28/04/2022

Archive

“Caretakers of the forest” – tapirs are in REAL trouble

Tapirs are a living fossil; they’be been around since the Eocene, having survived waves of extinction of other animals. The four species of tapirs represent a unique biology as well as a vital role in the ecosystems they inhabit, from dispersing seeds to digging burrows used by many other species for refuge. Once widely abundant in their habitats, tapir populations have been in sharp decline in recent decades, leading to three of the four species becoming listed as Endangered. The...

Young conservationists answer big environmental question!

Tomorrow’s voices for change answer David Attenborough’s biggest environmental question   With each passing Earth Day there’s a fresh sense of urgency: another brutal IPCC report, more stark warnings, more people taking to the streets in a battle against fossil fuels. We’ve never had less time to act, but we’ve also never had as many brilliant and insightful voices to galvanise and inspire us. This year, we invited a new generation of thinkers, activists and writers to share their thoughts...

Airports a hub for illegal wildlife trafficking

TRAFFIC’s study highlights the increasing misuse of airports for smuggling wildlife and contrabands within India and across the regions. TRAFFIC’s “HIGH FLYING: Insight into wildlife trafficking through India’s airports” analysis found the trafficking of over 70,000 native and exotic wild animals, including their body parts or derivatives (weighing around 4000kg) in 140 wildlife seizure incidents at 18 Indian airports between 2011-2020. Many of the seized species are categorised as threatened on the IUCN Red List and listed in the Convention...

Easter bunny? Instead, let’s Save the Bilby!

Easter features a number of animals – see my previous post  This year the Bilby has taken over from the more traditional Easter bunny – with money raised going to the wonderful work of Save the Bilby Fund  Information about the Bilby : “There is more to ‘why save bilbies’ than the fact that they look amazing, they have adorable ears and beautiful silky soft fur. Firstly, bilby ancestors have been found as fossilised remains dating back 15 million years...

Rats…. and water voles

It’s World Rat Day, so here’s a quick roundup of interesting facts about rats and humans Oh, Rats…  2,000 Rats Were Specially Bred For The Venetian Catacombs Scene – Indiana Jones movie  “After receiving his father’s secret journal in the post, Indy heads straight for Italy to meet up with Dr. Elsa Schneider, who initially assists in his quest to locate the Holy Grail, but as they venture down into the ancient catacombs of Venice, they quickly discover there is...

Cities ‘not’ always good for your health

  Latest research shows cities have areas which ‘health-constrained’ , rather promoting good habits. Can better city planning change this?  We have all witnessed the scene – mile after mile of cars packed in traffic jams; folks no longer leaving their vehicles to do a food shop but preferring to ‘travel’ via the drive-through for less-than-healthy  takeaways! This not New York – this is in fact Australia and New Zealand… The Conversation website reports on both interesting and ( arguably)...

YES! Kids with autism do benefit from Nature

As it’s World Autism Awareness  Day – I ask the question Is Nature & the outdoors important for kids with autism?  Some thoughts “ Children with autism also benefit from connecting with nature. Through nature, children gain important skills while learning how to care for living things and their environment. Nurture your child’s growth and development by allowing her to explore nature.” //// Nature as a healer for autistic children The reason of many symptoms of autistic children is sensory...