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3 reasons to not panic about those endangered bees, and 3 things to do instead.

Right now, there's a report going around about how bees just got added to the endangered species list.

I know, I know: Bees on the endangered species list seems pretty awful. But the reality of that report (and our bees' futures) is a little bit more complicated than that.

When we hear "bee" and "endangered," our minds probably jump to all the things we've heard before about colony collapse and how we'll have to use robots to pollinate our apples or strawberries in the future.


But in looking at this specific report, a different story emerges. It's a story about environmentalism, protection, and preserving natural wonder. It's a story that gives me hope because in the end, the endangered species list could actually help our pollinators.

First, here are three reasons not to panic about the bees that just got added to the endangered species list:

1. The bees in this report? Not honeybees. In fact, this ruling's not really about the bees at all.

A yellow-faced bee from Germany. Photo from Fritz Geller-Grimm/Flickr.

When the title of something says "bees are in trouble," we probably assume it's about honeybees. But there are a lot of other species of bee. In fact, none of the seven species of bees put on the endangered species list is the honeybee — all seven are actually something called yellow-faced bees, which are native to Hawaii.

Actually, the ruling is really more about protecting Hawaii as a whole. The same ruling that put bees on the list also added band-rumped storm-petrels, orangeblack Hawaiian damselflies, anchialine pool shrimp, and 39 different plant species.

2. These particular Hawaiian bees are not dying from colony collapse disorder.

Instead, the scientists are more worried about their habitat.

Hawaii used to be covered in swathes of untouched forests and fields, chock-full of native flowers, plants, and primo bee habitat. But as the islands have become more urbanized, the forests and fields have gotten smaller and more fractured. What's more, invasive plants and animals like pigs, goats, and something called the yellow crazy ant...

"We're actually very well behaved, thank you very much." Photo from John Tann/Flickr.

...have been either mucking up the forest, eating the bees, or out-competing them for food. So it's really more about the health of the forest, rather than just the health of the bees.

In fact, if you look through it, colony collapse doesn't appear in the ruling anywhere.

3. Getting recognized as an endangered species comes with a ton of benefits.

Remember how the ruling is more about the health of Hawaii's forests? Putting these bees (and other species) on the endangered species list comes with a lot of benefits. Rather than being a death sentence, getting added to the endangered species list is often the best thing that can happen to species who might be in trouble.

Authorities can now start recovery programs, get funding for conservation, and add new habitat protections. This bee ruling could unlock protections for the entire ecosystem.

Who knew a few little bees could help protect all of this? Photo from Lukas/Wikimedia Commons.

The new protections will go into effect on Oct. 31.

Before we move on, let's actually talk about colony collapse.

Honeybees. Photo by Björn Appel/Wikimedia Commons.

Yes, we do need to do better by our honeybees. They're really important to us — they give us honey and, more importantly, help pollinate our crops.

But we are doing better. The U.S. government has created special committees to investigate colony collapse disorder — neonicotinoid pesticides seem like they might be a culprit — and the government and researchers are working to mitigate the problem. In fact, we might be seeing the bees start to recover.

So while we need to keep working, our honeybees aren't endangered yet, and things seem to be improving. That's great.

There might also be a little bonus for Hawaii's honeybees in this ruling, too.

One of the things that might be contributing to colony collapse (or just unhealthy hives in general) is the lack of species-rich, healthy forests and fields for the honeybees to eat from. So if Hawaii revitalizes its forests, nearby honeybee hives might benefit from that just as much as the native ones.

Oh, and one other little bonus for y'all: Honeybees aren't the only ones who pollinate our crops. Native pollinators like bats, butterflies, or, yes, yellow-faced bees, contribute over $3 billion to our economy every year. So making sure the whole system is healthy will give our crops their best chance at success.

In a delightful turn, it seems that this bee news isn't something to panic over. Instead, it's a sign of great progress in the conservation world.

We should be energized by these awesome new protections because the listing could unlock a whole cascade of protections to help keep Hawaii's forests healthy and happy.

And by the way, if you're feeling energized about protecting both our native pollinators and our honeybees in your own backyard, there's a whole lot you can do to help, such as planting pollinator-friendly butterfly gardens, avoiding pesticides, and supporting local ecosystem conservation. Let's get to it!

Pop Culture

Here’s a paycheck for a McDonald’s worker. And here's my jaw dropping to the floor.

So we've all heard the numbers, but what does that mean in reality? Here's one year's wages — yes, *full-time* wages. Woo.

Making a little over 10,000 for a yearly salary.


I've written tons of things about minimum wage, backed up by fact-checkers and economists and scholarly studies. All of them point to raising the minimum wage as a solution to lifting people out of poverty and getting folks off of public assistance. It's slowly happening, and there's much more to be done.

But when it comes right down to it, where the rubber meets the road is what it means for everyday workers who have to live with those wages. I honestly don't know how they do it.

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Joy

5-star Scottish resort offers whimsical afternoon tea experience with 'naughty sheep'

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes tea in the garden with adorably rude guests.

Cameron House/Naughty Sheep

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes a unique sheep encounter.

Remember when "goat yoga" was all the rage? And then "cow cuddling" and "turkey cuddling" made everyone's bucket lists?

Now we can add "nuzzling with naughty sheep" to the mix, but with a fancy Scottish twist.

Less than an hour from Glasgow, Scotland, the Cameron House resort sits on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, looking as if it were plucked straight out of a fairy tale. Sprawling green grounds, gorgeous lake views and a four-story castled mansion greet guests as their "home away from home" (only better), and a perusal of the reviews show guests raving about the 5-star resort's elegance, beauty and exceptional service.

I mean, just look at this place:

drone view of cameron house grounds and lakeCameron House sit on Lake Lochmond in Scotland.Cameron House


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A pitbull stares at the window, looking for the mailman.


Dogs are naturally driven by a sense of purpose and a need for belonging, which are all part of their instinctual pack behavior. When a dog has a job to do, it taps into its needs for structure, purpose, and the feeling of contributing to its pack, which in a domestic setting translates to its human family.

But let’s be honest: In a traditional domestic setting, dogs have fewer chores they can do as they would on a farm or as part of a rescue unit. A doggy mom in Vancouver Island, Canada had fun with her dog’s purposeful uselessness by sharing the 5 “chores” her pitbull-Lab mix does around the house.

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@caitlin.the.realtor/TikTok, used with permission

Wait, so 90's fashion is in, but 90's hair is out?

Every era has its own version of what’s attractive. And very rarely does that aesthetic hold power with the following generation. In fact, it often becomes the opposite of cool.

Just think of Elvis. He might have been a universal sex symbol for a time, but it also wasn’t long before his pompadour became passé. Same goes for Paul Newman’s rugged manliness, David Cassidy’s babyface, Tom Selleck’s mustache. Indeed, for everything a season.

Which brings us to the 90s. The age of beach blonde surfer boys (real surfing skills not required, but a plus). Of flannel, lots of flannel, and super chiseled bodies. Let’s not forget this was the dawning of the term “metrosexual,” and also the time period that brought us that Calvin Klein ad with Mark Wahlburg.

How exactly would these guys measure up with the Gen Z kids today?

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popular

A wild Eurasian crow befriended a toddler and won't leave his side

Crows are so much smarter than we think.

A Eurasian crow.

A family from Denmark has created a touching video montage documenting their unique friendship with a wild Eurasian crow. This crow, affectionately named Russell, has become an honorary member of their household, forming special bonds with each family member, including the pets.

However, the crow's relationship with their son, 2-year-old Otto, is truly extraordinary. “They could spend hours just playing,” Otto’s mother, Laerke Luna, says in a video shared by The Dodo. "When Otto is outside, he will never leave Otto’s side.”

Russell, the free-spirited crow, ventures away from the family's home from time to time, but never for too long. He always comes back and announces his return by tapping on the door, swooping in to lounge on the sofa, or awaiting Otto's return from school atop their roof.

“When we are inside, he will sit inside the window because he wants Otto to go outside with him,” Laerke said.

The family’s relationship with Russell didn’t come out of nowhere. When Russell was a young bird, he had health problems so the family took him and nursed the bird back to health. Eventually, they witnessed his first attempts to fly.

Recently, Russell became friends with another family member, their second child, Hedwig. Although he does get a little annoyed with the bird’s frequent attempts to nab his pacifier.

Even though it’s rare for humans to strike up such a close bond with a crow, according to research, it’s not that surprising. Audubon says that crows are “some of the smartest animals in the world” with an intelligence “on par with chimpanzees.” They are also very social and family-oriented, so no wonder Russell loves Otto and his family.

Crow Named Russell Waits For His Favorite Kid To Get Home From School | The Dodo


Learning

Why you shouldn't throw your dishwasher pod into the bottom of your dishwasher

Dishwashers actually use the dirty water to know how to wash your dishes.

Photos by cottonbro studio and PhotoMIX Ltd. via Canva

Why your detergent shouldn't go in the bottom of the dishwasher

There always seem to be something going on with the pods and powders you're supposed to use in the dishwasher to clean your dishes. Either the pods don't dissolve completely or the powder gets all goopy and hard, never really fully dispensing into the dishwasher.

The inconsistency in product dispensing can leave you wondering if the dishes are even getting cleaned, causing some to toss the detergent pod into the bottom of the dishwasher. It would seem that placing the detergent at the bottom would allow for it to actually reach your dirty dishes. But Melissa Pateras, a domestic expert, explains that doing it that way isn't doing what you think it's doing.

Pateras actually breaks down exactly how dishwashers work to clean your dishes while explaining why putting the detergent on the bottom is ineffective.

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