If there were a month I would intentionally talk about the weather, it would be this current September.
Sidebar: Elmore Leonard’s Top 10 List for writers begins with “1. Never open a book with weather.” Technically this is a blog post and while I normally follow the rules, on this cool mid-September morning, I’m not drinking the EL Kool-Aid.
With temperatures in the mid-40s last night in Madville, much colder temperatures north of here in the Great Lakes and northeast, searing heat in the southwest and northwest, even the climate change skeptics would have a hard time to deny the unusual weather patterns. I know the cool air will turn warm before winter arrives, that these weather patterns are just the subtle and in the case of snow in Wyoming, not so subtle changes. I also suspect I will see more drastic changes in the future, too.
Even small things are effected by the weather.
Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Kentucky (MCB)
Last week, a friend made a comment about the abundance and activity of hummingbirds in my backyard. Seven tiny ruby throated birds zoomed in around two feeders that hung in the dogwood trees. Their feeding patterns resemble a war, defending territories with fierceness and swiftness, their frenzied activity necessary to store fat for the migration south next month. I mentioned the birds came late this year, by a full month or so. She commented that her butterflies were late to come back by a full month, too.
Also worth noting about my backyard is the mop head hydrangea. I have four plants that are five foot tall and as thick in their width. One bush produced one lone blue bloom this year.
Mop head hydrangea, Kentucky (MCB)
Initially I thought we’d pruned back too far last fall, but then when I posted a photo yesterday on Facebook of said bloom struggling to get to its full fluffy mop, two other women, both in the western Kentucky region, had the same experience with their blue mop head hydrangea. I reasoned it was the ice storm this past winter, not the aggressive pruning. My Uncle Don, master gardener extraordinaire, also commented that his hydrangea (in Western PA) were acting the same way.
And if you are still here (thank you), you might be wondering what does the weather, my hummingbirds and hydrangea have to do with sustainable seafood and the oceans, which is why you would come to my site after all. Well, it doesn’t take a degree in meteorology to notice there are issues with our weather that affect our whole ecosystem.
We live in a contained system. What we do on land has a direct and indirect impact on our oceans and the weather.
And likewise, what happens in the oceans has a direct and an indirect impact on land.
Monterey Bay, CA (iPhone MCB)
But these basic facts are not scientific research, but more common sense, like don’t forget to smell the roses kind of thinking. And while I like to wax poetic, I am way out of my league to explain natural and irregular weather patterns and phenomenon. If you are inclined to read more, I offer these graphs and articles:
What brought me to this heavy thinking this chilly mid-September morning was brought on by a simple but important social media housekeeping task. On Just Unfollow, a site that lets me “unfollow” tweeps that I don’t want in my Twitter feed anymore, I noticed so many influential and inspiring people I follow, but haven’t seen their tweets because my feed was full of white noise. Either that or Twitter is changing its algorithms, going all Facebookification. I digress.
So I unfollowed 50 tweeps today. And I will do the same tomorrow. Because small changes can make all the difference.
Like Elmore Leonard, and many of you, I make lists. Below is my Top 10 list of the tweeps I want to hear more from on Twitter. Their passion and commitment to the health and conservation of our land and oceans astounds me, empowers me, and inspires me—140 characters at a time.
I hope wherever you are, you take a few minutes to explore their work and discover their passion. Look around. You too might notice the small subtle changes around you that, if left unchecked, will impact your life and the future.
- @SylviaEarle Dr. Sylvia Earle Oceanographer, National Geographic Explorer in Residence dedicated to saving and exploring the oceans. (See Earle in the above trailer in “Mission Blue.“)
- @Sea2Table Connecting fishermen to chefs.
- @NatGeoPhotos Official National Geographic photography Twitter site.
- @Oceana_Andy CEO Oceana, the largest international organization devoted to protecting and restoring the world’s oceans.
- @MontereyAq Monterey Bay Aquarium , Monterey, CA.
- @WhySharksMatter David Shiffman, Marine biologist and sustainable fisheries management supporter.
- @IFLScience Yep, I fucking love science ROCKS!
- @DrEmmaLJohnston Professor of marine ecology and ecotoxicology. Director of Sydney Harbour Research Program.
- @TrevorCorson Trevor Corson, Writer and teacher influencing young minds and shaping sustainable narratives.
- @MiriamGoldste Miriam Goldstein, Marine biologist, DC policy wonk
Hungry for more conservation tweeps? Check out this Top 100 Conservation List on Twitter and Women in Conservation (on Twitter) by @JamesBorrell.
Who’s on your list? While you’re here, why don’t you sign up for my newsletter? I will not spam or sell your email address, but you will get occasional updates about my soon-to-be published cookbook. I can’t give away too much information, but…think salmon. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, too @seafoodladyorl. Thanks for stopping by.
