#ecoscifi

Silent Running

Earth’s last forests are floating in space, cared for by a botanist who loves nature more than people. When orders come to destroy the domes, he goes rogue — with just a few drones and a whole lot of guilt to keep him company.

Fiction, Reality, & Responsibility: #EcoSciFi, #Climate-Change

#EcoSciFi and #Climate-Change) The Tsaeb warriors appeared at a time when Earth’s intelligent creatures were endangering their own existence. War and environmental pollution were destroying the planet. These destructive forces were also sorting out Earth’s intelligent species by extinguishing those least able to compete. Evolutionary trial and error favored the swift and strong, and it favored…

Nature-Conservation News (Animals, Climate, Humans)

Blogging the Nature Conservation News For two years, I’ve blogged about nature conservation and my EcoSciFi work. I’ve written original articles about invasive plants and Arizona wildlife, and I’ve added almost 500 comments to news reports. My busiest day was 22 blog posts and 4,600 visitors. Finding interesting news items, formatting posts, and adding comments is absorbing work, but it leaves no…

This morning I saw the first Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) of the year.  It was flying alone and did not stop to let me take a photo.  Conservation status uncertain.

This week two Sonora Mud Turtles (Kinosternon sonoriense) began sunning on a small branch in my pond.  I thought I saw these turtles in the pond several years ago, but only this year have I had a chance to take photos.  Conservation status=S4, Apparently secure, possible long-term concern (Arizona Game and Fish Department–AZGFD).

In March, a pair of Common Black hawks (Buteogallus anthracinus) reoccupied their nest in a Cottonwood tree by the river.  Now I get a whistled scolding when I go down to feed the nesting ducks.  Conservation status=S3, Vulnerable (AZGFD).

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For their 16th year, the Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) have occupied the tall tree on the edge of the Cow pasture, and two others have occupied the old nest on Green Gulch.  I will have to watch my Gopher population closely.  Conservation status=S5, secure (AZGFD).

Summer Tanagers (Piranga rubra) appeared yesterday.  It seems too early, but here they are.  Conservation status=S4, Apparently secure, possible long-term concern (AZGFD).

Four Mule Deer (two doe and two yearlings) (Odocoileus hemionus) have been browsing around the house.  One of the yearlings might be the one born here last year.  Conservation status=S5, secure (AZGFD).

Mule Deer Mother and Daughter at Coldwater Farm (Garry Rogers April, 2014)

Yearling Doe

Yearling Buck

Mom

Advocating Nature Conservation With Fiction

Nature Conservation Novel

A reader of my novel, Corr Syl the Warrior, emailed a review today that I decided to share.  The novel is my first attempt to use fiction to promote nature conservation.  Arizona librarians chose it as Arizona’s 2014 contribution to the One-Book-One-Community program.  This month, April–2014, you may down the eBook free from www.OneBookAZ.org.

Review of Corr Syl, April 4,…

Death Beneath the Pavement

Death Lies Beneath the Pavement

Entombing the life of the soil.

Beneath the pavement of the street and the concrete of the sidewalk lie the corpses of tiny creatures by millions entombed unknown and unremembered.

“When you thrust a shovel into the soil or tear off a piece of coral, you are, godlike, cutting through an entire world. You have crossed a hidden frontier known to very few. Immediately…