Your Daily Breeze

Lizard Runs on Water!

The Basilisk Lizard, or "Jesus Christ Lizard" runs on water to escape predators. Cool!

Amazing Bower Bird!

Live Video of African Animals

Image from AboveBelowPhotos.com.

Though the sun just came up and it's cold and icy here in Northeastern U.S., it's mid-afternoon and hot in Sabi Sands, Africa. It's sometimes hard to imagine a world that can feature so many climates, animals, and landscapes, but not anymore. Now you can see it live!!!

The strategically placed webcams or Africam, capture the world in real time. It's amazing, comforting, and suspenseful all at the same time. Even if no one shows up, the varying background noises will keep you entertained and notify you when someone comes to drink or walks past the camera.

Jumping Lemurs

Superb footage of Madagascan Sifika Lemurs!

Before it's too Late

This clip is from the up-coming documentary "Before It's Too Late", and it is spellbinding.

Diving Birds - Incredible!

Bubble Blowing Dolphin - Amazing!

Animals Save the Planet

This little animation, produced by Aardman Animations Ltd., is one of a series of playful and informative pieces that helps raise awareness about our impact on animals and the environment.

PBS Nature

Nature, on PBS, features some of the most beautiful filming of wild animals, this amazing video is no exception.

Video clip from "Andes: The Dragon's Back".

Western Grebes

and a slow-motion version...

Imagine This in 3D

3D movies are awesome! This IMAX movie called "Deep Sea" depicts incredible beauty and wonder. Check out the trailer, and if you can, go to the theater today!


...and this...

This amazing recording of a Lyrebird shows their incredible ability to mimic other sounds, birds, and my personal favorite, a camera with a motor drive (2:10).

The fact it can mimic a chainsaw so well is a bit disturbing, but to make you feel better, here's a way to save a varitey of Australian forests: The Wilderness Society.

Jumping Manta Rays!

Dancing Underwater Creatures

Dolphins at Bow

Don't Forget to Breathe

This edge-of-your-seat nature thriller features two competing African predators, lions and hyenas. It is intense! It is called Eternal Enemies - Lions and Hyenas, and it will amaze you!

There is  a scene, after a great amount of tangible, suspenseful tension between the hyenas and lions, where one of the Prides' male Lions chases (with clear intent) the leader of the hyenas. It is filmed in slow-motion, with excellent camera work that only adds to the suspense. Details such as his flowing mane, the eye whites of the hyena, and the dirt and begin kicked up by the running animals are just one great part of this epic documentary. Though it can be hard to watch, it is a most noble form of survival. This documentary depicts a cycle that is successful and sustainable. See it today, and don't forget to breathe!

National Geographic: Eternal Enemies - Lions and Hyenas

Mother's Day for Whales

Photo by: Eric H. Cheng

 Last night, a documentary about Humpback Whales took my breath away. The film, called "Ocean Voyages" was aired on Animal Planet, and I thought I just had to tell you about it so you can watch it too.

   Full of astounding imagery, amazing facts, and a great story. The documentary follows a Mom and calf Humpback Whale as they migrate from one pole to another.

  Some shots within this film are unlike any other I have seen before. A seemingly still image from behind the Mothers' tail, as her baby comes into the scene was one of the best I've ever seen...not only that, but as your mouth is gaping open in amazement, the whales themselves are singing to each other in an ever-changing song. Apparently, all Humpbacks sing a similar song (unlike many other whales), but their song changes year by year, morphing and adapting to new abilities within the whales techniques.

   Another great scene is shot from above the whales as they swim. As the whales are drifting through the water, they seem tiny in the vast ocean, then...a pod of dolphins joins them, swimming slightly ahead of them. It's incredibly peaceful, and all of them seem happy with the company they're in.

   Schools of fish, flocks of birds, and breaching Humpbacks makes this documentary one of my top ten. Check it out! "Ocean Voyages"

   "Ocean Voyagers is a co-production of Feodor Pitcairn Productions and Off the Fence, filmed entirely in HD on location in French Polynesia, Hawaii, Alaska, The Gulf of Maine, Newfoundland and the Bay of Fundy; the resulting footage of these elusive animals is as evocatively beautiful as it is luminously detailed."

   Find out more about the Documentary here: Off TheFence (You can also view it if you become a member).

 

The Art of Recycling

Creating art can involve materials and products which are, shall we say, less than ecologically-correct. At Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, for example, we had to sign a waiver and agreement that what we were using (oil paints, turpentine, etc.) could be considered hazardous to our health. Since then, RISD has gone decidedly green, setting an example for, and protecting the health of, students, artists and alumni.

Many animation studios spend hundreds of dollars and countless toxic materials to make one stop-motion puppet. But, StartMotions has found making the puppets out of trash to be not only nicely inexpensive (some puppets, like the whale above, cost nothing in materials), but can also be good for the earth. No gas masks or ventaliation fans are needed in this studio; just good, unusual trash; which is, like all trash, everywhere, if you choose to look.

This image above was initially created for StopExtinction.org, but the Plovers took center stage for the animated public service announcement. See here (http://startmotions.com/animations_online.html).

Ingredients: Plastic floaty toy (lounge chair), broken car window glass (found on the streets of Providence, RI), organic cotton batting, donated paint, clay, and wire, and natural sunlight.

Artists are, by their very nature, on the vanguard of things. Creativity is paramount in order to be at the vortex of contemporaneity. The earth-conscious ethic is strong within the art community, not only for the choices of materials but also in the innovative use of otherwise cast-off goods. For my senior animation film project, Two by Two, I "invented" the use of broken glass as the ocean. I made the animals (whale shown above) from various recycled goods, including re-used wire (for the armatures) and thrift store fabrics. Others are doing similar work. For this Friday round-up, we're including a brief survey of artists not only inspired by nature but making good use of unusual and interestingly appropriate things. Here goes:

In Utica, NY, Doreen Quinn, Julie Snediker and others are making a difference.

Green Treks Television

San Francisco Recycling's Artist-in-Residence program

Recycled Pine Blossoms

Finland's Tietoa Minuta Favorite Recycling Artists

SimpleShoes

 

What can YOU recycle into art?

 

SustainabiliTee Welcomes Newest Affiliate!

YourDailyBreeze is pleased to announce its latest affiliation with an earth-conscious organization that's making a real difference in our world. Earth Cinema Circle is an environmental DVD distribution network, supplying you with the best of otherwise hard-to-find films about Mother Earth. From their website:

"There are thousands of wonderful films made each year that celebrate the natural wonders of our planet; there are films that educate us about the human impact on the environment; there are more films that profile the heroes dedicating their lives to finding solutions to the environmental crises.  And together, these films inspire all of us to get involved.

But unless you make it to lots of film festivals, you’ve probably never seen these movies, videos and documentaries. Earth Cinema Circle is created to bring those environmental film festivals to your home."

You'll get four DVDs every other month, and they're yours to keep! Please use the link below to visit EarthCinemaCircle and sign up today.

Visit EarthCinemaCircle today!