Animal Culture Magazine, 01 | 2022 by Animal Culture

animalculture EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY, PROMOTING THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF ALL SENTIENT BEINGS

The Big Good

VOL 4 ISSUE 3 JANUARY 2022

Wolf

con ten ts

Welcome To

Animal Culture The Animal Culture team welcome you back to our magazine. Animal Culture aspires to educate, to motivate, and to celebrate! First, I’d like to introduce a new member of the Animal Culture team; we are pleased to add designer Mark Lukas to our talented cadre, starting with this issue. We are here to educate our readers about animal issues, to motivate you to act on these issues, and lastly, to celebrate victories for all sentient creatures. This issue is about apex predators, with a special focus on wolves. Our Special Feature is an interview with Camilla Fox of Project Coyote, which is focusing a great deal of their efforts at present on advocacy for wolves. We also have a Feature on apex predators and how they help keep our ecosystem in balance. In addition, our Book Review this month features The Ten Trusts: What We Must Do to Care for The Animals We Love by Jane Goodall and Marc Bekoff. Visual Culture features the Compassion Arts Festival 2021, and their virtual art exhibit based on the Fifth Trust. Lastly, we have our regular, powerful, and tireless contributors – Vet Paul Ramos, Lisa Karlan and Mark Bekoff without whom …. Continue to hold Lisa Karlan in your thoughts; she is still in recovery from a stroke she suffered in April. We are following her progress and sending healing energy her way, in hopes that she will be back with more recipes in no time. We are supported by our Patreon page, where you can become subscribers, and gain access to Animal Culture and special content. Please consider being a Patreon subscriber, and share Animal Culture on all your social media, with all your friends and family. As of January 2021, Patreon is giving us the option to offer patrons an annual subscription option, with a 10% savings! And to all our loyal family of subscribers, thank you for your incredible support. We have made great gains for the animals on many fronts over the years but there is much work to do. Please help us help those who cannot advocate for themselves. Join us to create a powerful voice for animals, a voice needed now more than ever. For the animals, Mary Holmes, Editor-in-Chief Inquiries should be sent to mary.animalculture@gmail.com

12 PUBLISHERS Patricia Denys Mary Holmes Karlie Kawa EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mary Holmes CREATIVE DIRECTOR Patricia Denys ART DIRECTOR Karlie Kawa DESIGNERS Jeff Brouwer Mark Lukas

03 04 11 12 18

CONTRIBUTING WRITER Dr Paul Ramos

20 22 24 29

RECIPE AUTHOR Lisa Karlan COVER Rescued resident of W.O.L.F Sanctuary in Colorado Photo ©Jo-Anne McArthur/ We Animals Media See us on Instagram, Facebook, and Patreon www.patreon.com/AnimalCultureMagazine

DEDICATION This magazine is dedicated to all sentient creatures; the young, the seniors, the wild, the captive, the abused, neglected, lost and the hidden. We, along with many others who are represented in these pages, will never stop working for you. We will never give up. Copyright © 2022 by Animal Culture Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Animal Culture Magazine is a registered trademark

2 | ANIMAL CULTURE | JANUARY 2022 p

HINTS & TIPS

TIPS ANDY F R 0 M

FOR A MORE HUMANE WORLD

PHOTO © JON KAWA

Our mascot, Andy, offers good advice

ADOPT A SENIOR! DID YOU KNOW THAT MANY RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS OFFER SENIORS FOR SENIORS PROGRAM

dopt a Senior Month is celebrated in November of each year. Of course, any time is a great time to adopt a senior animal! This is a powerful way to bring attention to the importance of being mindful of seniors who are valuable sentient beings and who often need our help. Seniors are usually high on the atrisk list at shelters, (meaning the first to be euthanized.) Many end up there not just due to a human senior family member passing or being unable to care for them anymore, or for hardship reasons, but simply because the senior is a senior! Yikes! I am not just talking about senior dogs here! Adult cats need a forever home too. Although older cats are loving, playful and interesting, they are typically the last to be adopted. Approximately 6.3 million companion animals enter U.S. shelters each year. Approximately 3.1 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats. We have a lot of work to do! Aside from the fact that adopting is a winwin, senior cats are less destructive, need less supervision and nap comfortably most of the day. Remember, aging is not disease, but like for any companion animal, you need to pay attention to any health concerns you may have for your new family member – not only for preventive measures but for ways to help make an older companion animal more comfortable. Examples could be alleviating pain due to joint issues with medications from your veterinarian, or helping with digestive issues which is often solved with diet. Simply put, a routine checkup is a good way to monitor good health.

There are many advantages to adopting a senior companion animal besides a tremendous amount of unconditional love between the adopter and the adoptee! Like what, you may say? Senior animals come in adult sizes! They have reached their full size and weight. Training commonly is at a minimum. The basic personality is established. And, depending on the companion animal, exercise requirements may also be at a minimum and that can be a plus for a senior adopting a senior! Of course these basic points can change if the adoptee has had a rough time of it and needs some additional TLC. No problem! Depending on the senior, ways to show special attention and bond may be short walks, car rides, brushing, napping together and/or simply hanging out. And, of course, lots of positive reinforcement! Senior animals deserve to spend their days in a safe, loving place with their families. Think about a senior when you are considering adopting! This is likely to be one of the best decisions of your life and theirs! Give a senior animal a life-saving chance! Adopt! Love, Andy

For more information on senior animals, please see these great organizations: Greymuzzle.org or Pawsitivesouls.org JANUARY 2022 |

ANIMAL CULTURE | 3

SPECIAL FEATURE

Project Coyote and Compassionate Conservation and Coexistence

BY MARY HOLMES | WOLF PHOTO ©GETTY IMAGES

This issue, as you may have noticed, focuses on apex predators in the United States, particularly wolves. Because of the subject matter we knew we had to interview Camilla Fox of Project Coyote to get her input on the current situation. Don’t let the name of the organization fool you. Project Coyote, founded by Camilla Fox in 2008, is an advocate for all apex predators, not just the coyote. In recent months they have increased their efforts on behalf of the wolves, because they are facing more opponents than usual at this time. The gray wolf, in the 48 contiguous states, had been on the Endangered Species List since 1978. In October of 2020, the Department of Interior announced that the population had recovered to the extent it was going to be delisted as of January 2021, one of the Trump Administration’s many attacks on wildlife, conservation, and ecology. According to a Department of Interior press release, dated October 29, 2020: The Service based its final determination solely on the best scientific and commercial data available, a thorough analysis of threats and how they have been alleviated and the ongoing commitment and proven track record of states and tribes to continue managing for healthy wolf populations once delisted. This analysis includes the latest information about the wolf’s current and historical distribution in the contiguous United States. Today’s action reflects the Trump Administration’s continued commitment to species conservation based on the parameters of the law and the best scientific and commercial data available,” said Secretary Bernhardt. “After more than 45 years as a listed species, the gray wolf has exceeded all conservation goals for recovery. Today’s announcement simply reflects the determination that this species is neither a threatened nor endangered species based on the specific factors Congress has laid out in the law.”

4 | ANIMAL CULTURE | JANUARY 2022

SPECIAL FEATURE

Black wolves are rare, and found almost exclusively in North America. Since wolves all around the world shared a recent common ancestor, the fact that black wolves are mostly limited to North America suggests that gene variant causing the black coat color was only recently introduced among the wolf population. Photo ©Camilla Fox/Project Coyote.org Many scientists disagree with this assertion; most evidence suggests the wolves are still in recovery status. Project Coyote, along with many other conservation organizations and concerned scientists, is involved in a concerted effort to have the species relisted. According to their website, “Project Coyote is a national nonprofit organization based in Northern California whose mission is to promote compassionate conservation and coexistence between people and wildlife through education, science and advocacy. Our representatives, advisory board members and supporters include scientists, conservationists, educators, ranchers, and citizen leaders who work together to change laws and policies to protect native carnivores from abuse and mismanagement, advocating coexistence instead of killing. We seek to change negative attitudes toward coyotes, wolves and other misunderstood predators by replacing ignorance and fear with understanding, respect and appreciation.” The organization currently has six major programs in effect to help reach these goals.

Carnivore Conservation & Coexistence Fox states, “This program was actually renamed this year. It was previously Reforming Predator Management and we renamed it primarily because we wanted to get away from the idea and concept that we need to manage predators. Our mission as an organization is to promote coexistence between people and wildlife through education, science, and advocacy.

6 | ANIMAL CULTURE | JANUARY 2022

We felt that the Carnivore Conservation & Coexistence program title better fit what we’re really trying to accomplish. I will also say that the program still entails shifting predator management, which has historically been focused on indiscriminate, lethal tools, whether those tools are employed by the federal USDA Wildlife Services program, or by private ranchers and farmers, but the overall concept is to raise awareness about the importance of apex predators in North America, to promote their protection, and to foster peaceful coexistence with them.” The End Wildlife Killing Contests and Protect America’s Wolves campaigns are part of this program. Eight states have banned wildlife killing contests to date; Fox was hoping that Nevada would become the ninth, but sadly, the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners voted 5-4 against the ban shortly after our interview.

Ranching with Wildlife Regarding this program, Fox stated, “The Ranching With Wildlife program is very tied into some of the campaigns I just mentioned, particularly the campaign to reform Wildlife Services because part of our belief, as an organization, is that while we are working to end the most egregious ways that we mismanage wild carnivores, we also want to provide humane, effective, ecologically sound solutions to promote coexistence both in urban and rural areas. The Ranching With Wildlife program is about that very same goal of promoting humane and non-lethal methods for ranchers and farmers. We have various initiatives

fos

WILDLIFE IN THE CROSSHAIRS

i n g c oex is t

PROJECT COYOTE PRESENTS A FILM BY CAMILLA H. FOX

MUSIC BY LEWIS RICHMOND AND PERFORMED BY THE MELANTHIUM ENSEMBLE EDITED BY CAROLINE KRAUS ADDITIONAL EDITING BY SARAH GORSLINE

CINEMATOGRAPHY BY CAROLINE KRAUS ADDITIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHY BY JOE BROWN, TRISH CARNEY,

DANIEL DIETRICH, BOB LANDIS, MEG MCWHINNEY, MARTYN STEWART, MAX WAUGH FEATURING: PETER COYOTE DIRECTED & PRODUCED BY CAMILLA H. FOX

In 2018 Project Coyote released its documentary KILLING GAMES — Wildlife In the Crosshairs (produced and directed by Project Coyote Founder & Executive Director Camilla Fox). The film has since been screened across the globe and has garnered multiple awards raising awareness and inspiring action to ban wildlife killing contests (now banned in 8 states). In 2021 a new film produced by National Geographic filmmakers in partnership with Project Coyote titled WILDLIFE KILLING CONTESTS — was released and can be viewed at ProjectCoyote.org.

underway across the US under this program. There’s a huge need for it, particularly because Wildlife Services emphasizes lethaland often indiscriminate- control. They really don’t provide the non-lethal tools, or the proper training in their use.”

Coyote Friendly Communities™ Next, Fox spoke about the Coyote Friendly Communities program. “That is our solution-oriented program to help more urban and suburban communities peacefully and safely coexist with coyotes, and other wildlife. For example, if they adopt elements of our program, which includes signage, public education and outreach, PSAs, adoption of proactive coyote coexistence plans, and ordinances against wildlife feeding, they’re really adopting tools and resources to enable the community to co-exist peacefully with all of their urban wild neighbors. These solution-oriented programs emanated

from a recognition that our state and federal wildlife agencies really don’t provide a lot of concrete assistance to communities seeking tools and information promoting coexistence, be they rural or urban, because our state agencies are so focused on catering to hunters, trappers and other ‘consumptive wildlife users.’ As an organization we fill that void.”

Science & Stewardship “Good science is critical to effective wildlife advocacy. I started the organization was several of my graduate school committee members. Dr. Adrian Treves, the late Dr. Michael Soulé, Dave Parsons, all served on my thesis committee and they were all founding Science Advisory Board members and have been part of the organization ever since. They help in public comments and actions regarding endangered species, including our recently launched Protect America’s Wolves campaign—all

JANUARY 2022 |

ANIMAL CULTURE | 7

SPECIAL FEATURE

TOP Camilla Fox and Mokie Photo© Camilla H. Fox/ ProjectCoyote.org LEFT Camilla Fox of Project Coyote and Jessica Blome of Greenfire Law celebrate on October 27 in Denver Colorado at the Animal Grantmakers conference after just learning that Dane County Wisconsin Judge Jacob Frost had just issued an injunction essentially stopping the proposed fall wolf hunt originally scheduled to start on November 6th.Blome is representing Project Coyote and allied organizations in the suit that has likely saved hundreds of wolves in Wisconsin. Photo © Ashley Fetters of which falls under our Science & Stewardship program,” Fox continued.

Keeping it Wild — Youth Education and Outreach

Fox talked about the growth of this program. “Keeping it Wild is our youth education and outreach program. We have grown that program this year with a new coordinator, Sarah Killingsworth. We’re super excited about it. We believe that youth voices in conservation and advocacy are so critical. They will inherit this Earth-- and we must nurture compassion and empathy for all beings while encouraging them to lift their voices in support of planetary stewardship. We want to elevate their voices through channels, such as state wildlife agency commission hearings. We’ve encouraged many school groups to testify, to submit letters, to get actively engaged in wildlife advocacy. It really is the young people and the volunteers, the people who give their time and talents selflessly to our mission that keeps me going and inspires me to continue this sometimes soul-sapping work.

Artists for Wild Nature Fox concluded with, “Our Artists for Wild Nature program is

8 | ANIMAL CULTURE | JANUARY 2022

really about bringing the voices of artists into our work where we can showcase their works in support of wild nature – while they help elevate our mission by reaching a variety of audiences that we don’t normally reach. We work with wildlife photographers, sculptors, painters, film makers and writers to foster awareness and appreciation of the wild. For example, we have a student that we’ve been working with in Michigan who brought together some of our participating artists and put together a traveling exhibit focused on the plight of wolves, both at the state and federal level, why they’re important, and highlighting their exquisite beauty. That kind of outreach can be incredibly powerful.” Fox circled back to our original reason for the interview – wolves. She explained, “I think one of the misunderstandings about Project Coyote, because of our name, is that we exclusively focus on coyotes. We work on behalf of many other species, and particularly the most maligned, misunderstood, persecuted wild carnivores of North America, so that includes wolves, bears, mountain lions, and bobcats (in addition to coyotes). These are species that generally have no protections and can often be killed, 24/7, with unimaginable methods. Wolves unfortunately

fall into that category in several states where they are trophy hunted and trapped since federal protections were removed. “When I mentioned our founding in 2008 and some of the renowned scientists who comprise our Science Advisory Board, many of them were already ensconced in wolf restoration and protection campaigns. For example, David Parsons has been deeply involved in Mexican wolf recovery since the early 1990s when he oversaw the Mexican wolf recovery program for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Watch our message from Dave Parsons about wolves here. Dr. Adrian Treves, Dr. Paul Paquet, and Dr. John Vucetich, all of whom serve on our Science Advisory Board, are all deeply involved in wolf conservation and considered internationally recognized authorities on mammalian carnivores. So, it’s a natural area for us to expand upon. The Trump Administration removed protections for wolves in January of 2021. Since then, we have launched our Protect America’s Wolves campaign that first and foremost calls for relisting of wolves under the Endangered Species Act and the creation of a national wolf recovery plan. That’s the overarching goal within that campaign. We are working to counter statewide efforts to increase slaughter of wolves, including Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Wisconsin.” She said they had success recently in Wisconsin, where they got a temporary injunction to halt the fall wolf hunt there. February of 2021was a different story. Fox stated, “In February of 2021, Wisconsin allowed a wolf hunt. A group called Hunter Nation sued the state and essentially used a bill enacted in 2012 – that requires the state to allow wolf hunting if federal protections are removed. The state then allowed for a hunt in February that led to the slaughter of at least 218 wolves within a 60-hour period--exceeding the set quota by 83%. In February, of course, we had pregnant wolves.” Project Coyote is still going through channels to determine the full impact of that hunt on the wolf population but one of their Wisconsin-based Science Advisory Board Members, Dr. Adrian Treves estimates that the February wolf hunt alone likely decimated the state’s wolf population by more than a third. Asked how our readers could help Project Coyote in its efforts, she responded, “I would say go to our website, join our E-Team to stay apprised of our work for wildlife and get involved. We have two active petitions on our homepage: one to ban killing contests on federal public lands and a second to relist wolves under the Endangered Species Act. Sign those - and if you’re inspired by our work please join Project Coyote! We are a small non-profit and depend on the support of individual donors to keep doing this important work for the wild ones.” This year has witnessed their biggest expansion yet. Project Coyote is currently moving into the Midwest with a collaborative Big River Connectivity program focusing on rewilding the Mississippi watershed region, and plans further expansion into the Southeast and Southwest

regions of the United States if funding can be secured. Project Coyote, with its reliance on science, and its ever-expanding collaborations with like-minded individuals and organizations, continues to make this a better environment for all species. For more information on Project Coyote, and the wolves, visit: projectcoyote.org/

Photo ©Getty Images

JANUARY 2022 |

ANIMAL CULTURE | 9

"Compassion is the basis of morality." - Arthur Schopenhauer

America’s wild carnivores have been persecuted, maligned, and misunderstood for centuries. They are killed in vast numbers by unimaginably cruel methods, often using U.S. tax dollars. Join our fight for coexistence and compassion. Visit ProjectCoyote.org and raise your voice to save them.

BOOK REVIEW

The Ten Trusts: What We Must Do to Care for The Animals We Love by Jane Goodall & Marc Bekoff

When Jane Goodall, primatologist, conservationist, and writer, collaborates with Marc Bekoff, biologist, animal behaviorist, and writer, the product can’t help but be a winner. And, although The Ten Trusts was originally published in 2003, it remains timely and on point. Goodall, in her introduction, states that the book is “based on a series of mantras that came to Marc’s mind” while hiking with his canine companion Jethro in November 1999 in the mountains around Boulder, Colorado. Goodall and Bekoff wrote the book “to argue for a closer connection with the natural world and a more ethical attitude toward all the creatures that make up the multitude of species with whom we humans share the planet. We shall try to show that teaching our children and all people compassion for other animals and respect for the places where they live will create a safer and more tolerant world.” She alludes to the declining health of the planet, and that without these efforts “any hope for the future is in vain.” Goodall and Bekoff have each spent a lifetime studying animals and animal behavior; both fully understand the interdependence between all life forms on this planet. The book covers many non-human topics, such as animals used in entertainment, factory farming, vivisection, to name just a few. In that sense it is as pertinent for long-time animal advocates as it is for neophytes to animal advocacy. It’s both a primer for beginners and a reminder for experts. The book was an inspiration to fifteen artists who have given their own expression of the Fifth Trust in this year’s Compassion Arts Festival. The authors segue seamlessly between describing scientific studies of non-humans to anecdotes of personal encounters with various species. The two speak in one voice – Goodall’s contributions are in plain text; Bekoff’s are italicized. The narrative flows effortlessly between the two. In a sense, it’s like long-time partners who are able to finish each other’s sentences. As they lead us through the narrative it is clear the authors’ intent goes beyond exhorting the reader to become more aware of other sentient beings, and treat them kinder, if you will. It’s about the bigger picture – climate change, rampant environmental destruction, species becoming extinct at an exponential rate. One might even say it’s their plea for sanity. Publishers Weekly describes their intent in the following terms, “Their position—that people have chosen to destroy both animals and habitats and will continue to do so unless they radically change their behavior—is stressed throughout the book: ‘It is sad

to have to put a monetary value on the wilderness and on animal species. But until the wealthy nations can agree to pay an annual ‘rent’ on huge areas of land, it seems likely that governments in the developing world will exploit their natural resources in any way they can....’” Tunza EcoGeneration’s take on the book is succinct. “We can live in peace and harmony with all the earth’s creatures once we give up the shibboleth of human superiority over animals.” Lastly, Spirituality and Practice says in its review, “Goodall and Bekoff are outraged by the cruel treatment of animals in zoos, game farms that rent out animals for photography and filming, factory farming, the fur industry, animal experimentation, the slaughter of animals for body parts, the bushmeat trade, ecotourism, the extermination of so-called predators, and genetically modified food and drugs. And, of course, as a consequence of human population growth, the destruction of animal habitat and the global rate of species extinction are the highest they have been for the past 65 million years.” The Ten Trusts discussed are:

• Rejoice that we are part of the Animal Kingdom. • Respect all life. • Open our minds, in humility, to animals and learn

from them. • Teach our children to respect and love nature. • Be wise stewards of life on earth. • Value and help preserve the sounds of nature. • Refrain from harming life in order to learn about it. • Have the courage of our convictions. • Praise and help those who work for animals and the natural world.

• Act knowing we are not alone and live with hope. All give us sufficient food for thought. The extensive bibliography included will give readers ample resources to explore any topics in greater depth. This is a must-read for all animal advocates. To purchase this book on Amazon.com click the link below: www.amazon.com/Ten-Trusts-What-Must-Animals

JANUARY 2022 |

ANIMAL CULTURE | 11

Balanced Ecosystems: A Necessity, Not a Choice BY MARY HOLMES | PHOTO ©CAMILLA H. FOX/PROJECTCOYOTE.ORG

12 | ANIMAL CULTURE | JANUARY 2022

FEATURE

Beyond their ability to captivate the human imagination, bears are integral ecosystem managers. They provide insect control and enrich soil when they break open logs; they fertilize forests with fish carcasses and by eating fruit and nuts; they provide forest cleanup as scavengers; and, as predators, they help keep populations such as deer and moose in balance. Despite these ecosystem services, bears can be legally hunted in 27 U.S. states. Many of these states allow hunting practices deemed cruel and “unsporting,” including spring hunts, baiting, hounding, and the selling and trade of bear parts.

Apex predators, also known as alpha predators, occupy the top positions in the food chain. They have no predators who can prey on them and play an important role in maintaining biodiversity in the ecosystem. When apex predators are removed from the ecosystem, dire consequences can, and most certainly do, arise. Lack of apex predators brings about a trophic cascade, which has far-reaching effects throughout the ecosystem.

JANUARY 2022 |

ANIMAL CULTURE | 13

The beautiful and elusive cougar — also known as the mountain lion or puma — is one of many native carnivores targeted by trophy hunters throughout the West. Texas still allows barbaric trapping of mountain lions. The mass killing of native carnivores is actually counterproductive to sound wildlife management and can lead to increased conflicts with livestock, pets, and people. Photo ©Keli Hendricks/ ProjectCoyote.org

First of all, why do we need apex predators? To begin with, they help keep the number of prey animals in check by weeding out slow, weak, and dying animals; this practice also increases the health of the population as a whole. Secondly, left to their own devices, a herd of herbivores (an apex predator’s usual prey) will stay in one place and eat everything around them until there is nothing but bare ground, before they move on. The presence of apex predators keeps the prey moving; if prey don’t keep moving they will become an apex predator’s next meal. This gives the vegetation time to rebound, and leaves smaller plants and grasses for smaller herbivores. But it doesn’t end here – the remaining vegetation helps to prevent soil erosion, which in turn reduces run-off into rivers and streams. Less run-off means less flood damage. When apex predators are reduced in numbers, the ecosystem suffers from trophic cascade. This means an increase

14 | ANIMAL CULTURE | JANUARY 2022

in prey, a decrease in vegetation, more soil erosion, more runoffs, and more flooding, which eventually affects humans. According to a study published in the journal Bioscience, “The catastrophic decline around the world of ‘apex’ predators such as wolves, cougars, lions or sharks has led to a huge increase in smaller ‘mesopredators’ that are causing major economic and ecological disruptions, a new study concludes. . . . in North America all of the largest terrestrial predators have been in decline during the past 200 years while the ranges of 60 percent of mesopredators have expanded. The problem is global, growing and severe, scientists say, with few solutions in sight.” The study continued, “Primary or apex predators can actually benefit prey populations by suppressing smaller predators, and failure to consider this mechanism has triggered collapses of entire ecosystems.

FEATURE “Cascading negative effects of surging mesopredator populations have been documented for birds, sea turtles, lizards, rodents, marsupials, rabbits, fish, scallops, insects and ungulates. The economic cost of controlling mesopredators may be very high, and sometimes could be accomplished more effectively at less cost by returning apex predators to the ecosystem. Human intervention cannot easily replace the role of apex predators, in part because the constant fear of predation alters not only populations but behavior of mesopredators. Large predators are usually carnivores, but mesopredators are often omnivores and can cause significant plant and crop damage. “The effects of exploding mesopredator populations can be found in oceans, rivers, forests and grasslands around the world. Reversing and preventing mesopredator release is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive as the world’s top predators continue to edge toward obliteration.” Smithsonian Magazine refers to the practice of “wildlife management” thusly, “Eliminating predators from an area may be seen as a good thing; you’ve gotten rid of the animal that has been killing off your livestock or even your neighbors. Others often see the loss of these species with a somewhat sad, romantic eye; how awful to never again see such a creature. But the reality of the loss of predators is far worse, say ecologists reporting in Science, and ‘may be humankind’s most pervasive influence on nature,’ they write. “Part of that is because the worst extent of such a disappearance—extinction—is irreversible, unlike other environmental impacts, such as climate change.” Then it goes on to discuss trophic cascades. Science Magazine ecologists report: We propose that many of the ecological surprises that have confronted society over the past centuries—pandemics, population collapses of species we value and eruptions of those we do not, major shifts in ecosystem states, and losses of diverse ecosystem services—were caused or facilitated by altered top-down forcing regimes associated with the loss of native apex consumers or the introduction of exotics. Our repeated failure to predict and moderate these events result not only from the complexity of nature but from fundamental misunderstandings of their root causes. Greener Ideal takes a somewhat less drastic stance. “Apex predators are key to the health of an ecosystem. They maintain the balance between prey species and the rest of the system. Without them, everything gets out of balance, leading to cycles of population explosions and crashes, depleted lands, stunted forests, and flooding rivers. While human intervention can solve some of these issues, it is so much better to let the predators perform the task they were designed to do.” Nonetheless, the underlying sentiment is – nature can take care of itself; human intervention is not the answer. North American apex predators are usually vilified and subject to extirpation. In medical terminology, according to

Merriam-Webster, extirpation means the “complete excision or surgical destruction of a body part.” Indeed, this is the appropriate choice of words, because it clearly indicates that removal of one body part affects the remainder of the body with negative consequences to the remaining body parts. We have forgotten how important the ecosystem is; our manipulation of existing populations of apex predators upsets the biodiversity. NRDC, the National Resources Defense Council, Inc., gets straight to the point – USDA Wildlife Services spends most of its time and efforts eliminating predators who are threats to livestock and agriculture, no matter what the environmental consequences. Its stated mission belies its true intent. “The mission of USDA APHIS Wildlife Services (WS) is to provide Federal leadership and expertise to resolve wildlife conflicts to allow people and wildlife to coexist. WS conducts program delivery, research, and other activities through its Regional and State Offices, the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) and its Field Stations, as well as through its National Programs.” According to NRDC, Wildlife Services “continues to kill over a hundred thousand carnivores a year claiming that the removal of these predators is not likely to have a broader impact on the ecosystem.”

This black bear cub, captured by Camilla Fox of Project Coyote in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), is only protected if he stays within the confines of the park. Outside of YNP, black bears can legally be trophy hunted for a $19 license fee for Montana residents. Photo ©Camilla H. Fox/ProjectCoyote.org

Let’s talk about wolves, who were delisted from the Endangered Species List effective January, 2021. Delisting means one thing – the wolf population can again be controlled by individual states, and wolves can again be hunted by the public. The Trump Administration claimed this as a major environmental JANUARY 2022 |

ANIMAL CULTURE | 15

victory; most scientists say the delisting is premature. The International Wolf Center lists five reasons many feel the endangered classification is still necessary. 1. In the contiguous 48 states, the gray wolf currently occupies only about 10 percent of its former range. 2. Most of the gray wolf’s former habitat in these 48 states is unsuitable for wolves, and probably never will be suitable, due mainly to human encroachment. 3. Public attitudes toward wolves are mixed, with many residents of the gray wolf’s range holding strong anti-wolf opinions. 4. The long-term trends in land use suggest that much of the current or potential wolf range will continue to be developed and, thus, rendered unsuitable for wolves, even in Minnesota. 5. It was only after gray wolves were given protection by the Endangered Species Act that wolf populations in the United States began to increase.

livestock production in wolf habitat, fluctuations in primary prey populations; insufficient or ineffective law enforcement, and disease. These factors have affected wolf populations locally and globally by destroying habitat, creating barriers to dispersal and migration between habitats, and reducing prey populations upon which wolves depend.” Going back to the subject of trophic cascades, Project Coyote referenced a Canadian study which “noted the negative effect of wolf exclusion by humans on various native species that might not otherwise be viewed as mutually dependent on each other. Researchers discovered that wolf exclusion decreased aspen recruitment, willow production, and increased willow and aspen browsing intensity. Beaver lodge density was negatively correlated to elk density, and elk browsing had an indirect negative effect on riparian songbird diversity and abundance.” Trophic cascades in Yellowstone: The first 15 years after wolf reintroduction discusses in some detail the positive and

widespread ecological effects of the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone Park.

Apex predators are key to the health of an ecosystem ... Greener Ideal

According to Kristen Boyles, an attorney with Earthjustice, “This is no ‘Mission Accomplished’ moment for wolf recovery. Wolves are only starting to get a toehold in places like Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, and wolves need federal protection to explore habitat in the Southern Rockies and the Northeast.” Delisting means the wolf populations will again be “managed” by state and tribal agencies. “Managing” means killing, pure and simple. Project Coyote has much to say about threats to wolves. “Since wolves are an apex predator, they experience little to no mortality from other species in their natural environment. In some instances, wolves kill each other during territorial disputes and conflicts within and between packs. However, most wolf mortality comes from humans and their activities. Habitat fragmentation and urban sprawl have played a pivotal role in the conflict between humans and wolves. Influences on gray wolf habitat and mortality include: habitat conversion for human uses, inadequate regulatory protections, authorized human hunting and trapping, illegal killing, killing or removal in response to conflicts with

16 | ANIMAL CULTURE | JANUARY 2022

As stated previously, most of the conflict that exists is between apex predators and ranchers. One of the primary wildlife management tools used by state and tribal agencies is the promotion of Wildlife Killing Contests. Project Coyote is one of a host of wildlife advocacy organizations working to get these contests banned. They maintain, and rightfully so, that it is possible to peacefully coexist with apex predators, if humankind is willing to do its part. Here is just a sampling of non-lethal methods of apex predator management. 1. Use of radio-collar telemetry and remote camera data so that ranchers can be notified to move livestock out of apex predator locations. 2. Chemical, visual, and auditory distractions can be utilized to induce wolves to stay away. 3. Other measures include wolf translocation, removal of dead, sick, and diseased livestock where carcasses might be easily scavenged by wolves, the use of trained guard dogs and night watchmen, shed lambing and night

FEATURE penning, range riders, noise making devices called rag boxes, and electric fencing. 4. Furthermore, exclusion systems are often used in the form of “turbo fladry.” This is a combination of an ancient Eastern European technique that deploys a long string with hanging colorful flags and modern technology (aboveground electrified wires) to prevent wildlife from attacking livestock. When properly installed and maintained electrically charged perimeters with fladry can keep domestic animals safe inside a defined area by keeping potential predators out. Project Coyote concludes, “Coexistence between humans and wolves presents many challenges requiring changes in long-held beliefs, values, and practices with regard to livestock production in wolf-occupied areas. Many resources and organizations now exist to educate and assist livestock owners with evolving techniques that will keep their sheep and cattle safe by using predator-friendly management tools that deter attacks.”

It is clear we need to make these changes. Apex predators are not pests, but valuable members of the food chain. We need to protect and preserve them, for the sake of biodiversity and the continued existence of our planet. For more information on Project Coyote, and the wolves, visit: projectcoyote.org/

Below Project Coyote estimates that more than half a million coyotes are killed in the U.S. alone- more than one per minute. Coyotes can often be killed in unlimited numbers year-round with unimaginably cruel and indiscriminate methods from snaring to baiting, hounding, poisoning, aerial gunning. They are the most targeted species in wildlife killing contests which are still legal in more than 40 states. Photo ©Camilla H. Fox/ProjectCoyote.org

THE WRITINGS OF MARC BEKOFF Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and co-founder with Jane Goodall of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. He has won many awards for his scientific research including the Exemplar Award from the Animal Behavior Society and a Guggenheim Fellowship. In 2005 Marc was presented with The Bank One Faculty Community Service Award for the work he has done with children, senior citizens, and prisoners and in 2009 he was presented with the St. Francis of Assisi Award by the New Zealand SPCA. Marc has published more than 1000 essays (popular, scientific, and book chapters), 31 books, and has edited three encyclopedias.

‘Kindling’ Asks Us to Think Deeply About Empathy and Apathy Linnea Ryshke gently asks critical questions about our circle of moral concerns Used by kind permission of Marc Bekoff | www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions

I recently read and was moved deeply by poet and artist Linnea Ryshke’s thoughtful and inspirational book Kindling, and immediately asked if she could answer a few questions about her collection of poems and artwork, much of which is based on her own experiences, including time interacting with the animals on an organic meat farm. Here’s what she had to say.

section is comprised of poetry and photography that narrate the story by focusing on small, intimate moments that are laced with sensory and emotional detail. The second part takes the form of an essay and statement about my visual artwork created in the year after this pivotal experience. The final part is a short conclusion, what I call a prayer.

Linnea Ryshke: Kindling is intended to contribute to the body of artwork, literature, poetry, and theory that is asking us to hold the most difficult questions of our time. For me, one of the most imperative concerns is the need to broaden our moral circle of consideration and concern to include the more-than-human beings with whom we live on this planet.

The psychological tensions between empathy and apathy, and care and harm, knit together many of the poems. Because I was taking part in the day-to-day operations, I began to embody the cognitive dissonance that manifests in this kind of environment. This was a small family farm of course, not near the kind of intensity of a factory farm, yet micro-aggression and violence was the norm and something I was a part of during that time. The quality of my touch was not, could not, be caring and kind. I acted in ways contrary to my ethical beliefs; in my life, I try to have as gentle a presence as possible, especially in the presence of nonhuman animals. For instance, there is a poem that describes when a quail escapes from her cage and “the claws of my hands lunged” to grab her. The small violence of this act singed my skin. I ask the reader to be with me in this uncomfortable reality: even in the “nicest” conditions of a small family farm, the logic of commodification persists, and with it, a lack of engagement in empathy, care, reciprocity, and respect for individual autonomy, which, to me, are the pillars of a human-animal ethic that we need to cultivate now more than ever.

MB: Who is your intended audience? LR: I hope my book will reach the hands of people who might not normally consider the lives of farmed animals, or who might actively dismiss this topic. This is an aspiring goal, especially because books like these tend to run in the same circles. But my somewhat unconscious intention was to create a book that was intimate and came from my own vulnerability, therefore hoping to evade any kind of “holier than thou” tone. However, Kindling is not an easy read—it asks the audience to be patient, still, and brave. In this way, not everyone will be able to sit with it. But my hope is, through my gentle and honest approach, people will find themselves invited into the work, to hold this heartbreak with me. MB: What are some of the topics you weave into your book and what are some of your major messages? LR: Kindling is a three-part reflection on my experience working for a short time at a small, family-owned meat farm in Europe. The first

18 | ANIMAL CULTURE | JANUARY 2022

I see art and poetry as critical not only in animal advocacy, but in the imperative work of shaking us awake at our most elemental level. In my eyes, our hyperactive, technology-reliant, commerce-driven social systems have made us disassociated from a feeling, empathetic, communal way of living. We need to practice the art of sensory attention and attunement to the life around us and within us. We need to build the capacity for sitting in silence

MARC BEKOFF or reverie. We need to cultivate patience for feeling the most uncomfortable of feelings. Without these skills, I don’t believe any meaningful change can be made. I understand art and poetry as essential in stimulating our empathetic and sensory capacities again and reorienting us to a slower, sensitive way of being. MB: How does your book differ from others that are concerned with some of the same general topics? LR: I feel there is a need and place for every kind of perspective and strategy when it comes to urgent issues like animal advocacy or the climate crisis. My own contribution is not what I would call “activist art.” It is not overtly didactic. Up until two years ago, my artwork was much more direct, but I found it was not affecting others the way I hoped. The tone of my work has changed to one that is more ambiguous and subtle, yet still melancholic and distressing. For me, I find art to be most compelling when it moves beyond rational comprehension and resonates within the most hidden part of us. It’s the aesthetics of the work, whether of a song, a poem, or painting, that can bypass all logical comprehension and communicate with the deep, nonverbal part of us. In this way, when the art is tasked to confront something as difficult as the violence towards

nonhuman animals, Kindling seeks a balance between clarity and ambiguity. I want the audience not to “read the message” but “feel the resonance” of the poems and images. MB: Do you feel optimistic that as people learn more about what you’re doing they’ll treat animals with more respect, dignity, and compassion? LR: Honestly, as most people with their ear to the ground, who are aware of the myriad of ways in which the flourishing of nonhuman life is threatened by human activity, optimism can be hard to come by. The hard part of making art as a catalyst for change is that there are no clear metrics to measure outcome. Meaningful conversations are the only way I can understand the impact of my work. These conversations have the ability to shift one person’s way of seeing and can then reverberate into the other lives touched by that person. I dedicate my small life to the immense undertaking of changing our relationship with nonhuman animals, knowing that my efforts won’t do a lot, but they will do some small thing. And that still matters.

REFERENCES In conversation with Linnea Ryshke. Bekoff, Marc. Animals, Exploitation, and Art: The Work of Colleen Plumb. (A riveting interview about how artwork can foster compassion and empathy.)

Art for Animals: Its Historical Significance for Advocacy. (An interview with Keri Cronin about her new book focusing on art and activism.) Art Behind Bars: Animals, Compassion, Freedom, and Hope.

JANUARY 2022 |

ANIMAL CULTURE | 19

Lisa Karlan’s Plant Based Recipes Lisa Karlan is Producer/Host of “Hey Doc! What’s New in PlantBased Medicine” appearing on JaneUnchained News Network most Fridays at 10 am PST/ 1 pm EST at: facebook.com/janevelezmitchell, facebook.com/LKarlan YouTube. com/c/janeunchainednews and twitter.com/LKarlan. She is also a Certified Food for Life Instructor with Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and the recipe author for Animal Culture Magazine.

Vegan Jalfrezi Curry with Maya Kaimal’s Jalfrezi Curry Sauce.

Vegan Jalfrezi Curry with Chickpeas INGREDIENTS

• 12.5 oz. jar Maya Kaimal Jalfrezi Curry Indian Simmer Sauce (Medium) - Sweet Red Pepper & Tomato

• 1 1/2 cups organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas), washed & drained • 4 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes, fork-sized cubes, cooked • 1 cup organic celery, lightly steamed • 3/4 cup organic peas • 1 cup organic sweet red pepper, diced • 4 garlic cloves, minced • 1 cup organic spinach, packed • 1/4 cup organic parsley, minced (garnish) • 4 cups organic brown rice, cooked

Ingredients for Vegan Jalfrezi Curry with Chickpeas.

DIRECTIONS 1. Place potatoes in enough boiling water to cover them and cook until fork tender 2. Add diced celery to the sauce pan with the potatoes during the last 5 min to soften, then drain in a colander 3. Place Maya Kaimal Jalfrezi Curry Indian Simmer Sauce into pot with potatoes, celery, chickpeas, peas, sweet red pepper and garlic; cook on medium heat until thoroughly heated (about 5 min) gently folding mixture, so potatoes remain intact

Vegan Jalfrezi Curry with Fresh Spinach Added in to Wilt Before Serving.

4. Fold in spinach and cover for 2 additional minutes, until wilted 5. Heat rice separately 6. Place 1 cup rice in large soup bowl and cover with vegetable curry mixture 7. Drizzle Lemon Tahini Sauce over the top and garnish with parsley

LEMON TAHINI SAUCE

• 1/4 c tahini • 4 Tbsp organic fresh squeezed lemon • 2 Tbsp organic parsley, minced • Blend sauce ingredients with small whisk or small food processor and set aside

20 | ANIMAL CULTURE | JANUARY 2022

This recipe is a great example of a whole food plant-based meal, where ordinary inexpensive food when combined with an incredible sauce makes an extraordinary dish. Check out https://www.mayakaimal.com/product/medium-spice-indian-jalfrezi-curry-sauce/ to purchase this and other sauces directly from the website, or see if the store locator has place near you. These sauces come in shelf stable packaging that doesn’t require refrigeration.

JANUARY 2022 |

ANIMAL CULTURE | 21

We Are All Connected By Dr Paul Ramos BS BVSc MVSc MRCVS Paul is a wildlife veterinarian who has lived and worked across the world, looking after all sorts of creatures from critically endangered stick insects to rescued Asian elephants. After receiving a Zoology degree, he put on a backpack to travel the world for a year. . . 20 years ago. Along the way Paul became a vet, then a wildlife vet, and now considers himself a passionate storyteller with one core message: we are all connected. Paul received his Vet and Master’s degree from the University of Melbourne and after a few of years in practice went on to complete a residency in zoo medicine at the Royal Melbourne Zoo/Zoos Victoria in Australia. He has worked as a vet in both non-profit and private sectors with work ranging from clinical practice, governmental & hospital ethics committees, animal rescue, conservation and field research. In 2018 Paul discovered a passion for storytelling and redefined his role in how he was going to help bring about change. Since then he has co-created an award-winning documentary film, is currently a vet on Nat Geo Wild’s “Jungle Animal Rescue” / “Jungle Heroes” and is one of the top vets on the app TikTok (@vetpaulramos).

“Changing Planet: Britain’s Wildest” The making of an eco-adventure series

During the lockdown of 2020, like so many others I was forced to step back and look at where I was in life, and where we are in the state of this planet. It was the great unplug and I wanted to do something…more. I can remember to the exact minute when a big idea hit me (because I literally grabbed my phone and made a video to my future self!) and within the week I was reaching out to people I’ve never met but felt would make up a great team. They all said, “Hell, yes!” We called the project Changing Planet: Britain’s Wildest. The idea? To make a film series (due out early 2022), sailing over 1,000 miles from the southern tip of England north up the

22 | ANIMAL CULTURE | JANUARY 2022

British Isles, to get to Glasgow in time for the United Nations Climate Change Conference starting November 1st. Along the way we were going to explore the Isles’ wildest places and animals, to show that even where COP26 was occurring climate change was happening, what’s at stake and what are some solutions to this global mess. In addition to having to sail the British Isles in the wild seas of October we were faced with another little challenge: we’d never sailed before. Braving 40mph winds, massive waves and hazardous passages over 30 plus days, we sailed up England, Wales, and aimed for the Isle of Man before crossing the treacherous Irish Sea and finally up into the wild Scottish Hebrides before turning around for Glasgow. The only point in the expedition when I felt that I would definitely not die (I know, dramatic, welcome to my paranoid brain) is when we finally made it around the famous Mull of Kintyre, delivering us from the Hebrides into the safer waters of the Firth of Clyde that would lead us up river to COP26. The team consisted of filmmakers, social entrepreneurs, our skipper, myself and fellow vet Dr Sean McCormack (@thatvetsean). In addition to making a film we wanted to do a proper expedition, with real hands-on research. We teamed up with world-leading expert in underwater sound Steve Simpson, Professor of Marine Biology and Global Change at the University of Bristol, to record the world’s first and largest underwater soundscape spanning the

DR. PAUL RAMOS

1. Crew L to R: Filmmaker Jack Fisher, filmmaker Jackson Kingsley, Prof Steve Simpson, Dr Sean McCormack, Dave Erasmus, Dr Paul Ramos, Andy Lindsell 2. I’m on the left and marine biologist/filmmaker Jake Davies joins us for the dive at a secret location. These skates are usually found in water 100’s of meters deep but for an unknown reason, in October at this spot they are at 20 meters. More research is now needed to find out why, as there may be conservation implications.

3. After successfully diving into the deep to find the critically endangered Flapper skate with SSCSS (shark and skate citizen science Scotland) they showed me a used ‘mermaids purse’ or egg case. 4. Me deploying a hydrophone to find out what life is beneath the surface. Our transect ran 1,000 miles.

length of the British Isles using special underwater microphones and equipment. These sounds would be analysed to help scientists better understand our impact on ocean ecosystems, and how our warming seas are altering where certain marine species are appearing and disappearing due to climate change. What we found was shocking: we documented the northern spread of a species historically only found in temperate/tropical waters, the snapping shrimp. These crustaceans produce a sound louder than a gunshot when they snap their claws open to create bubbles to stun their prey, making them detectable from large distances using hydrophone technology. Snapping shrimp started appearing along the warmer coast of southern England around a decade ago –we found them to now be abundant in all four countries of the UK and as far north as the Hebrides. This wasn’t the only data point of ecosystem change we discovered was happening. Working with the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, we learned that top-of-food chain species expansions were also occurring. From zero sightings in the Hebrides in 2004 to over 2000 sightings last year, their volunteers recorded a 20-fold increase in the warm water common dolphin. In fact, sea temperatures in the Hebrides have already risen by 1.5° C in the past couple of decades – the very situation we are trying to avoid on land (oceans have absorbed 90% of the heat from climate change, they are at their tipping point). These dangerously

All Photos ©Dr Paul Ramos All Captions Dr Paul Ramos

rapid changes in marine ecosystems will translate to threats to our economic, social and physical safety such as food and trade impacts, rising sea levels and increasing extreme weather events. There will be nothing ‘natural’ about the disasters we are about to face in our current trajectory. The journey was life-changing for me, as I continue to mentally unpack what just happened. We encountered baby beavers, gregarious cetaceans, rescued seal pups and I even did a world’s first dive to look for the world’s largest – and critically endangered – skate species! Meeting up with scientists, activists, volunteers and everyday people gave me hope that on a local level, change is absolutely possible. And the conference? COP26 itself was as to be expected: lots of talking in the inner ‘Blue Zone’ and lots of raised voices, sharing of ideas, collaborating in the outer ‘Green Zone’ and citywide. I do not know how much listening and action there was. Time, and history, will tell. Website - mychangingplanet.com Sign up to the newsletter to keep in touch! Facebook - facebook.com/mychangingplanet Instagram - instagram.com/mychangingplanet Here is a music track we helped create from 100% ocean sounds, download on Spotify - spotify:album:6be6GxQoBlppjGbkdCkkII

JANUARY 2022 |

ANIMAL CULTURE | 23

VISUAL CULTURE

Expanding Our Circle of Compassion: Compassion Arts BY MARY HOLMES

24 | ANIMAL CULTURE | JANUARY 2022

According to their website, “Compassion Arts Festival is an annual project of Compassion Arts, an all-volunteer grassroots arts and education collective for exploring our connection with all life, and expanding our circle of compassion. The festival’s mission is to provide a platform for sharing ways that creativity can be an instrument for deepening our understanding of, and respect for, other animals and nature.” The 2021 Festival took place in November, and was inspired by the themes of The Ten Trusts, by Jane Goodall and Marc Bekoff. Each of the 2021 festival’s virtual events represented one of the Ten Trusts. The virtual art exhibit was based on the Fifth Trust – Be Wise Stewards of Life on Earth. To quote Jane Goodall, “There is a lot that we can do, each in our own way. We must not lose hope, we must not give up. Above all, we must share what we have learned, encourage our friends to help in this most vital task--the stewardship of the Earth.” L.A. Watson, The Roadside Memorial Project—Rabbit, Reflective road sign installation consisting of plywood, reflective tape, wood, bolts, Size varied, 2013.

JANUARY 2022 |

ANIMAL CULTURE | 25

Compassion Arts Presents

THE FIFTH TRUST

a virtual exhibition

Curated by Janell O’Rourke and Jane O’Hara

Linda Brant Lee Deigaard Patricia Denys Alise Eastgate Kathryn Eddy Karen Fiorito Erica Gajewski Suzy González Isa Leshko Jane O’Hara Janell O’Rourke Colleen Plumb Linnea Ryshke L.A. Watson Gretchen Woodman Linnea Ryshke 2020 Embers 30”x15” pastel+acrylic on wood panel

NOVEMBER 18, 2021 - JANUARY 31, 2022 Virtual opening reception Thursday, November 18 7:00- 8:30 pm EST

The Fifth Trust promo card.

Isa Lesko, Pot Belly Pig, Age 12 from Allowed to Grow Old, Archival pigment print, Image size: 9” x 9”, Paper size: 11” x 14”, 2011.

26 | ANIMAL CULTURE | JANUARY 2022

The Fifth Trust Exhibit website states, “As artists whose work focuses on a critical representation of animal life and nature there is a lot we can do to ‘be wise stewards of life on earth.’ We have made a conscious choice to create work that is more-than-human and in doing so we blur the boundaries, confront uncertainty and embrace unexpected outcomes. Often the more we learn the more it propels us, the more it becomes integral to our work. How as human artists, can we imagine and connect with the creative lives of other animal beings without hierarchy, without sentimentality? There are new progressive shifts in ideologies that are chipping away at the false dichotomies that have long separated us from them. We may not know what it is like to be a pig, a caterpillar or a pigeon, but we know that it is like something. Sentience lives in all of us.” The virtual exhibit features the work of fifteen artists: • Linda Brant

• Isa Leshko

• Lee Deigaard

• Jane O’Hara

• Patricia Denys

• Janell O’Rourke

• Alise Eastgate

• Colleen Plumb

• Kathryn Eddy

• Linnea Ryshke

• Karen Fiorito

• L.A. Watson

• Erica Gajewski

• Gretchen Woodman

• Suzy González We interviewed curators Jane O’Hara and Janell O’Rourke for some background about the exhibit, and Ellie Sarty, Founder and Director of Compassion Arts. Jane O’Hara is a painter and curator living in Providence, RI. Her curatorial projects exist alongside her studio practice with focus on issues relating to animals’ disparate experience in society. Using surrealism she creates a narrative in her work to point out how the animal condition poses a duality - animals raised in captivity at odds with the casting of human traits on our pampered pets. Janell O’Rourke is an interdisciplinary artist who works in the field of critical animal studies. Through art making, she explores the mechanisms of unwarranted prejudices that objectify other animals and our relationships with them. As an eco-feminist artist, she recognizes non-human animal subjectivity and values diverse and non-hierarchal modes of being in the world. Ellie Sarty is an animal advocate and music artist. The three women have worked together before. Sarty remarked that, because of the pandemic, the 2020 was the first time the festival became a virtual event; not only was this year’s virtual but 2022 will be. The Fifth Trust exhibit came into being according to O’Rourke when, “Ellie asked Jane and I if we would like to co-curate and participate as artists in an online art exhibition for this year’s festival based on the book: The Ten Trusts by Jane Goodall and Marc Beckoff; we selected The Fifth Trust: Be Wise Stewards of Life

VISUAL CULTURE

on Earth as our focal point. We want people from all walks of life to be able to make a connection while looking at the exhibition. It’s not a vegan show, it’s much, much more than that, it’s an opportunity to engage with visionary artists who think about their place in the more-than human world.” O’Hara added, “Our role as curators was to feature a group of committed artists whose work involves speaking for animals. Last year became the first virtual festival, as we all isolated in our homes due to the pandemic.… When Janell and I took this on, finding artists, designing the website, planning an opening event, I kept thinking of the advantages. These artists are spread out over the country. An opening could have visitors, and participants from anywhere – and did – and the Fifth Trust exhibition is accessible at any time. All you need is a Wi-Fi connection.” Sarty chooses a theme for each year’s festival. “Since everything is volunteer, people’s level of involvement

to the artists for their statements, but Jane and I made the selections based on materiality, style and process of the artwork in relation to the many thoughts of how art can educate through a visual language that is unique; artwork that would also collaborate and create a dialogue between the works.” O’Hara added, “My hope is that people will now spend some time with the exhibition, go to each artist’s page to look at the artwork, expand the images, read the text on their pieces and their statements and if interested go to their websites with inquiries and to learn more. There is a guest book as well so we hope visitors will comment on the exhibition and see what others have written.” Sarty concluded with her vision for the future of Compassion Arts. “There are several long-term goals for Compassion Arts, but the first is to use the next few years to transition to become a small online non-profit institute with year-round exhibits, programs, workshops, performances

Karen Fiorito, Disappearing Bees, 2019, 3 Monoprints (Triptych), 10” x 12” each, 2019.

is different based on what they are able to do. This year was more complicated because there were 12 programs based on exploring The Ten Trusts (inspired by the book The Ten Trusts: What We Must Do To Care For The Animals We Love by Jane Goodall & Marc Bekoff ). The different festival events were overseen by the individual program hosts for each Trust event, and then I put it all together.” O’Hara commented on the choice of themes, “I think using the Ten Trusts to set guidelines for the many aspects of animal compassion and the arts was kind of brilliant! The Fifth Trust: Be Wise Stewards of Life on Earth seemed an interesting way to feature a group of artists and create a paradigm to work with.” When asked how the work was chosen, O’Rourke responded, “Our artist choices were egalitarian in nature, each one of these artists can stand alone with her work. We felt that The Fifth Trust could function as an inspiration

and special presenters. “As part of making this change towards becoming an online institute, starting 2022 the annual Compassion Arts Festival will only present original works from Compassion Arts or co-partnered projects, and it will also host two kinds of ‘artists in residence’ programs that will be featured in the festival - one for a guest artist, as a platform for an established person or group in the arts using their work for advocacy, and the other as a resource of support for an emerging animal advocate artist seeking to develop an original project.” Animal Culture looks forward to following Compassion Arts’ continued success! For more information on Compassion Arts, go to: compassionarts.org

For more information on the Festival, go to:

compassionarts.org/compassion-arts-festival

JANUARY 2022 |

ANIMAL CULTURE | 27

VISUAL CULTURE

Kathryn Eddy, From the Farm to a Grocery Store Near You, variable size, sculpey clay with acrylic paint, 2013.

28 | ANIMAL CULTURE | JANUARY 2022

IN THE NEWS We try to share victories for animals whenever possible; many times in this feature we are exhorting you to do your part, particularly by contacting your elected representatives to vote for or against certain animal-related legislation. Today we would like to share a victory that has evolved in the UK over the past year. You may be aware of a small portion of this victory. The United Kingdom, is amending its Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill to recognize octopuses, crabs, lobsters, and other similar sea creatures as sentient beings. This was first announced in May of 2021, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. The UK is making great strides towards animal welfare on multiple fronts. But let’s start with a little more information about this small section of the bill. The government of the United Kingdom commissioned a study by the renowned LSE (London School of Economics and Political Science). Its purpose was to review hundreds of existing scientific studies on two groups of sea creatures – decapod crustaceans, which include crabs, shrimp, and lobsters; and cephalopod mollusks, which include octopuses, squid, nautilus, and cuttlefish. After a five-year review, LSE lead researcher Dr. Johnathan Birch stated, “I’m pleased to see the government implementing a central recommendation of my team’s report. After reviewing over 300 scientific studies, we concluded that cephalopod molluscs and decapod crustaceans should be regarded as sentient, and should therefore be included within the scope of animal welfare law. “The amendment will also help remove a major inconsistency: octopuses and other cephalopods have been protected in science for years, but have not received any protection outside science until now. One way the UK can lead on animal welfare is by protecting these invertebrate animals that humans have often completely disregarded.” This determination of sentience means that these creatures’ welfare will have to be considered in any future UK policy decisions with which they might be affected. The bottom line, however, is that existing legislation and industry practices will not be affected by this law. “This means that common methods such as declawing, nicking, eyestalk ablation, the sale of live crustaceans to untrained handlers, and extreme slaughter methods such as live boiling without stunning will remain legal, despite recognition of these animals’ sentience.” Needless to say, the same researchers are now calling for these practices to be outlawed. In a press release dated November 19th of this year, Animal Welfare Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith further stated, “The UK has always led the way on animal welfare and our Action Plan for Animal Welfare goes even further by setting out our plans to bring in some of the strongest protections in the world for pets, livestock and wild animals. The Animal Welfare Sentience Bill provides a crucial assurance that animal wellbeing is rightly considered when developing new laws. The science is now clear that decapods and cephalopods can feel pain and therefore it is only right they are covered by this vital piece of legislation. “The Bill, when it becomes law, will establish an Animal Sentience Committee made up of experts from within the field.

They will be able to issue reports on how well government decisions have taken account of the welfare of sentient animals with Ministers needing to respond to Parliament.” In the foreword to the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, The Rt Hon George Eustice MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs states, “Our manifesto was clear that high standards of animal welfare are one of the hallmarks of a civilised society. We have a long tradition of protecting animals and that will continue – and we will continue to support such efforts overseas.” He adds that Brexit has given the UK an opportunity to do things better. The Plan will address five major issues: 1. An expert committee on animal sentience will report on government decisions, holding ministers accountable for animal welfare in policy making. We will apply new higher maximum penalties for animal cruelty and introduce a new system of penalty fines for people who are cruel to animals. 2. We will ensure our high animal welfare standards are not compromised in our trade negotiations. We will use our position as a global leader for international advocacy on animal welfare to forge new relationships with our trading partners and other nations across the globe to promote high animal welfare. 3. We will protect and enhance animal welfare for farm animals by ending the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening. We will consult on how labelling can be reformed to make it easier for consumers to purchase food that aligns with their welfare values. We will support livestock farmers financially via our ‘Animal Health and Welfare Pathway,’ and ensure effective powers are available to tackle ‘livestock worrying’ – knowing the trauma that attacks on livestock can inflict. Alongside this work we will introduce other reforms to improve farm welfare, including examining the use of cages for laying hens and farrowing crates for pigs. 4. We recognise how important pets and sporting animals are to people’s lives and will tackle the trade in puppy smuggling, crack down on pet theft and take forward other reforms in this area. 5. We will increase protections for kept wild animals by ending the low-welfare practice of keeping primates as pets, improving standards in zoos, and enhancing conservation.

Although this plan falls short of what animal advocates the world over would like to see, it is certainly moving us in the right direction. We applaud the UK for its ongoing efforts for the non-human among us. As a final note, recent polls in the UK have shown that 85% of those polled favored the abolition of factory farming.

JANUARY 2022 |

ANIMAL CULTURE | 29

Hens for Friends Written by Sandy De Lisle Illustrated by Amelia Hansen Hens are smart, savvy, and like to cuddle, as Aaron describes in this picture book about his relationship with his best friend, a Rhode Island Red Hen he names, Margaret.

Always Blue for Chicu

Jake and Ava A Boy and a Fish

Written and Illustrated by Karen Dugan

Written by Jonathan Balcombe Illustrated by Rebecca Evans

Through striking illustrations, Chicu’s story opens a window into the life of parrots whose very beauty leads to their imprisonment, birds who deserve to live wild and free.

Featuring vivid illustrations of Australian flora and fauna, Jake and Ava offers young children age-appropriate insight into the fact that fishes feel pain, have familial relationships, and value their lives just as we do.

The Gryphon Press publishes beautifully illustrated children’s picture books about the vital issues that animals–domestic, wild, and farmed–face, and does so in a way that children gain insights into and develop empathy for every animal life.

thegryphonpress.com

facebook.com/gryphonpress twitter.com/TheGryphonPress instagram.com/thegryphonpress