Summary

The website content is a photomontage and essay by Erika Burkhalter celebrating World Wildlife Day and advocating for the protection of endangered species and their habitats.

Abstract

The content serves as a visual and written tribute to the world's wildlife, emphasizing the urgency of conservation efforts. It features a collection of photographs taken by Erika Burkhalter, showcasing a variety of species from around the globe. The essay accompanying the images highlights the critical state of many animals due to human activities, such as the use of pesticides and plastic pollution. Burkhalter calls for collective action to preserve the natural world, suggesting that even small individual efforts can contribute significantly to the protection of wildlife. She also provides links to organizations dedicated to conservation, encouraging readers to support their causes. The piece concludes with a message of hope, suggesting that awareness and understanding of our interconnectedness with nature can lead to positive change and the salvation of our planet.

Opinions

The author expresses a deep concern for the loss of biodiversity and the impact of human actions on wildlife, particularly the use of neonicotinoids and pesticides that harm bees and other insects.
Burkhalter conveys a sense of personal transformation from her encounters with wildlife, especially rhinos and elephants, and emphasizes the intrinsic value of these creatures to our world.
The piece reflects a belief in the power of photography to inspire and motivate people to take action for wildlife conservation.
There is an underlying optimism that the tide of awareness is turning and that a collective effort can reverse the damage done to the environment.
The author promotes the idea that individual choices, such as refusing single-use plastics, can make a significant difference in conservation efforts.
Burkhalter's work suggests that the protection of wildlife is not just a moral obligation but also a necessary action for the survival of our planet's ecosystems.

Red-Winged Hawk. All photos ©Erika Burkhalter

World Wildlife Day

A photomontage for the animals

Today is World Wildlife Day. This photomontage is in honor of the animals, and all of the people fighting to protect them and their environments. We only have one precious world, and we are losing so many species daily due to mankind’s destruction.

Let’s turn it around. Every little bit we do can make a difference: from just refusing to accept a plastic bottle or straw; to donating to organizations working on their behalf; to donating our own time and efforts.

My hope is that these photos will ignite a fire in you to help save our amazing earth and her glorious creatures.

Bees are so vital to our existence. They pollinate our crops and flowers. They are disappearing at an alarming rate due to the use of neonicotides. Check out how this little guy is harvesting pollen with his back feet.

And the bees are not the only ones. Monarchs and a myriad of other insects are also in trouble right now because of the over-use of pesticides. They need our help. Please stand up for them! They need our voices to be heard.

“I see you!” Praying Mantis. Photo ©Erika Burkhalter

What would the world be like without rhinos and elephants? I can’t even imagine. They are such glorious creatures. Seeing these behemoths in person changed a part of me forever.

White Rhinoceros. Photo ©Erika Burkhalter

Tigers are, thankfully, making a comeback in India. This gorgeous girl lives in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in India.

I am the queen of the jungle, Ranthambore, India. Photo ©Erika Burkhalter

This matriarch is leading the youngsters out of the bush. Just seconds after this photo was taken, she charged after the jeep we were riding in, chasing us for several hundred feet. She was just protecting the babies, but that is a moment I will never forget!

The Matriarch, South Africa. Photo ©Erika Burkhalter

And the giraffes! How do they manage to keep those heads up?

Wait, is that my neck or yours? Photo ©Erika Burkhalter

This male lion was quite old, but still had the regality of the “King of the Jungle.”

King of the Jungle, South Africa. Photo ©Erika Burkhalter

Hippopatami are adorable, but also pretty dangerous. These guys were in the swimming hole of the lodge we were staying in, lounging around while we were out taking photos.

This mother and baby Zebra just melted my heart.

Zebras in Soouth Africa. Photo ©Erika Burkhalter

And the lions…. I am a kitty lady, after all.

Mother and baby lions in South Africa. Photo ©Erika Burkhalter

What could be more adorable than a baby elephant just discovering, like a toddler with her hands, that her trunk belongs to her, and that she can control it?

Baby Elephant in South Africa. Photo ©Erika Burkhalter

With the insects under attack, songbirds are also vanishing at an alarming rate. The ecosystem is so interconnected. Changes to one link in the chain affect the whole rest of the chain.

Our oceans, the last frontier, are now filled with plastic. We need to do better with this. I take any chance I have to refuse anything made of plastic — from straws to take-out containers to those little plastic caps on to-go cups. These dolphins near Santa Barbara filled my heart with joy as I watched them frolic and play in the waves.

We saw so many Blue Whales that day too. The people of Santa Barbara are fighting to relocate the existing shipping lanes, because they currently pass right through the whales’ migration route.

I felt so fortunate to see this graceful Orca off the coast of Washington.

And what would a day of whale watching be without the sea lions? They lounge around on buoys and bark all day long.

The sight of these arctic seabirds made me melt into a moment of absolute bliss.

Arctic Seabirds. Photo ©Erika Burkhalter

And these adorable little Snowy Plovers, near Santa Barbara, seemed to all march in unison across the beach.

And these Ashy Petral, on the same beach, were so elegant, high-stepping through the waves with those long legs.

I hope that you enjoyed this journey around the world to see some of her precious creatures.

Precious Pollinator

For the love of bees

psiloveyou.xyz

The Weight of a Snowflake

The sparrow and the dove’s tale of peace

medium.com

The Extinction Parade

Marching towards the sun…

medium.com

If you feel inclined to donate to a good organization, fighting to help the animals and the planet, these are a few that I like, and donate to regularly:

WWF - Endangered Species Conservation | World Wildlife Fund

World Wildlife Fund - The leading organization in wildlife conservation and endangered species. Learn how you can help…

www.worldwildlife.org

Center for Biological Diversity

Generation Wild: Saving Life on Earth Young people can make a difference too. Check out our tips on being a young…

www.biologicaldiversity.org

Rainforest Trust Saves Rainforest

Rainforest Trust purchases and protects the most threatened tropical forests, saving endangered wildlife through…

www.rainforesttrust.org

Join the movement to save Africa's wildlife

If we don't act now, then the next generation won't have to imagine a world without elephants... they'll be living in…

campaign.awf.org

Environmental Action

We're a force for positive environmental change, and we fight for what's needed to protect the environment.

environmental-action.org

Saving Wildlife and Wild Places - WCS.org

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action…

www.wcs.org

Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, cat-mom, photographer, and lover of travel and nature, spreading her love and amazement for Mother Earth’s glories, one photo, poem or story at a time. (MS Neuropsychology, MA Yoga Studies).

Although the topic of this poem is sad, I do believe that the tide of awareness has turned, and that a wave of understanding of how interconnected we all are is growing. Together, we have the power to save our Mother Earth.