In the face of global pandemic it would appear that the health of our ecosystems, biodiversity and particularly our insect life is more important than ever.
This post from 2014 is a reminder of just how simple, and fun creating a little extra biodiversity can be - especially for kids! Check out the links below for additional information on the design and construction of insect homes.
As we are able to replicate the natural world in a synthetic medium, it becomes important to question the processes that lead to the existence of the animal sculptures.
A tour of the old city of Calcutta reveals that while biological growth can threaten to destroy buildings' structures, conservation and management of growth can also enhance the age-value and identity of the city.
We are happy to introduce our newest contributing editor to the Expanded Environment - Amartya Deb. Amartya comes to us from India often writing from locations in Dehli, Calcutta, Bangladesh and elsewhere.
There should be no suggestions to the contrary - we have (willingly or unwillingly, knowingly or not - it doesn't really matter) created climate systems of massive power and energy and we have placed our cities in their paths. This was an act of Human. The faster we get a grip on this the faster we can face ourselves and our future.
The evolution of the Chimney Swift is closely intertwined with modernity and the changing habitats of humans. Although originally nesting in caves and rotted trees, Chimney Swifts now primarily nest in, well -- chimneys and other man-made habitats. They adapted to chimneys in the first place due to a scarcity of standing, rotted trees - as these have a tendency to fall onto property and are quickly taken down.
Recently Ned presented via pre-recorded video at the "Untaming the Urban" Symposium at the Fenner School, Australia National University. The full-length (it's only 15 minutes) viedo is here for your viewing pleasure.
Despite the fact that more than half of the world’s population today lives in cities, the attention given to urban ecosystems in the ecosystem services literature has yet been relatively modest.
The space of greatest tension between human and animal is the domestic territory of the house. Suburbs are therefore at the front line of the confrontation between humans and synanthropic animals. As woodlots and agrarian landscape are converted into residential communities, highly adaptive animals seek out new habitat opportunities.
How can sharing spaces lead us to a deeper understanding of our space? Can we learn the senses of other species? Can we gain an animal’s superpowers? The following projects offer another reason for sharing our spaces with non-human species: the enrichment of our spaces and our own perception.
Humanity defines animals by their relationships to humans. Through this lens non-human species are categorized into two forms; domestic – dependent on humans for survival and augmented to live as companion species to humans, and wild – independent, capable of sustaining life without anthropogenic support. These relationships are based broadly on the level of human intervention required for an animal to survive.
This month we are thrilled to include the voices of two new guest contributors to the Expanded Environment team - Sarah Gunawan and Brandon Youndt. Sarah and Brandon will be featured regularly in the coming months and we thoroughly encourage you to check out their work and thoughts.