Horses and worthwhile causes: Exploring equine-assisted learning at Dune Lakes Horse Inspired Learning Centre in Aotearoa New Zealand

INTRODUCTION: Equine-assisted therapies and trauma-informed interventions have become increasingly popular with a growing literature suggesting that people can deeply relate to experiential work with horses, where silence, emotional growth, reflection and acceptance are prioritised over talking about problems.APPROACH: This research, undertaken at a rural learning and retreat centre near Auckland in Aotearoa New Zealand, examines how practitioners tailor equine-assisted interventions (EAI) and sheds light into values, theories and frameworks that underpin their work. The study is based on personal and professional experiences of four practitioners who engage in equine- assisted learning.FINDINGS AND APPLICATION: Findings are drawn from the thematic analysis of the transcripts of four semi-structured interviews, highlighting the process of facilitating post- traumatic growth in a professional, supportive and client-centred environment involving a facilitator, a horse, and a person keen to improve the quality of their life. Application of this modality, particularly when working with clients with complex trauma, is explored with a special emphasis on the relevance of involvement of animals in social work practice.

Lake or Estuary? Sedimentary and Benthic Foraminiferal Characterization of a Gulf of Mexico Coastal Dune Lake

Coastal dune lakes are shallow estuaries located within dune environments that share a permanent or intermittent connection with the sea. Because coastal dune lakes are found in few locations worldwide (e.g. Australia, New Zealand, Florida, etc.) they represent unique environments worthy of protection. However; there is a distinct lack of scientific data related to the function and ecology of coastal dune lakes, especially in the Gulf of Mexico. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to characterize the sedimentology and foraminifera of a representative coastal dune lake in Walton County, FL (i.e. Eastern Lake) and determine whether it shares geologic similarities with nearby estuaries. Ten Ekman sediment grab samples were collected along a transect spanning the length of Eastern Lake. The samples were processed to determine sedimentary properties and foraminiferal assemblages. Results from the sedimentary and foraminiferal analyses reveal 3 distinct depositional environments including: (1) a coarse grained, moderately well sorted, organic poor, sandy beach facies with both agglutinated and calcareous foraminifera, (2) a fine grained, very poorly sorted, organic rich central mud basin facies with mostly calcareous foraminifera, and (3) a coarse grained, poorly sorted, organic rich sandy marsh delta facies dominated by agglutinated foraminifera. These environments and foraminiferal patterns are also found in much larger nearby estuaries including Choctawhatchee Bay, Pensacola Bay, and Mobile Bay. Our results therefore suggest that coastal dune lakes may serve as down-scaled micro-estuaries and are functionally related to larger estuaries of the Gulf Coast despite their size.

Composición florística y diversidad de la vegetación de humedales en los lagos interdunarios de Veracruz

Dune lakes of the coast of Veracruz, Mexico, are shallow freshwater lakes with suitable conditions for the establishment of herbaceous and arboreal wetlands. Most of the vegetation of the surrounding dunes has been transformed into pastures for grazing lands and sugar cane plantations. The objective of this paper is to describe and compare structure, composition and diversity of the wetland vegetation of 15 dune lakes in the rural area. Environmental parameters (pH, salinity, size, depth and number of dry months) were taken into account. Plant diversity of these lakes comprise 46 families (27 strictly aquatic) and 82 species, among them <em>Sagittaria lancifolia, Pontederia sagittata, Ceratophyllum demersum.</em> Species richness fl uctuated between 5 and 33 species. The classifi cation resulted in nine fl oristic wetland groups, three of them with grass species from the surrounding areas <em>(Cynodon dactylon, Echinochloa pyramidalis).</em> Ordination separated lakes based on pH and number of dry months. Management plans should be developed together with the owners to maintain both the use of these lakes and the composition and structure of their wetlands.

Observations on a fragilarioid diatom found in inter-dune lakes of the Badain Jaran Desert (Inner Mongolia, China), with a discussion on the newly erected genus Williamsella Graeff, Kociolek & Rushforth

Populations of a fragilarioid diatom from inter-dune lakes of the Badain Jaran Desert (northern China), originally identified and reported under the name Fragilaria sp. cf. famelica, were investigated in detail using light and scanning electron microscopy. The analyses indicate that most of the morphological features of this taxon are identical to Williamsella angusta Graeff, Kociolek & S.R. Rushforth, the type species of the genus Williamsella recently described from Blue Lake warm spring (Utah, USA). The criteria used to separate Williamsella from Fragilaria (i.e. the presence/absence of spines, the colonial formation, the preference for saline vs freshwater habitat, and the coverings of the areolae) are not supported and the genus is refuted. Instead the new combination Fragilaria crenophila comb. nov. is proposed for the Blue Lake species. The taxon from the Badain Jaran desert lakes represents a varietal population that is characterized by shorter valve length and lower stria density than the nominal variety, and is given the name Fragilaria crenophila var. sinensis. A discussion of the taxonomy, ecology and geographical distribution of this taxon is presented and a detailed comparison with Fragilaria asiatica Hustedt, a very similar species described from northern Tibet (China) is made.