Quote of the Day: “The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice.” – Ernest Hemingway
Photo: by Katrina Berban
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
One of the world’s leading manufacturers of cleaning and laundry products, Unilever, announced it will accelerate the sustainability of its brands by sourcing 100% of the energy needed for its formulations with renewable or recycled carbon.
It may surprise you, but most cleaning and laundry products available today contain chemicals made from fossil fuel feedstocks, a non-renewable source of carbon.
Unilever’s move to renewable or recycled sources for these chemicals is a deliberate shift away from the fossil fuel economy. The evolving green focus on its global products is a critical step towards Unilever’s pledge of net zero emissions from its products by 2039.
The chemicals used in the cleaning products make up the greatest proportion (46%) of the products’ lifetime carbon footprints—more than is produced, for instance, from making the plastic containers.
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By transitioning away from fossil fuel-derived chemicals in product formulations, the company says it will unlock novel ways of reducing carbon footprints elsewhere.
Peter ter Kulve, Unilever’s President of Home Care, said in a statement, “As an industry… we must stop pumping carbon from under the ground when there is ample carbon on and above the ground if we can learn to utilize it at scale.”
“We’ve seen unprecedented demand for our cleaning products in recent months and we are incredibly proud to play our part, helping to keep people safe in the fight against Covid-19. But that should not be a reason for complacency. We cannot let ourselves become distracted from the environmental crises that our world—our home—is facing… This is the home we share, and we have a responsibility to protect it.”
The British-Dutch company is setting aside €1 billion to finance biotechnology research, CO2 and waste utilization, and low carbon chemistry—which will drive the transition away from fossil fuel derived chemicals.
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This investment will also be used to create biodegradable and water-efficient product formulations, to halve the use of virgin plastic by 2025, and support the development of brand communications that make these technologies appealing to consumers.
In Slovakia, for instance, Unilever is partnering with biotechnology firm Evonik Industries to develop the production of rhamnolipids, a renewable and biodegradable surfactant which is already used in its Sunlight dishwashing liquid in Chile and Vietnam.
In Tuticorin in Southern India, Unilever is sourcing soda ash—an ingredient in laundry powders—made using a pioneering CO2 capture technology. The soda ash is actually made with the CO2 emissions from the energy used in the production process. Both technologies are hoped to be scaled significantly under the program.
The sourcing of renewable carbon will be governed and informed by environmental impact assessments and work with Unilever’s industry-leading sustainable sourcing programs to prevent unintended pressures on land use.
Tanya Steele, Chief Executive of WWF UK says, “These significant commitments from Unilever, combined with strong sustainable sourcing, have real potential to make an important contribution as we transition to an economy that works with nature, not against it.”
The company’s announcement this week builds on Unilever’s existing ‘Clean Future’ environmental commitments, including:
If you have an idea for an innovation, solution or opportunity to help Unilever’s sustainability goals, you can submit them here.
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The trophy may go to the swiftest, but sometimes, the first one to cross the finish line isn’t the only winner. Nowhere was that more true than at a recent 5K invitational in Shelbyville, Indiana.
With less than half a mile to go, Western Boone High School sophomore Levi LaGrange stumbled, twisting his ankle. “I was running up this little rolling hill… and I rolled my ankle and felt something go ‘pop,’” he told the Indy Star.
LaGrange motioned for Sheridan High School senior Axel Aleman to pass him, but in that instant, the race became a secondary concern for Aleman. “I was able to see he was in a lot of pain,” Aleman recalled. “As I got closer to him, he was limping… I asked if he was all right. He said he felt like something snapped.”
Rather than forge ahead, in an extraordinary act of true sportsmanship, Aleman refused to leave LaGrange behind. “As soon as I saw him, I knew I had to do something,” Aleman said. “It just seemed like the right thing to do. That mattered more than the race. I told him I wasn’t going to leave.”
Placing an encouraging hand at his competitor’s back, Aleman remained with LaGrange for the remainder of the race. The two crossed the finish line within seconds of one another. Aleman even made sure LaGrange went first.
LaGrange’s mother, Becky, was more than a little bit impressed by Aleman’s thoughtful gesture—especially since the two had never met before. “It takes a lot for an 18-year-old to give up his spot,” she said. “Axel never left his side. It really speaks to Axel’s character. With so much bad going on right now, it was really a great moment of sportsmanship.”
Aleman’s own mother, Nikki, was not at all surprised by her son’s spontaneous show of goodwill. “He’s a really kind person and he’s always more concerned about others than himself,” she said.
After reports of the incident began to make the rounds on social media, Aleman received lots of positive feedback. While he might have enjoyed the accolades for his exploits, for him, the takeaway was one of simple compassion and empathy.
When you’re standing at a crossroad—or running by it—you can choose the path of self-interest, or you can go the extra mile for someone in need. For this teen athlete, the choice was clear-cut.
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While we might not always recognize when life hands us an opportunity for grace, when it does, in the words of Axel Aleman, “I would just really hope people do the right thing.” Yes to that.
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College graduations are similar all around the world: They’re joyous occasions, with inspiring speeches from special guests, excited students, and lots of happy tears from proud parents… and often from some of the graduates and professors, too.
Of course, this year, graduation ceremonies have been a little different, with many of them going online because of the pandemic.
The Indian Institute of Technology of Bombay held their summer graduation ceremony on August 23. As at many universities across the globe, the entire event was held digitally—however, this event went far beyond students logging onto a simple Zoom video call or Google Meet.
Not wanting to deprive students of their sense of achievement and pride on their special day, all 2,186 graduates were given a personalized avatar for the online event.
Just as in a real-life ceremony, these avatars walked along a digital version of the graduation hall to pick up their degree certificate from Director Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri.
Proud friends and family were able to join the excited graduates by watching the event being telecasted on two Indian channels, as well as on YouTube and Facebook Live.
Just as in a typical graduation, after the formal event, the avatars of students could bump into and meet their friends and faculty and socialize. They could virtually roam campus one last time, and check in nostalgically on their former departments and hostels.
They could also say hello to the co-recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics, Professor Duncan Haldane, whose avatar was handing out medals as Chief Guest during the ceremony.
Of course, providing a virtual reality experience of this scale required a lot of innovation and effort from the staff. So why did IITB go to all this effort on behalf of their students graduating with master’s degrees and PhDs in computer science, engineering, and more?
In a statement, the university said, ”Hopefully this will enthuse our graduates as well as other engineers in the country to think big and think innovatively.”
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We’re wishing these new graduates all the best in their next steps. And we’re very excited to see the big, innovate things everyone at IITB gets up to next.
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If you know a friend who might need a cheering video message from a sloth, a sea otter, or perhaps even a seal, you can send them just that—all while helping raise funds for a Washington zoo.
For $50 a pop, Tacoma’s Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium will create a personalized video message from the animal of your choice. So what will it be? An armadillo? A penguin?
Given that the zoo and aquarium was closed up until mid-June because of the pandemic, these personalized messages seem like a great way to help raise funds for a zoo known for its animal hospital, its Asian Forest Sanctuary, and its conservation work on behalf of endangered cloud leopards, coyotes, and red wolves.
Here’s how those fun video messages work: The zookeepers introduce the animal with a personalized message for the recipient and add some fun educational facts.
Sometimes the animal chimes in too… such is the case with their green-winged macaws.
After the shout-out is filmed, an email link to the video is sent so you can download it, save it, and send it to your buddy… perhaps on their birthday or for another anniversary?
Conservation Engagement Curator Wendy Spaulding, said, “We hope our new Animal Shoutouts bring that special joy that only animals can bring, even at a distance.”
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Animal lovers can also contact the affiliated Northwest Trek Wildlife Park for VideoGrams from mountain goats, bald eagles, slugs, porcupines, turkey vultures, barn owls, toads, and more.
Share a special message with a wild touch. Animal Shoutouts are a fantastic way of sending a customized video greeting to a friend or loved one – complete with a favorite Zoo animal! Book your Animal Shoutout at https://t.co/HSH3A4Aj9X. pic.twitter.com/u0fG9tzmOO
— Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (@PtDefianceZoo) August 6, 2020
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So who would you like to see in a personalized greeting? Energetic sea otters Libby and Moea? Or perhaps it has to be a hello from Siesta the sloth? An easy-going lad, he might just demonstrate his natural talent for gripping and hanging upside down (useful for an animal that lives in trees). That, we’d truly enjoy seeing.
(WATCH some sweet examples of these fun animal greetings below.)
If you like, you can book a 30-second shout-out here.
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Wedding Reception 101: Celebratory toasts are made. A meal is served. The cake is cut. The bride and groom share their first dance as a married couple, soon to be joined by anyone who feels like kicking up their heels. As the event draws to a close, the bride tosses her bouquet and the couple heads off for their honeymoon—all to the accompaniment of endless picture taking.
Then COVID-19 arrived and changed all the rules.
This past July, when Tyler and Melanie Tapajna of Parma, Ohio decided to opt out of their plans for traditional nuptials in light of coronavirus concerns, they came up with a creative alternative that was truly inspired.
The Tapajnas contacted their caterer, Betty’s Bomb Ass Burgers, but rather than looking for a refund, they asked owner Lena Brown if it would be possible to take the money from their reception and turn it into meals at a local homeless shelter instead.
Having already contacted Laura’s Home, a local shelter for homeless women and children, with an eye toward making a contribution, the couple left Brown to coordinate a kid-friendly, cafeteria-style menu with the Laura’s Home kitchen manager. Their only request? They wanted to help serve the food themselves—on their wedding day.
After exchanging vows in an intimate August 15 ceremony attended by family and close friends, the couple—still in their wedding gear—headed to Laura’s Home. The bride swapped her veil for a hairnet (the groom wore one as well). Both suited up in face masks and food-service gloves, then stepped behind the cafeteria counter to help dish up the kind of heartwarming meals that gave a whole new meaning to “service with a smile.”
“It’s not unusual for us to have meal donations at our facilities,” Rich Trickel, CEO of The City Mission which oversees operations at Laura’s Home, told TODAY.
“What made it completely special is that from their wedding ceremony, Melanie in her beautiful gown and Tyler in his tux, put on a hairnet and gloves and served the guests… I mean who does that? [It’s] an unbelievable act of generosity and compassion.”
Tapajn, who says she and her husband have been making charitable donations as a couple since first meeting at a friend’s wedding in 2016, was happy to report their catering budget turned out to be substantial enough to feed shelter residents for several days. But according to the bride, that wasn’t the best part.
“I asked Tyler what his favorite part of our wedding and he told me it was the amount of smiles that it brought,” Tapajna told TODAY. “Not only was it the women and children, but the volunteers and workers [who] were happy to see everyone enjoy themselves… Of course, getting to marry my best friend was one of my favorite parts.”
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Quote of the Day: “Happily we bask in this warm September sun, which illuminates all creatures.” – Henry David Thoreau
Photo: by Karl Lee
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
When Dave Grohl receives a drum challenge from a 10-year-old girl from England, of course he goes go all in and gives one rocking performance.
It all began with a viral clip since viewed millions of times online, in which Nandi Bushell gave the show of her life—drumming perfectly along to the Foo Fighters song “Everlong.”
My dream is to one day jam with Dave Grohl, @taylorhawkins and all the @foofighters! Mr Grohl I would love to have a drum battle with you! I LOVE Everlong it’s really hard to play as it’s so fast but so much FUN! #foofighters pic.twitter.com/Pmdhvl57uu
— Nandi Bushell (@Nandi_Bushell) August 17, 2020
In the caption to her video, she wrote, “My dream is to one day jam with Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins and all the @Foo Fighters! Mr Grohl I would love to have a drum battle with you! I LOVE Everlong it’s really hard to play as it’s so fast but so much FUN.”
By Saturday, Grohl let her know via Twitter that he was taking to his daughter Harper’s drum kit.
He was ready to rise to the drum-off challenge.
The superstar wrote, “I haven’t played [‘Everlong’] since the day I recorded it in 1997. Our drummer Taylor Hawkins plays that song on tour for us almost every night.”
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Hey @Nandi_Bushell!
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) August 29, 2020
Challenge accepted.
Haven’t played these songs in a loooooong time.....thanks for the inspiration!!!
Your move!!!
Your friend in rock,
Dave
(Thanks to my daughter, Harper for letting me borrow her drum set) pic.twitter.com/Ytq47CcZRC
He then gave Nandi a new challenge: He wanted her to play “Dead End Friends” by the Crooked Vultures.
“I’m really flattered you picked some of my songs to do for your videos,” he wrote to her. “This is my response to your challenge. Now the ball is in your court.”
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Bushell soon responded on Twitter to say, “Challenge Accepted! Mr Grohl you are amazing! Thank you so much.”
This is UNREAL! I can’t believe Dave Grohl actually accepted my drum battle, Thank you! Now it’s my turn to learn ‘dead end friends’ by @crookedvultures! I am going to checkmate this one too! Thank you Harper for lending your Dad the kit! @foofighters #davegrohl #foofighters pic.twitter.com/gAyoVYSySM
— Nandi Bushell (@Nandi_Bushell) August 29, 2020
This isn’t the first time Grohl has acknowledged a talented young fan. In 2018, he pulled a guy onstage who nailed his debut.
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An astrophotographer has revealed the brilliant pictures of space he’s been taking right from his backyard.
England’s Russell Discommode has always loved taking photos of the cosmos, but it was because of the lockdown that he was really able to devote himself to his passion.
Russell, from Cirencester in Gloucestershire, recently bought a star tracker and telescope to locate “deep sky” objects—some up which are up to 50 million light-years away.
He then used a special astrophotography camera to capture anything he spotted, producing some out-of-this-world images.
Russell said, “I have always loved astrophotography, however, the majority of my images have been wide angle landscapes of the Milky Way.
“I started taking photos with my regular camera equipment and a cheap star tracker. I was instantly hooked and so decided to invest in a telescope, bigger star tracker, and an astro camera. The photos I have taken ranges from nebula such as the Orion Nebula, Elephant’s Trunk Nebula and the Heart Nebula to other galaxies such as the Bode and Cigar Galaxy and the Needle Galaxy.
“The night sky fascinates me and it is alway amazing to see something and create an image that we can’t see with our eyes.
“It still blows my mind that the light leaving some objects and hitting my camera lens left the galaxy 30-500 million years ago.”
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Are you ready to see the images Russell managed to capture from a patch of grass outside his home? Let’s take a look at some very, very far away places.
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In a week’s time, the United States’ oldest living American to have served in the Second World War is going to turn the grand old age of 111.
To help him celebrate, the National World War II Museum is asking people from all around the world to send him a birthday greeting.
So what is life like for a 110-year-old? If you’re Lawrence Brooks—who in the early 1940s was stationed in the Pacific as part of the 91st Engineer Battalion—you spend lots of time doting on your five children and five stepchildren, your 12 grandkids, and an incredible 23 great grandchildren.
If you’re Lawrence, you also love celebrating your big day with others at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.
On those jubilant occasions, there’s live music. There’s cupcakes. It’s a fun day for all.
But because of the pandemic, on his birthday this year Lawrence won’t be able to celebrate with lots of others.
Luckily, the museum has come up with a novel idea for Lawrence’s September 12 birthday this year: Well-wishers can send the supercentenarian a birthday card the old-fashioned way: by mail.
Lawrence, who lives with his daughter in New Orleans’ Central City neighborhood, reflected on his long and interesting life to National Geographic. And he gave a few words of wisdom. Eat right. Stay healthy. Most importantly? ”Be nice to people.”
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Now you know a little of Mr. Brooks’ story, perhaps it’s time to find that stash of letter paper, your fanciest pen, and celebrate by sending the veteran a card?
Here’s the mailing address you can send your birthday greeting to:
The National WWII Museum
c/o Happy 111th Mr. Brooks!
945 Magazine St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
Happy writing! And be sure to check out the National World War II Museum’s social media on September 12 for a special birthday video.
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Happiness, like art, is often subjective, but unlike art, happiness isn’t something you’d expect to find hanging in a museum. Or, at least it wasn’t until an entire museum devoted to happiness opened in Copenhagen this past July.
The Happiness Research Institute—yes, there really is such a thing—is the driving force behind the new project. According to their mission statement, the independent think tank’s goal in exploring why some societies are happier than others “is to inform decision-makers of the causes and effects of human happiness, make subjective well-being part of the public policy debate, and improve [the] overall quality of life for citizens across the world.”
“I think people imagine that the Institute is like a magical place,” CEO Meik Wiking joked in an interview with CNN, “a room full of puppies or ice cream—but we are just eight people sitting in front of computers looking at data.”
After receiving numerous public requests to visit their less-than-magical offices, the “Happiness Crew” was struck by a notion: If people truly wanted a place where they could gain a better understanding of what makes human happiness tick, why not give them one?
“We thought, why don’t we create a place where people can experience happiness from different perspectives and give them an exhibition where they can become a little bit wiser around some of the questions we try to solve?” Wiking explained.
On July 14, 2020, with strict COVID-19 protocols in place, the 2,585 square-foot museum made its debut. With a current maximum capacity of 50, visitors are invited to explore happiness from a global perspective that includes historical insights on how the concept of happiness has evolved over the ages, and the ways in which varying regional cultures define the term.
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The museum houses a vast collection of donated artifacts that represent happiness to people from around the globe. “We might be Danish or Mexican or American or Chinese, but we are first and foremost people,” Wiking told CNN. “It’s the same things that drive happiness no matter where we’re from, and I hope that people will see that in the exhibition.”
It’s safe to say that Wiking, who wrote international bestseller “The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way To Live Well,” knows more than a thing or two about happiness. And he has some hopeful words for all of us in the pandemic.
“When we follow people over time,” he noted, “we can see that they are remarkable at overcoming the challenges that happen to them… Of course, it’s necessary to be optimistic in my profession, but I think we can overcome these times as well.”
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Scientists’ fears of genetic diversity loss among zoo-kept populations of New Guinea Singing dogs have been abated after another island dog pack, found loitering around a gold mine, was found to have nearly identical genetics.
The plaintive, lazy, haunting wail of the mysterious and reclusive singing dogs of New Guinea was once heard throughout the highlands until the species presumably went extinct in the wild in the 1970s. Now there are only about 200-300 animals kept in zoos around the world, and insular breeding has biologists worried about the species’ long-term chances for survival.
However, another wild dog of New Guinea—the highland wild dog, could provide the genetic scaffolding to restore the howling pooches to their former glory.
Just as secretive as its cousin, and known only to science through anecdotal accounts and two photographs taken in the 20th and 21st centuries, the highland wild dog isn’t well understood, but has been hypothesized as a relative, or even the same as the singing dog. (Hear the dogs below.)
Closely resembling and related to Australia’s dingoes, the pair of New Guinean dogs might have been able to arrive on the island 3,500 years ago, possibly via a boat.
In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, zoologist James McIntyre published a paper recently on the results of DNA tests conducted on a pack of around 15 highland wild dogs that he found near the world’s largest gold mine.
He compared the samples to 1,000 other dogs representing 161 different dog breeds including dingoes, the singing dogs, and other Asian species like the shiba-inu and Akita.
His results demonstrated that the genetic material of the highland wild dogs and the singing dogs were nearly identical, and advised that the highland wild dogs be used for “conservation efforts to rebuild this unique canid population.”
And it’s worth it, because as far as animal vocalization goes, the singing dog is “totally unique in nature,” says one scientist speaking to Science Magazine.
Restoring its population could go a long way toward understanding the evolution of mammalian vocal abilities, as well as the off-chance that a reintroduction of the singing pooches to the highlands of New Guinea could provide thousands in tourism revenues.
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Quote of the Day: “I call upon the power within, to sweep away all thoughts of doubt, lack, loss, worry, failure, resentment.” – Florence Scovel Shinn
Photo: by Juniper Photon
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
An English gardener became best friends with a European robin that comes flying whenever he hears the sound of the van turning up the driveway.
A couple years ago Tony Putman named the bird ‘Bob’, and began taking pictures of him in a garden where he worked twice a week.
Thanks to Bob, the landscaper has turned into an aspiring wildlife photographer, taking pictures of the friendly robin and the honeybees that collect nectar from the flowers.
Bob regularly collects meals directly from Tony’s hand every time he visits the garden.
”Bob is a bold, confident little robin,” said the 38-year-old who lives in Crowborough, East Sussex. “I’m basically a walking bird feeder and he knows it… although, I can also call him.”
Bob’s friendship couldn’t have come at a better time. Tony was going through a rough time when two dear friends became very ill.
“The saying is, ‘When a robin appears, a loved one is near,'” said Tony, who is often returning the favor.
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“I’ll often pop in after work to see him, especially during the winter to make sure he has plenty of food. It’s a harsh time for the little birds.”
Tony started a Putman and Robin Facebook page in 2015 after he’d photographed Bob for the first time.
“Working with him takes me to another world—it’s nice going to another world sometimes.”
(WATCH Putnam and Robin’s sweet bond in the BBC video below.)
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When an annual music and arts festival held in the middle of an English national forest had to be canceled because of COVID-19, the organizers saw an opportunity to connect people, art, and nature all over the world—not only in Britain.
With normal levels of noise pollution disappearing during the coronavirus pandemic, they decided to create a free audio-library called ‘Sounds of the Forest,’ while inviting anyone who was interested in collaborating to publish some sound clips to help expand it.
Featuring a map of the world, forest-goers can record the sounds of their local woodland and upload it via Soundcloud to appear as a dot on the map where anyone can click and listen to it. Some contributors are knowledgeable enough to add in field notes to help listeners understand what they are hearing.
For instance, in Tamin Negara National Park, Malaysia, one recordist notes the sounds of magpies and robins in the late-morning hours.
A biologist in Madagascar shared the ghostly holler of the lemur species Indri, which is the largest of them all.
A May evening battle between two nightingale songs was captured in Slovakia by yet another contributor.
Since social distancing meant, in some cases, governments cutting off access to parks, and in other cases making nature the only viable place to go in order to get out of the house, it was the most logical way to bring the spirit of the Timber Festival into people’s lives.
Appropriately named Sarah Bird, the director of the festival’s partner Wild Rumpus, talked about the impact in an email with Tree Hugger.
“It was after we launched the project that we realized just how mindful the process of recording would be and how it makes you stop and listen to the harmonies of the natural world.”
Wild Rumpus, the “social enterprise” that aims to create public arts and culture events in natural spaces, helps to organize the Timber Festival every year at Feanedock in the English National Forest where musicians, artists, crafters, writers, speakers, and other presenters spend three days creating, sharing, and camping out under the trees.
MORE: How to Build a Rainforest in Just Eight Years (WATCH)
“We’re thrilled with how many recordings have been contributed from forests and woodlands all over the world for our digital forest soundmap,” says Bird.
For the entire map, head over to Timber Festival’s website and click Sounds of the Forest where you can listen to forests across the world.
There are currently only a couple dozen audio files uploaded from North America so, if you live there, why not take some time to upload your own woodland wind chimes.
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All newborn babies are fragile, but none more so than those whose first days are spent in neonatal intensive care.
When the category-4 Hurricane Laura threatened the city of Lake Charles in Louisiana, a mandatory evacuation was ordered, but for 19 of its newest residents, leaving was pretty much impossible.
Staff members at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital were adamant: If the babies couldn’t be evacuated safely, they’d remain behind with them until the danger passed.
With wind gusts of up to 135 miles per hour hammering the town, neonatologist Dr. Juan Bossano along with a team of 14 nurses, two neonatal nurse practitioners, and three respiratory therapists stayed behind in the NICU, caring for their tiny charges in shifts as the storm raged through the night.
Earlier in the day, the babies had been ferried from the single-story Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women to the hospital’s sturdier 10-floor main building. Some of the infants were on respirators or ventilators; some were born premature—as early as 23 weeks
Matt Felder, director of communications for Lake Charles Memorial Health system told CNN, “We transferred 19 NICU babies from that facility to our main campus…in record time—19 babies across the city in under two hours.”
Doctors, hospital residents, members of the sheriff’s department, and a host of others all pitched in to make sure the babies and everything necessary for their care—including respirators and incubators—safely made the trip.ICYMI: Winds howled, water leaked through windows and the generators kicked on at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. Despite it all, the NICU staff kept all 19 of its babies safe through the Category 4 storm. (via CNN) https://t.co/Milx67xDHw
— clevelanddotcom (@clevelanddotcom) August 29, 2020
By the time the worst of the storm hit, the staff and the babies were hunkered down in the hallways, as far away from the howling winds and whipping rain as they could get.
“It’s important to know the dedication of all the nurses and the respiratory therapists to keep taking care of the babies when they don’t even know the condition of their homes,” Dr. Bossano told CNN. “In a small town like this, people have to pull together. I’m proud of them.”
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During the night, the air conditioning was knocked out and the hospital lost water service. Throughout the ordeal, Dr. Bossano kept anxious parents and relatives updated via frequent posts to his Facebook page.
With the storm over, and all of the little patients faring well, the babies were set to be transferred to other area NICUs where vital services hadn’t been interrupted by the hurricane. “This morning because the babies were stable, I got a couple of hours of sleep—we are still in the hospital,” Bossano said.
WATCH: High School Football Team Swoops in After Derecho Leaves Paralyzed Man’s Yard in Chaos
The old lullaby warns, ‘When the wind blows, the cradles will rock,’ but for the heroic staffers at this hospital, letting them fall simply wasn’t an option.
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Animal owners can now wear face masks adorned with their pets’ mouths. And the results? They’re fun, sweet, and often hilarious.
Dogs And Dorks, an Etsy shop, will print a mask with the snout of your beloved dog or cat and has already sold 100 of the personalized items in just three weeks.
Danielle Schule, who owns the shop with her friend Denise Smandych, said she was inspired by her dog Ragley’s crooked teeth.
The operations manager from Calgary, Canada, said, “I was staring at my computer and my Boston terrier smiled at me.
“I snapped a picture of him, his teeth are so gross and funny and I decided to put them on a mask.”
The fun face coverings have proved popular and orders have flooded in.
Delighted customers even send Danielle pictures of them wearing the masks beside their bemused pets.
WATCH: 89-Year-Old Sews 600 Masks While Listening to The Beatles
“They make people laugh,” Danielle said. “I have received a lot of requests because it makes it more fun for the kids to wear masks.”
And it’s not just cute pups and sweet kittens being printed onto masks. One snake owner even asked for a mask printed with the fangs of his pet reptile.
“He sent us a fantastic picture and we did it and he was ecstatic.”
The masks cost $15 [$20CAD] and owners supply their favorite picture of their pet for Danielle to use.
She added that she hoped the amusing masks will make more people inclined to wear them.
RELATED: Woman Creates Neighborhood ‘Giving Tree’ With Her Free Homemade Face Masks
“If we can create something that makes mask-wearing a bit more fun, we want to do that. Ready to take a look at one unique pet-people fashion show?
Quote of the Day: “In proportion as anger comes, sense departs.” – Turkish proverb
Photo: by cyrus gomez
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
A dedicated wildlife photographer has spent three years amassing a stunning collection of images of the UK’s most beautiful butterfly species—some of which he took right from his backyard during lockdown.
Andrew Fusek Peters has captured the series of colorful shots after studying the behavior of butterflies in the British countryside since 2017.
Incredible photographs show 17 different species of the winged insects in full flight or taking off from flowers across Worcestershire and Shropshire.
Andrew says he took over 150,000 frames to achieve his unique collection of images and believes he is the first person to shoot such a variety of butterfly species.
His photos include everything from the painted lady, green hairstreak, marbled white, silver studded bleu, and red admiral, to the dark green fritiallary and Essex skipper butterflies.
The 54-year-old from Lydbury North said, “I’ve spent three years studying the behavior of UK butterflies and working to capture them in motion. It was worth the effort to show their incredible delicacy and beauty in flight… quite a lot during lockdown were in my garden.
“I’m using a very high speed camera to shoot the butterfly in flight and it also requires understanding and knowledge of when the butterfly is going to take off.
MORE: Large Blue Butterflies Were Extinct in England, But Now Those Beauties Are Back After 50 Years
“There are very few shots like these in the world because there are very few people who can capture a butterfly in focus as it takes off from a flower.
“I shoot at 50 frames per second and I haven’t got them in a studio. I’m out in the wild and I’m able to get up close and personal.
“My favourite is the Brimstone because of its beautiful, buttery colour. They say the word butterfly from Old English comes from the color of the Brimstone.
In my image, “you can actually see the shadow of the proboscis, which it uses to drink nectar from a flower. It is extraordinarily clear.
“The wood white is quite rare and an extraordinary color and beautiful in flight.
RELATED: Man Single-handedly Repopulated Butterfly Species in a City Using His Backyard
“The clouded yellow is fairly rare and flies over from Europe, but what’s super rare is to get them all in flight.
“My next big project will be to take flight shots of every single one of the UK’s butterfly species. I’ve set myself a mad challenge as there’s been 71 recorded in Britain.
“I think that will take another five years and require a lot more travel across the entire country.”
Have you ever tested your photography skills on flying butterflies? Get some tips by looking at Andrew’s excellent images below.
Share These Amazing Images From Nature With Your Friends on Social Media…
Determined to create a natural cleanser to help her infant son’s eczema and allergies, this Alabama mom learned how to create an allergen-free soap with the help of YouTube tutorials.
Krystn Keller tells GNN, “I started Googling how to make soap, and then it took me to YouTube. After months of trial and error and watching endless amounts of tutorials, I finally perfected a recipe that worked for Elliott.”
She didn’t stop there. Krystn really wanted to share her natural, hypoallergenic recipe and help others who might be struggling with eczema and other issues, so she created her own soap line. Now Keller Works is a nationally sold brand.
“From what started as a small business in my backyard has now turned into a full skincare brand, with customers based all over the country,” she said proudly. “We’re able to provide jobs to our local community in Mobile, all while making a positive impact and helping other families in need.”
These days, Krystn is still exploring new soap recipes on YouTube—all while providing millions of people with all-natural soaps that are gentle on sensitive skin.
(WATCH her inspiring tale below.)
SHARE This Soapy Story of Hope With Your Friends On Social Media…
