I SEE YOU, BIAZA Corporate membership, Prevent ecological harm & SiP #145 Evolution of laughter in animals

I SEE YOU

Our I SEE YOU flower has developed over years of thinking about how we at AnimalConcepts embody a culture of care. This includes the animals in our care, people, the greater community of life, and the planet we share. Notice a theme here? Yes! Also this connects to INTERBEING and everything and everyone being interconnected. Compassion is an important way of being and skill. We often say that compassion is empathy combined with action. We invite you to explore the I SEE YOU flower and through this lens explore your views, beliefs, and actions towards others of all kinds. While created before AnimalConcepts became an Earth Charter International friend and partner, it aligns with its spirit. The month of April on the human wellbeing platform is all about compassion. The I SEE YOU concept has, and will continue to evolve, expanding the circle of kindness and compassion for all beings of all kinds and this beautiful planet we share.

Celebrating our renewed corporate membership with BIAZA

AnimalConcepts continues to be committed to supporting organisations and individuals around the world, including in the United Kingdom and Ireland. We have renewed our corporate membership with BIAZA. BIAZA supports zoological institutions and aquariums in their commitment to being at the forefront of conservation, education and research. BIAZA works on topics aligned with our focuses such as animal care, conservation, climate change and sustainability.

In line with this, we would like to share with you the services we provide and we invite you to become a member of our global community. Whether you are an individual or an organisation such as a zoo, aquarium, college or university, or other organisation that wants the best for all people, animals, and the planet, our platforms will guide you through insightful, practical, and enjoyable learning and sharing opportunities, including connecting to a global network. Through a variety of media - reading, watching, activities, and more, you will feel equipped and empowered to do good for the animals, people and the planet. Check our services and products HERE and become a member today! You can also reply to this email if you want to connect with us for a bespoke organisational membership.

Prevent ecological harm

This month on the Planetary wellbeing platform we will focus on the sixth principle of the Earth Charter: Prevent harm as the best method of environmental protection and, when knowledge is limited, apply a precautionary approach.

This principle, under the pillar of Ecological Integrity, highlights the importance of taking action to prevent serious to irreversible environmental harm, and the application of the precautionary approach to address uncertainty. The sixth principle aims to:

• Take action to avoid the possibility of serious or irreversible environmental harm even when scientific knowledge is incomplete or inconclusive.
• Place the burden of proof on those who argue that a proposed activity will not cause significant harm, and make the responsible parties liable for environmental harm.
• Ensure that decision making addresses the cumulative, long-term, indirect, long distance, and global consequences of human activities.
• Prevent pollution of any part of the environment and allow no build-up of radioactive, toxic, or other hazardous substances.
• Avoid military activities damaging to the environment.

Deena Robinson wrote an article on the 13 biggest environmental problems of 2023. By recognising the current environmental harms and making the best possible decisions considering the impacts, together we can make a difference.

Laughing, playing and mimicring in animals

Laughter is a natural response to a wide range of emotions, including happiness, joy, amusement, and even relief. It is a universal language that crosses cultural and linguistic barriers, and has been proven to provide numerous physical and mental health benefits. Laughter is not exclusive to humans, and many species, such as chimpanzees, dolphins, rats, dogs, or bonobos, have been observed displaying behaviors that resemble laughter. This suggests that laughter may have evolved as a social and emotional behavior in multiple species.

Would like to learn more about this? This week's Science into Practice is about the evolution and social functions of playful expressions in various species. Sign up HERE to access, share, and learn about many animal, plantetary and human wellbeing-related topics anytime, anywhere.