Conserving wildlife, is ensuring that future generations can enjoy our natural world and the incredible species that live within it.

While the Bible doesn't explicitly detail a specific "wildlife protection" policy, Jesus' teachings and actions highlight a respect for all of God's creation, including animals, emphasizing care and compassion.

Here's a deeper look at Jesus' perspective on animals:

• God's Care for Animals:Jesus' teachings reflect God's care for animals, as seen in passages like Matthew 6:26 ("Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?").
• Compassion and Kindness:Jesus' teachings encourage compassion and kindness towards all creatures, not just humans.
• Respect for Creation:Jesus' actions and words demonstrate a respect for the natural world, including animals, as part of God's creation.
• Examples in the Bible:Exodus 23:4: "If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him".
  Proverbs 12:10: "A righteous man cares for the life of his beast".
  Matthew 6:25-26: "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?".
• Jesus' Identity with the Poor and Weak:Jesus identified with the poor and the weak, and this extends to the animals of creation, as they are also vulnerable.
• Call to Stewardship:The Bible calls humans to be stewards of God's creation, which includes animals, and to treat them with respect and care

This Brown Pelican just snatched up a beautiful speckled trout from the bayou. I am blessed every day here in SW Louisiana to be a part of this beautiful wildlife arena.

The Brown Pelican is a comically elegant bird with an oversized bill, sinuous neck, and big, dark body. Squadrons glide above the surf along southern and western coasts, rising and falling in a graceful echo of the waves. They feed by plunge-diving from high up, using the force of impact to stun small fish before scooping them up. They are fairly common today—an excellent example of a species’ recovery from pesticide pollution that once placed them at the brink of extinction.

Adult Brown Pelicans are gray-brown birds with yellow heads and white necks. In breeding plumage, the back and sides of the neck turn a rich, dark reddish-brown. Immatures are gray-brown above (including the head and neck) with pale whitish belly and breast.

Brown Pelicans feed by plunging into the water, stunning small fish with the impact of their large bodies and scooping them up in their expandable throat pouches. When not foraging, pelicans stand around fishing docks, jetties, and beaches or cruise the shoreline. In flight, lines of pelicans glide on their broad wings, often surfing updrafts along wave faces or cliffs. Their wingbeats are slow, deep, and powerful.

• While the Brown Pelican is draining the water from its bill after a dive, gulls often try to steal the fish right out of its pouch—sometimes while perching on the pelican's head. Pelicans themselves are not above stealing fish, as they follow fishing boats and hang around piers for handouts.
• Pelicans incubate their eggs with the skin of their feet, essentially standing on the eggs to keep them warm. In the mid-twentieth century the pesticide DDT caused pelicans to lay thinner eggs that cracked under the weight of incubating parents. After nearly disappearing from North America in the 1960s and 1970s, Brown Pelicans made a full comeback thanks to pesticide regulations.
• The closely related Peruvian Pelican lives along the Pacific Coast of South America from southern Ecuador to Chile. It’s a little larger than a Brown Pelican, with fine white streaking on its underparts and a blue pouch in the breeding season. These two species are the only pelicans that plunge-dive for their food.
• During a dive, the Brown Pelican tucks its head and rotates its body to the left. This maneuver is probably to cushion the trachea and esophagus—which are found on the right side of the neck—from the impact.

To find Brown Pelicans, head to the southern coasts of the US (Atlantic, Gulf, or Pacific) and look for huge birds gliding low over the water—check nearby gulls and cormorants as a size reference. These birds plunge into the water to feed. The huge splashes they make can, from out of the corner of your eye, look like a whale’s spout. If you see a splash, look for the bird on the water’s surface as it drains water from its throat pouch, or scan for other pelicans circling around to dive in the same spot. If you can’t find pelicans over the water, head to a jetty, mudflat, or estuary to look for groups of them resting.

The brilliant red of a male Northern Cardinal calls attention to itself when males are around. You can also find cardinals by getting a sense of the warm, red-tinged brown of females – a pattern you can learn to identify in flight. Away from backyards, cardinals are still common but inconspicuous owing to their affinity for dense tangles. Listen for their piercing chip notes to find where they are hiding.

Nearly any bird feeder you put out ought to attract Northern Cardinals (as long as you live within their range), but they particularly seem to use sunflower seeds. Leave undergrowth in your backyard or around the edges, and you may have cardinals nesting on your property.

• The male cardinal fiercely defends its breeding territory from other males. When a male sees its reflection in glass surfaces, it frequently will spend hours fighting the imaginary intruder.
• A perennial favorite among people, the Northern Cardinal is the state bird of seven states.
• The oldest recorded Northern Cardinal was a female, and was 15 years, 9 months old when she was found in Pennsylvania.
• Only a few female North American songbirds sing, but the female Northern Cardinal does, and often while sitting on the nest. This may give the male information about when to bring food to the nest. A mated pair shares song phrases, but the female may sing a longer and slightly more complex song than the male.

Pictures by Jeff

Rosette Spoonbill !

Matthew 6:33 states, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." This verse emphasizes prioritizing God's kingdom and righteousness above all else, promising that material needs will be met as a result.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• "But seek first his kingdom":This means to make God's rule and authority the primary focus of your life.
• "and his righteousness":This refers to living in accordance with God's will and character, striving to be holy and just.
• "and all these things will be given to you as well":

Matthew 6:25-26: "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?".