Food Waste is incredibly sad. Americans throw away $165 billion worth of food every year. It adds to a cycle of malnutrition, poverty, climate change and farmers not being paid a fair wage. Below is Last Week Tonight with John Oliver comical yet provoking take on the subject. I have always been aware of Food Waste and purposely buy and support vendors who
Read moreAfter nearly two weeks of backpacking around Thailand, my trip was coming to an end where it all began: Bangkok. During my trip around Thailand, I witnessed picturesque beaches and islands, dramatic mountainous landscapes and charismatic indigenous people at zoos, elephant conversation centers, national parks, night markets and food stands. I must confess that since I studied animal behavior and
Read moreSummer is winding down. Children are going back to school, young adults are off to college and adults are winding down vacations and getting back to the grind. I relocated 1300 miles last week and I think everyone needs to relax and take a break. It’s always nice to reconnect with old friends and bond with new ones – and
Read moreThe top of my head is tingling, so I rub it. Then my lower left jaw feels numb. I scratch it just once. I then feel the back of my knees get tight and the hairs rise. I have goosebumps on my legs. I rub and I scrape a little. The inside of my nose is now supersensitive. I flick
Read moreRelating toys to what your pet does naturally is the best way to brainstorm new ideas for enrichment. Listening to a radio podcast on parrots, enrichment guru Robin Shewokis discussed the different categories toys and devices can fall into. Below I have included examples for all types of pets, in each of the categories. Enrichment is not just a buzzword;
Read moreExotic pets, especially in North America, are becoming very common. Hedgehogs which are small, spiny coated, energetic animals are gaining popularity because of their uniqueness and relatively easy care. Most hedgehogs that are kept as pets are the African pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris), weighing between 300 and 600 grams. Autumn Syracuse, a full time aquarist at the Aquarium of Niagara,
Read moreI love reinforcements, and so do you. If you didn’t, than they would not be a reinforcer. Some of my reinforcements are food, water and money. I do behaviors in hopes that I get one of those things. I get up and go to the sink to get water. I work, so I can get money to buy food and
Read moreSix years ago I was taking an Australian wildlife class in Queensland, Australia. I stayed late after a laboratory session and was walking back to my apartment alone. The sun had set and the only light was coming off the metallic buildings. I had trained myself to look down at the ground for the chance of spotting unique or dangerous
Read moreMy cats have the worst breath, but I love them unconditionally. They make me laugh every day with their inquisitive minds and obnoxious behaviors (such as jumping over my bird and sprinting through my legs tripping me as I walk.) Even though these behaviors exist, I still have to fight the urge not to walk over and wake them from
Read moreI share my home with two cats, both grey with black stripes or ‘tabby’. Julian is a long and lean skinny cat who walks seductively. The other, is a not-so-long-and-lean-skinny cat who always looks surprised. Princeton has very large eyes for his head, a short nose, tiny ears and is round as a globe. The vet refers to him as
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DANTAisms 