Growing Wild

Credits: photo 1, photo 2

*There are unfortunately no photos or diagrams of the adult wasp

Lumpies in your weeds? It just might be wasps!

You do not have to be from Tennessee to sign this petition! The Zoo is asking for help.

Step One: catch a bunch of pollen from the tassel.

Mmm, pollen. You'll know it's time when the tassel opens up and has the dangley things (anthers), and you tap it gently, pollen visibly falls out.

I, and a bunch of other people, catch it in a sheet of folded paper, as you can see above.

This makes it easy to do Step Two: sprinkle the pollen on to some receptive silks:

They're ready for pollen as soon as you see the silks. You just kinda tap it on there and the corn does it's thing. I don't know exactly when they stop being receptive to pollen, but I'd bet that if they look browned and dried out it's a no go.

Why would someone want to do this? Well, there's two scenarios that I know of:

1. You don't have enough space to grow enough corn to ensure wind pollination is effective.

2. You are breeding corn and you want to be sure of which plants are pollinating which plants.

The counter-argument: Not having UBI is in the interests of those in power who want to do anything to the people they are in power over in order to remain in power.

They use the money to pay the first and last month’s rent on a better apartment. They buy school supplies and clothes for their kids. They go to the doctor for preventative care, seek mental health support, and get their kids glasses. They start a retirement fund. They can afford better quality food and repairs on their homes, appliances and cars. Many use the money to start a business or invest.

Know what they tend NOT to do? The vast majority do not buy drugs, they don’t drink it all away, they don’t gamble it away and they don’t blow it all on scratchers, iPhones or garish clothes. They aren’t disincentivized to work. None of those things are morally bad or wrong, but they are the most common arguments against UBI: “MEEEHHHHH WE CAN’T GIVE PEOPLE FREE MONEY THEY WON’T WORK AND THEY’LL BUY DRUUUUUGS!” Take a wild guess who is most often accused of spending money on drugs, scratchers and jewelry. Yep, POC. The mythical “welfare queen” we were all told to hate is a racist stereotype based on a handful of anecdotes during Reagan’s presidency and perpetuated by conservative white people who can’t handle the concept of sharing resources with someone who might be a little poorer, sicker, or darker than they are. Using the term “welfare queen” is a good indicator to me that they watch Fox “News” every day and haven’t had a thought of their own since the Gulf War.

And if you’re further confused, I recommend this video for details:

Last year, just to be jerks, the Lege passed a bill aimed at forcing the city of Boise to stop flying the Pride flag outside City Hall, where it has flown for a decade, just a few blocks down the street from the state Capitol.

The 2025 law forbade any flags on public property other than the flags for US America, Idaho, cities and tribes, military services, and a few other official flags of “a governmental entity.” The bill’s Republican sponsor insisted that this wasn’t culture war, heavens no, it was about promoting unity, and America, and “stuff that we can all agree on.”

The Boise City Council promptly turned right around and passed a resolution adopting the Pride flag as one of three official City of Boise flags, and ran the rainbow colors up the flagpole again. Hooray!

Unwilling to accept such rampant disrespect to their edict, Republicans in the Lege this year passed a whole new flag law, this one adding a new rule saying that only official city or county flags “designated prior to 2023” will be allowed.

[...]

Just to be a real prick about it, Gov. Brad Little signed the bill on March 31, the Trans Day of Visibility. Little also signed another far worse bill criminalizing trans people who use bathrooms or locker rooms that match their gender identity, not only in schools and public buildings, but also in “public accommodations,” like private businesses. First offense is a misdemeanor, with up to a year in prison, and a second offense would be a felony, with up to five years in prison. The Idaho affiliate of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates called it “the most extreme anti-transgender bathroom ban in the nation.”

In response to the two new laws, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean ordered the Pride flag lowered outside City Hall, but also presided over a special session of the City Council to honor the Trans Day of Visibility. Choking back tears, McLean said to the Council and an audience of about 60 Boiseans, “Many people in this state and around this country are seeking to divide us. They’re seeking to divide us by targeting the most vulnerable among us. I want the people in this room to know that I see you. We see you. You are wanted, important, and unique members of our community.”

Found these weird little dudes making cocoons. What sort of butterfly do you think they’ll be when they hatch?

Moth Caterpilar - IL, USA:

Hello, yes, this is a bagworm moth caterpillar.

It looks like Evergreen Bagworm (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis).

YES DEFINITELY!!!

Green Tree Snails (Leptopoma taivanum), family Cyclophoridae, Okinawa, Japan

photographs: geeseinflight, Doo-yoon Kim

Green Tree Snails (Leptopoma taivanum), family Cyclophoridae, Okinawa, Japan

photographs: geeseinflight, Doo-yoon Kim

Green Snail (Rhinocochlis nasuta), family Dyakiidae, found near Kuching, Borneo, Malaysia

photograph by sabine_in_singapore

Tree Snail (Amphidromus fuscolabris), family Camaenidae, Ban Phone, Sekong, Laos

photograph via:

Taxonomic review of the tree snail genus Amphidromus Albers, 1850 (Pulmonata: Camaenidae) in Laos, with the description of two new species | European Journal of Taxonomy

Malaysian Fire Snail (Platymma tweediei), family Chronidae, found in 2 montane forests of Malaysia

photographs by @ennisanna_fei

African Land Snail (Lissachatina glutinosa), family Achatinidae, found in parts of East Africa

This large terrestrial snail grows to a shell length of up to 15 cm (5.9 in).

photograph by nanofishology

2 color varieties of the Land Snail, Helicina viridis, family Helicinidae, Dominican Republic

photographs by Carlos De Soto Molinari

Amazonian Giant Snail (Megalobulimus popelairianus), Strophocheilidae, Ecuador

This individual is about 20 cm in total length.

Found on the ground at the side of the trail.

How are we more than halfway through 2026?! Wasn’t it just January yesterday? 🥴 Either way, each new month brings new positive news headlines, and July was no exception! ☀️ Come recap five good news stories from July! 🩵🌺🌊

1. ❤️‍🩹😷 Uganda has been declared free from Ebola!

Authorities in Uganda declared the country free of Ebola following the discharge of the country’s last patient! The country reported cases in May alongside its neighbor Democratic Republic of Congo, which continues to deal with the outbreak — Uganda, however, only ever recorded 20 cases and two deaths, with authorities finding no indication of further spread within the country! Uganda responded swiftly to the public health threat, including contact tracing and postponing potential superspreader events. Part of the reason the response was so successful was due to Uganda having experience in swiftly responding to health crises like Ebola. Uganda for now can breathe a sigh of relief as it continues to educate the public on prevention measures as well as send healthcare workers to Congo to help tackle the virus!

2. 📍🗺️ 7 natural wonders just became UNESCO World Heritage sites — and one country gained its very first!

These newly-christened landmarks highlight Earth’s cultural and natural diversity, from the massive ancient landscape of Greece’s Mount Olympus, to climate-resilient coral reefs in Jordan, to fossils in Denmark that provide clues into the evolution of life on Earth! Joining the World Heritage List’s 26 new sites for 2026, these natural landmarks include the first ever World Heritage site in South Sudan, which annually hosts the world’s largest land mammal migration of six million antelopes!

3. 🚫🧪 Sweden plans to ban all forever chemicals in everyday products by 2028!

PFAs, or “forever chemicals,” are synthetic chemicals that take thousands of years to degrade and pollute the environment, all while being linked to harmful health impacts. The ban’s prohibition of PFAs in commonly-used products like kitchen appliances, clothes, and cosmetics is a victory for both the environment and human health!

4. 💧🌱 Water is returning to the African Sahel!

Groundwater reserves are rising after decades of drought in the region, restoring water to dried water sources! While part of the shift unfortunately comes from increasingly stronger rainfall due to climate change, it is also largely in part to rain-water harvesting. From Ethiopia to Senegal, the drought of the 1970s and 1980s fueled hunger and disease, but as monsoons now grow stronger, today the region shows a vastly different story — near-extinct wildlife are resurging, farmers are planting thriving trees and harvesting higher-yielding crops, and wells and new ponds are filling! One of the most notable transformations can be seen in Lake Chad — one of Africa’s largest bodies of water before drying up during the droughts, the lake is now almost as big as in the 1960s, and is 10 times its mid-1980s size!

5. 💉🍼 Childhood immunization continues to grow globally!

Despite vaccine efforts being threatened by conflict and vaccine hesitancy, in 2025, 90% of infants globally received at least one dose of a diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine, and 85% completed the full three-dose series, an increase from 2024. Compared to 2024, the number of unvaccinated children with no doses fell by nearly 750,000! These numbers reflects the strides made in protecting children's health — in just the past 25 years, government investment, community efforts, and public trust have reduced the annual number of unvaccinated children by 40%!