30/06/2024

Archive

Plant Talk | What makes a tree a ‘tree’

We know that some of the world’s tallest trees are amongst the tallest/longest living things Coast redwood of California – Sequoia sempervirens – 116.07 m Himalayan cypress – Cupressus torulosa – 102.3 m In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are usable as lumber or plants above a...

From bush to butcher: the game meat value in northern Tanzania

  In just four years Tanzania has rolled out an ambitious suite of regulations to address its poaching crisis and ensure ordinary people can benefit from sustainable, safe, and legal trade in wild meat. If successfully applied, the GMSR hold the potential to holistically address threats to both people and wildlife, connecting issues such as poaching, zoonotic and other food borne diseases transmission, climate change, poverty, sustainable development, and alternative livelihoods.” Qudra Kagembe, TRAFFIC East Africa’s Project Officer and lead...

World albatross Day 2024

  Did You Know – the albatross has one of the widest wing spans of any bird! The albatross, as a seabird, gets caught in many fishing lines…..which result in them drowning! “The Albatross Task Force, led by BirdLife International and its UK partner, the RSPB, is an international team of experts on a mission to reduce seabird bycatch by 80% in some of the world’s deadliest fisheries. For more info click here  In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “The Rime of the Ancient...

Tuesday Tree Talk | Trees as habitats

    We know that trees are excellent carbon store, slowing or stopping soil erosion. There’s more aspects too….. Trees support the lives of many large organisms. are used for food, shelter, and sites for reproduction. are used for resting, nesting and for places from which to hunt or capture prey. When the trees mature, animals are able to enjoy delicious fruits and foraging opportunities....

Creature Feature | Red kites were once persecuted …..

Red kites were considered vermin across Britain and Ireland during the 16th century and their numbers were rigorously controlled. While public perceptions have changed, gamekeepers and farmers still illegally shoot, poison and trap red kites for the perceived harm they cause to livestock and game. In company with many other species of bird and mammal, they were seen as a direct threat to food supplies at a time when the human population was growing. There are now Red Kite re-introudction...

First ever Vietnam bird race

More than 120 avid nature lovers and photographers gathered in the wetlands of Tràm Chim National Park located in the Mekong Delta to take part in the very first, Việt Nam Bird Race. The race was jointly organised by Tràm Chim National Park, WildTour, Việt Nam Wildlife Photography Club and BirdLife International, with sponsorship from Mapletree Investments and Canon Vietnam. Additionally, the event also drew over 80 school children from Ðồng Tháp province to participate in an art competition focusing...

Creature Feature | How birds fly…..?

Why Do birds fly? Birds are ready to fly at any moment in order to escape from predators or to catch prey. It is essential for them to preen their feathers in order to also remove mites, ticks, and other parasites. Q. How does a bird fly forward by moving its wings up and down? A: Birds have feathers on their wings, called “primary feathers,” which help them fly forward. Primary feathers have a difference in width on the right...

World Oceans Day 2024… Awaken New Depths

  “We face one of the greatest threats ever to our blue planet and all its inhabitants: the climate crisis. It is all too clear that we need a healthy ocean for a healthy climate, and vice versa, and we need significantly stronger local, national, and international action from both government and corporate leaders. Now. We have launched a new multi-year action theme: Catalyzing Action for Our Ocean & Climate. By growing the movement through transformative collaboration, we aim to...

World swift day 2024 …. difference between swifts & swallows

How to identify swifts The swift is dark brown all over, often appearing black against the sky, with a small, pale patch on its throat. They’re larger than swallows and martins, with long curving wings that make them look a bit like a boomerang when in the air. Swifts are very sociable and can often be spotted in groups wheeling over roofs and calling to each other with high-pitched screams. Unlike swallows and martins, swifts are almost never seen perching. They spend most...

Indonesia names its eighth Wetland of International Importance

  Indonesia has designated Menipo Nature Recreational Park as its newest Wetland of International Importance. This “Ramsar Site” (Site no. 2543 on the “Ramsar List”), established in 2010 as a National Recreation Park, is located in Nusa Tenggara Timur Province. Its coastal wetlands include mangroves and intertidal mud, sand and salt flats. The Site includes Menipo Island, which is separated from the island of Timor by a narrow strait and features freshwater lakes and marshes. Menipo Island provides habitat for vulnerable...

TREE TUESDAY | The cabbage tree

The cabbage tree is one of the most distinctive trees in the New Zealand landscape, especially on farms. They grow all over the country, but prefer wet, open areas like swamps. Commonly known as the cabbage tree, or by its Māori name of tī or tī kōuka, is a widely branched monocot tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to 20 metres tall with a stout trunk and sword-like leaves, which are clustered at the tips of the branches...

Creature Feature | Richmond birdwing butterfly

  The Richmond birdwing butterfly  – Ornithoptera richmondia – is the largest subtropical Australian butterfly, found only in subtropical northern New South Wales and South East Queensland. Richmond birdwing butterfly populations have declined in Queensland since the 1920s following the loss and fragmentation of their habitats, mainly rainforests. The species is protected in Queensland, where it is classified as a threatened species at risk of extinction. The RBCN – Richmond Birdwing Conservation Network – hopes to recover the vulnerable Richmond...