25/02/2022

Archive

Threatened wetlands in Paraguay’s Lake Ypacaraí raise legal questions

Wetlands surrounding the protected Lake Ypacaraí in Paraguay are being filled in to allow for the construction of housing and tourism projects. In addition to providing habitats for countless species of flora and fauna, the wetlands act as a filter for freshwater and help control flooding and erosion. The projects were approved by the Ministry of Environment, sparking outcry from congressmen who want to know if protected area laws are being ignored in favor of urban development. Urban development projects...

BirdLife working with Belarusian partner APB

Belarus is now one of the world’s leaders in peatlands restoration, and work on ecological rehabilitation of peatlands continues. And APB has worked hand-in-hand with the government to support that work. The numbers speak for themselves – more than 17,200 hectares of drained peatlands have been re-wetted. APB funded work to increase the area of the priceless Almany Mires Nature Reserve, an Important Bird and Biodiversity area (IBA), by 10,000 hectares, bringing it to a total of almost 104,000 hectares,...

What’s in a name …

It is our good fortune and legacy to have both Māori and scientific names to describe the natural world around us. By Ann Graeme    In our native forest grows a moss, the largest moss  in the world. Most pākehā simply call it the “giant moss”. That is not very original. Scientists have named it Dawsonia superba. “Superb” is quite eloquent for a scientific name, and  “Dawson” is a tribute to Dawson Turner, a distinguished British botanist and moss expert. That is mildly interesting. Māori...

Earth Hour a month away….Saturday, 26 March

  Every year, millions of people across the planet turn off the lights between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm on the last Saturday in March, this annual tradition is known as ‘Earth Hour’. The goal of this activity is to spread awareness about sustainability and climate change. This Earth Hour, we’re calling on people from all nations to sign up and join a worldwide community of millions supporting stronger action on climate change.  Everyone has the power to Shape Our...

Year of the Dove campaign explained

  Year of the Dove is a campaign which concludes in May 2022which aims to; Spotlight the plight of the Turtle Dove across their range via a global publicity campaign. Pressurise and lobby decision-makers to change and reinforce legal protection across the flyway and beyond. Which bird is mentioned in the bible more than any other? Answer Turtle Dove over 50 times! I find it amazing and heart-warming that these wonderful birds have been celebrated as part of our cultural...