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Steve P-D

@stevep-d.bsky.social
53 followers 31 following 384 posts

Public lands advocate, Southwest archaeology student, retired psychology professor, weather geek, bird lover.

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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
We just sent off our first monarch of the season. The green chrysalis became clear overnight and the butterfly emerged this morning. After two hours of stretching wings, she took off to continue the species’ southward migration. From grown caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly, it took two weeks.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I love to be up early, sitting under the stars, watching the coming daylight. The world is a quieter, simpler place.
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Deb Hanson @endlessseeker.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Labor of Love (and a song) There's another kind of labor we need to celebrate.... Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia, 2019. Photo by Deb Dorsett Hanson On this day in the United States - Labor Day - we celebrate the successes of the Labor Movement, those unions and individuals who gave us…
endlessseeker.com
Labor of Love (and a song)
There's another kind of labor we need to celebrate.... Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia, 2019. Photo by Deb Dorsett Hanson On this day in the United States - Labor Day - we celebrate the successes of the Labor Movement, those unions and individuals who gave us 8-hour days, 40-hour weeks, and weekends; who fought for workplace dignity, rights, safety, and a decent wage; those folks who built America up with their minds and bodies doing the work that has kept our nation alive and functioning for generations.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Today is International Vulture Awareness Day. California condor wingspan (9.5 ft) and my wingspan (a bit smaller).
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Just wanted to remind everyone.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Orion rising in the east before dawn. The return of my old friend always reminds me that the cool, crisp air of autumn is not too distant.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
This week the first southward-bound monarch arrived here in Chapel Hill to lay eggs. Some of the monarchs that hatch in my yard will create one more generation farther south. However some will be the super generation that flies all the way to their overwintering grounds in northern Mexico. Amazing.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Cape Elizabeth, Maine. We are now back home but still thinking about the stunning coastline. Good morning, everyone.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Good morning from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The rudbeckia is in full bloom here.
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Deb Hanson @endlessseeker.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
The power of orange and black The milkweed patch attracts more than monarch butterflies. Each year it draws in dozens of species of insects, many of them black and orange, the colors of fire and charcoal. The colors that tell their predators to back off because I'm toxic and will make you sick.…
endlessseeker.com
The power of orange and black
The milkweed patch attracts more than monarch butterflies. Each year it draws in dozens of species of insects, many of them black and orange, the colors of fire and charcoal. The colors that tell their predators to back off because I'm toxic and will make you sick. There's a special relationship between these insects and the milkweed. One that provides sustenance, but also defense in the form of cardiac glycosides in the milkweed's latex sap.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
New sign at my home in Chapel Hill, NC.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Said hello to these guys on my morning walk. Barred owl (Strix varia).
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Apparently I’ve created an infinity pool for birds
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Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance @protectwildutah.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
More on monument reductions from the @nytimes.com. SUWA Executive Director, Scott Braden is quoted: “We are confident that President Trump’s reckless and unlawful acts will be rejected and the monuments restored.” Read the full article: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/13/c...
nytimes.com
Trump Sharply Cuts the Size of Two National Monuments in Utah (Gift Article)
Native American tribes and environmental groups are expected to challenge the move to shrink the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
This is the largest rollback of public lands in American history. The decision reverses years of cooperation among indigenous tribes and the federal government and is motivated by spite, a hatred for indigenous cultures, and a desire to make money through sweetheart deals with extractive businesses.
kuer.org
Trump slashes Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante by 90%
Flanked by Utah’s delegation, Gov. Spencer Cox and Utah Speaker Mike Schultz, the president again reduced the boundaries and protections of the two monuments. Conservationists and tribal leaders worry...
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
The summer skies above my home in North Carolina are ever-changing and even magical. This view yesterday morning lasted just a minute and then was completely gone. It reminds me to look up to fully take in the world.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
With nearly 5 inches of rain this week in Chapel Hill NC, my native plant beds have perked up. These areas were once boxwoods and other ornamental shrubs. They are now full of species that attract pollinators.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Whenever I have blood drawn, I ask if they have any cool bandaids. Always the answer is “Sorry but we just have the plain brown ones.” Yesterday the answer was an enthusiastic “Yes!”
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
It must be July in our house.
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Your Local Epidemiologist @ylepidemiologist.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Hope you're enjoying the start of July! YLE is off for the week, but don't worry, we still have a few things planned for you! For now, hopefully these make you smile as you start the week. Love, The YLE Team 💖
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Each July we get immersed in the Tour de France. The countryside and villages of provide a beautiful backdrop for over 2000 miles of racing that include mountain-top finishes in the Alps and Pyrenees. The high speeds and endurance required make these athletes among the most elite in the world.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Confused beetle
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
“There is nothing so American as our national parks.... The fundamental idea behind the parks is that the country belongs to the people.” (Franklin Delano Roosevelt). Happy Fourth, everyone.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
I did too. I hope I will again someday.
nytimes.com
Opinion | I Used to Love the Fourth of July
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
With Laurie’s Norwegian heritage, we have a clear favorite in the World Cup when not rooting for the U.S. Their fans have been delightful and endearing wherever they have traveled.
youtu.be
Norway Hits EPIC Viking Row 🇳🇴 After Advancing to Round of 16
YouTube video by FOX Sports
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
In Chapel Hill NC this month, we received 2.3 in of rain, compared to an average June of 4.0. The average rainfall total for Chapel Hill for January through June is 23.1 in. This year we have received 12.5 in. That places us still in the exceptional drought category.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Insight from one of my heroes.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Just so you know..,
cowboystatedaily.com
Wyoming Outhouse Expert Says Retrieving Sunglasses From Vault Toilets Is Bad Idea
The owner of a Wyoming sanitation company said it's not worth it to jump in a vault toilet to retrieve sunglasses like a man in California did last week.…
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Today my goal is to be as happy as a crow with a French fry.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
One of our resident crows, giving me the side eye.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
I fully appreciate the darkness, but I love the long hours of daylight. Here’s to the summer solstice.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Man’s best friend
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Interesting and cool tradition
apnews.com
Why you may see Japanese soccer fans cleaning up the stadium after World Cup games
Scenes of Japanese soccer fans sweeping stadiums and picking up trash after a match first drew public attention in France in 1998 — Japan’s first appearance in the World Cup.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
You have seen animals splooting, cooling off by going belly down on a cool surface. I’ve coined the term “splotting” to describe when birds deliberately find very hot surfaces with the goal of offloading mites that can’t stand the heat. The small birds at my house are the most frequent splotters.
Tufted titmouse Carolina wren Carolina chickadee
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
There are people (including my son Jesse) who are already planning the future of our public lands following the Trump destruction. They include officials under prior Democratic and Republican administrations and indigenous nations. For some optimism, check out their bold ideas. www.groundshift.us
groundshift.us
Ground Shift | New thinking for America's lands and waters
New thinking for America's public lands and waters.
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Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance @protectwildutah.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
A great and informative piece from: @morethanjustparks.bsky.social Read it here: morethanjustparks.substack.com/p/a-major-wi...
morethanjustparks.substack.com
A Major Win at Grand Staircase
A coalition of readers, tribal nations, scientists, and Utahns just beat one of the most powerful public lands villains in Washington. Anyone who says your phone calls don’t matter wasn’t watching.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Wow, we in Chapel Hill are in the middle of that darkest section. We are off to its driest year since records began in 1893.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Roll Tide. UA baseball is in the College World Series.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
It’s National Sewing Machine Day! Laurie has a hypersonic, turbo-charged machine that I don’t have the learner’s permit or supervised flight hours to operate. Here’s mine: A 1935 Singer Featherweight. It sews straight lines and that’s pretty much my skill level. 😊
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
“A night sky is not an absence of light, it is the presence of the universe."-Craig Childs. I was once camping in the desert Southwest on a moonless night. Stepping out of my tent I realized that my shadow was being cast on the ground. Looking up, I saw only stars. It changed me forever.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
I rarely fly the flag because it has become a symbol for so many who foster hatred and exclusion. However, I come from a military family and today I am remembering not only the ones that we lost, but also the families who must bear that burden.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
On this trip now.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
I love living in a university town, but there is also this. 😊
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
I will soon be heading to Colorado to explore archaeological sites built in the 1000-1200s by the ancestors of today's Pueblo peoples. With friends from Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, I will be learning from Hopi and Ute scholars--who still live in this rugged region. I always return inspired.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Rose-breasted grosbeaks have arrived here in central North Carolina. They will be here around a week as they migrate northward. The males are stunning.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Happy 100th Birthday to one of my heroes, David Attenborough.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
This week marks the 100th birthday of one of the most universally respected and admired people on the planet. One of my heroes, Sir David.
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
One of my favorite quilts was made by Laurie many years ago. I pass it multiple times each day and yet rarely “see” it. Occasionally however, I am stopped in my tracks, bowled over by the beauty and the joyous feeling it gives me. “Cambium Jig” by Laurie Prentice-Dunn (24” X 45”).
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Steve P-D @stevep-d.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
It takes 4-5 generations of monarch butterflies to migrate to the northern U.S. and then return to the highlands of Mexico to overwinter. This little guy is an early generation. Perhaps its grandchild will be here in NC in the autumn to produce caterpillars for that final flight back to Mexico.
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