[EcoDharma] Living Earth

[Doshin]

As indicated above I will start giving my thoughts on how we can be more ecologically sustainable and help biodiversity. We all see so much negative and often feel as if there is nothing we can personally do. I worked in a world of negatives during my career/volunteer time in conservation but it is not hopeless. So please add your thoughts as the weeks and month go on.

Idea #1

POLLINATORS

Pollinators are critical to the continuance of biodiversity. They come in all types around the world. For example a large variety of insects ( not just bees!), birds, mammals and even lizards pollinate plants as they feed. Pollinators have declined in numbers due to habitat loss, pesticides and climate change.

We can help them out by providing habitat in our yards where they can go through their life cycle or even just drop in for a meal. This is not only helpful to pollinators but soothing for us as we enjoy the beauty of flowers and other plants. Selecting native species of plants is a good start since they are what the pollinator species in your area evolved with. You can determine which species to plant by contacting a Native Plant Society if there is one in your area or a plant nursery that is knowledgeable about native species.

Doshin
St

PS. I am using the word biodiversity often which includes the vast myriad of sentient beings. Keep in mind that what benefits biodiversity also is of benefit for addressing climate change challenges and vice versa.

[Kokuu]

Hi Doshin

I love what you are doing here and wonder if it should have its own space so that we can continue posting on the living world and your posts won't get lost?

How about starting a new thread called '[ECODHARMA] Saving all Sentient Beings' or something like that?

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[Doshin]

Kokuu, if you think locating it within our EcoDharma sub-forum would increase participation I am good with that,

Maybe we could ask for a few Thread name recommendations that capture the goal of posting ideas to live our lives with increased purpose towards a healthier earth supporting biodiversity.

Those reading, please give some ideas. I want this to be “our” path where we learn from all.

Doshin
St

[Kokuu]

Maybe we could ask for a few Thread name recommendations that capture the goal of posting ideas to live our lives with increased purpose towards a healthier earth supporting biodiversity.

Those reading, please give some ideas. I want this to be “our” path where we learn from all.

That sounds good to me!

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[Ryumon]

Re pollinators: a beekeeper has hives a about 50 meters from our garden. Most of the garden is lawn - I live in the UK - but we have planted lots of flowers, and have one section that we let grow wild for a few months in spring.

I have also taken the birdisattva vow to free all sentient birds that visits my garden, and we have multiple feeders. Since we’re in a rural area, we regularly get more than a dozen species at the feeders.

I would lave to have a one, but I rent the house and it would be expensive to make anything big enough to attract more wildlife.

During lockdown, it was solace to watch all the birds.

Gassho,
Ryūmon (Kirk)
Sat

[Tai Do]

In my current (rented) house, we keep the gardens with what naturally grows there and are visited by some birds and pollinators, as well as some lizards.

Soon we will move to a new house that we are reforming and will be the first house we really own. We plan to plant a garden of mixed native species and culinary herbs.

I liked your idea of feeding birds, Ryumon: I will look for something to them either. And the way we plan to keep the house, we think we can save these sentient beings from our four legged predator sentient beings (3 cats and a dog).

I will try to apply the ideas discussed here in our new house and see if we can contribute more.
Gassho,
Mateus
Satlah

[Doshin]

Mateus,

Yes, housing cats appropriately is a major conservation good for wildlife. In the United States cats are estimated to kill billions of birds, small mammals and other wildlife each year. There has long been a campaign to “Keep Cats Indoors”. However even with responsible cat ownership (does anyone really own a cat ) the number of feral cats is staggering. Some advocate cats are the greatest anthropogenic (because hey are linked to us) impact to birds. That might be so but to me I sense habitat loss is more

Doshin
St

[Ryumon]

Living Earth

Yes, cats do kill a lot of birds. But the birds they kill are generally the weak ones. These are the birds that would be less likely to survive anyway.

A huge number of birds are killed by windows; are we going to ban windows?

As I mentioned above, I have a lot of birds in my garden. In the past couple of years, the bird population has increased drastically (even though I have two cats; which, together, have only caught about three birds in the nine years I’ve had cats). What made the big difference was when my neighbor, the farmer, trapped the magpies that were in the area. It seems that magpies kill baby birds in huge numbers. Instead of having a half dozen tits around my feeders, we have as many is 20 at a time. We’ve seen the same increase for other species.

Nature is cruel. Animals eat other animals.

Gassho,
Ryūmon (Kirk)
Sat

[Doshin]

Ryumon,

Do not agree.

Doshin
St

[Tai Do]

Well, at least in our house, we always keep the animals inside. In the new house we will move to, we will have an outside space for the animals with due fences (including on the "ceiling" so that no pet will get out and no bird will be hurt. I will keep the bird feeding and nesting ground catless on the front garden.
Gassho,
Mateus
Satlah

[Doshin]

Mateus,



Doshin
st

[Doshin]

As suggested I have initiated a Thread in our EcoDharma section. I titled it "Ideas for Living Sustainably". Please join the thread and share your ideas.

Doshin
st

[aprapti]

As suggested I have initiated a Thread in our EcoDharma section. I titled it "Ideas for Living Sustainably". Please join the thread and share your ideas.

Doshin
st

[Doshin]

327BF937-8BE4-4A20-B3E7-41A4B2ADF2F5.jpeg

Today is World Snake Day

Doshin

[Doshin]

I am living within a heat wave and our rains have not come. In the Southwest US we normally have rains starting in mid June and going through September. We call them Monsoons. Those afternoon thunderstorms are beautiful and critical for sustaining life. But things have been changing and this year we have had little moisture.

I wrote the following tribute on Facebook but thought I would share it with the Sangha.

Those of you not in the SW may not understand how much we worship the monsoon . We look for it everyday, we talk about it, we worry about it and we compare rain gauges. We measure it in tenths of an inch and lucky to get more than a few tenths with a storm.However some times we get multiple inches which is a lot for our desert landscape where vegetation is a little sparse. In past years I have been isolated at the ranch for a week while the low flow crossings ran water too deep to pass through (though that doesn’t stop some from trying unfortunately). Following the rains, ponds form and the toads burrow out of the ground and produce a deafening chorus of calls…a most beautiful sound. The grass begins to green up and wildflowers make their appearance. Wildlife moves about more, they too celebrate the rains. The desert sighs its relief. My favorite time of the year.

Doshin
St