild winter: Talk of nor’easter, snow days at Yarmouth Winter Carnival

Many developing countries are facing a growing risk of falling into debt. Late in 2022, the head of the UN Development Programme estimated that some 54 countries are at risk of defaulting on their debts and becoming effectively bankrupt.

This issue pre-dates COVID-19: in the decade from 2011, many low- and middle-income countries rapidly increased their debt burdens. The pandemic forced many governments to borrow further to stabilise their economies. Debt burdens have been further increased due to the Ukraine war, which has dramatically increased fuel and food prices and led to more borrowing.

In addition, many countries face growing economic impacts from climate change and nature damage. At a time when developing countries urgently need to increase their spending on climate and biodiversity resilience, many can’t afford additional expenditures. As climate and nature-related losses increase, this will likely result in worsening financial conditions.

International organisations are increasingly concerned that without a coordinated global response that integrates climate and nature concerns, many countries will fail to achieve resilient development or the Sustainable Development Goals, and that the triple crisis of debt, climate change and nature loss poses a systemic risk to the global economy.

To address these issues, the World Bank has funded policy research with governments to identity solutions.

What did IIED do?

IIED and partners led on reports analysing how Jordan and Kenya could mobilise finance for action on climate and nature given their fiscal constraints.

Each report reviews the countries’ options for expanding the sources of finance for climate and nature and suggests steps national governments could take to access more financing.

The ‘Jordan climate and nature financing analysis’ report notes that Jordan is highly vulnerable to climate change and nature degradation. Unless this issue is addressed, this vulnerability will be reflected in substantially reduced economic growth.

There is no existing analysis of current climate and nature financing in Jordan, but the report’s authors estimate that Jordan has a climate and nature annual financing gap that equates to 3.4% of the country’s GDP.

The report says conventional sources of finance, such as increased growth and private sector financing, could potentially cover three-quarters of this financing gap over the long term (10 years). However, the report warns that in the short- to medium-term, Jordan’s financial situation is precarious and urgent grant support is needed. 

The report recommends that Jordan’s government creates a working group that links existing climate and nature coordination bodies to develop climate and nature financing plans and to explore all financing options, including the potential for accelerating private climate and nature finance. It notes that innovative financial instruments incorporating key performance indicators could accelerate private investment. 

The ‘Kenya climate and nature financing options analysis’ report estimates that Kenya’s total financing gap is some US$5.13 billion each year. The report includes recommendations for how Kenya’s government could tackle the issue, such as establishing a working group to explore innovative climate and nature finance and aiming to standardise monitoring reporting and verification systems.  

It says the Kenya government should also explore the potential for issuing innovative climate and nature-related financial instruments, including nature performance bonds, structured bonds similar to South Africa’s Wildlife Conservation Bond – also known as the ‘Rhino Bond’. 

Can you judge a person by the color of the clothes they wear? Do you feel differently about a woman wearing a red dress versus a white dress? Is there something different about a man who wears bright blue socks versus brown socks?

Does the color yellow make you somehow feel different from green? Does purple make you feel different from red?

PHOTOS: Nature of Color at Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Nature of Color at Fernbank Museum Can you judge a person by the color of the clothes they wear? (Nelson Hicks)

How does color impact your thoughts? How can colors express how you feel?

“We are at Fernbank Museum and this exhibit is called the Nature of Color,” Fernbank’s Maria Moreno told WSB-TV’s Nelson Hicks. “It explores color. Imagine a life without color. How would we interact? How different would it be?”

As Moreno mentioned, imagine a world without color. Would it feel different? Would it be less beautiful? Would it be harder to interpret or understand some things? Can colors help set the mood?

“For me, happy is yellow and orange,” Moreno said. “I’m not sure if everybody associates yellow and orange with happiness. For anger, I think red across the board. For calmness, (it’s) purple, also green for me is a very calm color and also blue because of the oceans, I feel relaxed.

The Nature of Color explores the science of color. Through interactive exhibits, kids and adults alike can explore how colors make us feel, the role of color in nature, how colors are created, how light impacts color and more.

The exhibit wraps up with an interesting look at the color of human beings.

“That is a photography exhibit by Angélica Dass,” Moreno said. “She is a Brazilian photographer and I find this specific photography exhibit very inspiring because she uses human skin tone as her (canvas). The purpose behind this is that race is used as a way to discriminate, to segregate and she is trying to send a message that we’re all the same. We might look a little different right, depending on where we are in the world, but at the end of the day, we’re all human and we should all be kind to each other.”

Step inside the Nature of Color at Fernbank now through May 7.

This story is sponsored by Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

©2022 Cox Media Group

There were lots of pictures of snowdrops, daffodils and robins and other nature scenes indicating that March is on its way.

Each week photographers are given a theme and then post their photos on the club’s Facebook page.

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A selection of images are then published in the Oxford Mail and online.

Each week one photo is selected as our photo of the week.

Jessica Crumpton’s striking shot of a hare sitting still in a field was a late entry but it has been chosen as our winner.

Occasionally photos that are not theme-related are so stunning that they are chosen as winners but the vast majority of winning pictures are theme-related. The next theme is ‘out for a walk’.

For more information about the camera club visit the club’s Facebook page.

This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.

Get in touch with him by emailing: [email protected]

Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF

© Claus Weisemann
The last rays of day over the Sacramento River in Sacramento, Calif.

SACRAMENTO, CA — When was the last time that you enjoyed a meal or beverages with a view of the Sacramento River? Claus Weisemann provides this reminder of the beauty nearby. He snapped this photo Thursday evening.

Thank you, Claus, for sending in your photo.

If you have an awesome photo of nature, breath-taking scenery, kids caught being kids, a pet doing something funny, or something unusual you happen to catch with your camera, we’d love to feature it on Patch.

We’re looking for high-resolution images that reflect the beauty and fun that is Northern California, and that show off your unique talents.

Email it to [email protected].

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The article Dusk On The Sacramento River: Photo Of The Day appeared first on Sacramento Patch.