Author: Andrea L. DiGiorgio, Princeton University | Published: February 14, 2024 8:20am EST One of the biggest privileges of being a primatologist is spending time in remote locations with monkeys and apes, living near these animals in their habitats and experiencing their daily lives. As a 21st-century human, I have an immediate impulse to take […]
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Tag: Ethics
EwA Dog Poo Data Campaign
The EwA Dog Poo Data Campaign Call for Field Volunteers You must have noticed poop in bags (and not in bags) in urban green spaces, parks, and reservations? This is not just a smelly issue or an esthetic problem. Dog waste is an environmental pollutant that contaminates water supplies and is hazardous to both wildlife […]
Environmental Worldviews Glossary
Environmental Worldviews–A Short Glossary of Terms Compiled as a resource for EwA’s Ethics courses. Ethics Courses: [EwA-E1] Positive Eco-Ethics in a Human-Dominated World | [EwA-E2] Conservation Biodiversity Research & Field Ethics [Disclaimer] This compilation only intends to list a few mainstream environmental worldviews. We invite our readers to explore the few references in the ‘Further […]
Over-Collecting (Mushrooms)
Not too long ago, I led a mushroom walk in central Massachusetts for the North Country Land Trust. Just prior to my foray, there’d been a mycological club foray at the same site, and the vast number of mushrooms collected by those foragers lay in waste on the ground near a picnic table. As a […]
Is That Selfie Really Worth it? Why Face...
Is that selfie really worth it? Why face time with wild animals is a bad idea The phenomenon of kangaroo selfies hit the headlines earlier this month, when several tourists were injured while feeding wild kangaroos in Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney. They may have wanted a memorable holiday snap, but ended up with rather […]
What The Grieving Mother Orca Tells Us A...
What the grieving mother orca tells us about how animals experience death For many weeks, news of a mother orca carrying her dead infant through the icy waters of the Salish Sea captured the attention of many around the world. Keeping the infant afloat as best she could, the orca, named Tahlequah, also known as […]
Spotting Conservation Volunteering Fakes
I’ve heard that a lot of companies are just a front and aren’t really about volunteering. Is that true? Yes, that is true and even more so when volunteering is about supposedly preserving species that happen to be majestic, beautiful and/or have cute babies… So you need to watch out. Here are a few tips to help you […]
When Snapping Do Help Captive Animals
We, who visit places that host captive wildlife, can switch our attitude from one of a passive consumer to one of active empathy and compassion so that we actively help them. That enclosure does not look quite right? That animal does not seem quite ‘well’? Then engage in discussions with the staff. Dare to take that […]
Even Scientists Take Selfies With Wild A...
Even Scientists Take Selfies with Wild Animals. Here’s Why They Shouldn’t. One of the great things about being a biologist is getting to work in the field and connect with wildlife. Through my career, I have enjoyed many unforgettable close encounters with various species, including turtles, birds, marine mammals, invertebrates and a lot of fish, […]
Why The Habit Of Wanting To Own A Piece ...
Why the habit of wanting to own a piece of nature’s beauty needs to be broken When thinking about wildlife, what image first comes to mind? Elephants rubbing up against trees, or perhaps tigers stalking deer through the jungle? Unfortunately, humans’ love affair of wildlife is also associated with a darker side: the desire to […]