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World Views:

02

Jul

Traveling the World of Birds

by Joyce McGreevy on July 2, 2018

A rainbow and bush parrot in New Zealand suggest a brighter future for native birds around the world. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

New Zealand birds need vast areas of pest-free forest to survive.
© Joyce McGreevy

Winging It in New Zealand

Some of the best reasons for traveling the world are birdbrained. Consider New Zealand, home to some of the planet’s most amazing birds. But what makes New Zealand native birds remarkable has also made them vulnerable.

A black-billed gull remind a birdwatcher traveling the world that many New Zealand native bird species are in trouble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

New Zealand’s black-billed gulls are the world’s most threatened gull. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Avian Nation

New Zealand is unique. Until about 800 years ago, its only land mammals were species of bat. With virtually no predators, many bird species evolved beyond fight-or-flight. Why fly when you can safely nest on solid ground?

Over time, the land became home to more species of flightless birds than anywhere else on Earth.

A forest in New Zealand was a paradise for native birds until humans traveling the world arrived as settlers. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

With 80% forest and 0% mammals, New Zealand pulsed with the life of birds.
© Joyce McGreevy

Sitting Ducks

What happened next? People.

As humans arrived, they introduced predators—some deliberately, some as shipboard stowaways. Meanwhile, they cleared forests and hunted.

Some birds would gobble up fermented berries and drunkenly doze off. Hunting became as easy as “scoop it and soup it.”

Soon one of the last places on Earth colonized by humans suffered one of the worst biological losses.

Size Didn’t Save Them

The most astounding lost birds were moa. Some stood 13-foot tall and weighed 600 pounds.

Moa bones and a drawing of moa remind viewers that many of New Zealand’s flightless birds are extinct. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Moa once ruled New Zealand forestland.
© Joyce McGreevy

But after millions of years of safe grazing, moas ended up in cooking pits and their habitat was destroyed.

Since human arrival, at least 51 New Zealand bird species have become extinct.

Protecting the World of Birds

Today, New Zealand goes all-out to restore habitat and protect wildlife. Biosecurity at Customs is strict, so leave those snacks on the plane and thoroughly scrub outdoor gear.

One-third of the country is national parkland. Avian projects by the NZ Department of Conservation engage hundreds of volunteers and are models for wildlife organizations around the world.

The piwakawaka or fantail is New Zealand bird native bird worth traveling the world to see. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

In flight, piwakawaka, or  fantails, are as fluttery as butterflies. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Hidden Birds

Which bird tops the perch? Kiwis, of course! About the size of a hen, the kiwi is wingless aside from nubs under its hairlike feathers. It also has nostrils at the end of its long beak.

The kiwi, a flightless bird, is New Zealand’s national icon. (Image courtesy of New Zealand Tourism)

Despite their awkward appearance, kiwis can outrun humans.
© Tourism New Zealand

As national symbols, kiwis appear everywhere in New Zealand. In the 1800s, kiwis were pictured on regimental badges, and during WWI “Kiwi” became a nickname for New Zealand soldiers, one since adopted by the general population.

Seeking kiwi (the avian variety) can feel like falling for a prankster’s snipe hunt. Kiwi is Maori for “hidden bird” and most species are nocturnal. While guides cannot guarantee you’ll see one, outfits like Real Journeys offer a 50% refund if you don’t. Either way, you’ll have a magical hike.

Such was the case when I went birdwatching on New Zealand’s Stewart Island.

“Don’t they realize we drove all the way from Auckland?” said one disappointed visitor afterward. Alas, kiwis really don’t care how far one has traveled. Nature is not a theme park.

Besides, we’d had the pleasure of sailing to Glory Cove, and then walking in silence, illuminated only by moon and stars. In this loud, light-polluted age, that, too, is a rare experience.

Precocious Parrots

Other terrestrial birds are never shy. Each morning a cheeky kākā, or olive-brown bush parrot, stopped by my garden to pluck wild fruit. Then it would perch nearby, deftly removing the peel.

The bush parrot, or kaka, is a New Zealand native bird. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

One bush parrot eats “brekkie,” while another (below) takes wing.
© Joyce McGreevy

A bush parrot, or kaka, displays its wings at Zealandia, a New Zealand bird sanctuary.(Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

© Joyce McGreevy

Though similar to kākās, keas have green plumage. These clever critters endear themselves to some and test the patience of others. It depends on whether the kea—the world’s only alpine parrot—is proving its smarts or dismantling your gear.

Hello, Caller?

One bird you’ll certainly hear throughout the country is the tūī, unique to New Zealand. With two voice boxes, tūī can produce complex songs, from melodious to punk-raucous.

They even inspired a Maori compliment about orators and singers, Me he korokoro tūī: “He has the throat of a tūī.”

Tūī are also mimics. Birdwatchers have reported tūī calls that sound like ringing cellphones.

The tui is unique to New Zealand, a favorite among birdwatchers. (Public domain image; credit: Bernard Spragg)

The white “collars” of tūī led Europeans to call them Parson Birds.
© Bernard Spragg

Pecks and the City

One surprising place to birdwatch is New Zealand’s capital. Minutes from Wellington, one of the world’s hippest cities, is the world’s first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary.

Zealandia is a sanctuary for New Zealand’s native birds and other wildlife. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Zealandia is a haven for 40 species of native birds.
© Joyce McGreevy

Over 500 acres of valley forest have been restored as closely as possible to their pre-colonized state.

Nearby is Kapiti Island, an important site for bird recovery. But plan ahead—only 50 visitors are allowed each day.

“Extinct” No More

One of my favorite sites is Te Anau Bird Sanctuary. Tourists who bypass it for Fiordland’s more famous attractions are missing out. This tranquil lakeshore setting features birds that are among the hardest to find in the wild. These include takahē, which until 1948 were thought to be extinct.

The takahe, once thought to be extinct, is one of New Zealand’s most unusual native birds. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Unique to New Zealand, takahē have been around for 8 million years. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Seas the Day!

If you like pelagic birds, you’re in luck. New Zealand has the world’s most diverse seabird community. You’re never more than 80 miles from the coast, where the variety of birds includes native species of albatross (the world’s largest seabird), gulls, oystercatcher, petrel, and tern.

New Zealand oystercatchers are seabirds that make their nests near the shoreline.(Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

The shoreline nests of oystercatchers have been disturbed by pests, pets—and
careless beachgoers. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Don’t Pester the Penguins

New Zealand is home to three fascinating species of penguins. (Is there a boring species of penguins?) They are:

New Zealand’s little blue penguins explain why many birdwatchers love traveling the world. (Image © Chris Stephenson/ New Zealand Tourism)

Kororā, little blue penguins (average height 13 inches) . . .
© Chris Stephenson/New Zealand Tourism

New Zealand’s Fiordland crested penguins inspire birdwatchers to travel the world. (Image © Matt Winter/ New Zealand Tourism)

Tawaki, Fiordland crested penguins . . .
© Matt Winter/New Zealand Tourism

New Zealand’s yellow-eyed penguins show why many birdwatchers are traveling the world. (Image © Penguin Place/ New Zealand Tourism)

and Hoiho, yellow-eyed penguins.
© Penguin Place/New Zealand Tourism

Unfortunately, they are also among the most endangered birds—and travelers are adding to the problem.

According to NZ’s Department of Conservation, “Inappropriate behavior by visitors to . . . habitats is an increasing threat to nesting and molting birds. Poor use of selfie sticks and people entering nesting areas is causing stress to nesting penguins . . .  [that] could affect survival rates.”

Does that mean we can’t see penguins? No, but if we truly love them, we’ll do so from a distance. Let’s prioritize ecological respect over social media boast-posts.

A penguin crossing sign in New Zealand reminds people to respect the world of birds. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

When penguins come ashore to breed and molt, we humans need to give them space. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Becoming Bird-minded

Something I observed about Kiwis (the human variety) is that they are passionate about protecting native birds. There’s even a campaign for NZ’s Bird of the Year.

We should all be so bird-minded.

A collage of five common birds reflects the joys of birdwatching while traveling the world. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Wherever we go, we’re traveling the world of birds. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Because as the campaign’s roster shows, 45% of New Zealand’s native birds are “in trouble.” In North America, 30% of native bird populations are in decline. Worldwide, nearly 1,500 bird species face extinction.

Oh, I see: When traveling the world of birds, tread lightly. Earth is a fragile nest and its balance is in our hands.

A bird’s egg reminds the viewer that the world of birds is fragile. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Nurture their future.
© Joyce McGreevy

Find bird-friendly tips here and here. Discover birds of New Zealand here.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

 

Making a Difference/Nature Discovery/New Zealand

24

Apr

The Dogs on the Bus

by Joyce McGreevy on April 24, 2018

Meg Vogt, creative thinker and owner of Dogs Rule! welcomes canines on her dog bus in Portland, Oregon. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Dog’s Rule! is a (p)awesome bus service based in Sullivan’s Gulch, Portland, Oregon.
© Joyce McGreevy

Creative Thinking for Canines
in Portland, Oregon

Driving with a 12-pack isn’t usually the smartest idea. But when the “12-pack” is a dozen adorable dogs, it’s genius.

Meet creative thinker Meg Vogt, affectionately known as the Dog Bus Lady of Sullivan’s Gulch. When Meg launched Dogs Rule, a bus service for dogs in Portland, Oregon, the locals really got on board.

Creative thinker Meg Vogt and dogs on the bus pose for a “pack portrait” in Portland, Oregon. (Image © Ryan LaBriere)

The dogs on the bus go woof-woof-woof all around the town—en route to leash-free parks.
© Ryan LaBriere @LabrierePhoto

Dogged Devotion

Throughout her life, Meg has solved canine challenges that would overwhelm most people.

Consider Mr. Diego.

Viciously attacked as a puppy, Mr. Diego was soon making his mark on the world—specifically on its inhabitants. But Meg, who was then a dog walker, spent years working through his issues, gradually enabling him to socialize peaceably.

Mr. Diego the white Scottie went from troubled pup to poster dog thanks to Meg Vogt’s creative thinking. (Image © Meg Vogt)

By 2015, Mr. Diego had become the poster pooch for the local humane society. 
© Meg Vogt

Chelsea, a retired police dog, had degenerative myelopathy. Every morning, said Meg, she’d “ease the dog’s rear end into a special wheelchair and drive to a park where Chelsea could chase after squirrels.”

“We totally bonded. Still, I told myself that when Mr. Diego and Chelsea passed, I would move on to a real job. But there was no way. I had all these soul connections with dogs.”

After a series of remarkable careers—paginator at USA Today, audio engineer, video producer, camp counselor, radio show host, and concierge, Meg had found her real job.

Creative thinker Meg Vogt, Max the poodle, and Grendel the Irish wolfhound howl for fun on the dog bus in Portland, Oregon. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Meg, Max, and Grendel practice howlistic therapy.
© Joyce McGreevy

How Much Is That School Bus in the Window?

In 2008, Meg bought an old school bus and figured out how to operate it on the drive home. She parked it beside the house that she shares with her very supportive wife, Deb (“Not a Dog Person”) Bridges. Then she invited the neighborhood over.

Families, children, and other creative thinkers paint the Dog Bus in Sullivan’s Gulch, Portland, Oregon. (Image © Meg Vogt)

Sullivan’s Gulch neighbors gather for a paint-and-pizza party.
© Meg Vogt

The dog bus was born. And wow, did it ever bus a move. Who let the dogs out? Oh, I see: In Portland, Oregon this is not a rhetorical question.

Blue Rover, Blue Rover

Recently, I joined Meg on her rounds. Our destination?  Thousand Acres—open land, berry bushes, and a delta. It’s off-leash paradise.

Because her passengers lack opposable thumbs, Meg uses house keys that clients entrust to her. Eagerly anticipating their day out, the dogs trot to the bus door, race up the steps, and take their usual seats.

Dogs of several kinds board the dog bus, a product of Meg Vogt’s creative thinking in Portland, Oregon. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Why chase your tail when you can catch a bus?
© Joyce McGreevy

It’s Spring Break. Several dogs are on vacation, taking their humans with them, so we’re down to a six-pack and a bonus pup.  Our seven riders range from petite Moe to a pony-sized Irish wolfhound named Grendel. (Which technically makes Grendel a Beowulf-hound.)

Now add Meg’s “god dog” Piper the Scottie, Ida the yellow Lab, Max the French poodle, Porter the black Lab, and Finn the fantastic medley. It could be a recipe for chaos. Instead, it’s like the best buddy movie ever.

Grendel leans his massive head out the window, breezing. Moe snuggles. Porter seems pensive, as if composing a bestselling bark-all. Max, Ida, and Piper look out the windows. Finn reclines but casts a supervisory look over the pack.

Several dogs gaze out the windows of the dog bus, a product of Meg Vogt’s creative thinking in Portland, Oregon. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The dogs are poised for that first sight of green fields.
© Joyce McGreevy

Go, Dog, Go!

The dogs somehow contain themselves as Meg parks. Once out the door, they run merrily down the path, splitting off occasionally to run in broad, looping arcs.

Meg Vogt and dogs enjoy a run at a leash-free dog park in Portland, Oregon. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Best dog run ever!
© Joyce McGreevy

There is no happiness like that of dogs roaming free.

“Ida Idaho” spots a puddle and knows just what to do.

Dogs enjoy a puddle at a leash-free dog park in Portland, Oregon, thanks to creative thinker Meg Vogt and her dog bus. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Dive in!
© Joyce McGreevy

Dogs frolic at a leash-free dog park in Portland, Oregon, thanks to creative thinker Meg Vogt and her dog bus. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Max and Grendel show off for the pup-arazzi.
© Joyce McGreevy

Porter, the quiet one, turns daring explorer, scouting the perimeter.  Piper and Moe hold court with adoring fans.

Finn wades into the water. There is no branch so big, no stick tossed so far, that he cannot retrieve it.

A dog carrying a branch frolics at a leash-free dog park in Portland, Oregon, thanks to creative thinker Meg Vogt and her dog bus. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Finn branches out.
© Joyce McGreevy

The Leader of the Pack

When it’s time to go, how do you gather a pack of dogs from 1400 acres? The secret is to be Meg Vogt. At her call, all seven come running. Together, they lope along as one big family and board the bus.

Creative thinker Meg Vogt and her dogs stroll through a leash-free dog park in Portland, Oregon. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Anyone who thinks the dog bus is a trendy business is barking up the wrong tree.
The only high end in this labor of love is Grendel’s.
© Joyce McGreevy

To be tuckered out after a day of fun is the best kind of tired in the world. While the dogs rest, Meg shares her story.

Incredible Journey

“I was that white kid on the Rez,” she says.  “It was a beautiful experience, growing up in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin.”

Most nights, Meg would take her bedding out to the screened-in porch. There she’d sleep with her dog Carly, whom her mom had rescued as a puppy.

“It was sweet waking up to the sound of an Evinrude motor on the lake. I’d get in the canoe with Carly in front. Then I’d take off across the lake, go hiking in the National Forest. That was my childhood.”

Lassie (and Buddies), Come Home

One by one, the dogs are returned home. I feel like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, sad to bid farewell to my new friends.

Neighbors and dog visit with creative thinker Meg Vogt on a porch in Sullivan Gulch, Portland, Oregon. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Max loves Meg’s dog bus so much, he watches from a balcony for its arrival.
© Joyce McGreevy

It’s the community, says Meg, who helps keep her bus running. When the dog bus needed a new transmission, folks pitched in. “Sullivan’s Gulch is a good community that way. We all take care of each other.”

Meg Vogt and Štĕpán Šimek are creative thinkers and Sullivan Gulch neighbors in Portland, Oregon. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Meg chats with Sullivan’s Gulch neighbor Štĕpán Šimek . . .  
© Joyce McGreevy

A passerby, Monique, chats with Meg Vogt, whose creative thinking led to the dog bus in Portland, Oregon. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

. . . and a delighted passerby named Monique. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Dog Tales and Winding Trails

Now Meg hopes to fund a multi-purpose space for dogs and humans called Rawhide Ranch. So she’s writing books. There’s no shortage of material:

Her richly lived life has doglegged around the world. (Although we’ve only just met, Meg and I discover that our paths had crossed years earlier. We’d both been volunteer radio hosts at KAZU in Pacific Grove, California.)

There’s true love conquering all as Meg’s wife faced down metastatic colon cancer. Deb played soccer between rounds of chemo and went from having a 6% chance of survival to becoming a world-class race walker.

A little dog named Moe rides the dog bus, a product of Meg Vogt’s creative thinking in Portland, Oregon. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

When Moe lost a twin, the pack cheered him up.
© Joyce McGreevy

Then there are Meg’s “myku,” her version of haiku. Doggerel? Hardly! But the dogs clearly are muses:

        Shut down your keyboard.

        Come! Take in the morning light.

        Can you smell the rain?

Creative thinking at its off-leash best.

 

 

That night, I make a wish on the Dog Star: May Meg’s dog tales and other writing find a loving home. And may the dog bus and the dog pack always roam free.

A license plate from the dog bus in Portland, Oregon reflects Meg Vogt’s creative thinking. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Long may their tails wag!
© Joyce McGreevy

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Clever Ideas/Making a Difference/Nature Discovery/USA

14

Dec

Global Citizens Face the Challenge of Climate Change

by Meredith Mullins on December 14, 2015

Ice chunk from Eliasson's Paris Ice Watch, an art work from one of the global citizens focused on climate change. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Hommage to the melting glaciers
© Meredith Mullins

COP21 Conference in Paris Brings Focus to the Future of the Planet

Climate change is insidious. Glaciers melt drop by drop, chunk by chunk. Ocean levels rise centimeter by centimeter. Temperatures climb slowly—we sense a warming trend but perhaps cannot see it as dramatic change unless we take a long-term look.

And then there are the more dramatic reminders. Floods. Storms. Droughts. Heat waves. Extinction of certain plants and animals.

The changes are difficult to see day by day, month by month, or even year by year—making the problem of climate change more difficult to bring to the world’s attention. It also makes the problem easy to ignore for those who choose to do so.

But, as global citizens, it is up to all of us to protect the future of the planet.

Signage with message to redesign the world, a poster from one of the global citizens focused on climate change. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Redesigning the World: Observe. Understand. Act
© Meredith Mullins

Putting the Spotlight on Climate Change

The Paris COP21 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change brought worldwide focus to the challenges and the possible solutions.

Delegates from nearly 200 countries worked long hours over the past two weeks to reach the final deal, announced on Saturday, December 12.

The agreement includes legally binding actions as well as voluntary actions focused on keeping global temperature increase “well below” 2C and committing at least $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020.

The work was lauded as a significant step toward saving the planet for future generations.

Paris metro poster, a message from one of the global citizens focused on climate change. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Paris metro posters focus on climate change.
© Meredith Mullins

Global Citizens Take Action

While delegates hammered out a plan, Paris as host city was filled with messages of support and urgency, and protests for faster, more ambitious solutions.

The “Oh, I see” moment? The issue of climate change is not just for government delegates behind closed doors. It is for everyone.

Artists from around the world created work to focus on greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, air pollution, and deforestation and to engage as many people as possible in the conversation.

Upward view of Shepard Fairey Earth Crisis, an art work by one of the global citizens focused on climate change. (Image courtesy of Galerie Itinerrance.)

Shepard Fairey’s “Earth Crisis” sphere at the Eiffel Tower
Photo courtesy of Galerie Itinerrance

Taking a Close Look

American artist Shepard Fairey (aka Obey in his street art life) collaborated with La Galerie Itinerrance in Paris to create a two-ton sphere that commanded the free space between the 1st and 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower.

The giant globe, named Earth Crisis, looked like a cosmic mandala from a distance, with blue and green floral motifs that suggested the air, the sea, and harmony with nature.

As you moved closer, the message became clear. The sphere was covered with threats to the environment, including anti-oil symbols and slogans.

Shepard Fairey's Earth Crisis sphere suspended from Eiffel Tower, an art work by one of the global citizens focused on climate change. (Image courtesy of Galerie Itinerrance.)

On closer look, the challenges and solutions become clear.
Photo courtesy of Galerie Itinerrance

The illustrations also offered solutions, such as green energy, respect for ecosystems, and the call to action, “The future is in our hands.”

“I am not an alarmist,” Fairey explained. “But I think people must understand that we are facing a world crisis.”

Like any work of “street art,” Fairey wanted to “engage the public in conversation.” He wanted people to take a closer look at what is really happening on the planet.

Ice installation by Olafur Eliasson at the Pantheon in Paris, an art work by one of the global citizens focused on climate change. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Greenland glacial ice melts at the Pantheon in Paris. (Photo made one week after installation.)
© Meredith Mullins.

Watching Ice Melt

Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson transported nearly 100 tons of glacial ice from Greenland to Paris. The 12 huge ice chunks had calved from the ice sheet and were floating in the ocean. He installed them in a circle in front of the Pantheon, like the face of a watch.

The title, Paris Ice Watch, encouraged viewers to see the beauty of the ice, to be aware of the ice melting (in the installation as well as in our colder climates), and to recognize that time is a critical factor in saving the planet from the effects of climate change.

Eliasson asked us to feel the smoothness of this material, to listen to it breathe, and to seek out the small air bubbles trapped inside for thousands of years (perhaps the purest air we have on the planet, he notes).

Protesters and ice installation at the Pantheon in Paris, an art work by one of the global citizens focused on climate change. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Protesters add their voice of urgency to Eliasson’s glacial ice installation.
© Meredith Mullins

Shedding Light on Pollution

Air is invisible, so how do we know what microscopic materials may be floating around us affecting our health?

To help answer that question and to draw attention to the growing issue of pollution, American environmental artist Andrea Polli created a digital waterfall in Paris, cascading down the side of a building on the well-trafficked Avenue de New York.

Blue waterfall, Particle Falls, by Andrea Polli, an art work by one of the global citizens focused on climate change. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Particle Falls, an installation by Andrea Polli, detects pollution in the air.
© Meredith Mullins

The bright blue projection, called Particle Falls, is presented by the Mona Bismarck American Center and uses a nephelometer to measure pollution particles in the immediate environment, which are then translated into bursts of white and color.

The light show is a real-time alarm of the pollution levels in the area—a timely alert given rising pollution levels in Paris (and the world).

Turning the Eiffel Tower Green

For five days during COP21, the Eiffel Tower came alive with images of trees dancing over the iron work. The unique 1 Heart 1 Tree project gave new meaning to the term “going green.” The tower became a virtual forest of light.

Eiffel Tower with projected trees by one heart one tree, an art work by one of the global citizens focused on climate change. (Image © Jean Philippe Pariente.)

The Eiffel Tower was transformed into a virtual forest during COP21.
© Jean Philippe Pariente

Belgian-Tunisian digital art pioneer Naziha Mestaoui designed this engaging participatory environmental project to coincide with the climate change conference.

Visitors were able to plant a “virtual” tree on the tower. For every virtual tree, a real tree was promised to be planted in one of the 1 Heart 1 Tree reforestation projects around the world. To complete the reality, a Google Earth file is sent showing where the actual tree was planted.

The attention to trees—both virtual and real—offered a vital reminder that the protection of forests is essential to combat the change in greenhouse effect and to ensure proper habitat for wildlife.

A Commitment to the Planet

COP21 has taken a critical step forward. Supporters call the Paris Agreement a “transformative diplomatic victory.”

However the real work is just beginning. And, as global citizens, we know that it is not just the governments of the world that have to step up. It is up to each and every one of us.

As Paris Ice Watch artist Eliasson said as he watched his beautiful ice melting, “We underestimate how amazing we are as people. We can fix this.” The planet is ours to save.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

 

France (Paris)/Making a Difference/Nature Discovery

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