Is time really running out for many of the creatures on Earth? Is human existence really threatened because we are in the sixth mass extinction?
As part of our unit on Ecology, I thought we would focus on endangered species this week. Both the greater sage grouse and the lesser prairie chicken have gotten a lot of recent news coverage on whether or not they would be added to the Endangered Species List. This got me thinking about endangered species in general.
When I started researching endangered species, I got sidetracked by an article in the Huffington Post about "11 Animals We May Allow To Go Extinct Because They're Not Cute and Fuzzy."
Total contrast to the eleven not so cute animals, I also came across the Photo Ark. Joel Sartore is a former National Geographic photographer. He now travels to zoos across the country photographing endangered species for his "photo ark" or portfolio of beautiful photographs. The goal of the Photo Ark is to document biodiversity, educate people about what is happening and get them to care before it is too late.
Check out the Photo Ark:
Your assignment this week is to watch the following Ted Talk.
What did you think? Would you want to be a National Geographic photographer? Do you think the Photo Ark project will work? First, just for this week, I want you each to change your profile picture to an endangered species. Will you pick a cute and cuddly panda bear or the not so cute California Condor? DO THIS FIRST! If you don't do it before you enter your blog response, the images won't show up. See me if you need help with this.
In a scholarly response, answer the questions above. In addition to the questions above, I also want you to describe what biodiversity means to you. What can you do to protect biodiversity? What can you do to increase awareness of the impending sixth mass extinction? I can't wait to see what cool images you pick for your profile pictures. Start off your blog post telling us what animal you picked and why. No repeats please! In honor of Crystal Lake Central, I picked the Sumatran Tiger, Panthera tigris sumatrae. Below is a list of endangered species:
I know it makes me sound even lamer than perceived but I LOVE the Photo Ark and all that it stands for. In a world where the latest mass extinction isn’t by some extraterrestrial asteroid or super bacteria but us documentation is extremely key to the survival and remembrance of the huge amounts of diverse life on our planet. As for my animal I choose to pick something a little strange and in my opinion cute Chinese Crocodile Lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus) for my avatar. Most people I meet see any reptile that isn’t a turtle and want to squash it or kill it claiming it gross or slimy when really they just fear the unknown. As for being a National Geographic photographer nature photography is one of my many hobbies and if paleontology didn’t work out then I could see myself doing it. (Shameless self-plug; http://i.imgur.com/nsru0S4.jpg )
ReplyDeleteNathan,
DeleteI love the Photo Ark too. Hopefully, your generation can turn things around before the 6th Mass Extinction leaves its mark.
I also enjoy the Photo Art. Although, I couldn't see myself becoming a photographer.
DeleteI too love the photo ark, but I cant help but think that its not enough to make people interested in the situation.
DeleteEveryone will have to be on board with this project if they want it to be effective.
Deletedefinitely it would work if we got everyone on board but it also might work if we put it on some type of social media like instagram
DeleteI too take your stance with your opinions on the sixth mass extinction, It is strange how the extinction isn't caused by a strange phenomenon but instead by what we perceive to be normal.
DeleteI love the photo ark as well. I agree with you reptiles are cool, but I am one of those people who kill random insects for fun with out knowing what they are or anything about how it will affect in the long term.
DeleteYes i agree. If we get enough people on board and committed to saving these animals it could make a diffrence
Delete
ReplyDeleteI choose the Asian Elephant Because they are a very important species in their environment and also elephants are adorable. Biodiversity is the variety of all the life form on earth. So all the different animals, species, organisms. We can protect Biodiversity by not letting any animals or species go extinct. I think the Photo ark could work and help stop endangered animals going extinct, because it will get the animals out there and show people that these species ugly or cute do exist. I think by showing people pictures of animals it helps them get attached because who doesn't love seeing animals doing funny things. Once people see this animals they will want to try and save them in anyway possible and by buying photos to donate a lot of people will do it, because they are getting something out of it as well. I think the more you get animals out there the more people are willing to help. For example the polar bears on the coke bottles, cans and commercials that got the idea of the endangered polar bears out there so people started to help. I think being a National Geographic photographer would be cool because you would be able to see all these different species in their natural habitat. But it would also be scary because what if the animals attacked you. We can show awareness of the sixth mass extinction by telling people or putting stuff out about it on social media or hang signs. Also by making your house and the environment you live in wildlife friendly.
For more ways to help go to the websites below…
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species
http://www.endangered.org/10-easy-things-you-can-do-to-save-endangered-species/
I agree with the fact that by seeing the images of these adorable animals, people will get attached and be more likely to want to do their part in saving these species that are going extinct
DeleteI agree with you that people will think highly of the photographs and feel attached to many of them. I really like your ideas on how to get the idea of animal endangerment out in the public eye. Social media and advertisements are huge in our society. We can defiantly use them for the good of biodiversity.
DeleteI thought this ted talk was very interesting and fun to watch. I now have a different perspective on this guys work and others than I did before I watched this video. I would not become a photographer for national geographic only because I that’s not what I want to pursue as my career. I believe that the Photo Art project will work in my option. It’s a very innovative and creative way in order to make a difference and inform the public about extinction. It shows the grace and power and each and every animal, not just the cute ones. Humans must start caring about all of the animals in order to make a difference. To spread the awareness we have to educate everybody on extinction.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Evan I don’t see myself as becoming a national geographic photographer but I do find it intriguing.
DeleteI agree Evan a photographer is not in the list of my career choices either and the amount of time you would have to spend away from home just trying to get one perfect shot is outrageous in my opinion. But, I also think the photo Ark it is a new and appealing way to address the message of extinction and that more will become aware of these problems on our earth.
DeleteI chose the Giant panda bear because I have an obsession with panda bears and they are quickly becoming extinct. Also, I believe they're very important to their ecosystem which they live in. To me, biodiversity means various amounts of different species of any biotic factors. I think we can protect biodiversity by discovering any new species that are not known. Also, making sure no animals go extinct. The more we talk about and share the impending mass extinction the more people will listen and hopefully do something about it. I loved his talk and I would love to take photos of animals and get paid. However, I don't think I would ever be able to go through with it because of the danger factor. I really hope and pray the project will work. I think it has a great chance.
ReplyDeleteYour definition of biodiversity was perfect! And I totally agree with the fact that we would have to watch animals being hurt! I didn't think about that side to it! I agree that if we have the right people working on this project it will go places!
DeleteI totally agree with how fun it would be to do that but it definitely would be dangerous, it would be so great if the project did work.
DeleteI also chose the giant panda! I loved your definition of biodiversity.
DeleteI chose to use the snow leopard as my picture because I went to Florida a few years back and saw a few of these at a big cat rescue center. I think being a National Geographic photographer would be really fun because I am interested by different animals. I would also like the bonus of the possibility of helping endangered animals. I sadly don't think the photo ark project will work because if no other pictures have worked before, why would these? However I truly hope the pictures open people's eyes. Biodiversity is all of the life on earth. That includes the cute and ugly ones. We have to take care of them all.
ReplyDeleteI like your statement in seeing all animals as equally needing to be saved. This thought reminds me of segregation between white people and African Americans in the 1900s, maybe new campaigns will be started to promote the saving of all animals on Earth in our future.
DeleteI chose the Leather back turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) , which is the largest in size and the second most endangered. Having a "Near Threatened" turtle myself, I have a strong love for turtles and would love to never see one concerned endangered.Of course, I would much rather have no endangered species at all. All animals, whether small or big, cute or unusual are important to their ecosystem and have a specific niche that only they can fill out. Personally, I don't think i could ever be a photographer for National Geographic. I can be very clumsy at times and probably would break the camera. However, I enjoy the concept of the Photo Ark campaign as it would definitely help raise awareness to ALL endangered species. If there wasn't awareness and species like the Leather back turtle went extinct, the level of biodiversity would drop drastically. In my eyes, biodiversity is the variety or difference between biotic factors. It is a delicate system that must be protected. To keep it safe, humans must start by convincing other in our species that this is a problem. We, as a species, could reduce the amount of deforestation and over hunting, which causes deviation to plants and animals alike.
ReplyDeleteI love your video clip. That is totally awesome.
DeleteI totally agree with you. We need to start caring for the animals that aren't exactly seen as adorable, because in the end it's only hurting us and our Earth.
DeleteBiodiversity to me means all the living life on Earth and how they interact and respond to their environment. To protect biodiversity we can keep not only humans, but the animals and plants that are beginning to go extinct in some type of area that will keep them reproducing ask to the point where they are no longer extinct. We could also leave the ones that are coming to an end away from those who endanger their lives by keeping areas enclosed in some way to keep the organisms from disappearing completely. I think after seeing this Ted talk that he is 100% correct, we need more people who care as much about a football game as they do about animals that are going extinct. If we had even half as many we would be able to make a change in the world and we would be able to keep these animals alive. I would absolutely positively want to be a national geographic photographer! I believe that if we have enough people who care about the photo ark project we in fact will have enough people to make a difference in the world and make this project possible. I chose the baleen whale because I thought that this is such a big animal how could it possibly be extinct? But truth is it's because we just can't seem to get it together so that they have a safe place to live.
ReplyDeleteI love how you related and brought evidence from the video into your response. And I totally agree with the football analogy. With the amount of hype about throwing a ball around it's sad there isn't the same hype about trying to save animals.
Deletei agree, people care so much about sports and intertainment and dont realize how important it is that species are going extinct.
DeleteI completely agree. If people even cared half as much about extinction of animals as they do Football, or their other favorite sports, it would be a massive change from what is real today. We need to save our planet's animals, not save time to watch the latest football game.
DeleteI chose the African Wild Dog because despite its adorable appearance, this species is one of the most endangered mammals with only an estimated 3,000-5,500 left in existence. They have evolved to have long legs, round ears and social tendencies that can be exhibited in their packs that consist of six to twenty or more dogs. Although, my favorite part about this species by far is their unique, beautiful coat which actually gave them their scientific name (Lycaon pictus) that translates to "painted wolf". One of the major threats to this species is human activity. Humans kill these dogs as well as take away much of their and their prey's habitat. This decline in prey doesn't help with the growing competition with larger predators like lions. Disease has also resulted in population decline in African Wild Dogs as they are prone to the illnesses caught by domestic animals.
ReplyDeleteThe African Wild Dog seems like a wolf...kinda vicious and unattractive. But I liked how you stated how many were still left
DeleteI agree that the wild dog is adorable! Hopefully they won't continue to be endangered for very long.
DeleteI like how you picked an animal that was critically endangered, and how the African Wild Dog is very different and cool.
DeleteI agree that the African Wild Dog is very adorable.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this weeks video, not only because of the cute and cuddly animals they showed in it, but because Joel Sartore spoke the truth. He revealed things in a new light, and made me think of this topic in a way I probably would have never began to think of, if not for this video. In part of his talk, he spoke of the BP oil spill, and how it affected the life that was affected by the said spill. But it was what he said after that, that really had me thinking. To summarize, he said, while many people were talking about the BP spill, not many people took action, because it didn't directly affect their everyday lives. I for one, can agree wholeheartedly that this is true, because I am one of those people. While I thought the incident was terrible and it made me sad that so many animals being killed, or harmed by the oil, I never took action because I was never forced too cause it never changed how I went on about my day. I thought this was pretty interesting, and in general, just some food for thought. I think I would want to be a national geographic photographer because I would have the opportunity to travel and see all the diversity on the planet with all its animal and plant life. For me, it's kind of hard to say whether the photo ark will work or not. I say this because while I love the Idea of the photo ark, I don't know if people will care enough to take action and do something about the photo ark and all the endangered species held within it. To me, I would say that biodiversity means that a full vast selection of life on earth, whether that be plant or animal life, it's equally important that we make an effort to save both. We can protect it by doing something that will make a change, not talking about a certain topic, or sharing some photo of endangered species on Facebook, but actually go out, and do something that you think will make a change. And last but not least, to spread awareness of this ongoing sixth mass extinction tell me people you know who will CARE TO LISTEN and that will actually make and effort to making a difference (like your family, friends, etc.)
ReplyDeleteI feel that many people don't take action because they don't feel they get involved. Sure you can give money, but on rare occasions, unless you live nearby...you cant get deeply involved as you would like to. Personally I would not really feel motivated if I cannot go and help myself. They need to be hands on to really feel motivated. I agree with everything else though.
DeleteI agree that it is hard to find the right group of people who are willing to listen and make a difference in the mass extinction that is happening. I also think that everybody needs to be made aware of the topic because you may never know who will stumble across this video or hear about the extinction through somebody else and make a stand to help the animals that are dying and truly unique to this world.
DeleteI agree what made the video good was the fact that you could tell that he really cared about saving this animals and it really motivated me to.
DeleteI have to agree with you. The photo ark is a cool idea, but it is hard to say if it actually will work. You always see people saying that we need to help endangered species, and then doing nothing themselves. Spreading awareness is great, but there also needs to be a call to action to get people actually doing something to help.
DeleteI completely agree with you. I have always loved animals and I wish I could do more to help. It frustrates me that there isn’t much we can do now, at our age, to help endangered animals. Even most local animal shelters require you to be 16 or 18 to volunteer. One day, I hope to help these animals, so that Earth can stay the beautiful, diverse place that I know it can be.
DeleteI chose the chimpanzee because I just think they are very adorable. I also feel they have a very strong role in human kind. They are what the scientists think that we evolved from and without them, they nor we could evolve even more. We are capturing chimps for entertainment and research which isn't right. They need to live in their natural habitat. There are only 172,700 to 299,700 chimps left. Everyday that number is getting smaller. They are the closest to us and have the most genes that we have. Without chimps the human kind could be in danger.
ReplyDeleteRead more about how you can help protect our cousins in this link
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/captive-u-s-chimps-now-have-endangered-species-protection/
I agree with what you said about how we need to take all the endangered animals away from what is making them endangered. I think they would help automatically with helping these animals stay around. They were put on this earth for a reason and they have a special job on this Earth!
ReplyDeleteI think that he makes a great point because everyone only cares about the animals that are cute and fuzzy and they could careless about the animals that are bald and mean looking. In some cases those cute animals are more important than the other but in other cases that is 100% incorrect. If we didn't have turkey vultures we would see so many dead carcasses that would just rot on the side of the road and in the forest that would smell horrible. I probably wouldn't to be a National Geographic Photographer because it would be cool seeing all these endangered species and all these animals in their natural habitat but that's also a lot of risks. This Photo Ark project might work but everyone will have to be on board with this project. I picked the California Condor because this is the most beautiful animal to me because they do so much for our environment that we should all appreciate them. They are so cool looking to.
ReplyDeleteLove the condor
DeleteI like how you pointed out that they play an important part i an ecosystem often times that is overshadowed
DeleteI totally agree with you and I love your use of explanations and examples.
DeleteThe video is very impactful because it broadens our horizons and shows us that we all need each other and it also shows that the cute and cuddly animals are not the only animals that need help. Even though you might be more motivated to help them all endangered animals need our help not just the cute ones. I think the black rhino is a great species. It is found in Southern Africa and it is an interesting species that is on a fine line in between cute and ugly. If it were me I would not be a Nat Geo photographer because sometimes they have to get very close to dangerous animals to get the perfect photo and that is just not for me. I would rather see it on the T.V screen. I believe that the photo ark project will work because some of the animals that he is photographing are beautiful and with that it looks like wonderful art that I believe people would buy; I would even buy that. I would probably pick the Black Rhino for my profile pick because it looks awesome with it’s huge horn.
ReplyDeleteI chose the Mountain Gorilla because I love Gorillas in the first place, and also that a type of Gorilla going extinct struck me. I thought they were at the top of the food chain. I would not want to be a photographer. I feel like it would be a huge commitment, especially when you have three kids. He stated in the video that he was sent to cover the oil spill for three weeks. For me, that would be a long time to stay away from family. However, just because I wouldn’t do the same myself, doesn’t mean that his job is not important. What he is doing is giving the world a visual on all the bad things happening in the world around us. Unfortunately, I do not think the photo ark will work. There are too many things happening, with the permafrost, and everything else, some animals will go extinct before he has a chance to take a photo of them. Biodiversity means the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat. We can try to contain the animals in a safe habitat, away from everything higher in the food chain. We would then have them reproduce, and try to regrow the species.
ReplyDeleteWebsite: http://www.endangered.org/10-easy-things-you-can-do-to-save-endangered-species/
Alec,
DeleteSounds like you will be an awesome dad some day!
I agree with you that i would not want to be a photographer because it is a huge commitment and unfortunately I don't think the photo ark project will work either.
DeleteIt is surprising the lengths he is willing to go for his career. Although, visual preservation of these species is not only beautiful but may also help in spreading awareness of endangered species if introduced to the public in a smart and effective way.
DeleteAfter watching this video about mass extinction, I truly believe that by further spreading awareness about this problem, people all across the globe can make a difference. In my opinion, biodiversity, the range of all life on earth, is a very important part of life on earth but because of the mass extinction going on, biodiversity is getting destroyed. To protect biodiversity, we as humans need to be more aware of what natural resources we are using and how much pollution we are putting into the air that is causing climate change. Although I do enjoy learning about the different animals all across the world, I don't think I would want to be a National Geographic photographer because of all the dangers I would face and the long hours I would have to wait just to get the perfect shot. I do believe that the Photo Ark Project will work because it helps spread awareness if this issue in a unique way and emphasizes how many endangered species there are in the world. The animal that I chose was the florida panther because not only is it really cute but I can only imagine that it needs a specific environment in order to survive. So if humans do their part so help stop climate change then this species can hopefully be saved.
ReplyDeleteShelby,
DeleteI had never seen a Florida Panther before. Wow...totally cool.
I agree with you that we can make a difference and try and stop extinction. I also believe that the photo ark project will be a great benefit and spread a lot of awareness.
DeleteI chose the Amur Leopard because when I was very little I LOVED leopards and I’m not sure why but I did. I feel that he had a good reason to take pictures of all the endangered animals he can to raise awareness about extinction. If i was given the chance to be a photographer for national Geographic I would love to try because i find taking pictures is really fun and you also get to see really cool places,and some maybe not so cool but that is all part of the fun. Lastly I think the photo ark is a great idea and i am really hoping that it will work because we are not the only living things on this planet and we need to share our environment with all the other animals in this biosphere.
ReplyDeletei agree that the photo arch was a great idea id like to see how may pictures will be in the photo arch when its done.
DeleteI was very intrigued by this video, I thought it was very interesting and I found joy in watching this video. Not only was it educational but it was also very interesting, and humorous. I think it would be incredible to be a national geographic photographer because you get to witness the things that other people would have only dreamed over ever seeing and you get to see different cultures around the world it would be amazing. However I honestly do not know about this Photo Ark idea. The pictures he takes are beautiful and I think the idea is wonderful but I just dont think it is enough to raise the awareness of everyone. I couldnt think of a better idea I just dont think anything is enough to raise awareness because for a lot of people it is not an interesting topic.
ReplyDeleteLuke,
DeleteWay to go! I totally think you are on to something about the Photo Ark. Clearly, I thought it was a great idea, but I wonder how much good it is truly doing.
I agree with you on the photo ark. It's just not really something big enough to raise awareness for everyone.
DeleteI agree with you Luke on the photo ark, there needs to be more to raise awareness for these animals. I do believe it is a good start though.
DeleteFor my profile picture i choose the hawksbill turtle. I choose this because i love turtles and it made me sad that this beautiful turtle is endangered.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this video. I think it highlighted some of the key parts about endangered animals. I like how the video was original and not just a copy of all the other endangered animal videos. It would be really fun to be working for national geographic taking photos of animals and the environment but i also think it would be really sad to see the dying animals. Biodiversity is important to me because i love all the animals and it would be sad to see them die out. To protect them we need to watch what we do because many things could harm the environment and harm the animals.
I love the Hawksbill turtle. Do you know where they live and why they are endangered?
DeleteTurtles are my favorite animal too. I agree that this video is unique and the photo ark was a good idea but I don't think it's raising enough awareness to the problem.
DeleteFor my picture, I chose the Hector’s Dolphin because I fondly remember a childhood obsession with all things marine inspired. I also found its dorsal fin to be intriguing as it it does not resemble the common shape most closely associated with dorsal fins. There are only about 700 left and they need our attention. Biodiversity means a lot to me. It is the incredibly boundless variety of species coexisting in the world. This would be ideal. Unfortunately, biodiversity has morphed into the struggle for survival of a slightly less vast variety of suffering species. The photographer’s pictures were really cool. I like that he is using his strength in photography to shed light on every species, making sure we all know that no species should be of more priority than another. They all matter to their ecosystems. I think the photos are just striking enough to intrigue people to keep clicking through and even find a specific species that they feel passionate about. It would be fairly stressful to be a National Geographic photographer, but in the end it would probably be pretty rewarding. Nat Geo is a well respected and very iconic magazine and it would be a huge honor to have an image of your own featured in its glossy pages. The only thing that would worry me as a nature photographer is not having my camera ready at the single best photo op during a trip. This week's topic was really thought provoking and interesting.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the photos might just be striking enough to intrigue people, and that they might become passionate about helping.
DeleteI honestly thought that John Sartore's photo Ark was a great idea not only can he show off his flare and talent in drawing but he also communicates the message that we need to be more aware of the extinction of spices around us such as the king penguin, African Elephant, Black swan, even Warthogs and so on. I think the Photo Ark is a great tool for the general population to become more aware of endangered spices and animal extinction, I think it will be very successful. Honestly I wouldn't want to be a National Geographic photographer first it would take a lot of knowledge in the use of cameras and how and when to snap a perfect photo. The time and dedication it would take to get a perfect shot and the amount of time you have to spend away from home, to document the endangered spices would be exhausting. Overall, I think John Sartore had a very great idea in mixing 3-d visual appealing art to communicate his message about animal extinction, I think because of this people will all around be more aware of this occurring problem. To me biodiversity is all forms of life scattered across the earth in different regions. To protect biodiversity I can take care of my environment leave every thing the way I found it because for all I know it could be an animal habitat or a place where an animal or spices can get resources to keep the ecosystem flowing. To increase awareness about the sixth mass extinction I could make people aware of the photo ark and let them know what they could do to maintain a stable ecosystem so organisms can get there proper resources to survive and repopulate.
ReplyDeleteAwesome picture of an eagle. I love it!
DeleteI agree, the Bald Eagle even represents the need for Americans to unite in order to end many problems, in this case, extinction.
DeleteThe Ted talk was very interesting and full of information that I was not aware of before. While listening to the talk, I wondered if I would ever go to all the places and locations that he went to just in order to save certain species. The answer is I would go to certain extents to save a species, but I do not think I would be a photographer. To me, biodiversity means the different and exotic life all around us that help us in different ways. I can help protect biodiversity by keeping the places around me clean because trash can often end up suffocating or harming the animals around us. Just as the speaker did we can talk to others around us about the danger of the sixth mass extinction holds and how we ourselves can stop it and make a difference. I chose the cross river gorilla because to me they look intelligent while having a playful and animated personality. Also, these gorillas have been found to stay in forest trees at heights of about 2,000 meters! After watching this video, I feel much more aware of the critical situation that animals are being placed in by human activities.
ReplyDeleteI like your choice of animal and agree with your way to help improve biodiversity. It is something we can all contribute to without even trying that much.
DeleteYeah, I thought the TED talk was interesting too, I was surprised at the information as well. I too feel bad about the animal lives humans are endangering, and feel like we need to do something about it before its too late.
Deletei thought that he made some great points during the ted talk. i didn't realize just how many species are so close to extion i think he is doing the right thing with the photo arch to raise awareness.when he said the thing about how if all the people from the football game were behind saving all these endangered animals that would really get things going, that got me thinking just how little people care about theses things and how much they need to care before it's too late.
ReplyDeleteFor my endangered animal, I chose the Indochinese Tiger. The main reason for this is because I love tigers. They’re definitely my favorite animal since they are so powerful. While I absolutely love the Photo Ark, I don’t think it’s enough to get people to care about all the endangered species while there’s still time and hope. The pictures are amazing, but it’s almost as if that alone is not enough. Personally I think that being a National Geographic photographer would be a very interesting and amazing experience, but it’s just not something I would ever consider as a career for me. The word biodiversity is just a way to describe the many different varieties of all life forms on Earth -- the plants, animals, and microorganisms, along with the ecosystems of which they are a part of. You can study biodiversity throughout the world or even just in a small individual ecosystem. We, as a species, could reduce the amount of deforestation and overhunting in order to slow down or even stop the sixth mass extinction. Each species has a specific niche that it needs to fill, and I think more people need to understand that if all these organisms are falling out of place, life could end as we know it right before our eyes, without any possible way to stop it.
ReplyDeleteI chose a sloth as my profile picture because sloths are in my opinion the coolest animals ever, and I didn’t know they were going extinct. Although I think a photographer for National Geographic could be and interesting job, it doesn’t seem that interesting to me. Although I think the Photo Ark will raise awareness about biodiversity and near extinct animals, I don’t think it will help too much in the long run. To me biodiversity is all the differences in the different animals on earth. I don’t believe I can do anything much to increase the awareness for the sixth mass extinction, but I think it is great that we are learning about it in school, and hopefully that will get other schools to teach about it, and in the end have raised awareness in more than just our school.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, sloths are a very unique animal. Interesting enough how many don't know that these animals are going extinct, maybe that's why people aren't taking into much consideration? We should educate our future generation about our environment.
DeleteI chose the Caramoan Crocodile, for reasons that have nothing to do with Biology. I saw the picture in a slideshow of endangered species and recognised Caramoan from “Survivor: Caramoan”, one of my top five favorite seasons of the CBS TV show “Survivor”. I think that Joel Sartore is dead on in what he implied near the end of the video: American have do not have their priorities straight when it comes to fame and popularity. Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber, the two people that Joel brought up, have done absolutely nothing to deserve our attention. Extinction is- for lack of a better word- bad. It’s bad, it’s happening, and it needs our attention. A world without Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber is a good place to be. A world without biodiversity is not a world at all.
ReplyDeleteI really liked that season in Survivor too! I also agree with you on how he was correct about his statement and how we can fix this problem.
DeleteThe endangered animal I chose to be my profile picture is the Mongolian Saiga. One reason for this is my family’s fondness for species with extended and unique noses. I think that the photo ark will not help to stop the extinction of animals. Few people will take the time to look at the ark and learn about the animals, and even less people will try to make a difference and save the animals. In my opinion, a step that could be made to save the world from a sixth mass extinction would be the government requiring money to help save animals, through taxes or other means.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of the Mongolian Saiga it looks pretty cool. I agree though that the ark will not work people just don't care about the environment and endangered species.
DeleteI agree with you one the thought that the Photo Ark will not catch on, but I don't think the only way to fix it is federal funding. I think something as simple as a web advertisement would spread it enough for it to catch on and become something as popular as it needs to be.
DeleteI picked the macaw because it's colorful and I learned about them when I was younger. Personally I would not like to be a national geographic photographer because the job seems dangerous and I don't like being outside for long periods of time. To me biodiversity is the idea that there is many different animals in a community. I do not think the project will work since people do not really seem to care about endangered species. to protect biodiversity we could use less paper so we do not destroy the ecosystems because without trees many animals will not have homes. If we do not protect biodiversity then more ecosystems will collapse causing a chain reaction meaning potentially less plants meaning co2 will be taken out of the atmosphere as well.
ReplyDeleteI really like your macaw you got there, it's very beautiful. I completely agree with your statement about the nation geographical photographer, I didn't think of how long you'd be away from home when you were taking photos/etc. I like your idea on the biodiversity solution I would not have thought of that.
DeleteThe ted talk speaker was hilarious especially when he started talking about all of the Christmas cards. Besides the hilarious cards he brought up a good point, the people who are apart of my generation don't really care about what's going on in the world around them. We’re too preoccupied with all of the information that social media is feeding us like what celebrity is marrying who. I would not want to be a field reporter for National Geographic because I don't exactly like nature but if I liked nature that would definitely be something I would love to do. I think that the photoark would work better if it was posted on some version of social media (probably instagram) because so many people use these media platforms.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea about the social media. I think you should email Joel.
DeleteI chose the Brown Bear because they are my favorite animals and I believe they are truly special animals that should not go extinct. Biodiversity is super cool because it is the different variety of living organisms that we see and interact with everyday. Without biodiversity our life would be bland and boring. It will be very difficult to stop the sixth mass extinction but it is possible. We cannot put this off anymore more because it is upon us. One way we can stop this from happening to to stop destroying the ecosystems like how we are destroying marine ecosystems with water pollution or the rain forests with the cutting down of trees. Another big way to save the biodiversity is to stop hunting and killing these organisms that are endangered. I really hope this Photo Ark works and raises awareness.
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ReplyDeleteI chose the Amur Leopard because when I was very little I LOVED leopards and I’m not sure why but I did. I feel that he had a good reason to take pictures of all the endangered animals he can to raise awareness about extinction. If i was given the chance to be a photographer for national Geographic I would love to try because i find taking pictures is really fun and you also get to see really cool places,and some maybe not so cool but that is all part of the fun. Lastly I think the photo ark is a great idea and i am really hoping that it will work because we are not the only living things on this planet and we need to share our environment with all the other animals in this biosphere
I picked the three toed pygmy sloth as my animal. I picked this animal because sloths are my favorite animal! Although I want the photo ark project to work, I don't think that it will. People just don't pay attention to anything but themselves. I would love to be a national geographic photographer because I love taking pictures and I love animals.
ReplyDeleteI originally was going to pick a really basic animal. But then I saw the Orinoco Crocodile on the side. I really like crocodiles. So that's why I choose the Orinoco Crocodile. Biodiversity to me is all the different biotic and abiotic factors and how they're different. If we start to lose biodiversity we will have less species. All species here on Earth play important part in the world. I can protect it by trying to spread awareness about species going extinct. If this problem does not stop, the world will be in a crisis. A crisis so bad that that we ourselves will go extinct and the world will just be a bunch of dead plants and extreme weather conditions. It’s very important to solve this problem and I’m glad Joel Sartore is raising awareness about it.
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ReplyDeleteI chose the yangtze finless porpoise because not only are they adorable, but if this species was to go extinct it would be the second breed of dolphin to go extinct. In order to protect biodiversity we need to start by realizing that it's our job to help protect the animals in danger. I think the photo ark really shows people that there are animals going extinct besides panda's.After seeing all the pictures I don't think i'll want to become a photographer for national geographic any time soon.
I agree with you. The photo Ark helps capture all the diverse animals that are endangered. I also am definitely not being a photographer after the brown bear pictures were shown!
DeleteI too, do think that it is our job to give these animals that don't have their own voice a chance, and help them in any way possible.
DeleteI thought this ted talk was very informing, and it made me thing about how we could do a lot to stop the extinction of so many animals. I have nothing against National Geographic photographer's, but personally I wouldn't want to have this profession, because I don't find any interest in the topic. I think word got out about The photo ark project, and enough people knew that so many animals were going extinct, it would have pretty high chance of working. Biodiversity is the variety of different types of life found on earth. Something I can do to protect biodiversity on this earth would be, to be more cautious of animals, because so many are becoming extinct. Something I could do to increase awareness of the impending sixth mass extinction would be to spread the word, and show many people the photo ark project.
ReplyDeleteI choose the red panda because it is very cute and also a cool animal. I personally wouldn't want to become a National Geographic photographer but I think that the photo ark can make a positive impact on raise awareness about extinction. People will be very interested in it and it can become a topic that people are interested in and want to stop. Biodiversity is a very important thing for this world. To make sure we have biodiversity in this world we can reduce the amount of pollution we produce, this can help control the climate change, which is strongly affecting many animals and causing them to reach extinction. This is a major issue because even if though you don't realize this on a daily basis most animals have a purpose and provide something. If all the animals become extinct if would be hard for the Earth to support life. To increase awareness you can talk about this and a good step is even changing your profile picture because other students and teachers will see this picture and maybe it will interest them and they will look it up. There are so many ways that we can slow down extinction and also there are ways that we can raise awareness.
ReplyDeleteI picked the cotton top tamarin because it was just looking through endangered species list and found them. Not ever even having a clue that such a thing like this is almost all gone.I agree with the speaker that people who are apart of this generation don’t care about what’s going on around them. We often get occupied in social media and fitting in school.I would love to be a national geographic photographer because it means I would be able to travel the world and see many new species of animals I had never heard or seen before.Biodiversity to me is having all sorts of different species of animals in an ecosystem or biome. We can protect biodiversity by protecting habitat in really diverse rather than forcing animals from their home just so we can make a huge mall.We can spread awareness of the sixth mass extinction by advertising in using social media and through television so that every group of person whether child or adult will be able to see it.
ReplyDeleteI chose the Gray Wolf because I think wolves are pretty rad and need to be saved so that 100 years from now people will still be able to see their beauty. Being a National Geographic photographer would be really awesome actually because then you would be able to see all these different types of species in all different places of the Earth, like the Gray Wolf, and really learn about them up close. The Photo Ark definitely worked for me and I hope it worked for others too. If it was shown to more people, I'm sure it would work for them as well. It really brings to your attention how many animals are in deep trouble and only we can help them. To protect biodiversity, us humans have to first realize our faults, and work to fix them. We can only alleviate this issue if we start working now. Even if we started being more careful about what we put into our environment and start using Earth-friendly products that are ultimately negatively impacting the wildlife, we would still be reducing the size of this problem. Like the TED guy said, we can save these animals, some by making some easy changes, but we actually have to start paying attention and caring. This topic needs to be spread around more and taught to our generation because it is us that need to step it up and work to fix the problem before it gets any worse. I honestly think it's sad that some species that aren't necessarily "cute" or "cuddly" to the eye of others are on the verge of extinction and they won't even be around for our grandchildren to see because nobody ever thought to care about them. We really need to save these animals. Now.
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ReplyDeleteThe part that really caught my attention was when he talked about the koala bears and how much got killed in one week.This was because humans don't think twice before they do something they pretty much just do it like building buildings they build them for the population that is going to continue to grow. I think that his program is actually going to work very well because he wants to show people about the animals we our killing off and this might actually make people think different or they can carry on and the once one thing goes extinct then it will be like dominos and all fall. When i grow old and like am 60-70 i would totally do this because it seems really cool to go out and take pics of wild life but the sad part is that they are going extinct.
For my endangered animal, I chose the Vaquito. It seems like a very interesting animal and it is critically endangered. I wouldn’t want to be a national geographic photographer. It seems like a job that takes a lot of patience and luck. I believe the Photo Ark can create a difference and stop the 6th mass extinction before its too late. It will raise awareness to all the amazing wild life that will cease to exist if we don’t make a change. Biodiversity to me means, a variety of different animals in an environment together. The Photo Ark could help protect this by making sure none of those animals go extinct. By educating more and more people about this major crisis, we will be able to come up with efficent ideas in order to serve and protect our wild life.
ReplyDeleteFor my endangered animal, I choose the Red Panda because not only are they adorable, and who wouldn't want to save these cute little guys, but also because maybe if people saw what they might kill off they would re-think that next stuffed animal head they want to mount in the living room.
ReplyDeleteBiodiversity means to me that there are other living things on the earth that are just as important as we are. Even though that bee you just stepped on might seem small and insignificant, it has a big role to play in our life and we need to help them just like they help us.
I think that Joel Sartore has the right idea, there are so many animals that are going extinct because of humans and that we really need to do something about it. I love that he is a photographer for national geographic that actually cares about the environment, and I really think that his photos can make a difference. If I had the option to work for national geographic, I would definitely take the job as a photographer so that I could go to cool new places and photograph animals and the places. I love to take pictures anyway so this would be my dream job, plus I would be helping something that I believe needs help. I don't really think that the photo ark project will work though. I know that not many people read the National Geographic so only a small part of the population will see what he is trying to do, but I have mixed feelings about it. I do believe that if a group of people convinced there friends that it was worth our time, then it could have a chain reaction and maybe things would change, but i feel like that is out of our reach. Over all I think that we need more people like this in the world and that Joel should be taken seriously, if we all help, we can change the world.
I chose the sun bear because it is an animal most would not want to be rid of, regardless of its population slowly advancing to critically endangered. We need to raise awareness about all endangered species, in order to protect biodiversity and to inform people of how they are affecting the environment around them. We can improve biodiversity by trying to reduce farm space to allow ecosystems to rebuild. While I could never see myself being a National Geographic photographer (due to my lack of creativeness), I do think that Joel Sartore's efforts to raise awareness through the Photo Ark is a great idea. I think it will be a great way to let people know that humans aren't the only species we should care about.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this photographer was crazy. He risked his life daily an committed himself to his work just for a few pictures. I admire his dedication but he was psychotic. However, I think that his idea to raise awareness for the animals was very thoughtful and quite frankly brilliant. I also noticed how unaware everyone was of this problem with the endangered species. It's amazing how careless our society is getting. I would love to be one of these photographers. I would get paid hundreds of dollars an hour for a crazy thrill ride that would really excite me. I'd be both terrified and excited everyday. As for the photo ark project, I think that it's a good idea but I don't think it will work. People don't even care enough to buy these remarkable photos. In my eyes, it's pointless, I respect their determination though. I chose a little fox for my photo because it was cute and something I'd never heard of. It was more than just a basic fox.
ReplyDeleteI think his TED talk was very inspiring and emotional. He was able to make it funny whilst touching us and making us feel anger and compassion towards the animals and us humans. I would consider being a Photographer for National Geographic because you get to have fun and see a whole biodiversity of species and learn more about them in the process. The photo ark should work. It's a shame they cant get chimps. The photo ark to me shows the innocence of the animals and that they all have some beauty and happiness inside. Biodiversity means to me that all life around us is different but even though they are different they are all connected in a way whether it be Food Web or close cousin species. To protect Biodiversity we must not only focus on the cute animals but focus on all because you need to save all the species to save one. To increase awareness about mass extinction, we must do what the National Geographic photographers are doing and show the beauty in animals not just their nasty side, to show them their importance in saving other animals. I picked a jaguar because they seem like a not so cuddly creature, but to me, they are sneaky and live on trees. That's cool.
ReplyDeleteI chose the leaping lesbian lizard for my endangered animal, because the Ted Talk had me go back and actually change my picture a second time to find the bizarre, the weird, the funny pictures and animals. So I had started searching for bizarre endangered animals, and I found a species of asexual lizards, who are all female. Now I think that the entire world as a whole needs to get its act together about endangered species. There should not be this many extinct and endangered species on this planet. It’s really disappointing that we havn’t found that out already. However, I would not want to promote this by being a National Geographic photographer. I would get so bored waiting to see animals so I can paste a pretty picture for people to stare at instead of reading the article the pictures for and learn why I took the picture. To know what needs to be done about these species and how we have the potential to save them. Although I strongly believe that the Photo Ark project will work. I say this because a lot of people judge. They think about how pretty an animal looks, and if it isn't pretty then it's dumb and not worth saving. The Photo Ark project doesn’t do that, it will take and post a picture of any animal or species that is endangered or posed to be extinct. This will raise awareness of all the endangered animals that are in need of saving. Lastly I think that biodiversity is how many different types of abstract organisms there are, when compared to each other. Like how the leaping lesbian lizard is pretty different from the leopard. We need to see how important the biodiversity of life truly is and protect as many endangered organisms as humanly possible. The sixth mass extinction could be upon us, we need to show everyone what the world would be like if these species were lost. To see how even though the loss of the species may not affect you directly, it will affect everyone on a global scale. Let people see how important these organism’s lives are and why they need to be saved.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the people need to see what will happen to the world if endangered species and the biodiversity of life isn’t taken seriously. If species continued to go extinct and we didn’t care, we would be next, and I don’t think anyone wants that to happen. So I think the Photo Ark should be supported more to raise the awareness of these issues as well.
ReplyDeleteI chose the red panda, because I have always thought these animals are cool. Every time I have gone to a zoo I try to find the red panda, because they intrigue me. I think being a photographer for national geographic would be cool, because you would spend days outside with nature. You would be able to have so many great experiences and interact with so many animals. I think photo ark is a great start to raising awareness, but I don't believe it will be enough. If he build on this idea he could make it into something special, but as of now I think it needs some work. The pictures are really great and cool though. The video overall was pretty cool, and the Christmas cards were pretty funny. I believe this video was very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI chose the African wild dog because I thought it was cool that it was an opportunistic predator and can run 44 miles per hour. Although I think this picture is really cool I would not want to be a national geographic photographer because I feel it would be really boring sitting out in the wild for hours alone trying to get cool pictures of animals. One cool thing about the job would be as a photographer you would get to travel the world and see exotic places and things. Unfortunately I do not think the photo ark project would work because although people enjoy the pictures I don't think it is enough to make people take action to save animals from extinction. I think it will definitely educate people but I still don't think it is enough.
ReplyDeleteThe endangered animal I chose was the Indian Elephant, the only real reason I chose it was because it looked cool. Here's a website on them: https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/indian-elephant I thought his job was really cool and all, and I really like photography but I couldn’t do it. It would be really fun to go all over and photograph things but personally I couldn’t see myself doing it as a career. Biodiversity is the variety of organisms on earth. In order to protect biodiversity we need to A. Keep our current endangered species going and then B. find new species out in the wild. As for increasing awareness to the impending sixth mass extinction I would start off by sharing videos like this on social media, to friends/family, etc. The next thing we need to do is get in touch with some bigger people that have a large following that will help this cause, Ex: Hire a celebrity and have them go see some endangered animals and get their followers/fans aware of these problems. Once people are informed they will hopefully share it to the friends/family and someone will think of a better solution than our current ones. I really hope we help these endangered animals in the future.
ReplyDeleteMy endangered animal was the Mexican Bobcat. I chose this cat because I love wild cats. They are all so beautiful and graceful. I believe the Photo Ark is amazing, but I don't think it will be able to reach the whole world. The photos are great, but it's just not enough to get people wanting to make a change. Also, not everybody has the technology to view these photos. We can protect biodiversity by protecting all animals. If we keep our organisms safe, we won't have to genetically modify or even lose a whole species. To me, it means protecting the earth as a whole. I would LOVE to be a National Geographic photographer. It is so awesome how he gets to travel the world and see exotic animals all the time. He has an opportunity that not a lot of people get.
ReplyDeleteI would want to be a national geographic photographer. It seems like a great experience to travel around the world. I have never traveled outside of this country, so all that I know about other countries and ecosystems is through stories like this. I have travelled to a lot of places within this country though, so I also have some experience of places within this country too. Honestly I hope that the photo ark project will work, it would really throw off the communities and ecosystems which the animals live in if one went extinct. We can protect biodiversity by donating to the foundations which protect these animals and by raising awareness of these endangered species. We should be able to increase awareness of this sixth mass extinction by telling people about how many species we have made extinct so far, and by showing the endangered species as well. The reason I chose the Sage Grouse as my profile picture is because I have known about it since I was two, I always thought it looked really cool and since that moment it has been one of my favorite animals, it would be just awful if it went extinct because It is really important to the grasslands.
ReplyDeleteThe animal i chose was the Hector's Dolphin. I chose this animal becuase i thought it was cute and it's different from most dolphins that people think about. I think that what he is doing is a very good thing. By him taking pictures of different endangered animals and showing what happens to them when humans began to impact their lives he’s able to show the world what we’re doing, which will force us to think about what we’re doing. I think it would be really cool to take pictures for National Geographic, but I would never be able to wait that long for one picture. I do think that by doing the photo ark project it will raise awareness about all the animals that are going extinct not just the ones that are cute and cuddly.
ReplyDeleteI would love to be a National Geographic Photographer. Joel has such a powerful job that can send a message to others. You know what they say a picture is worth 1,000 words. When he took the picture of the koalas, it was seen world wide and sent a huge message. In addition, art has a way of unifying us, and sending a message to those who don't know what's going on. We need to shed light to the darkness of the dilemmas in the world. It starts with us, we can make a difference, we can't wait for others to do it. Also I think it would be fun traveling and having an adventure has you learn about cultures, animals, environment etc.
ReplyDeleteI chose the endangered animal, the Pigmy Marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea), as my picture this week because I found this animal to have very unique looks and qualities. It is sad that this unique creature is going extinct, but while reading this article I learned that many cool and diverse animals are going down the path to extinction. As I read, I discovered that humans are in fact one of the main causes of this issue. We are killing the “not so cute animals” and attempting to save some of the cutter ones. I had never thought of it that way, how we only try to help the animals we feel safe and secure around. That was a very good point the article made, and I was happy to read that someone has been trying to show the unique beauty in every animal through pictures. Joel Sartore, a Nation Geographics photographer, has been taking pictures of endangered animals in a project he calls, the Photo Arch. I think that is a very cool way to show how each animal is worth saving. I do think, or hope, that this Photo Arch project will speak to many and send them a wake up call to try and help these animals. Sartore told of all the wild encounters he has had with these animals through being a magazine photographer, although cool, I don’t think I would want to be a photographer. I don’t know if I would be up for coming in such close contact with some of these animals. Hopefully, this photo project can help inform people, like me, about the severity we face of a 6th mass extinction, and solve this problem before it’s too late.
ReplyDeleteI chose the silky sifaka for my profile picture because I love monkeys and the fact that I found it very cute.However,despite me choosing it for its cuteness,I also love the ones that are not cute.People find me weird whenever i tell them that i love bugs and insects. My love for them isn't based on their appearance (though I find them very cool),but based on how important they are to us.They do so much in our life yet we don’t really appreciate them.I can totally see myself as a National Geographic photographer.It is a very cool job and it helps endangered species.I do think that the Photo Art project is a great idea but I don’t think it will work as much as we would want it to.Everyone needs to take part in action in order to have big results. We could all participate in fundraisers or simple just stop using electronics and get involved with the environment.To me,diversity is the variety of life.
ReplyDeleteI chose the loggerhead turtle because I’ve always had a fascination with marine life. This organism also shows the biodiversity of our world. Biodiversity is important to me because I think it’s really cool that there are so many different animals on our planet. In order to increase awareness for mass extinction it’s ideal to educate people about the environment so that people can better understand what’s happening and may be able to help. I thought that this video was very helpful in teaching people about the threat that species are facing. A job as a National Geographic photographer would be an occupation that I think I would enjoy. I love animals and taking pictures of them for my job would be amazing especially if I was helping to keep them safe. In my opinion, I think the photo ark will have a significant effect on how people think about endangered species. Being able to see pictures of the animals and understand how beautiful, innocent and vulnerable they are will convince others to protect these endangered species.
ReplyDeleteI think that this project will work. It will make people think twice about there actions and realize the beauty of these animals and what large roles they play in our society. This campaign mad me re think what I normally do. I normally think about elephants and pandas being endangers but what you don't realize is how many others there are that you just can't see. It made me think about the others and how the cute and cuddly animals arnt the only animals that keep the world going there's other animals too! Important ones! Even though this campaign made me think twice I could never be a wildlife photographer! It seems like a dream job and a once in a life time opportunity but those people are out there for weeks on end. I simply don't have the patience. But good thing Somone does because this is changing the way many people look at animals and how they treat endangers species. I choose this Amina's because I think it symbolizes that even though there are cute and cuddly animals many are not and many of them are goingb extinct.
ReplyDeleteFor my profile picture I chose a Sumatran Orangutan. I chose this because Orangutans show very well the nature of endangered species. They are defenseless to the power of mankind, and have not done anything to deserve how they have been treated. Anyways, the Ted Talk was very effective in bringing me into the topic of endangered species, and informing me of how very immediate this danger is. He gives shocking statistics about these animals, and all along provides pictures that made me feel like I need to help, now. I personally would want to be a National Geographic Photographer because I think it would be amazing to travel the world and get inside looks on magnificent animals rarely seen in the wild. On the other hand, it could also be a depressing job, because you see these animals everyday and just feel guilty for all the terrible things mankind has done to nature. I do think that the Photo Ark will work because it showcases a side of these animals most wouldn’t picture. It makes anyone that looks at them want to help, to make a change in the world. Nothing like this has been done before, so for Joel Sartore to do this is groundbreaking to say the least. Onto biodiversity, to me this word means just the enormous amount of different species our Earth holds, and how each species has their own distinct characteristics that makes nature beautiful. What I can do to protect biodiversity is question where the wood my parents buy is coming from, to make sure it is approved for logging. Also reusing paper means less trees are cut down, lowering the demand for more forests to be cut down. To spread the word I could tell my friends about this issue, and teach them ways to preserve biodiversity.
ReplyDeleteI chose the Galapagos Penguin because I think penguins are cool and I love the color they are. Black and white are the best combination for a animal. I enjoyed the toted talk, it was very amusing and at the same time informative. The photo ark are incredibly amazing, however I am not interested in becoming a national geographic photographer. I mean its pretty cool to go around and take close up pictures of animals, especially ones that probably will be the last of their kind. Its cool and all to people who are into photography and science but its not for me. I don't think the photo ark will work by itself but it its a good way to start a way to show the world what's happening in their surroundings. What I can do to protect about biodiversity is try to promote it kind of ish, the more people I inform about the different type of animals that are going extinct the more people they'll tell. Together we can be the voice for this animals going extinct, like in the video said, we need to learn how to use our money and what to waste it on. Lets stop wasting it on things that we know affects the atmosphere which affects the habitats of animals that causes them to go extinct. Another thing that was mentioned and that I completely agree with is to start making kids more a wear of what happening in the world, but make it sound cool so they get interested in helping because we are the next generation and we need to fix what has been caused by our ancestors and learn of their mistake.
ReplyDeleteSadly we know that the human raise are very selfish and we really wouldn't care about any species being extinct unless it affects us. To help solve this problem and prevent the sixth mass extinction I believe we should inform people not just what would happened to the animals but what will occur for the absents of some species and how it'd will affect us. I think this is the only way to make people care and do something about it, even if it is for a selfish reason but we will save the human raise by saving our neighbors species.
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First, a little bit about my choice of profile picture: I chose the narwhal, mostly on impulse. After all, narwhals are basically the closest thing on Earth to a real-life unicorn. A couple of other facts about the narwhal would be:
ReplyDeleteThey can dive as far as a mile and a half below the surface of water
Their horn is actually a giant tooth, and some have two of them, with one of them hiding under the surface of their skin
The lives of narwhals are threatened by climate change, underwater sound from large ships, and oil and gas development
That last fact is a bit of an intro into the main topic of this post. Hundreds of animals - including the narwhal - around the world are endangered. That means that we need to increase awareness for these animals and what threaten their lives; for the sake of Earth’s biodiversity...
Traveling around the world and seeing nature at its best, all while helping to bring awareness to the ecological issues that challenge our planet? Sign me up! While I’ve never been particularly interested in a career in photography, the way that Joel Sartore describes his job makes it seem like an adventure with a purpose vital to our biodiversity. Biodiversity - the variety of life on Earth - is not just beautiful and important. When a species is wiped out, our children and their children after us don’t get to witness them in the flesh as we’re able to. Imagine generations after us visiting a zoo and not being able to look at the tigers, the elephants, the lions… because they’re no longer there. That may seem a bit depressing, but that’s nothing compared to the more drastic repercussions. Without certain animals preying on/being prey for other animals, entire ecosystems can fall apart. That is - in short - not good. So, how are we supposed to protect our biodiversity and ultimately slow down (or even stop) the next mass extinction that is just around the bend? Well, the first and most important step in this reformative process is increasing awareness for this problem. People such as Joel Sartore have taken dramatically positive actions to increase knowledge of biodiversity, and the issues that face our environment. Projects such as the Photo Ark can be created using your own talent and skill, or (if you’re untalented like I am) you can share such projects to others around you. While it might not seem like such small actions could create such dynamic change, in due time our whole world will know about this important issue, and the only step after that is forward towards solutions.
I feel that even with the support coming from the Photo Ark, the endangered species will eventually die off instead of returning to a normal population count. The Photo Ark is a good cause, but I hadn’t heard of it before. I listen to an average amount of news and radio and never hearing about this makes me feel like other people, potential supporters, haven’t heard about it either. The Photo Ark is dependant on how many people know about it, it runs off of people seeing it, raising awareness, and purchasing portraits, without this it will never work. Even after saying this, I still think that saving these animals is important, and I think biodiversity is important and needs to be saved. One way of helping biodiversity is to advertise it, tell people you know about the Photo Ark and hope they tell people they know, after all I’m sure it wouldn’t take too long to spread pictures of cute endangered animals across social media.
ReplyDeleteI think it really is terrible that we as a species it allowing any of this to happen, it really sickens me. That guy is so brave because I could never be a national geographic photographer for my life. I really hope that the pictures work, cause I do belief that pictures speak 1000 words and it can connect to people's. Hopefully the biodiversity or the all the different animals in the world, so hopefully I make the right decisions with my pocket. So that I can lead by example to everyone else in the world can see that change can be made.
ReplyDeleteI believe the photo ark project could work. My only concern is people not taking it seriously. I feel like people would see the photo ark, think *Oh that's so cute* or *Oh thats weird* then walk away. When really the intended purpose is to help save these animals instead of just think they are cute or weird.
ReplyDeleteI chose for my photo the american black bear. I personally love bears in general, and black bears I feel like black bears shouldn't really be endangered. They are usually very peaceful unless provoked, and itś kind of our fault why theyŕe endangered.
I picked the black footed ferret because I’ve always thought ferrets were really cool animals and I wanted on as a pet for a long time. To me, biodiversity means a variety of life forms together on Earth. I really enjoyed the photo ark. The black or white backgrounds make your eyes go straight to the animal, nothing else to distract you from the fact that this animal is near extinction. I think it’ll draw people’s attention to the problem. Even if that doesn’t completely get them, there should be commercials made explaining what would happen to the ecosystem if these animals suddenly weren’t here anymore. I feel like that would help especially with the not so cuddly animals. I really like photography and I think it’d be so cool to travel across the world taking pictures. It’s something I’d love to do one day, with National Geographic or not.
ReplyDeleteI would love to be a photographer for National Geographic. These images, if made more public, could have a long lasting impact on the preservation of many species. Just as big brand name companies visually advertise their products, I believe if these photographs and photographs like them were made more public, people would be more aware of how many species are endangered. Being a photographer gives the speaker the opportunity to travel and ensue an artistic career while making a difference. If I could do the same, I would.
ReplyDeleteFor my profile picture, I picked the Saola. This animal caught my attention because it's so different and I've never heard of it before. Actually, we don't even know how big the remaining population is, but the estimate is a few hundred at most, and a few dozen at the least. There are so few of these animals left because their habitats have been destroyed for human purposes. Humans should be a lot more focused on protecting the biodiversity and all the endangered animals on Earth, especially because it's mainly our fault they're close to extinction. I agree with how the Ted Talk said if half the people who are so focused on football paid attention to saving these species, they'd be much better off.However, I wouldn't want to be a photographer. I think it would be hard for me to see all the animals and how close to extinction they are. the photo ark doesn't seem like it will help very much either. I's very interesting to see the animals, but it also makes people like the cute animals more, but ignore the less cute ones. Finally, biodiversity is the uniqueness of life. It's something that simply should never decrease or end, which is why it's so important to spread awareness that a mass extinction is closer than most people might think.
ReplyDeleteI chose the poison dart frog as my animal. This was because I really like frogs, and these ones look cool too, not to mention how they have a killer predator defense system. I really liked the photo ark, but I don’t know if it will work. So many people nowadays just live in their own world, and don’t really think about anything else in the world. Biodiversity to me means all the animals on Earth, not just the cute and cuddly ones. If we don’t prevent a 6th mass extinction, there will no longer be such a diverse world. As Americans, we could nominate a day to be held as Extinction awareness day, so more people around the country knew what we had to do to keep these species from going extinct, and possible prevent a 6th mass extinction.
ReplyDeleteI thought this Ted Talk was actually quite interesting and enjoyable. John Sartore’s Photo Ark was a brilliant idea. The images really show the beauty of each endangered animal. I chose the panda bear for my profile picture because they are coming instinct and I’ve always had a great love for them. Biodiversity to me is the variety or different types of life in the world or ecosystem. To protect biodiversity, we need to stop poaching animals and respect their habitats. We need to educate everybody about extinction.
ReplyDeleteFor my endangered animal I chose the dugong, an animal closely related to the manatee. I chose this animal because it is not well known. Along with the fact, that I have always had an interest in manatees and marine life.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video, I am extremely concerned for endangered animals. While Photo Ark is a great idea, I feel that it won’t bring enough attention to this subject. One of the most amazing things about our planet is the diversity of life. It would be horrible to lose so many species because no one bothered to save them. This video has really gotten me thinking about what I can do personally to help. I’ve included two links about how we can help different animals in the wild and in our community.
How we can personally help endangered species:
http://www.endangered.org/10-easy-things-you-can-do-to-save-endangered-species/
How we can help animals in our community:
http://www.humanesociety.org/action/55_actions_to_help_animals.html?credit=web_globalfooter?referrer=https://www.google.com/
I loved this presentation! This man made so many good points about how extinction is a very important subject that should be a main concern for a lot of people. I also was enlightened to the biodiversity of the endangered species. Before i watch this video, I didn't know that there were so many animals that were endangered and how serious it is. The man also really made me see how amazing a job to help the environment really is. Because of this video, i will become more concerned about the welfare of endangered animals.
ReplyDeleteThis Ted talk was very motivational and made me think more about what I need to do for the world to save endangered species. If we all just make little changes and avoid polluting the world, we can save many animals. Before I watched this video, I didn't realize how many animals are endangered. I would want to be a photographer for National Geographic because I would know that I was making a difference for the world. This is a very good idea because when people see this, they think about the decisions they've made to affect the world.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this video, I think Joel is finding creative ways to bring attention to endangered species. I would definitely love to be a photographer for National Geographic, it would be cool to see animals in their natural habitat. I think Joel’s idea with the photo ark is a great thing, and will definitely raise awareness for the cause.
ReplyDeleteIn honor of the endangered species week I chose the macaw as my profile picture because it seemed like a beautiful animal and for some reason always reminds me of my family. Anyways the ted talk is something i enjoyed to watch with him being a national geographer which pretty cool and probably an awesome experience , however this career choice is not really for me (not to good with nature). In the video he talked about the photoarc and how it could save the endangered species.. to me i do not think this enough because pictures are cute but that's all there is. The word Biodiversity to me means that it is the variety of different types of life found on earth that interact and without this our life would be pretty boring. I believe we as a nation have to act fast to stop the sixth mass extinction and i do believe it can be done. Some ways we could do this is maybe just flat out keeping the ecosystems safe and out of harm's way so no hunting these animals or polluting their environment. Overall we as a nation have to act fast by doing something to save these cute yet awesome animals.
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