Ha ha again I haven't updated my journal in years...haven't uploaded anything either! If Facebook didn't exist, I probably would upload things here, but it does and I do it there instead. I get a lot more comments there. DeviantART seems to be more for people who are into cartoon wolves, cats or naked women! Not that that is a bad thing, but not really my style.

Anyways, I'm back in NZ - like a bad penny! This time I am doing my masters on the endangered endemic katipo spider - I had a lot of fun with falcons and they're great to work with, but right now although they need help, they are getting it. The inverts REALLY aren't. As much as people fight for the survival of tigers, pandas, whales and all the charismatic animals, the truth is that the other 95% of animals are in trouble too and nobody seems to care.

There is one beach left that is full of katipo because it has plenty of pingao, their favourite plant to build webs in. Other beaches have one or two pingao plants and a handful of katipo, that is it. The rest has been taken over by the European invasive, marram. Marram is still being planted all around NZ to stabilise the dune systems! The one remaining stronghold of both the spider and its favourite plant is frequented by people who like to ride all over it in their dirt bikes and 4X4s, disturbing the sensitive katipo plus all the other rare endemic wildlife on the beach.

Katipo are abundant and doing swimmingly well, however, compared with the Canterbury knobbled weevil - there are 50 left, in a pest-ridden area smaller than a football field, and there is one person studying them! They are still listed as extinct by the IUCN - perhaps a prophecy. Compare this to tigers, pandas etc - though they are in trouble, there are thousands of people looking after them and their range is enormous in comparison.

Anyways, enough about the plight of these poor wee creatures. I'm mainly using this account for collecting pictures for references and inspiration, as well as trolling stuff I don't agree with - one of the things DA is great at is providing a place to discuss controversial topics! I don't ever upload stuff - there's not much point really! However, feel free to browse and I hope you enjoy my really old pictures!