BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
Louis Masai and his friends Tee and Emil are in Detroit right now on the 2nd city of The Art of BEEing tour, and the Gray Wolf is on their minds because it is endangered. Their numbers have been cut down in recent years because of humans shooting them and trapping them.
The Gray Wolf has a bad reputation for threatening herds of cattle but it is overrated and Defenders.org says that “wolf predation on livestock is fairly uncommon,” yet “wolves suspected of preying on livestock are often killed.”
Louis Masai The Art Of Beeing. Gray Wolf. Endangered. Detroit. Michigan. October 2016. (photo © @teebyford)
Our local deli guy who sells Lotto tickets and sandwiches here in Brooklyn calls Michigan “The Islamic State”, which is pretty funny because the racist hype that leads to Islamophobia in some quarters these days would find that statement bone chilling and confirmation that the newest bogeyman is taking over. It’s meant to be funny, Yo!
It just means that a lot of Muslims are living in Michigan and anyone will tell you that the ones in the Big D are especially cool.
Louis Masai The Art Of Beeing. Gray Wolf. Endangered. Detroit. Michigan. October 2016. (photo © @teebyford)
“We discovered a thriving Arabic community in Detroit where children were playing safely in the streets,” says Louis of his visit. So much for stereotypes about this religious group who have lived in the US for about 400 years.
Mr. Masai feels like the city itself is victimized by a few stereotypes as well. “The media talks about Detroit as if it is a derelict forgotten city, but we discovered a whole community that has been here for a long time and they definitely wouldn’t agree with their city is a dead or abandoned space,” he says.
Louis Masai The Art Of Beeing. Gray Wolf. Endangered. Detroit. Michigan. October 2016. (photo © @teebyford)
“No one could argue that the city has many abandoned buildings on every street corner, fires and smashed glass are the norm. But within this are thriving communities…we were embraced and invited into the homes of a thriving Latino community, and also by many artists.”
Yeah, but what about the bee population? “The bee community is thriving in Detroit! We met beekeepers who reminded us that when a space becomes uninhabited by humans it becomes the best kind of space for bees to occupy and this city believes in a more hands-on farming way of life, with allotments and backyard vegetable plots being the norm.”
Thanks to Detroit for looking out for these dudes, and thanks to you for thinking about the endangered gray wolf. More about them at the end of the article.
“We leave Detroit wishing we had longer to explore,” says Louis.
Louis Masai The Art Of Beeing. Gray Wolf. Endangered. Detroit. Michigan. October 2016. (photo © @emil.walker)
Louis Masai The Art Of Beeing. Gray Wolf. Endangered. Detroit. Michigan. October 2016. (photo © @teebyford)
Louis Masai The Art Of Beeing. Gray Wolf. Endangered. Detroit. Michigan. October 2016. (photo © @louismasai)
Louis Masai The Art Of Beeing. Gray Wolf. Endangered. Detroit. Michigan. October 2016. (photo © @louismasai)
Louis Masai The Art Of Beeing. Gray Wolf. Endangered. Detroit. Michigan. October 2016. (photo © @louismasai)
Click http://louismasai.com/projects/the-art-of-beeing/ to learn more about the project.
Want to help the Gray Wolf? Adopt one! Take Action, the “Wildlife Action Center to send a message to government leaders.
Species foundation – http://www.wolf.org
