Conservation

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“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...

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:...

Celebrating women’s day planting mangroves

International Women’s Day is a global day to celebrate and acknowledge the social, economic, cultural and political achievements and contribution of women.  IUCN Pakistan and HRDN celebrated International Women’s Day at Port Qasim by planting Mangroves IUCN Pakistan in collaboration with its member organizations Human Resource Development Network (HRDN), Health And Nutrition Society (HANDS) and National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) celebrated International Women’s Day at Tor Island, Port Qasim, Karachi. The members of HRDN and IUCN staff members also participated...

Climate change reaches top of the world. Yes – Everest!

From MOUNTAIN RESEARCH INITIATIVE / university of Maine Human-Induced Climate Change Impacts the Highest Reaches of the Planet—Mount Everest Melting and sublimation on Mount Everest’s highest glacier due to human-induced climate change have reached the point that several decades of accumulation are being lost annually now that ice has been exposed, according to a University of Maine-led international research team that analyzed data from the world’s highest ice core and highest automatic weather stations. The extreme sensitivity of the high-altitude...

Mountain snow and ice disappearing – FAST!

From Mountain Research Initiative Decline in Mountain Snow and Ice May Be Faster Than Anticipated  “Enhanced mountain warming coupled with reduced elevation dependency of precipitation may deplete stores of mountain snow and ice more rapidly than previously thought, new research conducted by the MRI’s Elevation-Dependent Climate Change Working Group has found. Mountains hold most of the world’s snow and ice outside of polar regions and play an essential role in supplying water to meet the needs of both fragile ecosystems...

Endangered birds – mostly bad, but some good news

An update from Birdlife about IUCN RED LIST OF ENDANGERED SPECIES In December: Asia’s big forest birds bear the brunt of hunting and habitat loss, while the heat is on for species on the front line of climate chaos. Meanwhile, rousing recoveries show us the way forward in this year’s Red List update. Now : BirdLife has released its yearly update to birds on the IUCN Red List of threatened species: the result of months of hard work from our science...

A global convention to stand together against pandemics

Some thoughts and responses to the current pandemic – from IUCN   The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 5.7 million people worldwide. As its devastating impacts continue to unfold, economic recovery is marking time, extreme poverty is rising, the labour market is being damaged, essential health services have been interrupted, natural resources are being depleted, access to energy, water and sanitation is hampered, plastic pollution is proliferating, and biodiversity is declining. With the combined effects of...

Wonderful Wildlife Mag with new features

Introducing the new-look BBC Wildlifemagazine and website BBC Wildlife has had a make-over!   “BBC Wildlife magazine and the Discover Wildlife website have a brand new look, and we’ve still got the in-depth and expert nature writing, photography, advice, guides and more that you’ve come to know and love. Launched in 1963 and first titled Animals magazine, BBC Wildlife has evolved over the years. This will be its 16th incarnation! While  our photo- and feature-packed magazine is still at the...

Conservation dogs to the rescue

As a dog lover – dogs are not called ‘people’s best friend’ for nothing – I’m interested in how dogs are used to help us humans in many different ways.  They ( dogs) are intelligent, can be trained for very particular purposes …. Here are two examples of dogs skills being applied to help with nature conservation especially endangered species. Australia Detection Dog Research Team In addition to the Fighting Extinction Dog Squad, Zoos Victoria employ the skills of dogs...

‘Act on Nature’ call on world leaders

On the eve of the High Level Week of the UN General Assembly, a call for Heads of State to act to halt and reverse nature loss this decade comes from far and wide. Businesses; Environment, Development and Humanitarian Organisations; Faith groups; Local and Regional Governments; Indigenous People; and Youth are all calling for action to secure a sustainable future for people and planet. GENEVA, Switzerland (18 September) Organizations representing hundreds of millions of individuals globally, alongside more than 560...

Conservation volunteers

Many environmental projects are undertaken by volunteers – lets note some of the groups as this is #VolunteersWeek2020 NAEE UK – the National Association for Environmental Education is a great example of ‘people power network’ across many groups. Here are our key volunteer Fellows…. and our journal (edited by Henricus Peters ). he Geography Association – GA in the UK – the membership network for geographers – is run mainly by volunteer committees. Listen to its GeoPod In South Africa,...