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resiliencebeast.bsky.social
ResilienceBeast
@resiliencebeast.bsky.social
940 followers 1.8K following 540 posts
Ecology-botany nerd, #Herbalism, sustainable food & #Organic, agricultural policy, farming, leftist, #Disability and chronic illness advocate, trans non-binary queer, writer and artist. #Agroecology #HumanRights 🍉♿️
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resiliencebeast.bsky.social
I don’t know if me or my loved ones are going to survive this US regime. But I am surviving mentally now because of the gifts of resilience and joy from marginalized knowledge keepers.

We may die and many are suffering. But my ability to still enjoy the sunset is one of those gifts of resilience.
Photograph of a soft sunset with light scattered clouds in peachy oranges, pinks, and purples. Blue sky peeks from between the clouds. The foreground consists of black leafless trees.
November 16, 2025 at 1:24 AM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
Image depicts a photograph of a brown tabby cat yawning widely with eyes closed, showing teeth and the inside of the mouth due to the impressive gape. The long white whiskers extend toward the camera. Overlaid over the image (over the open mouth, surrounded by teeth) in a white text box is the text: “The liberal is so preoccupied with stopping confrontation that he usually finds himself defending and calling for law and order, the law and order of the oppressor. Confrontation would disrupt the smooth functioning of the society and so the politics of the liberal leads him into a position where he finds himself politically aligned with the oppressor rather than with the oppressed.” —Kwame Ture From Wikipedia: Kwame Ture was a Trinbagonian-American activist who played a major role in the civil rights movement in the United States and the global pan-African movement. Born in Trinidad in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, he grew up in the United States from age 11 and became an activist while attending the Bronx High School of Science. Ture was a key leader in the development of the Black Power movement, first while leading the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, then as the "Honorary Prime Minister" of the Black Panther Party and as a leader of the All-African People's Revolutionary Party. The cat photo is of the creator's (@ResilienceBeast) beloved deceased cat, Jovian. Jovian was anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarian, and punk AF. RIP.
September 2, 2025 at 5:16 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
It's been a rough weekend stuck in survival mode due to a bad chronic illness/disability flare. This little art meme is the only thing I've managed to do (without help from my caretaker).

But at least it's fitting for the general vibe right now? And #Hognosesnakes are cute.

#Krita #DigitalArt
Image is a digital drawing of a Western Hognose snake playing dead with text overlay that reads "I am doing my best. And that's deeply concerning." When threatened, hognose snakes play dead by staging an entire production complete with contortions, mouth wide open with tounge sticking out (as shown in the drawing), and convincing belly-up corpse postures. The drawing shows the typical hognose coloration with a striped body and mottled brown, tan, and white scales. Hognose snakes also have round dark eyes and an upturned nose they use to dig with. The drawing was done in the program Krita by artist @ResilienceBeast
September 1, 2025 at 11:50 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
Why are people so comfortable with a “status quo” that causes suffering?

Why is protecting exploitation and extraction so important to you?

What’s preventing you from dreaming and moving toward a better collective future?

(I believe I know the answers. But maybe I’m wrong. Surprise me.)
Photograph of yellow wildflowers and grasses taken from a low view of an oak grassland at sunset. The flowers are in focus and pop with color, while the peachy-sunset skyline is blurred in the background. Text overlaying that image reads: “We can all be free At the same time.”
August 26, 2025 at 3:35 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
She looks so much like my little potato.
June 14, 2025 at 4:24 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
Fascism thrives by keeping people too exhausted to question or resist.

Cultivate moments where your nervous system is soothed. Laughter. Nature. Community. So we can be present for the long-haul fight.

Here’s my contribution. #BloomScrolling #PrairieRemnant #NervousSystemReset
April 28, 2025 at 3:44 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
I am not growing these Sedum for medicinal or edible purposes, but dang I do love these hardy succulents.

My emotions go all Pokémon for succulents and cacti, I swear. Gotta collect them all. Which is unfortunate because my body can’t handle the heat and sun these critters like best.
Photo of a cascading swath of (mostly) Sedum genus succulents. The photo is taken as a close up to show the details of the many shades of green, red, and pink pink juicy leaves and stems. The leaves are covered in water droplets.
April 23, 2025 at 12:37 AM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
The long relationship of indigenous people with Camus always serves as a reminder that humans can live in cohesive communities… rather than the brutal subjugation of colonizers so many people seem used to today.
Photograph of several blue-purple Camus buds, some of their long shiny leaves, with an open spike of flowers slightly blurred in the background. The grass in the background and the golden-brown horizon is blurred but visible.
April 17, 2025 at 7:35 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
The Camus are putting out their first blooms. I always love seeing them. #BloomScrolling
Photograph of a bright purple Camus flower stem with multiple open flowers and tight buds against a backdrop of spring grass and a blurred golden-hour horizon. The flowers is on a long stalk and there are bright yellow pollen stamens that contrast to the rich purple of the flower petals (which are shaped like skinny long-spiked stars).
April 17, 2025 at 4:29 AM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
Some people act like caring for others is oppression.

I keep getting stuck in the Sisyphean loop of thinking people don’t understand why they should care about others—and so explaining it to them will help.

I don’t know how to let go (or if I even should).
Image ID: Stylized graphic of white mycelium (the root-like network of fungi) and mushrooms with text that reads “connection is how we survive” at the bottom of the image.
April 10, 2025 at 4:19 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
Mossy, fluffy, green:
A breathing carpet creature
Demanding your pets.

#NatureHaiku
Photograph of the side of a grey-brown log with thick rich green carpet of long moss fronds growing on the peeling dead bark. Photo of a tree trunk with long, thick, fern-like fronds of thick green moss. The moss appears wet from recent rain.
April 8, 2025 at 9:54 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
The fawn lilies are blooming.

A reminder that even though I feel stuck in a time loop of fear and anger… spring will arrive anyway.
Image ID: Photograph of a fawn lily flower with two open flower heads and one bud, the heads curved down like bells facing the ground. The flowers are cream and a warm yellow colored and the petals glitter with drops of rain. The backdrop is a blurred skyline and grassy hill.
April 8, 2025 at 4:15 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
Admiring some lichens knocked down by stormy weather (taken the last time I felt well enough to do something other than recover). The textures and colors make me happy and lichens in general remind me we are all collective organisms. #Lichen
Scrap of seafoam flat-lobed green lichen lying flat on the palm of a light-skinned persons hand. There are some tufts of green moss mixed among the lichen lobes. A large lungwort lichen textured like a lung (the organ) and deep green lying flat on the palm of a light-skinned persons hand.
March 20, 2025 at 12:35 AM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
The Osoberries are out, reminding us with their early blooms and bright green foliage that spring is around the corner.

As some of the first natives to bloom, pollinators depend on this plant. Indigenous people also use Osoberry for food, fiber, and medicine. #NativePlants
The attached photo shows the growing point of the Osoberry, showing bright green oblong leaves pointed toward the sky and small sprays of white flowers below the leaves. The twigs they grow from are very dark, almost black. The blurred background shows a late winter woodland landscape, with dried brown grasses and oaks. More about Osoberry can be found here: https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_oece.pdf
March 18, 2025 at 3:57 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
I am still in the depths of a several-week flare (after anaphylaxis from neighbors doing laundry), but at least this week I’ve been able to walk enough to go to one of the only relatively safe places I have outdoors. And look at the critters in the rain.
Photograph of a very large 5-6 inches) yellow-green with black splotches slug trundling along a stick on the leaf-littered ground. Photo of a small rough-skinned newt walking toward the camera. You was see hints of its bright orange underbelly and the details of its toes on its right side. The upper portion of its body is a warm brown color and appears to have a pebbles texture. The clay soil is damp and littered with lichen that has fallen from the trees.
March 13, 2025 at 4:23 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
I received this book in the mail today and I can't wait to dig into it! I can't think of a more important topic than traditional indigenous ecological knowledge right now.

Tagging @ecohugger.bsky.social as the editor (very worth a follow)!
Image ID: Personal photograph of a text titled INDIGENOUS CRITICAL REFLECTIONS ON TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE, edited by Lara A Jacobs. Description from the editor, Lara Jacobs' @ecohugger.bsky.social: "It was written by over 50 Indigenous Peoples from around the world and contains stories, poetry, and critical thought pieces on how TEK is used and extracted from our communities and what folks are doing to protect it."
February 21, 2025 at 2:16 AM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
You cannot remove yourself from community even if you try. Being alive requires relying on others (plants, animals, other humans, watersheds, soil, etc).

So when a culture tells you rugged independence is the way forward, recognize that it’s lying.

Recognize the messaging probably has an agenda.
Image ID: Color photo of a downed white oak branch in a mixed white oak prairie in winter. The center of the photo features white and grey shelf fungi in the Trametes genus (possibly Hairy Bracket) that are growing on the dead wood. There is some dead brown grasses and a blue sky with some scattered white clouds visible. /END ID.
February 11, 2025 at 7:17 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
Also... a billionaire white "celebrity" closing ranks and supporting the far-right, eugenics, and exploitative elitists? Shocked I tell you. Shocked. Who could have seen that coming? #Sarcasm
Image ID: Shocked face meme showing a person with wide eyes and open mouth in an exaggerated and comical expression of shock. /End ID.
February 8, 2025 at 6:15 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
TERFs like Rowling will sell women's rights to the highest bidder if it means they get to eliminate transgender people.

As far as I am concerned, TERF stands for "Trans Exclusionary Radical Fascist."
Image ID: Screenshot of a Twitter re-post. The original post being shared is by JK Rowling (author of Harry Potter) where she comments on a picture of the current (illegitimate and fascist) president of the USA holding up a signed order aimed at preventing transgender athletes from competing in women's sports. It's the latest in a series of actions focused on "gender ideology." Rowlings text comment reads: "Congradulations to ever single person on the left who's been campaigning to destroy women's and girls' right. Without you, there'd be no images like this." The re-poster is user alice.in.winterwonderland. Their commentary on the previous Rowling post is: "Unlike JK "Robert Galbraith" Rowling, I've never praised a serial R---ist and accused predator. kind of a minimum to consider yourself a feminist imo [shrugging emoji]" /END ID Further comments: Rowling is a well known TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) who uses her celebrity status to push for anti-trans policies in the UK and abroad. People have lost their lives due to her hateful rhetoric. Rowling has well-known ties to the Right and fascist ideas, including at times appearing to be a Holocaust denier. For more on Rowling's anti-trans rhetoric, I recommend watching this YouTube video from that breaks down her now-famous essay on the topic: Responding to JK Rowlings Essay | Is It Anti-Trans? by @jammidodger (follow this link: https://youtu.be/6Avcp-e4bOs?si=7q5-Ykt-ZnwsndVm).
February 8, 2025 at 6:10 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
This inspiring quote was just asking for a background. Quote from The Transfeminine Review, @thetransfemininereview.com ‬
Image ID: Photograph on a sunny afternoon of an oak grassland prairie in late fall, showing a dirt path winding up a hill covered in waves of brown grass and oak trees in the distance. The sky is bright with a sun lens flare with a few white high-contrast clouds in the deep blue sky. On top of the photograph (at the top of the image in the "sky") is black text reading: "Bravery isn't an emotion. It's an action. Bravery isn't meant to feel good. Courage only exists in adversity." The quote is attributed to The Transfeminine Review ‪@thetransfemininereview.com‬ /END ID.
February 6, 2025 at 8:31 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
The image is for #EDS awareness but heck, the message sure seems applicable to These Times (derogatory).
Image ID: A mock caution sign. The illustration, done in bold black, shows a set of hyper mobile hands stretching the thumb to reach their forearm, and lightning bolts float above the wrist. The text on the sign reads “Warning Just because you can bend that way doesn’t mean you should.” /end ID. Original image posted by @overqualifieddog on Tumblr, which can be found at the following URL: https://www.tumblr.com/overqualifieddog/751666842024706048/id-a-mock-caution-sign-the-illustration-done
February 5, 2025 at 6:24 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
Awesome art from Silas Denver (@sweatermuppet.bsky.social) with alt-text.
Art from Silas Denver (BlueSky handle: @sweatermuppet.bsky.social). The art is styled like a poster or meme with an off-black background depicting a human hand holding a scorpion by the tail with the scorpion hanging down. The scorpion is holding an eyeball in its claws which faces the camera. Test on the art in bold capitol print reads: "Don't want to see trans people? Pluck out your eyes".
February 3, 2025 at 9:13 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
We do need to re-think how we see and understand leadership. We will never achieve our advocacy goals if we keep falling into the norms of white supremacy culture.

The pictured moment from Gordon Tootoosis is a good reminder.
Image description: Two stills of Gordon Tootoosis' upper body, dressed in a dark shirt and gesturing with a hand, captioned, “Leadership is about submission to duty, not elevation to power.” Gordon Tootoosis is an Aboriginal Canadian actor, activist, and band chief of Cree and Iyarhe Nakoda/Stoney descent (playing Cecil Delaronde in Canadian TV series, Blackstone).
January 26, 2025 at 6:34 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
Resilience and rugged individualism are not compatible. Nature shows us that symbiosis, community care, and cyclical relationships are the norm. Each organism requires others to survive and thrive.

Humans are no different.

Individualism is a lie fed to us to make us weak & incapable of resistance.
Image is a stylistic depiction of fungal mycorrhizal fungal rootlets below the surface of the soil, with mushrooms popping up above ground. The above ground color is a warm brown, below ground is black, and the fungal mat is white. Text at the bottom reads “connection is how we survive” with the word “connection” emphasized.
January 25, 2025 at 7:10 PM
resiliencebeast.bsky.social
When I feel hopelessness edging in, I focus (best I can) on the small things that the Natural world shows us. Those small things are actually huge gifts: lessons about community, mutualism, and how we all rely on symbiosis to survive.

I.E. this lichen teaches us how to heal our own wounds.
Pictured is a close up of a yellow crust lichen growing on an oak tree, with dark green patches of frondy moss growing amongst the brilliant yellow lichen. The oak bark is craggy and grey. A lichen is a hybrid colony of algae or cyanobacteria living symbiotically among filaments of multiple fungi species, along with yeasts and bacteria embedded in the cortex or "skin", in a mutualistic relationship. Lichens are the lifeform that first brought the term symbiosis under biological context.
January 21, 2025 at 6:10 PM