Wild & Wondrous - Favorite World Press

The FWP weekly digest of wondrous wildlife happenings
and other interesting items from the natural world

Creatures to meet | Things to learn
Things to do

Lisa S. French

Dear readers—hello!

We’re excited to announce the launch of a brand-new title written by LSF (me) for FWP (Favorite World Press) and illustrated by the brilliant, award-winning artist Marija Smirnovaitė (genius).

Inspired by our love of the living world and the uniquely amazing wildlife of Australia, Dear Earth, I Love You Too! is a story of courage and cooperation, hope and healing, created to foster the appreciation and protection of nature and all its inhabitants.

And a leafy, green reminder: for every print or e-book sold, we plant one native tree in a community-based conservation project in partnership with Tree Nation—for people, for wildlife, for the planet.

Please learn more here.

As always, we thank you for your kind support!

LSF • WW • FWP

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Lisa S. French November 16, 2023

Daffodil Joy

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze…

William Wordsworth

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Lisa S. French April 27, 2024

Dear Earth, We Love You Too!

Earth Day. Every Day.

Ours is not the task of fixing
the entire world at once,
but of stretching out to mend
the part of the world
that is within our reach.

Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Through our partnership with Tree-Nation, every day, Favorite World Press helps to restore forests by planting one native tree for every print or e-book purchased. By creating another lovely, leafy, carbon-storing spot on our home planet we help to protect wildlife, fight climate change, and improve air and water quality.

Because we are committed to treading lightly on the Earth, all FWP books are printed on responsibly sourced paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®), and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification™ (PEFC™).

Through your support of our small business,
you contribute to caring for the community of life.
Thank you! We are so grateful!

Wishing you peace and Earth music.

Earth Day Dozen Playlist.

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Lisa S. French April 22, 2024

It’s Earth Month: What Do You See?

From The World of Wonder
by Thomas Berry

What do you see when you look up at the sky at night, at the blazing stars against the midnight heavens? What do you see when the dawn breaks over the eastern horizon? What are your thoughts in the fading days of summer as the birds depart on their southward journey, or in the autumn when the leaves turn brown and are blown away? What are your thoughts when you look out over the ocean in the evening? What do you see?

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Lisa S. French April 18, 2024

How Does the Earth Love Thee?

2-minute read

There are countless ways our home planet shows us tender loving care. In addition to providing everyday essentials like food, water, and oxygen, exposure to Earth’s natural finery—trees, forests, parks, green spaces, wilderness areas, and wildlife has been scientifically proven to help enhance physical and psychological well-being. Depending on how much time you spend taking in the splendor of the great out there, you may reap health benefits that promote longevity, prevent disease, lower stress, and improve overall mood. That’s a whole lot of love.

Exposure to nature requires access. Now, thanks to two innovative tracking tools created by scientists at NatureQuant™, a new research and technology institution, you’ll be able to monitor the quantity and the quality of the planetary TLC you’re getting from your outdoor environment to help optimize well-being. That’s good news for adults in high-income countries like the United States, who spend 80 to 90% of their lives inactive and indoors.

Wondering how the nature in your neighborhood ranks health-wise? The NatureScore™ tool estimates the amount and quality of nature and environmental conditions across the United States and Canada. The NatureDose™ smartphone app uses GPS coordinates and NatureScore™ datasets to determine your location and how much time you spend in nearby nature to help you progress toward physical and psychological health goals. The NatureQuant™ tools can also be used to guide the allocation and creation of quality green spaces to improve nature equity in deprived neighborhoods.

You can download the NatureDose™ app here to start tracking your daily exposure to Earthly delights. Then, all you have to do to feel the love is step outside.

ICYMI Nature News

An Increased Dose of Nature
If you are lucky enough to live near the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument or the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in California, you will soon have access to an increased dose of nature. Both monuments will be expanded this month to give visitors more roaming room.

Cliff-Diving Emperor Penguin Chicks
Award-winning cinematographer Bertie Gregory has captured amazing, unprecedented footage of emperor penguin chicks launching themselves into the sea by diving from a 50-foot Antarctic cliff. You can watch the never-before-filmed behavior from National Geographic here.

A Trillion Cicadas, Anyone?
Starting in late April, two broods of periodical cicadas will emerge from the ground in an event that only occurs every 221 years. Entomologists are expecting about 1 trillion of the winged creatures across 16 states. If you enjoy the smell of rotting nuts, you will be in bug heaven.

In the Natural World, Nice Guys Finish First
According to a new book by evolutionary biologist Jonathan Silvertown, Selfish Genes to Social Beings: A Cooperative History of Life, in the natural world, cooperation is more common than competition. So, nice guys do finish first… Or, at least, nice humpback whales.

They’re Just Dancing in the Dark
Have you ever wondered what deep sea creatures get up to down there? Apparently, these worms dance like nobody’s watching. Except for you.

Bold, Brilliant, Beautiful, Breathtaking Nature
The 2024 World Nature Photography Awards have been announced, and the winners are all the “B” words. Have a look!

Citizen Scientists are Helping Seahorses
Eagle-eyed citizen scientists around the globe are helping researchers develop conservation strategies to protect seahorses by providing new information on sightings of the charismatic creatures in the wild. Do you have something to contribute to seahorse science? Go to Project Seahorse to add your very valuable two cents.

Animals Reenact the Solar Eclipse
And finally, you’ve probably seen the stunning images and videos of this week’s solar eclipse, but what about footage of the puppy eclipse? No? How about the kitten eclipse? Video of these rare cosmic phenomena is an oldie, but a goody—no special solar specs needed. Watch!

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Lisa S. French April 13, 2024

Feel the Love

On this first day of Earth Month,
Tilda koala would like to share
a few words of wisdom
from our latest release,
Dear Earth, I Love You Too!

“When we love the Earth,
it loves us right back.”

Are you feeling it?

Go to EARTHDAY.ORG
for some bright ideas,
tips and tools to help you
show our home planet
a little reciprocity.

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Lisa S. French April 1, 2024

They’re Here!

Welcome the Springing!

I must have flowers, always, and always.

Claude Monet

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Lisa S. French March 29, 2024

No, They Are Not Going to Suck Your Blood

2-minute read

If you are looking at the animal above and wondering what on Earth it could be, say hello to Vampyroteuthis infernalis, commonly known as the vampire squid of Hell. Pretty scary, right? Don’t worry, despite the squirm-inducing moniker, these multi-limbed denizens of the extreme deep are not befanged blood suckers—but they are extremophiles.

And what is an extremophile? An organism that can survive or even thrive in a habitat that would be intolerable for most living creatures, including environments that are extremely hot or cold, low on oxygen, or contain life-threatening substances we all hope to avoid like toxic waste, organic solvents, or heavy metals. One such hostile environment is the OMZ, or oxygen-minimum zone—the place the vampire squid calls home.

Let’s take a quick look at some of the specially adapted creature features that enable this shape-shifting 12-inch cephalopod to navigate life in the dark depths of temperate and tropical oceans, according to scientists at the Monterey Bay Research Institute:

A unique cloaked body structure (Dracula’s cape or fur-lined umbrella?) that allows the animals to stay submerged 2-3,000 feet below the surface.
Extremely efficient blood cells and metabolism that require less oxygen—must-have items for life in the OMZ.
In addition to the squid’s standard eight arms, two retractable modified arms used to scoop up tiny floating food particles.
Glands that produce giant plumes of bioluminescent mucus to frighten (or disgust) predators.
Extraordinarily large, highly developed eyes that enable the deep ocean dweller to see in very low light.
Specialized light-emitting skin cells that blink “back off” at interlopers.

So… glow-in-the-dark mucus, gigantic eyes, retractable arms, blinking skin, efficient blood cells, and a low-energy lifestyle. That’s what it takes to survive in an extreme, low-oxygen environment, squid-wise. Interestingly, through studying extremophiles like the vampire squid, scientists have discovered that many are closely related to the universal ancestor of all living organisms on our planet. Learning how extremophiles adapt to such inhospitable conditions is also helping to inform theories about the possible existence of extraterrestrial life forms. Squids in space?

ICYMI Nature News

100 New Deep-Sea Species
Speaking of deep-sea species, marine researchers have discovered 100 new to science creatures in waters off the coast of New Zealand. Take a look.

Corals That Shouldn’t Exist
Scientists have announced yet another startling deep-sea discovery—a cold-water coral reef off the West coast of Canada that has been described as a miracle of nature. Read how the colorful creatures have survived in some of the most ancient waters in the world here.

Incredibly Rare Gray Whale Sighting
Extinct in the Atlantic Ocean for more than 200 years, a gray whale has been spotted diving and resurfacing off the Massachusetts coast. Welcome back, big fellow.

Little Fish, Big Noise
Did you know that there is a fish the width of a human thumbnail that can make a noise as loud as a gunshot? Listen here.

Underwater Photographer of the Year
The winners of the 2024 Underwater Photographer of the Year have been announced, and you can see their amazing images right here.

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Lisa S. French March 17, 2024

Farewell Flaco

New York City’s beloved owl dies.

The FLACO Act.

From Snowy Night
by Mary Oliver

Last night, an owl
in the blue dark
tossed
an indeterminate number
of carefully shaped sounds into
the world, in which,
a quarter of a mile away,
I happened
to be standing.

Thank you for gracing us with your presence.
Thank you for making our corner of the world more beautiful.

xo Favorite World Press

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Lisa S. French February 26, 2024

The Best In Us

Nature is loved
by what is best in us.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy St. Valentine’s Day.

Favorite World Press

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Lisa S. French February 14, 2024

Otters are Here to Help

2-minute read

Just when we thought sea otters couldn’t possibly be more lovable, researchers at Sonoma State University have discovered that the bewhiskered marine mammals, aka kelp keepers, are also helping to save Monterey Bay’s coastal salt marsh, the Elkhorn Slough—one tasty crab dinner at a time.

The Elkhorn Slough, a seven-mile stretch between Santa Cruz and Monterey, is home to an amazing variety of wildlife, including 340 bird species, 550 invertebrates, and 60 mammals. Salt marshes like the Slough are among the most threatened ecosystems on Earth. And why is saving salt marshes important? Well, they are invaluable ecosystems that help protect shorelines, store carbon, and promote healthy fisheries, in addition to supporting thousands of species of plant and animal life.

According to the Sonoma State researchers, striped shore crabs, left unchecked by natural predators, have been disrupting the soil and eating the roots of marsh plants that hold the shoreline of the Slough together, contributing to almost a foot of erosion every year.

Enter the hungry, hungry sea otters, enthusiastic consumers of the burrowing crustaceans. In areas of the salt marsh where the once plentiful native otters were reintroduced, erosion was reduced by 2/3, helping to maintain this critical habitat for all wildlife.

By protecting the sea otters that keep runaway grazers like striped crabs from disrupting coastlines, we can reduce erosion, protect marine habitat that supports native wildlife and help cool the planet—that’s a conservation triple win—otterly amazing!

ICYMI Nature News

It’s Beautiful Out There
If you need to rest your eyes on something restorative amid bleak mid-winter, the Nature Photo Contest winners have been announced, and you can see their work right here.

When Whales Walked the Earth
Did you know that seal-like whales used to walk the shores of North America? Find out how they moved from land to sea from the Smithsonian Magazine.

Flaco’s Year of Freedom
It’s been a year since Flaco the owl escaped from the confines of the Central Park Zoo and took up residence on NYC’s Upper West Side. How is the feathery fellow, and what’s he been doing? NPR has thoughts on his free-bird-a-versary here.

The World’s Oldest Forest Two Hours From NYC
Would you like to visit a forest that existed when dinosaurs roamed the Earth? You don’t have to travel to the heart of the Amazon because the world’s oldest forest was recently discovered just two hours north of NYC.

Silk Spinning Crustaceans
If you thought that spiders were the only creatures capable of spinning silk, scientists at the University of California would like you to meet these crafty crustaceans.

Big Bear Valley Eagle Nest Cam
Looking for some animal cam comfort? Magnificent bald eagles Jackie and Shadow are back on the roost, protecting their eggs from the elements. You can keep tabs on the dedicated parents and future hatchling happenings here.

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Lisa S. French February 10, 2024