Life with Dylan

Blog

  • Endangered Species Monday – Amur Leopard

    Photo by Penny Hyde

    Most people associate leopards with Africa or the snow leopard with Asia, but there is another leopard that deserves some attention – the Amur leopard.

    The Amur leopard does not live in Africa. This rare subspecies lives in the Russian Far East. They are one of the most stunning cats I have ever seen. Sadly, the Amur leopard is critically endangered with only around 30 left in the wild. 


    While habitat destruction is partially to blame, it is not the main reason for the decline in the species. The bigger problem is poaching and over hunting of the Amur leopards prey. As with other animals that have beautiful fur, the Amur leopard is hunted for its spotted fur and there is an insufficient amount of prey to sustain a large population in the wild.



    Once an animal reaches critically endangered status, strong measures need to be taken to ensure the survival of the species. In this case, an international conservation program was established. Although some people have mixed feelings on keeping wild animals in captivity, the conservation efforts made by several well-known zoos in the United States have helped increase the captive population to hundreds. In my opinion, this is conservation at its finest. Job well done.


    Photo by Deric Wagner

    In April 2012, the San Diego Zoo was fortunate to have three Amur leopards join their family. Koshka, Primoyre, and Zeya are siblings who arrived as part of the international conservation program designed to help save the Amur leopard. When they arrived they were playful 11 month old babies – running and jumping all over the place. I have been lucky enough to see these siblings on several occasions and they are so much fun to watch. However, when I watch them play I have mixed emotions. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to see such an amazing animal, yet I can’t help but feel sad knowing how critically endangered they are in the wild.





    Yes, there are other species of leopards … but there is only one Amur leopard. 


    Photo by Penny Hyde



    Special thanks to my friends Deric and Penny for allowing me to share your beautiful pictures of the Amur leopards from the San Diego Zoo. 



  • Sunset Sunday – Looking Back

    This week I decided to reflect on the beauty that was captured through the lens of my camera over the past 4 months of sunset pictures. One of the items on our family bucket list is to take a picture of the sunset every month for 1 year. So far, we are one-third of the way there.

    Have a fantastic week and don’t forget to take time to watch the sunsets.

  • Taking time to be myself and loving it

    Lately I have been taking some time to look within myself. Looking at the path I have chosen to follow and at those that have allowed me to lead them down the same path.

    I have people that I admire and look to for guidance. They have taught me how to be a leader myself and to inspire others.

    Some may not agree with the path I have chosen, but that doesn’t mean I should pretend to be something I am not.

    I see enough fake people in this world to know that this is not something I want to be. Call me an environmentalist, call me a tree hugger, call me crazy if you like. It really doesn’t bother me anymore.

    Why? Because I believe in what I am doing. I believe that I am making a difference and inspiring others. Unlike some people I know, I actually practice the very things I write about and talk about. There was a time when I cared more about what other people thought and believed than what I myself believed. I was afraid to let people see the real me. However, when I quit hiding behind the facade I learned that more people respected me. Those that continued to pretend to be someone else, the followers of this world, started to stand out like a sore thumb to me. They would say one thing and live their life in the complete opposite.

    I don’t understand this way of thinking. If you believe strongly in something than you should live your life following that path. In other words, don’t preach about something if you don’t practice it yourself.

    Why can’t people just follow the path they choose and be proud of it?

  • Recognition from the White House for helping the tigers

    There are many times that I have been proud of my son. What parent hasn’t been proud of their child? Getting a good grade on a test, learning to ride a bike, receiving an award from school, the list can go on forever with the many accomplishments we witness as parents. However, there is a certain kind of feeling you get as a parent, one that is filled with pride and happiness, when you watch your child beam with pride as his peers applaud him. These are the rare moments that bring tears to the eyes of mothers.

    Last week my son received The President’s Volunteer Service Award. He did not know that he was getting it and when he was called up during a Cub Scout pack meeting I was suddenly overcome with pride.

    As you may remember, Dylan had a special birthday wish in July. A wish not for presents or a party, but a wish for the tigers at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. His wish was to raise $1,000 and help build them a new home. He surpassed his goal and raised over $1,300.

    In doing so, he volunteered much of his time – 50 hours to be exact. Unbeknownst to me, a child of his age that completes 50 hours of community service is eligible to receive a special award from the President of the United States. A good friend of the family completed all the paperwork, sent me the awards last month, and asked that Dylan be honored at a Cub Scout meeting.

    Along with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, Dylan received a letter from the White House, a letter from Nograf Network, and a lapel pin of the Presidential Seal.

    I am still in awe of this. I have never known anyone who received an award from the White House, let alone a family member – and as excited as he is now, I can only imagine the stories he will tell his children and grandchildren one day.

    Knowing how much Dylan loves saving animals, I thought it was only right to dedicate an area of our home for him to display his efforts and accomplishments. So after a little reorganizing, this is now known as Dylan’s shelf of conservation. Each animal represents one that he has adopted from San Diego Zoo Global and I will be framing pictures of them as well to hang along with his letters.

    Sometimes the best rewards are those that you don’t expect to get.

    Dylan may have inspired many people, some total strangers, with his birthday wish for the tigers, but the 30 young boys who applauded him at his Cub Scout meeting are the ones who he inspired to make a difference of their own. 

  • Endangered Species Monday – Komodo Dragon

    Did you know that dragons really do exist? Don’t believe me? Well, one of our best friends at the San Diego Zoo is a dragon. His name is Sonny and he is a Komodo dragon.

    Komodo dragons are the world’s largest lizard and grow to be up to 10 feet long. That’s one ginormous lizard or should I say dragon? Komodo dragons move very slowly, but their keen sense of smell (they can smell prey up to a mile away) allows these animals to hunt with precise skill. Unlike most lizards, the Komodo dragon is a carnivore. The bigger the better – feasting on prey like wild pigs, water buffalo and deer. You might wonder how this is possible for a lizard. Well, the Komodo dragon has a secret weapon – besides razor sharp claws and teeth, theses guys carry over 50 strains of bacteria in their saliva. All they need is one bite. Once bitten, the prey will usually die within 24 hours of blood poisoning. So even if the prey happens to get away, the Komodo dragon will follow at a leisurely pace and wait for the animal to die.

    Sonny is 12 years old and came from the Honolulu Zoo when he was only 6 years old. Some people may think he lives a lonely life, but Komodo dragons are solitary animals, so he is quite happy to have that big exhibit all to himself. Ever since Dylan was a toddler, Sonny has been a favorite. We actually consider him to be part of the family. Strange I know, but some things just can’t be explained. Sonny is always one of the first friends we say hello to at the zoo – and yes, we talk to him.

    Even though the Komodo dragon appears to be unstoppable, they are listed as an endangered species. Komodo dragons are only found on four islands in Indonesia: Komodo, Rinca, Gili Motang, and Flores. The species is fairly stable with a wild population of about 3,000, but several factors are hurting the Komodo’s survival rate. There are very few female dragons laying eggs, human poaching, habitat loss, and humans hunting their prey are leaving a scarce amount of food for the Komodo dragon to eat.

    In their natural habitat, Komodo dragons are top predator. They have no natural enemies – except for humans. With a lifespan of about 50 years, these dragons deserve to remain on this planet holding the title of most feared lizard.

    Sonny and Dylan – friends for life. 

  • Sunset Sunday – Changing views

    One of my favorite places to watch the sunset growing up was from the balcony of my parents house. I stood up there many nights as a teenager and couldn’t believe the beauty I was seeing. Unfortunately, over the years the trees have grown taller, houses have been built, and many new office buildings now block what was once a magnificent view of Catalina.

    With a new storm rolling in, what looks like it might be Catalina is actually a layer of fog covering the ocean. It still made for a beautiful sunset though.

    Have a fantastic week and don’t forget to take time to watch the sunsets.

  • Sharing a love of photography through pictures

    One of my favorite things about photography is sharing my pictures with others. If something is beautiful enough for me to pull over, stop my car, and take a photo, then I believe someone else will enjoy it too. I enjoy looking at photographs others have taken.

    Sometimes for inspiration – other times for pure enjoyment of the image. And yes, there are those times when I think I wish I had taken that.

    It has been almost a year now since I started taking photography more seriously. Not just clicking away at random, but looking at my backgrounds, my subjects, and the lighting with an end result in mind. I have recently joined a group of fellow photographers and although we all have different equipment and varying levels of experience, we have a camaraderie when we get together. I love all the knowledge we share and the group support as a whole is amazing. 

    However, I have noticed one thing that we do differ on – How we choose to share our photographs with others. 
    A small percentage of those in the group place a watermark on their photos. I have never watermarked my pictures, but have always gone back and forth with this concept. I understand the purpose of using a watermark, but sometimes feel that it distracts from the actual photograph. Also, if someone is going to “steal” an image, then they will just crop it regardless of a watermark. What it all boils down to is ethics and morals.
    So this brings me back to why I love sharing photographs. If a friend of mine shares a photo on social media platform and I like it, then I want to be able to share it with others – giving proper credit of course. If they took the time to post it, then I would think they are proud of the work and want others to see it. However, I have discovered that not everyone wants their pictures shared in this manner; claiming that it is stealing and promoting copyright infringement. This is something that I don’t understand.
    Why bother taking beautiful photographs and posting them if you don’t want to share them for fear that someone will steal your work? Personally, I am flattered if someone wants to re-post, re-tweet, or share any of my photographs. Giving me credit for taking the photo of course. 
    What are your feelings on sharing your photographs with others?

  • Where do you find inspiration?

    After what seems likes weeks of doing some serious soul searching, today I found my inspiration at a very familiar place. The place where I feel the closest to nature.

    What inspires you?

  • Endangered Species Monday – Educating children will change the world

    As much as I don’t want to believe this, educating adults is much more difficult than educating children. I guess its like the old saying goes – you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Or can you?
    As adults, we are sometimes stuck in our way of thinking and are challenged to think otherwise. Explaining the importance of an endangered animal to an adult means changing the way something has been thought about for years – sometimes decades.

    However, explaining the same thing to a child is liking flipping a light switch on. Suddenly a new way of thinking is introduced and a child will run with it – soak up the information like a sponge – and then release that information to anyone who will listen. A child craves learning new things and is eager to share what he or she has learned. Today’s children are the future of this planet. What my child does 20 years from now will either further the existence of current endangered species or continue to clean up the mess that we have made of this world.

    One of the best ways to educate a child is to give hands-on experiences. While libraries and computers are amazing and can teach vast amounts about why animals are endangered or have become extinct, there is nothing quite like seeing it first hand.

    Touching a rhino horn or ocelot pelt, holding a boot that was made from snake skin, these are the types of educational experiences that will become embedded in a child’s mind.

    Children are emotional thinkers. They see an animal being harmed and can relate this to a pet they may have at home or a charcater in an animated movie. Some, like my son, will go beyond the average persons level of involvement and ask questions that most adults don’t even think about.

    A great way to get your child the hands-on experiences about endangered animals is to visit your local zoo or aquarium. Many of these places have tables set up with pictures, artifacts, and games that make learning fun. You will be surprised at how much a child will retain and quickly repeat to others. So if you want to help save the endangered species, start by educating your child. Our children are the future leaders of this world and what they learn now will make a difference for many years to come.

  • Sunset Sunday – Stormy Skies

    Beautiful sunsets aren’t just found at the end of a summer day …

    Even stormy skies, like the ones we had last week, can give way to a beautiful sunset. The clouds may hide the sun from the horizon, but the reflection of light is still there. It’s all in the way you look at it.

    Have a fantastic week and don’t forget to take time to watch the sunsets.