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2020-03-22

HIST30060: A Trip to the Zoo

I started at Melbourne University in March 2022, moving all the way from Sydney and knowing no one in Melbourne. I quickly made a group of friends at college, but things were still a bit new and awkward - we were in that stage of a new friendship where you are past small talk but not quite at deep and meaningful. Regardless, we decided to take a trip to Melbourne Zoo on the 22nd of March. It was a great day: the sun was shining and the animals were beautiful. We were joking around and it seemed like we were at the start of a really exciting and close friendship. In the early afternoon, I got a phone call from mum. News had been trickling in over the past month of COVID cases and deaths in Australia, but we still weren't entirely sure how seriously to take the disease, and we were clueless about how it would change our lives. On the phone, mum asked if I had been reading the news. Of course I hadn't. She told me that all non-essential services would be shut down, and that it was likely going to get more strict as the week went on. "I think you should come home. Uni will be online anyway." The next day, I was on a plane back to Sydney, after only having spent 22 days at college. Never fear, though, I was sure it'd all be over soon.

2020-02-02

Sounds and Scents of a Maine Island

In February 2020, I moved to Vinalhaven, an island off the coast of Maine, for a job that promised to advance my career and provide time for personal introspection and growth. The island community was vibrant, and as a newcomer, I was invited to dinner parties, game nights, and book club meetings – I hardly had time to miss the family and friends I left behind in Colorado. Three weeks later, the COVID-19 pandemic required me to exchange my introduction to the community for long solitary hours. Handshakes and warm hugs from new acquaintances were replaced by cold winter days and a lack of human contact. The seclusion drove me to explore the island’s shoreline and conservation trails and intermingle with nature that was unimpeded by humans who had retreated behind the walls of their homes. Without the distraction of a companion, I noticed the wind rushing through trees, saltwater crashing against the rocks at the ocean’s edge, bald eagles screeching, chickadees singing, and small animals scurrying through tall natural grasses near the basin. I sat so still one morning that a curious, gray mink approached me and stared for a few seconds. One November evening, while I walked along the rocky shoreline at State Beach, an estrous scent from a whitetail doe in heat wafted from the nearby woods. While the pungent odor attracted bucks, the smell assaulted my nose and distracted me from the fresh scents of saltwater, pine, and balsam. The overpowering smell suggested that the doe was close; her presence comforted me in my isolation. I expected to integrate into my new island home through people. Instead, I became grounded in the environment, surrounded by the sounds and scents that I may have otherwise missed.

2021-09-29

St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne masked up therapy dog Macca with hospital Volunteer Services Coordinator

Therapy dog Macca lifts the spirits of all whom he encounters and he has proven to be a greater stress reliever for staff working longer and harder due to the pandemic. The true magic of Macca’s contribution has been visible at the bedside. There have been patients who have spoken their first words after surgery while holding Macca and others who have been unable to use their arms who suddenly move to pat him. In recognition of his work he was crowned "Top dog with a job" from a field of 500 in the inaugural "Oz Top Dog Award" in September 2021. This was welcome good news in a difficult week where there was a surge of cases in Victoria's third wave. Macca's story attracted diverse media coverage including features in "The Herald Sun", ABC Radio 774 Melbourne and Channel 10 News.

2020-05-08

The world outside, during the pandemic

The article describes how the pandemic has affected the natural environment in Arizona: the building of the border wall between the US and Mexico (with great effects on animals), the changes to how firefighters will put out fires during this time to adhere to social distancing guidelines, and the increase in trash in federal natural areas. It has described how some people have gained a new appreciation for the environment during these times.

Discarded white mask on the rocky ground.

2021-02-07T18:36

Mask Trash

This is a photograph of a mask discarded on the side of my yard, in the desert where many animals such as coyotes, quail, javelinas, and rabbits make their homes. I have seen much pandemic-related trash discarded on the sides of the road, on sidewalks, and in people’s yards during this pandemic: hand sanitizer bottles, masks, wipes, etc. With the pandemic has come an increase in the use of disposable materials such as these, adding to environmental degradation and displaying a disregard both for people and for animals. This photo of mask trash shows a toxic side effect of the pandemic and a reminder that people need to use non-disposable items whenever possible and show respect for our natural environment by not throwing things away in this manner.

2021-01-12

How Coronavirus started

I'm not exactly sure how the coronavirus started, however I believe it has been spread by an animal such as mosquitoes and yellow fever. I'm certainly not the most qualified person to ask but I do believe that it is a worthy theory because many other diseases and viruses are spread through animals.

2020-12-01

Beetle Husbandry

In this pandemic, there has been no shortage of people sharing stories of being in quarantine with their pets and companions, however too saturated are stories of cats and kittens, dogs and puppies, and all those other lovely mammalian companions. Invertebrates truly are unique to raise and care for and this pet owner has their beetle perusing the pages of a Japanese-English encyclopedia on itself.

A picture of a pug that was adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020-09-24

Adopting Nugget the Pug

This is my housemate’s dog, Nugget aka Nug. Despite my housemate wanting a dog before the pandemic began, she realised that between working and being a fulltime student that she wouldn’t have the time to train a puppy. However, due to the pandemic we have spent more time at home than we ever have before, meaning we could train Nug without worrying about leaving him alone while we were at university or work. Nug has brought joy to our household, providing lots of laughs and endless cuddles. He has also made being at home every day far more bearable. HIST30060

2020-08-18

Image of a pigeon in store

HIST30060 Despite quarantine restrictions, I was still able to work at my fast food job in the CBD. Pictured here is a pigeon who would come into our store looking for food in the quietest parts of the day, which were almost always due to the lack of people in the city. Whilst working in the city, I realised that most urban birds, including pigeons and seagulls, became very confident during the stricter quarantine periods. The lack of activity in the city meant they were not receiving the usual scraps they would receive from those travelling to and from their desk jobs. The birds became bold with their interactions with those who were coming to the city in order to gain the small amount of food they needed to survive. This small pigeon in our store is a good example of this. He would waltz in and munch on the oats that would land on our floor before we had time to clean them. Despite repeated attempts to shoo him outside, he would often walk around our floor before meandering outside again.

2020-05-27

Animals at Home and at Work

This is my compilation of some animal memes that I've seen on social media. Some tell the story of animals helping fight corona--in full hazmat gear, some (dogs) are joyously celebrating that humans are home 24/7, some (cats) are good and angry that they weren't consulted, and some (cats again) are plotting and researching for a cure in order to get us out again

2020-06-10

Pets Have Conference about Owners Being Home all Day

The New Yorker has been consistantly running their famous cartoons. The recent ones have dealt with the issues we are facing now with coronavirus: quarantine, business closures, home schooling, remote working, etc. This one shows the local pets having a meeting about the quarantine situation. The dogs are pleased, but the cats are not and they ask why their "department" wasn't consulted before the owners stayed home all day.

2020-06-08

Cooped-up Gatineau residents flocking to new hobby: backyard chickens

While Ottawa itself does not allow backyard chickens, its sister city of Gatineau, across the Ottawa/Outaouais River does. As with other locations, the pandemic has led to a spike in the raising of chickens. This can be attributed to the sense that people finally have the time to take care of the birds and a feeling that during difficult times the ability to be self-reliant and 'get back to basics' is safer than relying on supply chains and big stores.

2020-03-21

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