Animal Science - Blog Posts

new beginnings and falling back into routine

its been a long time since i've used this blog, I made this blog last year in hopes that it will hold me more accountable to being productive and while I have been productive without the blog, I feel like it only adds to a bigger problem that I am only now becoming aware of. i do things for the sake of others to appear cool. i realize how incredibly embarrassing and juvenile that is to write out loud, but it is true. i want the attention of others because I feel like if I do cool things that will earn me friendship, and I need to stop doing this. i need to do things I enjoy, and allow myself the pleasure of being mediocre for things I am just starting to learn, and do things for myself instead of things for others. that was really a long winded way of me saying I'm getting back into old hobbies I quit because I didn't give myself enough time to be good at them, and I am going to continue doing my hobbies even though I realize I will never be as great as others. i will continue to try to improve because I like improving and not for the sake of others.

to keep myself motovatied, I will be doing a 30 day challenge for some of the hobbies I want to get back into. I feel like by the end of 30 days I will learn if I really like these hobbies, or I like how others made me feel when I said I could do these hobbies, anyway, I will be making myself post because its a good way for accountability and I loved the online community I met when blogging.

(8.27)

today was my first day of classes, and it went well, my professors seemed cool. unfortunately, I am taking a 8am three-hour math class, and I am already slightly overwhelmed, but while I was in class I had a few post ideas so there is that! i wish I had more to say but I am suffering from food poisoning so I cannot offer much but I promise I will be more succinct in the future! anyway pls interact if you want, tell me how the start of your semester was!

📚✨ New Semester Vibes! ✨📚

Hey, Pookies,

I didn't have any summer classes, so it was hard to find things to post, so it was mostly reblogs and bookish crap, now that school is starting back up, I will be posting more, this blog was a good motovation for me to work, so I guess this was a long way of sayng expect more post, as for what I will be posting, the same little daily checklist, some book reviews and notes if you guys want them, and some writing/studying tips, if you want to suggest any post, please don't hesitate to reach out about ideas and things, I'm always looking out for mutuals and friends.

I was looking into starting an online book club... idk the logistics but I love talking about books, i even toyed with the idea of starting a youtube channel and talking about movies, and starting a side blog explicitly for my writing/photography/baking and cooking.

5/31/24

sorry guys for the breif break, but school got out and I decided to allow myself a bit of a break. for the past two weeks I have had the luxury of being a slug, but i start my job in two days and decided to begin to acclimate myself to being a functional human. throughout my break i was proud of myself because i wrote every day, weather that was journaling or working on something publishable, and i read daily.

being home was an unwelcome change, me and my mom don't get along, and thankfully she had been working in office the past 2 weeks, but now that shes working from home I've decided to spend as little time as possible at home. my mom is generally unsupportive of anything that she doesn't seem as valuable, and sees my hobbies as a waste of time unless she can brag to her friends about it.

in other good news, i've found a new eq barn and am trying it out tomorrow, I've been drinking water consistently and i found my bracelet and necklace that i thought i loss. they belonged to my dad before i 'stole' them, and have become very important to me, despite my hatred of working retail, i am excited to have some structure in my life, i find that when i have appointments or schedules it makes me more productive so working again should be good for me, anyway here's to what i did today

whay i did today:

wahsed hair

oiled scalp

read only the brave washed and put away clothes

washed dishes

cooked

journaled

went through storage bins

drunk a crap ton of water

college tips from someone who survived their first year, and got themselves off of academic probation

study every day ( reread your notes, run through your flashcards)

it helps to avoid cramming around finals season

do assignments when you get them, it doesn't matter that its not due until the end of the semester, you will forget, you will get busy, you will get caught up with doing something else so do it when you get it, so you won't have to worry about it later

don't study in your bed, its a bad habit, it will make it harder to study and make it harder to sleep

go out at least once a month, to a party, to a club, on a late night walk

carry a knife if its legal ( not just for safety reasons)

join class group mes

go to office hours, even if you don't need to, lie and say you didn't understand something so the professor knows your name

its okay to skip a class occasionally, just never two in a row, and don't make it a habit

[5.06]

Recently I've been shockingly productive. My last final exam is tomorrow and I am cautiously optimistic about it. For all my other exams I was kind of nervous, but for this exam I am cautiously confident. This morning I even got dressed and put on a cute outfit and styled my hair. I am going to make a personal end of year wrap up tomorrow, as well as college tips. I worked on a few writing projects and finished my crochet skirt, and am very proud of the person that I've become, even though it was a little late in the semester to change, but better late than never.

today I: studied 2 hours washed sheets write 1000 words organized my writers notebook read my book

also still looking for mutuals if anyone wants to reach out, i love talking to people!

the end of the semester is here!

its nearing the end of my first year of college, and i take my final exam in 2 days, so today was a day of productivity

took out trash started a new book cleaned the bathroom studied finished the final paper took an exam organized my playlist registered for summer classes

[04.29]

hey pookie bears. i'm actually very proud of myself despite the fact that i didn't do much. I did a lot in my mind though. Little life update, I started talking to a man (Ik its gross), and I thought we made a connection but then he invited me over to 'watch a movie' so I guess not. I started lifting weights, and my thighs are sore but in a good way. I kind of want more internet friends so dm and tell me about your day if you want :)

what i did today: annotated a secret history oiled my hair finished taking notes ate lunch went to the gym played badminton drink 3 bottles of water from my nalgene wrote 1000 words

i want more friends, so if you like horses or books or anime dm or just need someone to talk to hmu

[4.25]

sorry I went kind of awol... been having some trouble finding the time for this, dove headfirst into a knew writing project and exam season is kicking my ass. i also fucked up my neck pretty bad, litterly getting out of bed or some reason.

what i did today did laundry filmed speech wrote took notes studied

books, books, and more books

THE NIGHTSTAND PILE

The Foxhole Court

5 Survive

All Your Twisted Lies

If We Were Villains

CURRENT TBR

Everything I Never Told You

Hench

The Hunger Games Trilogy

Song Of Achillies

A Good Girls Guide To Murder

No Longer Human

Good Girl Bad Blood

Of Mice and Men

The Girls I've Been

Freak The Mighty

Dune

A Song of Ice and Fire

The Raven Boys Trilogy

NEED TO ANNOTATE

A Secret History- Donna Tart

Taming the Star Runner- S.E Hinton

Rumblefish- S.E Hinton

NEED TO REREAD

The Outsiders- S.E Hinton ( Writing Style, Diction, and narrations, and Structure)

If We Were Villians- ML Rio (Genre Analysis, Structure and Literary Devices)

WANT TO READ NEXT

The Sunshine Court

All The Young Dudes

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke

A Little Life

Anne of Green Gables

The Idealist

Dark Rise

Six of Crows

Little Fires Everywhere

Neon Gods

Red Queen

The Perks of Being A Wallflower

[4.16]

today I: drunk 3 bottles of water ate 3 meals got advised sewed a dress studied organized writing projects journaled

It's only Tueday, and I end the day with a horrible uncomfortable feeling. It's like someone is gently tugging at my heart, and it only makes me feel all wrong, like something bad is about to happen. I can't do anything about it but sleep it off I guess, but at least I end the day knowing that I managed to be somewhat productive. I have a lower grade in one of my classes then I thought, and though I'm passing, I'm not doing as well as I hoped. That's to be expected considering how I procrastinated on every assignment at the beginning of the semester, though there is no use in dwelling on what I could have done better, just doing better. So I am doing better now by working on my assignment even though it is due next week. I go to bed early because Tomorrow I have to wake up at the ass crack of dawn to register for classes and sign up for summer classes.

[𝟒.𝟏𝟎]

today I: did laundry took out the trash discussion post drunk 2 bottles of water took Instagram pictures call grandpa and tell him happy birthday

my daily allotted complaining time:

I got a 75 on my exam, I expected a higher grade. I studied, but not nearly as much as I could have, and I am conflicted on my feelings about it. Last semester I failed the class, and this semester I was determined to do better, and I am, but I still struggle with taking test. I've never been good at taking test, in high school I could skate by with good grades because tests were never worth much and even if they were I could always do retakes, but I've been "learning" how to study, and even if I don't get a A in the class anything would be an improvement since last semester.

moral of the story:

today i wanted nothing more but to rot in bed, but I knew I shouldn't, its so easy to slip into a routine of doing only what is mandatory, but I made myself get up, and getting up was just the first stop. take the day one step/ task at a time, and it was relatively slow-moving to start, and I didn't accomplish nearly as much as I wanted to, but I did certainly more than I would have if I had left myself sit in bed all day and mindlessly scroll

Those of you that follow us on social media may already be familiar with Bumper and the reason he got his name. Bumper likes to bump shoes with the front of his shell. This is a territorial display that is meant to inform the keeper of the day that they are in his home and they are only welcome as long as there is food.

Bumper is with the Sawgrass Nature Center because he is considered an exotic species. That means his species is not native to Florida.

What is Bumper?

Greek Tortoise

The Greek tortoise is one of five of the Mediterranean species of tortoises. They can grow to an average size of 5-8 inches in length, making them one of the smaller species of tortoise. Even though they have an average lifespan of about 50 years, they have been recorded to live up to 125 years in captivity with proper care and treatment.

Want to see Bumper?

Even though these guys are small in size, they require a pretty big habitat space to be kept happy and healthy. This includes lots of dirt and vegetation. That’s why if you come by the SNC to visit Bumper, you may have a hard time spotting him in such a large exhibit area. The best time to see Bumper is feeding time Tuesdays-Sundays around 11am-12pm. You might even get to see him do his famous “Bumper” display.

Chip, the Florida Box Turtle, is aptly named due to the chip in his shell. Florida Box Turtles are known for their unique ability to fold the bottom plate of their shell up to the top part of their shell to turn their shell into a protective box from predators. This is probably what saved Chip’s life from the predator that took a chunk out of his shell. 

Chip was brought to the SNC by a Florida resident that found him injured in a park. We do not know what caused this injury, but because it prevents him from living safely out in the wild, the SNC provides him permanent sanctuary. It doesn’t hurt that he is also a total sweetie. 

His name is Bumper for a reason! Bumper is a Greek Tortoise that is native to Europe and many surrounding areas. Due to his exotic species status, Bumper will not be released by the SNC into the wild. Instead, he will remain a permanent resident. 

Greek tortoises is one of the longest living species of tortoise in existence. They can live anywhere from 20-100 years. 

What is Climate?

Climate is a long-term state that helps us predict our weather. For example, Florida’s climate isn’t going to be anything like Alaska’s. We know, as Floridians, that our climate here is sub-tropical. Our proximity to the equator and the fact that we are almost completely surrounded by water means that we typically have warmer, wetter weather. Climate is long-term and weather is short-term. Even though Florida can get the occasional cold front and thus cold weather, we know that it will eventually give way to warmer weather. Our tropical climate here in Florida is the reason we can go swimming in December.

What is climate change?

Climate change typically refers to the Earth’s total climate. Since climate is such a long-term, broad concept, it can take a lot of things and a really long time to drastically change it. However, the effects of climate change can be felt as they gradually increase overtime. For example, there were more named storms in 2020 than in any previous recorded year.

What is causing climate change?

Historically, Earth’s climate has always gradually changed over time. What’s new is the rate at which our climate is changing. Climate scientists believe this rapid change is due to the massive increase in burning fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution. Burning fossil fuels for energy to power our homes, jobs, and cars releases gas into the atmosphere. The same atmosphere that traps air for us to breathe has been trapping the increased amounts of fossil fuels which is causing a massive shift in how we experience climate and weather.

What can I do?

Learning is always the first step. Making educated decisions for yourself and your family is the best way to move forward in any given scenario. Climate change is no different. Take the time to learn more and share the knowledge. Pasted below is a list of reliable resources on climate change.

NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-climate-change-k4.html

United Nations (UN): https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/climate-change/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts

Check out part 1 of our Climate Change interview with Coral Springs Commissioner Nancy Metayer https://anchor.fm/snc-wild/episodes/Interview-with-Commissioner-Metayer-Part--I-eqtv93

Fitz was rescued by the SNC a few years ago and is now one of our cutest educational animals. 

Because he is not one of the two types of native wild rabbits found in Florida, he cannot be released. But don't worry, he gets plenty of love and care.

Ewok, the eastern screech owl, is a permanent resident at the SNC due to an eye injury that would prevent him from thriving in the wild. He is a fully grown eastern screech owl, even though their small size leads many to believe that they are juveniles. 

The interesting coloring of their feathers is camouflage adapted to blend in with the base of trees. 

And yes, we name all of the Eastern Screech Owls we care for after Star Wars. 

Here's one for the reptile lovers out there. Our Bearded Dragon, Leonidas, eating his Valentines Day box of worms! Thank you to everyone who donated, we surpassed our goal!

This is Molly, our loggerhead musk turtle, receiving her first Valentine’s Day worm! Her incredibly strong beak is perfectly adapted to crushing through the tough exoskeletons of her prey. If you are interested in sending Molly a box of worms this Valentine’s Day, consider donating here: https://www.facebook.com/sncwild/posts/4168465543165140

While cute and small now, adult American Alligators can grow up to fifteen feet long! Their massive size is not only a deterrent to predators, but also helps them accomplish a very important role in the environment. 

American Alligators are known as Keystone Species. That fun vocab term means they are a species capable of establishing a new ecosystem for a bunch of other animals in addition to themselves. They dig for water to create Gator Holes. These gator holes become homes for fish, amphibians, and water birds. Without gators, the Florida Everglades would be a much drier place. 

Last year our buddy Fitz needed emergency surgery for a broken arm. Thanks to some incredible donors, he is fully recovered and looking forward to a better 2021. Here he is trying to sniff out extra treats. 

Got a nice video of a pollinator doing some pollinating. 

The SNC received a grant to offer free educational programming to Title I Schools in South Florida. Here are some images from the virtual programming featuring Marsala the chicken and Big Red the Red Rat Snake. We still have plenty of funding, so if you know a Title I School that could use a virtual environmental education program, reach out at 954-752-9453! 

Here is our Executive Director using Big Red, our resident red rat snake, for our virtual education program. One of the SNC’s main missions is to spread environmental education throughout South Florida. We are excited to pivot to a virtual, safe platform. Big Red was just happy to have a warm body to thermoregulate with in this #FloridaCold! 

It's feeding time for the SNC's resident Great Blue Heron. Their long, sharp beaks are perfect for fishing. And these guys will flip fish vertically in their mouths so they go down easier.

This little guy is an Eastern Screech Owl. Although small, he is considered fully grown. An eye injury sustained from a car collision keeps him from thriving in the wild on his own, so he will remain with the SNC as a permanent resident and educational ambassador. 

The Eastern Screech Owl is considered a bird of prey. So its sharp talons and curved beak have adapted to ripping and tearing prey as opposed to the straight and long beak of something like a heron that has been adapted for fishing. 

This red-tailed hawk was brought to the SNC after colliding with a car. While rehabbers were able to save his life, he permanently lost an eye. This means he will not be able to survive on his own in the wild. Instead, he will remain a permanent resident at the SNC. 

The red-tailed hawk has a trilling, raspy scream. This is the cry used by Hollywood directors almost any time a bird of prey is on screen. 

This orphaned baby raccoon was brought to the SNC after being found by a South Florida resident. Most baby raccoons do not have a fighting chance without their mom in the wild. Luckily, this little guy has grown quite a bit and will soon be ready to be prepped for release back into the wild. 

Often times, when people find abandoned babies in their neighborhoods it is because mom has died due to human activity. Wildlife rehabbers and nature centers are imperative to continuing breeding populations for wild animal species that are most impacted by human development and activity. 

Florida box turtles have a typical lifespan of 30-40 years, but some can live to 100 years old! Despite being called a turtle, these guys prefer to stay on land, similar to tortoises. But they can be found in damp, swampy areas. Our resident box turtle is a surrendered pet and because it is too domesticated, it wouldn't be able to survive out in the wild.