25 Homes and Nests of Different Organisms

  25 Homes and Nests of Different Organisms  

 Describe each of these abodes of organisms, 

 as a research or a special project. 

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature School on Blog

                                                     

                                                    Green Tree Ants Nest 

Termite mound and comb (Macrotermes gilvus)

Orb spider

Ensconced porcupine in a hollow log

Spent finch nest

Earthworm castings

 

Burrow of mole cricket (Gryllotalpha africana), right

Nest of a colony of fire ant (Solenopsis geminata)

Barnacles

Pit of antlion

Paper Wasp or Putakti 

 Sea Turtle

Clown Fish and Sea Anemone 

 Tree Rat

 Wild Honeybees

Bird's Nest in a City  

Parrot Fish on Coral Reef

 Egg Froth of Frog 

Drynaria fern on Acacia 

 Colony of mushroom on dead wood

Furniture Beetle Larva and Adult

Colony of Moss on Rock

 

 Cockroaches on Garbage

 Crustaceans and Coelenterates live at the base 
of coconut trees on the seashore

Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) author with Ms Melly C Tenorio 738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Therapeutic Effects of Violin and Nature

Therapeutic Effects of Violin and Nature
Violin and Nature is an experimental approach to music

Dr Abe V Rotor

Music must be elevated from the level of entertainment and expression of skills to one that brings the listener to a state of catharsis, relieving him of the stresses and tensions of daily living. Music therapy is now recognized as part of alternative medicine. There are musical compositions that bring about the so-called Mozart Effect, named after Amadeus Mozart whose compositions are acclaimed by scientists to be the most therapeutic of all musical compositions, even among his contemporaries in the classical and romantic schools.
Author plays the violin

This article is the result of a research conducted by the author with his class at the UST Graduate School as respondents to the hypothesis that the combination of Violin and Nature sounds has therapeutic effects to the listener. And if so, how? What aspects of our body physiology, mind, psyche, and spirit are affected? In what ways, and how do we measure such effects?

Cover of tape, copied into CD. Shorter versions are Violin and Birds, 

Violin and Waves

Rationale

Can auditory art be developed by converting word to music, and re-create the sound of nature to accompany it? The idea is to find a compatible blend of science - the prosaic and formal, with humanities - the entertaining, cultural, and the sounds of nature, definitely a rare experience that takes place in the inner vision of the mind. Violin and Nature is a CD recording or 32 extemporaneous popular and semi-classical compositions played on the violin by the author with accompaniment of birds, insects, wind, waterfall and running stream.

People say, “ Relaks lang” or “just do it” as part of daily conversation. Either it is taken as advice or compliment, the message is clear: life today is growing tenser. “ Take it easy” has a reassuring note that everybody must learn to live in a stressful world.

Both the poor and rich are subject to different forms of stress, so with the city and village dweller. Ironically, stress does not spare growing affluence. In fact, it persists invariably throughout life, virtually from womb to tomb.

The idea of dealing with tension or stress is how one is able to reduce it effectively so as to enjoy life and get rid of its complications from headaches to various psychosomatic symptoms- and eventual health problems, if it is not checked on time.

One proposal is the use of therapeutic effects of music and nature, thus the rationale of this experiment that employs the combined soothing sound of the violin, and the harmony of nature.

Music is well known to reduce tension. Pipe-in music increases work efficiency in corporate offices, takes out boredom in otherwise monotonous assignments, and fosters proper attitude and disposition, when correctly applied. In fact, scientists have established the biological basis of music by being able to increase the production efficiency in poultry and livestock with the use of background music. The key is the reduction of stress in the animal. The same result has yet to be established in plants.

A stressful life builds tension in the body. Headache, wakefulness, palpitation, indigestion, trembling and many other symptoms, which wear away the life force, accompany tension. Tired nerves need rest and quiet, as nature needs time to recuperate her exhausted energies.

What is tension? It is the effort that is manifested in the shortening of muscle fibers. Physiologists compare muscle tension with “neuromuscular relaxation” to differentiate popular interpretation of relaxation as amusement, recreation, or hobbies. To be relaxed is the direct physiology opposite of being excited or disturbed.

Neurosis and psychoneurosis are at the same time physiological disturbance, for they are forms of tension disorders. Therefore, the key to treatment lies in relaxation.

Who are victims of tension? Everybody is a candidate. These are models of tensed individuals: the “burnt out” housewife, the tagasalo in the family, the gifted child, the dominant lola, the authoritative patriarch. These persons themselves are not only victims of tension; they spread tension among people around them.

Multitudes long for a better life, but they lack courage and resolution to break away from the power of habit. On the other hand, many escape from the harsh realities of life by taking alcohol and drugs.

Hypothesis
The whole idea of relaxation is in disciplining the body to budget life’s energies, and to immerse oneself to relaxing moods. Music and nature are a great inexhaustible source. Plato and Confucius looked at music as a department of ethics. They saw the correspondence between character of man and music. Great music, they believed, is in harmony with the universe, restoring order to the physical world. Aristotle on the other hand, the greatest naturalist of the ancient world supported the platonic view, which through the Renaissance to the present dominate the concept of great composition. Great music has always been associated with God’s creation.

Nature on the other hand, produces calming effects to the nerve. Sightseeing, picnic and camping are a good break to prosaic city life. Different from ordinary amusements in the park or theater, the countryside is one arena of peace and quiet. Features on TV and print media provide but an alternative scenario. Today “canned” Nature is being introduced in many forms such as traveling planetarium, CD-ROM Nature Series, Ecology Village, and the like, to illustrate the growing concern of people to experience the positive effects of Nature in an urban setting characterized by a stressful modern life.

This experiment is based on the premise that the combined effects of music and Nature help reduce tension in daily living, particularly among working students in the city.

Conceptual Framework
A- Tension tends to dominate the body to relax, resulting in tension build-up in the muscles;
B- Music (violin solos) and Nature’s sounds( birds, running stream etc.) make a composition which provides a rare listening experience in varying intensity; and
C- The experience enhances relaxation, reduces tension and its physiologic effects in the individual.

Methodology

The Violin and Nature recorded in compact disc (CD) was then presented for evaluation to students in Research Methodology at the UST Graduate School on two aspects, namely, the content of the tape and the perception of the respondents. Physiologic response was determined by measuring the pulse rate before and after listening to eight sample compositions from the tape for thirty minutes. These are as follows:

1. Serenade by Toselli (semi- classical)
2. Meditation, from the Thais by Massenet (classical)
3. Lara’s Theme (sound track of the movie, Dr. Zhivago)
4. Beyond the Sunset (ballad)
5. Paper Roses (popular)
6. A Certain Smile (popular)
7. Fascination (popular dance music)
8. Home on the Range (country song)

Respondents Profile
This is the profile of the 42 respondents, which made up one class in research methodology. They are predominantly female students (81%), employed (86%), with ages from 21 to 29 years old (76%).

Content Analysis
The respondents counted eight tunes or pieces, of which 5 are familiar to them. They identified three non-living sounds (running stream, wind, and waterfall, aside from the violin), and two living sounds (mainly birds).

Physiologic Response
The average pulse rates before and after listening to the tape are 79.47 and 73.29 per minute, respectively, or a difference of 6.18. Statistically, the difference is significant, thus confirming the relaxing effects to the respondents after listening to the CD.

Perception
The ten criteria used in rating the perception of the respondents are ranked as follows, adopting the Likert Scale. Note: A scale of 1 to 5 was used, where 1 is very poor, 2 poor, 3 fair, 4 good, and 5 very good.

Criteria Rating Rank
1. One has the feeling of being
transported to a Nature/Wildlife scene. 4.48 1

2. Listening to the tape creates an aura
of peace and serenity. 4.39 2

3. The composition is soothing to hear,
Has calming effect on the nerves. 4.24 3

4. The composition creates a meditative
mood. 3.95 4

5. It brings reminiscence to the
listener of a past experience. 3.64 5

6. It helps one in trying to
forget his problems. 3.59 6

7. One has the felling of being
transported heavenward, to Cloud 9. 3.55 7

8. There is tendency to sleep while
listening to the composition. 3.52 8

9. It brings about a nostalgic feeling. 3.19 9

10. The composition makes one
sad and melancholic. 2.55 10

Analysis and Interpretation

The means the first three criteria fall between good and very good, while the others, except the 10th, are between fair and good. This finding supports the positive relaxing effects of Violin and Nature.

Conclusion and Recommendation
Listening to Violin and Nature slows down pulse rate significantly, thus reducing tension, and brings the listener closer to a state of relaxation. The effects are measured as based on ten criteria. Topping the scores which are classified Very Good are:

1. One has the feeling of being transported to a Nature /Wildlife Scene;
2. Listening to the tape creates an aura of peace and serenity; and
3. The composition is soothing to hear, and has calming effect on the nerves.

        Author's children play in a "home concert."
There are six other parameters that support the hypothesis that the CD is relaxing. This is different from its effect of bringing nostalgia, sadness and melancholy that received the lowest scores and rankings.

However, there is need to improve the quality of the compositions, and their recording. It is also recommended that similar evaluation be conducted on other age groups and people of different walks of life who are similarly subject to stressful life and environment. ~

Three Images of Nature in our Postmodern World

 Three Images of Nature 

in our Postmodern World

Dr Abe V Rotor

1. Heritage Tree Remembered

 Wood shards from a heritage tree against a forest 

background AV Rotor (16” x 24.5”) 2023

I sing the dirge of the Narra and Acacia,

     heritage trees our children shall miss

at the verge of extinction like Sequoia;

     save some epitaphs and memories.

If only art can take over their absence,

     in monuments and legends they live,

but where is sanctity, what is reverence,

     what can man to his Creator give?

2. GMO Tame and Wild

  Genetically Modified Organisms In Our Midst,  AV Rotor 2023

Splicing genes of the tame and the wild,

     progeny from the laboratory;

whatever glory to pest and pet combined,

     affront to man’s rationality.

Could Pied Piper the hero come to the task,

     save us from folly, greed and remiss

for our children and their future we ask,

     before they vanish in our midst?

3. Nature's Blood 

Blood in the Forest in acrylic by AV Rotor 2023

Blood the universal symbol of victory,

     that of cruelty too, of man

against the living world throughout history;

     who praise or lament when he's gone? 

 

Not any one we know in the whole wide world,

     not among creatures big or small,

save Nature, kindly mother in her own accord,

     faithful to man ever since his Fall. ~

  “Together we can preserve the forest, securing this immense treasure for the future of all these our children.” — Chico Mendes

The Dawn of Art - Paintngs of Lawrence, 9

 The Dawn of Art 

Paintings by Mateo Laurencio Vicente M Rotor, 9

Verses by Dr Abe V Rotor

"Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door." - 

Emily Dickinson

Laurence and his Red Sky, 2021

"When the sky is red to a child, 

it's dawn, prelude to sunrise; 

it's a happy world indeed: 

clouds on wispy trail, 

the sun rising with the hill, 

trees in silhouettes 

bearing the fireflies still in their crown; 

"The scene is more of the sky, 

free, vast, boundless - 

all these emanating from pure, 

innocent mind of a child artist."  avr

"It's nighttime, the red sky is down, 

darkness soon engulfs the scene, 

the wispy clouds hand on, 

now with a crescent moon, 

a child seated fishing the wispy clouds 

turned fish in his imagination; 

"The trees still in silhouettes have grown 

before the oncoming darkness - 

soon nighttime takes over; 

to a child artist this is peace, calm."    

"Toys too, find rest in the night, 

in the sleeping child, 

losing their art and purpose 

until the child is no more a child 

but an artist ready to face the world, 

the world of both artist and man."    

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” 

– Edgar Degas. ~

----------------------

*Laurence is grandson of Dr Rotor.   

Philippine National Arbor Day June 25, 2024: Let us protect our heritage acacia trees

   Philippine National Arbor Day June 25, 2024

Let us protect our heritage

acacia trees

Photographs taken by the author on a running car all the way from Vigan to Laoag, a stretch of 82 kilometers.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Samanea saman is a species of flowering tree in the legume (pea) family, Fabaceae.  It is native to Central and South America.

 

Empty landscape meets the traveler

Emptiness is simplicity, purity, peace and order.

No.  Nothing exists in nothing - or least,

emptiness denies happiness and meaning of life;

leading many to solitude and loneliness.

                                    - A. V. Rotor

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." ― William Shakespeare

"Love is like a tree, it grows of its own accord, it puts down deep roots 

into our whole being." ― Victor Hugo

A Cross on the Roadside

                  A Cross in the Sky*

I have lost you forever, 

Now a silhouette in the sky,

Spreading a gospel to remember, 

For the mindless passerby.

You live half of your life, 

Yet fullest at the Throne, 

Earning it well with strife,

Where every seed is sown. 

The birds now a flock,

The child a man;

You bid them all the luck,

And now they are gone.

In youth you sheltered me, 

A thought I can't be free,

I atone for your brevity,

With a thousand and one tree.

                              

                                (Light in the Woods by Dr A.V. Rotor 1995)

"I feel a great regard for trees; they represent age and beauty 

and the miracles of life and growth." ― Louise Dickinson Rich

 

The Highway Conquers All

The highway conquers all:

Trees on its shoulder, lawn between lanes;

in rich diversity now thinned out;

wildlife pedestrians crossing;

breeze swept into cyclone and dust;

bright, pure colors into kaleidoscope,

landscapes into haze and maze;

whisper and lull into sudden boom;

leaves fall in any season;

Give way to the king of the road;

now you see him, now you don't -

the Janus' god of the Good Life. 

- A,V,Rotor

"All our wisdom is stored in the trees." ― Santosh Kalwar

"On the last day of the world I would want to plant a tree." 

― W.S. Merwin 

 

"I think I shall finally see,

A kind-hearted man plant a tree,

For he who truly loves Thee

Shall love others through a tree."

- A V Rotor, Light in the Woods

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand 

everything better.” – Albert Einstein

“Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.”

 – Gerard De Nerval

Crucified Nature

"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" - Christ on the Cross

"Until you dig a hole, you plant a tree, you water it and make it survive,

you haven't done a thing. You are just talking." ― Wangari Maathai

 

"When trees burn, they leave the smell of heartbreak in the air." 

― Jodi Thomas

 

"Trees are as close to immortality as the rest of us ever come." 

― Karen Joy Fowler

 

"Trees do not preach learning and precepts. They preach, undeterred 

by particulars, the ancient law of life." ― Herman Hesse

"Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky." ― Kahlil Gebran

 

 “Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.”   John Muir

  

 

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

   

“Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.” – E. O. Wilson

 

  

 

 

 

Murdered Trees Persist in Memory 

“By killing trees, we are killing ourselves too.”

A Magnificent Acacia Tree 

A great acacia, with its slender trunk

And overpoise of multitudinous leaves.

(In which a hundred fields might spill their dew

And intense verdure, yet find room enough)

Stood reconciling all the place with green.

- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

 

Living Hall

Outdoor conference hall, classroom, playground

                                    Acacia and Carbon Sequestration

Carbon sequestration is the capture and long-term removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. According to a research conducted at the School of Forestry of the Bogor Agricultural Institute, Indonesia, a mature acacia tree with a crown diameter measuring 15 meters (49 ft) absorbed 28.5 metric tons (28.0 long tons; 31.4 short tons) of CO2 annually.

“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”— William Shakespeare

  

The La Union Centennial Tree in Bacnotan was proclaimed as one of the 13 Philippine Centennial Trees under the DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 98-25 on 03 June 1998. This DAO also proclaims these centennial trees as Protected Trees and mandates a multi-sectoral effort in protecting these trees.

“To really feel a forest canopy, we must use different senses. And often the most useful one is the sense of imagination.”— Joan Maloof

Author points at an on-the-spot painting he made in 1976 of a standing heritage acacia tree.  Adjacent to is a outdoor furniture shop. San Vicente is famous for wood furniture industry. The painting graces the lobby of the San Vicente Municipal Hall in Ilocos Sur.

“When one plants a tree they plant themselves. Every root is an anchor, over which one rests with grateful interests, and becomes sufficiently calm to feel the joy of living.” 
— John Muir