28/03/2022

Archive

Richard Louv USA Prize for innovation in Nature

The Richard Louv Prize for Innovation in Nature Connection is open to any individual doing exemplary work to advance equitable access to nature in their community or region. The Richard Louv Prize recognizes innovative strategies for creating regular access to the benefits of nature everywhere children live, learn and play. We believe equitable access to nature is achieved when systemic barriers to nature are removed and all members of a community — regardless of race, income, ability, identity or address...

Great Barrier Reef “severe coral bleaching event” IS happening NOW

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority released this important “Health update” yesterday … A sixth bleaching event has been confirmed in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) according to a new aerial survey. Such a “bleaching event”  was recently predicted – see LearnFromNature post  The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Marine Science completed aerial surveys across 750 reefs in the GBR. They found that the bleaching was significantly consistent with heat stress being...

All about the weather

  It’s World Meteorological Day    Some fun stuff …..     A bit more serious, what the Australian weather is like – and why…   What is the origin of the phrase “it’s raining cats and dogs?” Answer “We don’t know. The phrase might have its roots in Norse mythology, medieval superstitions, the obsolete word catadupe (waterfall), or dead animals in the streets of Britain being picked up by storm waters.”   There are many websites – here are...

300 million native animals killed – by foxes – every year

  Important news research from The Conversation shows foxes and the damage they do… Foxes kill about 300 million native mammals, birds and reptiles each year, and can be found across 80% of mainland Australia, our devastating new research just published reveals. This research, the first to quantify the national impact of foxes on Australian wildlife, also compares the results to similar studies on cats. And we found foxes and cats collectively kill 2.6 billion mammals, birds and reptiles every year....

New Wildlife Study Identifies key threats unique belugas

( Image National Geo Kids ) Findings in a new Defenders of Wildlife study published in Frontiers in Marine Science, show that threats like pollution and prey limitations are preventing recovery of whale species that are closely related to Cook Inlet beluga whales. Research shows that these threats are likely contributing to the continued decline of this species.   “This research provides a better understanding of why the population of Cook Inlet belugas continues to decline,” said Nicole Whittington-Evans, director...

Seagrasses hidden, vital marine habitat

It’s Seagrass Awareness Month ( images from Pew Trust ) Seagrasses support commercial fisheries and biodiversity, clean the surrounding water and help take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Because of these benefits, seagrasses are believed to be the third most valuable ecosystem in the world (only preceded by estuaries and wetlands). 7 Reasons to protect Seagrass – Remarkable flora, found in waters around the world, benefits ocean health and people The Pew Trust on why Seagrass is so important:...

Trees our greatest ally in floods

images by Henricus Peters  Trees are very important in our natural landscapes – never more so when it comes to     the impacts of flooding…. Dr Gregory Moore, botanist, writes on The Conversation website : “As the floodwaters recede, mountains of debris are left behind – sheets of plaster, loose clothes, mattresses and, of course, trees. Some debris I’ve seen in floods includes massive tree trunks weighing 5 tonnes of more, bobbing along like corks in the rapidly flowing...

Frogs – Evolution of & websites too

  Why are frogs important? “ Without frogs, we’d have a tougher job protecting our crops from pests. Healthy frog populations can keep mosquito numbers down, as tadpoles and mosquito larvae battle it out in ponds and swamps, thereby reducing your chance of contracting mosquito-borne disease “ ( source : https://inspiringnsw.org.au/2017/11/29/why-frogs-count/ ) A brilliant video below on frog’s evolution by Light Moth Media     Some recommended frog websites https://www.jonathankolby.com Save the Frogs Froglife UK Frog ID via Australia Museum ...

The flooding caused a HUGE impact on Australian wildlife

‘The sad reality is many don’t survive’: how floods affect wildlife…. For over two decades, bull sharks have called a Brisbane golf course home after, it’s believed, a flood washed them into the course’s lake in 1996. Now, after severe floods connected their landlocked home back to the river system, these sharks have gone missing, perhaps attempting to seek larger water bodies. This bizarre tale is one of many accounts illustrating how Australia’s wildlife respond to flooding. But the sad...

Connecting city kids to the outdoors

From Children & Nature I was shocked at how much you could see the stars. I hadn’t realized how much you couldn’t see from the city but could see from there. It really took my breath away,” said 14-year-old Cinthya Costa as she described her first overnight trip in the Delaware Water Gap with Team Wilderness. Growing up, Aracelis Hannah and Cynthia Costa never went on hikes or slept outdoors surrounded by nature. It wasn’t until Hannah’s mother stumbled upon...