Nostr notes by Sunguramy :nb_lily:

#MarshMadness day 19 :boost_requested: Today is a little ...

2025-03-19T20:39:14Z

#MarshMadness day 19 :boost_requested:

Today is a little different. Today I am asking you for action, especially if you live in the US.

We have only six more days to comment about the looming removal of NEPA: National Environmental Policy Act. This act was a simple yet very effective framework for protecting our environment and has far and wide reaching positive effects. It is often called the "Magna Carta" of our environment laws. NEPA was one of the first laws ever written that establishes the broad national framework for protecting our environment. For example, sewage treatment to ensure clean water is a direct result from NEPA. It was signed into law by Nixon, and has enjoyed bipartisan support.

Please go to: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/02/25/2025-03014/removal-of-national-environmental-policy-act-implementing-regulations and leave your comment. Make sure to follow the rules of including the name & docket number in your comment.

A bit of history on the law side: https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/1988-article-nepa-past-present-and-future.html

Overall history: https://www.historylink.org/File/9903
Quote of note:
"Russell Train, the council’s original chairman, looked back on NEPA’s legacy 40 years after its signing by writing, “It is fair to say that NEPA brought environment front and center to federal agencies, and this can be deemed a success brought about, in no small part, by the many federal employees and citizens who have applied the law over these decades. ... No longer could federal agencies say ‘we know best’ ... . NEPA democratized decision-making”

#ecology #environment #resist #EPA #protect #spring #flower #wetland #marsh #nature #park #nationalParks #animals #wildlife

#MarshMadness Day 6: A Plain Bellied Water Snake (Nerodia ...

2025-03-07T02:31:33Z

#MarshMadness Day 6: A Plain Bellied Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster) from a marsh visit!

#snake #snek #cute #marsh #wetland

#MarshMadness Day 5 A proper marsh! yeah some dead trees in the ...

2025-03-05T23:37:24Z

#MarshMadness Day 5

A proper marsh! yeah some dead trees in the back but the foreground area is all proper marsh! Technically, marshes are wetlands dominated by grasses and similar herbaceous plants, whereas swamps are wetlands dominated by woody plants (trees). In case you wondered the difference...but they are both types of wetlands so I say join in the hashtag fun of Marsh Madness if you have anything somewhat fitting!

#ecology #nature #wetlands #marsh #swamp #plants

I really tried to get a photo of this bird... #bird #birb ...

2025-03-04T02:33:56Z

I really tried to get a photo of this bird...

#bird #birb #shitpost #nature #wildlife

February 28th is a "Don't Shop" day. I do plan to ...

2025-02-19T16:04:28Z

February 28th is a "Don't Shop" day. I do plan to participate as it is gaining traction, but this isn't enough.

*We need to shop at GOOD places, and stop shopping at the bad!*

Black people have done this many times in history, "don't shop where they won't hire you!". It lasts upwards of a year, historically. The NAACP has called for similar measures again, and I urge everyone to take part. This is a commitment not for a day, but for a month, a year, however long it takes.

Together, everyone who benefited from DEIA *is a majority*. Let's plan now, so starting March 1st, after no spend day, we no longer shop at or use places that have canceled DEIA!

DON'T SHOP:
McDonalds
Walmart
Amazon
Target
Ford
Toyota
Nissan
John Deer
Harley Davidson
Lowes
Jack Daniels
Molson Coors (not to be confused with Coors, which is black owned!)
Boeing
Meta (facebook, instagram, threads)

PLACES DEFENDING DEI!
Subaru
Costco
Publix
Burger King
Popeyes
Tim Hortons
Delta
Ben & Jerry's
Apple

Feel free to add more in comments, and I will edit this list to update it.

(NAACP call to action: https://naacp.org/campaigns/black-consumer-advisory but the list is small, my goal is easy to read full list!)

I've been seeing hate on NASA lately, being bought into by ...

2025-02-09T23:46:50Z

I've been seeing hate on NASA lately, being bought into by leftists even, and I just want to point out something very important:

Musk has hated NASA for a *long* time. There is a reason it is being attacked, and a reason public opinion is being swayed against NASA: It *keeps SpaceX in line* more than anything else.

NASA is being seen as "competition" to SpaceX, as the obstacle in his way. It has been like this for quite some time, and now, with DOGE and other things, he can do something about it.

I would like to point out a few things:

1. SPACEX IS NOT CHEAPER
They boast they can "do what NASA does for 10% the cost!" Sure, it's easy when you did none of the R&D.
SpaceX saved on:
Landing tech: DC-X project in 1991-1996
Tank structure: Shuttle SLWT tank, 1998-2011
Merlin Engines: direct descendant of the Fastrac Engine, 1997-2001.

Those three things alone saved SpaceX over 90% of the R&D costs. It's easy to "appear" cheap when you're using off the shelf tech someone else (NASA!) developed.

2. NASA IS GREAT FOR THE ECONOMY!
For every $1 spent on NASA, $8 is put into economy. Its stupid to not invest in that kind of ROI! 800%! At times, its ROI Has been 1600%!

Simply put, if you defund NASA, the economy would shrink so much you would actually have to RAISE taxes to make up for the lost revenue, and without its existence we would be 30 years behind in technology and the quality of life for everyone would be much lower. Science and research is GOOD for society, it's the fuel for all progress.

3. WHAT HAS NASA DONE FOR ME?! (Surely you just mean NASA is good for tech & science folk....)

Nope! Good for all!
Ever have an MRI or CAT Scan? They wouldn't exist without the Apollo program! The software that made them possible was originally written to analyze lunar photography.

Low power digital x-Rays was planetary body research.

Heart pumps are modeled after space shuttle turbopumps.

The software that designed your car was originally written to design spacecraft!

Who do you think pioneered all the early research into alternative power like solar panels, hydrogen fuel cells, and durable batteries? NASA!

NASA developed tech and satellites is also what improves agricultural yields while reducing the needs for water, fertilizer, and pesticides.

Do you really think Musk gives two shits? No. He wants the money, he wants to let SpaceX run amok without any oversight for safety, without any "competition".

All fights are important, but do realise that this one is a huge thorn in his side, and one that is keeping a huge problem from ballooning and swallowing us all whole.

Do not be fooled or swayed by lies, of tactics meant to divide, of things being done to make you be angry at NASA. If he can make you hate NASA, he won.

Expect far more space junk to fall, the night sky to be ruined by satellites, and the loss of all things good that proper research and design does for humanity and gives back to the world. Not to mention: enjoy seeing the horrible things he can accomplish fully unchecked.

#SpaceX #nasa #space #earth #science #technology

This sweet girl had another seizure. The various executive orders ...

2025-01-30T00:17:16Z

This sweet girl had another seizure.
The various executive orders have frozen most work and I am essentially jobless for time being as research is on hold.

Everything together means I could use some cash, if I can make just $100-$200 more it would be really helpful. I recently shared a bunch of photography prints I have in stock for sale - it's older stock. Check my feed, or replies on (post link: https://flipping.rocks/@sunguramy/113908239725500548 )Take a peek!

I can also drop ship anything you like (can always check my website: sunguramy.com ) 8x10 / 9x12's $40 + ship ($10 to US, more to outside US).

#dog #dogsOfMastodon #art #photography #artist #photographer

Stand Tall: you're not alone! There's other trees here ...

2025-01-24T01:19:52Z

Stand Tall: you're not alone! There's other trees here with you.

#nature #NaturePhotography #tree #forest #fog #winter

Off Topic: Anyone know how to reach a COMPETENT HUMAN at Etsy? My ...

2025-01-19T01:53:26Z

Off Topic: Anyone know how to reach a COMPETENT HUMAN at Etsy? My account is locked out and it says to contact them because "suspicious activity". So I did.

After 5 emails they finally understood I cannot access my account. I literally cannot log in.

They then asked me to send a bunch of PII over *email* to verify who I am and "don't worry we take privacy seriously" - but Email is *NOT SECURE* (I did not do this, and explained why!)

Now they said - and I quote "I would suggest that you review any of your records pertaining to your Etsy account or purchases that you may have elsewhere and contact us again. We should be able to assist you once you can verify your account."

...read that: PURCHASES YOU HAVE MADE ELSEWHERE (ie not on etsy) to verify my Etsy?

Dude, I just buy things from artists there. And how can i see my account record when I cannot log in to my account?!

They refuse to close my account either, because I am 'not proving who i am'.

...I never got a lock out email or security question email or anything. They literally just...locked me out.

I would be happy to delete my account, but I can't log in to do that much!

#help #tech #etsy #internet

Birds playing coy in the snowy forest... #bird #BirdPhotography ...

2025-01-11T19:22:04Z

Birds playing coy in the snowy forest...

#bird #BirdPhotography #birding #snow #winter

#Karstmas day 24 Snow and ice does not happen much here, but when ...

2024-12-24T22:08:01Z

#Karstmas day 24

Snow and ice does not happen much here, but when it does, the cave entrances sure are pretty.

On Rope!

#cave #caves #caving #rappel #climbing #ice #snow #winter #ChristmasEve #nature #explore #photography #ArtAdventCalendar

#Karstmas day 22 I love cave pearls, they are one of my favourite ...

2024-12-23T01:28:04Z

#Karstmas day 22

I love cave pearls, they are one of my favourite formations. So when we found a bunch in a new cave we discovered, dug open, explored, and surveyed, I was quite excited!

Similar in a way to the pearls you may think of, they form often around a bit of sand or a teeny tiny rock, when the water hits it and precipitates out some calcite. They develop extremely slowly, and are a relatively rare formation due to the precise situations they require in order to form.

#cave #caves #caving #karst #geology #pearl #water #SilentSunday #photography #nature

#Karstmas day 20 :boost_requested: Back to it...sorry for the ...

2024-12-21T01:06:07Z

#Karstmas day 20 :boost_requested:
Back to it...sorry for the missed days, but hopefully seeing the bottom-up view of the last pit makes it worth it. This is a throwback to my first large pit photo, and it is vertical panoramic so you probably need to click to view it fully.

This is another one of my images that has been stolen over the years, as it is a bit 'easy' to crop the bottom to get rid of my watermark for shady folk who like art theft. Then it ends up in clickbait articles about "THE WORLD'S DEEPEST CAVE!" which...is not even on the same continent as this cave. (By the way, those articles, *most* of the images I know who the photographers are, and usually *none* of them are actually "the world's deepest cave".)

#cave #caves #caving #water #waterfall #panoramic #nature #adventure #photography #longExposure #pit #geology #karst

#Karstmas day 10 BATS! I love bats! There are so many kinds and ...

2024-12-11T01:18:31Z

#Karstmas day 10

BATS! I love bats! There are so many kinds and they are all neat in their own ways. Bats do so much for our ecosystems, not just caves but above ground as well. They've been getting a bad rep these last few years but it isn't the bat's fault, poor innocent things.

Generally though, I think more and more people are enjoying bats. Like this little cutie, a Lesser Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros). It's only called "lesser" as it is smaller than it's relative the Greater Horseshoe Bat.

As you can see, Lesser Horseshoe Bats can really get their wings around their bodies at rest, barely a face even peeping out. But look close and you may be able to see why there is "horseshoe" in the name!

:boost_requested: Boost if you love bats!

#cave #caves #caving #biology #karst #bat #bats #wildlife #photography #geology #ecology

#Karstmas day 5 My dog is having some medical troubles (seizures) ...

2024-12-06T00:44:22Z

#Karstmas day 5

My dog is having some medical troubles (seizures) and it has been a rough day. So no big post. Just a photo I took of her in this fracture cave that a public hiking trail goes right through! We realized this was not in the cave database, and returned to survey it a few months later; it turned out to be almost 200 feet (60m) long, and average ceiling height around 30 feet (9 m).

Sometimes called rift, crevice, or fault caves, fracture caves occur when there is a geologic shift. Even though this is limestone rock, this cave was not caused by water dissolution. Geology is neat!

#cave #caves #caving #karst #karstmas #geology #fracture #dog #DogsOfMastodon

#Karstmas day 4 For today, enjoy this image of a 586 ft (179 m) ...

2024-12-05T02:26:51Z

#Karstmas day 4

For today, enjoy this image of a 586 ft (179 m) single pitch, put yer rack on and go, pit in the US. It's called Fantastic, and it really is! It is the longest cave rappel in the lower 48. (Alaska has one that beats it!)

The day we went it was high water, and as you can see there is a massive waterfall. Wind created by the falling water in the pit whipped it around, constantly shifting where it was landing. The rig is out of the water for safety reasons, but the bottom 200 ft we were getting soaked by spray nonetheless.

This is a lightpainted image, my partner (the dark spot on rope) and I communicated via radio as I directed where & when to paint with a very bright (1000+ lumen) light as I opened and closed the shutter as needed. As high as he looks in the image, he is only 200ft above me. There is another 400ft above him...notice the waterfall disappears before the pinpoint of light at the top. The waterfall faded, too small to see.

Remember I talked about rope weight on day 2? Rope also stretches some, even the super-static* kind we use. In 600 feet, this is not a negligible amount, there's about 10 feet of stretch that I had to 'climb' before I got off the ground. In that process, the wind in the pit shifted *whomp* shoving me down slamming my back onto the cobbles. *ouch* Twas a painful climb after that, with an epic bruise to show for it!

So. You'd better enjoy this photo! I suffered for it! :boost_requested:

*For those curious, cave rope of choice for things like this in the US is PMI Pit Rope Max Wear, which has elongation at 300 lbf of only 1.8%.

#cave #caves #caving #speleology #karst #karstmas #srt #vertical #climbing #geology #limestone #rock #waterfall

Let's try to do a Countdown to Karstmas! Every day I will ...

2024-12-02T02:49:10Z

Let's try to do a Countdown to Karstmas! Every day I will post one of my cave photography images. If you'd like to enjoy them along with me, follow me or at least follow #karstmas which I just made up and will be using.

To start off I'll share this photo of Sótano de las Golondrinas, often referred to as simply Golondrinas, which is a very deep pit in Aquismón (Mexico). The rappel is 1200 feet (365 m), straight down. No breaks, just one long rope. It was, at least at the time I did it, the deepest cave single pitch rappel in the world. I think it still holds that record - there are deeper, but not that can be done as a single rope, straight down, no rebelays or deviations.

This image of mine has been *widely* stolen and used, usually by travel companies. They are screenshot images of my work, with my watermark cropped out. You have probably seen this image if you were ever on Facebook, it makes the rounds almost annually on "best of" type pages. Despite it's popularity, I've barely made any money off of this, but others certainly have!

:boost_requested: (Boosts welcome!)

#cave #caves #caving #adventure #nature #travel #Karstmas #geology #rock #speleology

Let's try to do a Countdown to Karstmas! Every day I will ...

2024-12-02T02:49:10Z

Sometimes I like a good black & white image...some images ...

2024-11-26T02:55:08Z

Sometimes I like a good black & white image...some images just lend themselves to it.

#cave #caves #caving #speleology #ozarks #b&w #bw #photography #BWPhotgraphy #lumix

Simple Thing To DO in preparation: Get a secure way to ...

2024-11-07T15:50:03Z

Simple Thing To DO in preparation:

Get a secure way to communicate set up today. Signal or Telegram are your two actually secure options, where also deleted messages are truly deleted.

Then tell those you want to remain in contact with to do the same. Set a boundary that all communication going forward with you will be secured.

Governments are always changing what is legal and not legal. Even if you think you’re fine, get it. Tomorrow may change. Communication is always the most important factor in survival.

#prepare #communications #coms #comms #survival #privacy #information

Twas a beautiful morning for SAR. #nature #sun #beam #light ...

2024-11-02T22:24:40Z

Twas a beautiful morning for SAR.

#nature #sun #beam #light #SilentSunday sorta

Blessed Samhain or as some say Happy Halloween! #pagan #samhain ...

2024-11-01T01:16:05Z

Blessed Samhain or as some say Happy Halloween!

#pagan #samhain #witch #dog #dogs #DogsOfMastodon #tricks #TricksForTreats

we have the CIA version here at Marshall :) technically faster :p

2024-10-27T18:41:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…gyzn
_________________________

we have the CIA version here at Marshall :) technically faster :p

So what can you do? Care for the nature you have. No matter how ...

2024-10-19T21:52:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…ccpd
_________________________

So what can you do?

Care for the nature you have. No matter how small your yard, remove invasives from it. Ask your neighbors to as well! Japanese honeysuckle, privet, crepe myrtle, bamboo, leathertree, kudzu, Nandina “heavenly bamboo”, bradford pear, etc is common stuff to find in neighborhoods to worry about in eastern US to give you a start. If you live near a waterway, stiltgrass may be there. Johnson grass is another concerning grass but more likely to find it outside of the city limits where theres still fields.

Look up native alternatives to your regions favorite invasive garden & landscaping plants to provide native alternates - and find where to get them locally. People are more happy to change if the look they desire to have in their gardens remains.

HOAs usually don’t snoop in your backyard…if your front yard must meet weird rules, make your wild spaces like leaving leaves, out of HOA eye.

After running down electrical problems on the ATV, we tackled ...

2024-10-19T21:41:53Z

After running down electrical problems on the ATV, we tackled invasive stilt grass, mosla (“mini beefsteak”), and found a fucking HUGE privet - it was a TREE. It evaded my gestalt ID for four years because it wasn’t bushy. 🤦🏼‍♀️ 5” diameter trunk! Sawed it down and treated the stump.

While this place is ours to care for I am determined to do what I can to help it be itself.

My largest complaint with Land Trusts, Nature Conservancies, etc. is they are so focused on buying land “to preserve it” but for them that means prevent housing developments and maintaining trails. They don’t actually *care* for the land they claim to own. The brushoff is always “not enough volunteers” but yet they happily do trail days, cleanup days, etc all year long with loads of volunteers…never once do I see a “privet management day”. You cant say there is no help when you *never asked to begin with*.

#landManagment #nativeSpecies #plantNative #farmLife #stewardship #caretaker

And in case you want some scale for the comet, this is what it ...

2024-10-17T23:31:56Z

And in case you want some scale for the comet, this is what it looks like not through a zoom lens. First image is when it just started to show as the horizon glows orange from the sunset and second image is about 30 minutes later when the sky was a lot darker, but still a bit of horizon glow.

See my feed for a comet-only photo, but I thought showing some scale may make you decide to GO LOOK AT IT! This is a once-in-lifetime type of comet to see so nicely with the naked eye.

#comet #Tsuchinshan #sky #nightSky #space #photography

First autumn hike of the year today...and uh, I am out of hiking ...

2024-10-13T21:49:55Z

First autumn hike of the year today...and uh, I am out of hiking shape it seems. This summer was just so incredibly hot it was impossible to even walk outside without sweating, with heat indexes over 100 for a lot of it.

#SilentSunday #dog #dogs #DogsOfMastodon #hiking #trails #autumn

Rainh day SAR training. Supposed to be done raining at 7am. Then ...

2024-09-28T19:36:56Z

Rainh day SAR training. Supposed to be done raining at 7am. Then 8am. But it didnt stop until 10am. No complaints, we need it, the earth needed it. I am no longer running my own dog but we go as support. I walked with two novices today. Both had good runs.

#rain #bloomscrolling #fungi #toad #bee #beebutt #goldenrod

Purpletop Tridens is the best grass and you cannot convince me ...

2024-09-27T01:31:12Z

Purpletop Tridens is the best grass and you cannot convince me otherwise.

#purple #bloomscrolling #grass #nature #macro

Blessed Mabon and Happy Autumn to all :) #mabon #autumn ...

2024-09-23T00:59:39Z

Blessed Mabon and Happy Autumn to all :)

#mabon #autumn #bloomscrolling #silentSunday #dog #dogsOfMastodon

FOR SALE: Sipsey Wilder (women & lgbtq owned local company in ...

2024-09-13T19:22:47Z

FOR SALE:
Sipsey Wilder (women & lgbtq owned local company in alabama) Ranger Hip Bag and Venture Wallet with wrist strap add-on, both in "Mush Love" design. Ranger fits waist size 20-59". Extender can be purchased from them if you need larger.

Ranger: $30
Venture Wallet: $25
Both: $50

Both used but like new condition, no perfume or smoke of any variety here.

Shipping is probably about $10 to US.

#ForSale #hiking #mushrooms #fungi #fungiFriday

PSA (pls boost!) If you use Gaia, they now partner with Outdoor ...

2024-09-09T03:24:43Z

PSA (pls boost!)

If you use Gaia, they now partner with Outdoor and you were automatically created an Outdoor profile with your same account login info as you use for Gaia. OUTDOOR’S DEFAULT IS PUBLIC.

This means your hikes, waypoints, profile, PUBLIC. Even if you had it set as private on Gaia.

There are reports that even after changing it to private, its defaulting back to public. I just fixed mine, will see if it sticks. If not guess who is dumping Gaia. Shame. It used to be a great app and every update they fuck it over more and more.

#Gaia #Outdoor #Hiking #GPS #Security #Biking #Caving #Running #Trails #TrailRunning #Backpacking #GaiaGPS

Fruit tree questions: The place we moved to has some apple trees ...

2024-09-01T13:29:10Z

Fruit tree questions:
The place we moved to has some apple trees and peach trees, obviously planted for food. However, both always have tons of lil bug holes in them so the deer get to enjoy them but not us. The apple trees may be near end of life, one seems dead and another not far behind but one produces still. The peach trees are also old and have fallen limbs but they still all produce.

What do we do to keep bugs out of the developing fruit so we can enjoy them too? And when do we do it? (Not against “chemicals”. Very for “easy and low effort”.)

(Boosts welcome)
#garden #gardening #fruit #fruittrees #apple #peach

It’s been a year… …and my crazy project is complete 100% ...

2024-08-23T02:25:03Z

It’s been a year…
…and my crazy project is complete
100% merino wool
One line per day of half double crochet stitch for a king size bed spread.
It ended up costing about $150 more than planned, and took about 215 hours.
I started it the day we moved in so it is August to August, hence the cold in the middle. I used the high temp of the day since that was easy to track.

#crochet #yarn #wool #fiber #craft #art #makers #rainbow #temperature

Caecidotea bicrenata bicrenata #isopod #crustacean #nature #cave ...

2024-08-18T02:52:09Z

Caecidotea bicrenata bicrenata

#isopod #crustacean #nature #cave #biology #speleology

Hey Mastodon! I got a $50 Amazon.com gift card for participating ...

2024-08-09T16:58:11Z

Hey Mastodon!
I got a $50 Amazon.com gift card for participating in a study of Queer-in-STEM (as a queer person in stem myself). I don’t really use Amazon much. I am assuming i can just forward the email to someone else since it’s a e gift card to enter into your amazon account. Any queer/trans folk here need $50 to order stuff on amazon?
Reply or message me direct. If this post is up its available.
#MutualAid #Gift

Caving is for everyone. #pride #lgbtq #progress #pridemonth #cave ...

2024-06-10T01:43:44Z

Caving is for everyone.

#pride #lgbtq #progress #pridemonth #cave #caves #caving #speleology #queer

If you are lgbtq or bipoc in TN AL GA areas and want to try caving but are worried about being welcome, feel free to reach out. I’ve been a caver for almost 15 years, with almost a decade of cave rescue experience. I know firsthand your concerns are valid AND there are safe people and spaces for you.

Last year for Pride Month (June 2023), iNaturalist was going to ...

2023-06-20T19:19:21Z

Last year for Pride Month (June 2023), iNaturalist was going to feature me, but since behind their rainbow washing they treated myself & nb & trans naturalists so terribly, I revoked my consent.

Its not been easy. What happened on iNat was a sliver of the world. Respecting pronouns is only the tip of the iceberg, underneath it is everything from legislating away our rights to murder. Words matter because they become actions. Actions such as this year the NPS trying to ban pride events in their parks and forbidding employees from having any connection to NPS during outside pride events. Every pride its some new hellish manouver attempted.

But, Im here, queer, and living my life :)

If you want to follow a queer scientist who isn't of the current popular flavour of easy for companies to boost to look good, you found them!

:boost_requested: (please feel free to share!)

#queer #lgbtqia #pride #nature #caves #caving

Just a friendly reminder… Small changes make bigger change. ...

2022-11-28T23:53:25Z

Just a friendly reminder…
Small changes make bigger change.