The Crap Lab

A place for all the crap I love.

[thecraplab]

What the Trees Teach Us #poem #trees #nature

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I always forget that most people don't spend 5 days a week with these living dinosaurs. One thing I never forget is just how privileged I am to have the job I have and live the life I live. I always look forward to going into work and love the fact I can truly say I love my job #Everglades #NPS #sharkvalley #alligator #Miami #Florida

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DIY terrarium day #diy #terrarium #nature #garden #hipstercouple #hisandhers

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The most amazing day ever, I saw a Florida Panther in the wild. The Florida Panther is a top predator in the Everglades ecosystem that feeds mostly on deer and small mammals. They are one of the most critically endangered species in the world with less than 200 wild panthers in the State of Florida. A subspecies of the now extinct Eastern Puma, there were so few panthers that inbreeding occurred, requiring hybridization of the big cat with other cougar species to keep them alive. Although low in numbers, the panthers are rebounding though they still face many issues due to loss of habitat. These beautiful creatures are mostly nocturnal and very wary of people making them very rare to see with many going decades without ever seeing one in the wild. It is an honor and a privilege not just to have seen one, but to have been able to get the great pictures I got. I will never forget this day #nature #wildlife ‪#‎FloridaPanther‬ ‪#‎BigCypress‬ ‪#‎Florida #cats #endangered #Nikon #photography #vsco #ignature #igdaily #bestoftheday #igers #science

[thecraplab]

Came across this white-tailed beauty earlier this week. White-tailed deer are very common in the park and love to inhabit the upland areas of the hammocks and Pine Rocklands. Even still, it is very common to see them jumping across the marshes in search of food and habitat. They've been more active lately around the park #Everglades #NationalParks #nature #wildlife #deer #NPR

[thecraplab]

Oh, the horror #climatechange #science #nature #NPS

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Baby gators are making a cameo on the Anhinga Trail #Everglades #alligator #wildlife #nature #NationalParks

[thecraplab]

Best meteor shower of the year peaks at 3 am Thursday, although it can be seen already. There will be very little moon shine, so find a nice dark spot to view it. @nasa will have a live ustream broadcast starting at 10 pm Weds. Look towards Perseus just under Cassiopeia, telescopes are not needed #perseidmeteorshower #astronomy #stars #nasa #meteor #science

[thecraplab]

Spent the day doing sea turtle nesting research with the experts from Biscayne National Park. This was a nest that hatched not too long ago but only 15 of them made it out. Nesting is very tricky and many times either part or the entirety of the nest containing 100+ eggs may not develop because of water infiltration or high temperatures, aside from the risk of predators. There are seven species of sea turtles with six of them being labeled as endangered, critically endangered, or extremely vulnerable. The other major thing that stood out was the amount of trash, mostly plastic, that had washed ashore on each island. Plastic is the number one trash in the ocean and is not biodegradable, lasting thousands of years even as it breaks into microscopic pieces #seaturtles #nesting #research #marinebiology #science #NPS #Biscayne #Florida #conservation

[thecraplab]

Yesterday I got a tour of our highly-secure archive museum and met this stuffed Panther from the 1930s; the only one of its kind. Experts have been able to learn a lot from this Panther being the only one from its time period before the we had to hybridize them. Collections have become a great tool with the advancement of new science and forensics and helped scientists compare differences between old and new species #Everglades #Panther #archives #science #conservation #museum #NPS

[thecraplab]

Took a tour through Google headquarters in Israel and they had a slide from one floor to the next #Google #snapchat (at Google Israel)

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Today is World Turtle Day! Let's take a moment to bring some awareness to conservation efforts going on throughout the country, especially here in South Florida where we play such a huge role, including Florida Bay which is a part of the greater Everglades ecosystem. There are seven species of sea turtles, four of which are endangered or critically endangered, and two which are deemed vulnerable. It's currently nesting season so if you're interested get involved in some volunteer work helping more hatchlings make it out to the sea! #worldturtleday #conservation #awareness #seaturtles #Florida #Everglades #nature #science #endangeredspecies

[thecraplab]

Grateful for all my experiences for I wouldn't be who I am today without them

[thecraplab]

We can be heroes

[thecraplab]

Happy 25th birthday to the Hubble Telescope! This stunning image of the star cluster Westerlund 2 and gas cloud Gum 29 was chosen as the official photo for the celebration. Thanks to this magnificent machine, we have been able to see and understand more about our universe than ever before. Thanks @nasa ! #NASA #Hubble #space #universe #science #anniversary #goldenyear #90sbaby

[thecraplab]

Yesterday marked the beginning of #48DaysofBlue highlighting the 48 days between #EarthDay and #WorldOceanDay. Take the pledge and join thousands of others who are taking small steps toward making the ocean a cleaner, healthier place! Also, sign up online at 48daysofblue.com

[thecraplab]

Happy #EarthDay from everyone at the #Everglades! Got to meet Bill Nye, Jonathan Jarvis (director of the National Park Service), shook the President's hand, and met many other amazing people. I love my job!! #NationalParkService #Obama #BillNye #climatechange #science