Fast facts about fastest creature!

  This is International Cheetah Day … You may already know that cheetahs are the world’s fastest land animal. But did you know their tails play a crucial role in hunting? Check out these and other fun facts about cheetahs. The planet’s fastest land animal is built for super speed, rather than stamina. … When they do stir, cheetahs can accelerate faster than most sports cars. … The name cheetah comes from a Hindi word, chita, meaning ‘spotted one’ …...

Earthshot Prize 2022 winners announced

The 2022 Earthshot Prize winners – an accomplished group of entrepreneurs and innovators spearheading ground-breaking solutions to repair and regenerate the planet – are…. below…. Each winner was awarded a £1 million prize at the second-annual Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, which will be broadcast Sunday, December 4 at 17:30pm GMT on BBC and will begin streaming on Monday, December 5 at 2:00pm EST on PBS.org and the PBS app.n Inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot challenge in the 1960s, which...

Capturing wildlife with a camera

Photographing  wildlife is a major deal – both in terms of the technical side of the art – a picture tells 1000 words – and a great way of raising awareness of conservation issues. Major competitions  Bird photographer of the year – “ Bird Photographer of the Year is the leading bird photography competition. We celebrate the world’s best bird photography, whilst supporting conservation efforts through imagery and financial support. “ Deadlines – September, December, following autumn. Bird photo website  Comedy...

Antarctica ecologically unique place

Antarctica is a remarkable continent – remote, hostile and uninhabited.  This frozen continent is key to understanding how our world works, and our impact upon it. Antarctica is important for science because of its profound effect on the Earth’s climate and ocean systems.  Locked in its four kilometre-thick ice sheet completely unique record of what our planet’s climate was like over the past one million years. Antarctica is important for science because of its profound effect on the Earth’s climate...

Earth science | The science behind the Hawaii eruptions

  The science behind the Hawaiian HawaiianNewspaper headlines read – Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano erupts as officials warn people to prepare to evacuate and World’s largest active volcano Mauna Loa starts to erupt in Hawaii ? What makes these island a volcanic “hot spot” ? The following is from National Geographic Education… The Hawaiian Islands were formed by a volcanic hot spot, an upwelling plume of magma, that creates new islands as the Pacific Plate moves over it.   “Hawai’i,...

Creature feature | Strange animals – Australian platypus

The  “platypus” is indeed a weird, strange creature but / and … it IS real…. But when Europeans first encountered the odd-looking platypus, it became the centre of scientific debate: was it real or just an elaborate hoax? The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) has a puzzling array of features. Not only does it have that iconic duck bill, it lays eggs like a bird or reptile but feeds milk to its young like a mammal. Males also have a pair of venomous...

Loving Nature to death? Aotearoa / New Zealand Vanishing Species

A love of nature is embedded deep within our concept of “New Zealand-ness”. But the rich diversity of what we describe as ‘nature’ is narrowing all the time. In a two-part investigation, Farah Hancock reports on Aotearoa’s vanishing species. New Zealand has an abundance of endemic species found nowhere else in the world. Interwoven with our national identity, they’ve been immortalised in art and illustrations, graced currency, stamps, rugby jerseys, planes and souvenir tea towels. We’ve rested our Arcoroc coffee...

Marine Mammals | Whale hearing tested off Qld coast, Australia

They are the hulking giants of the sea, able to send their songs thousands of kilometres under the waves, but researchers still have little idea of how much whales can hear — and they are determined to find out. Scientists from the University of Queensland have spent the past two whale migration seasons armed with a long pole, which they use to stick a small sucker-covered box to the side of humpbacks as they pass the coastline south of Noosa. Associate Professor Rebecca Dunlop...

Christmas animals | reindeer & the cold

According to Discover Wildlife website : Reindeer , also known as caribou in North America, live in very cold regions such as Alaska and Scandinavia. They can also be found in Scotland following a reintroduction in the Cairngorms. With temperatures frequently reaching below zero and snowy, icy ground, how have reindeer adapted to be able to live, thrive and survive in the extreme cold?   How reindeer is cope with cold 1. Antlers : Whilst cattle horns have living tissue...

New threatened species Tracking System

A new tool has been launched by the CITES Secretariat to to monitor and track the trade in some of our most threatened species of animals and plants. The Review of Significant Trade (RST) RST is a review of significant trade. It was designed to identify species that may be subject to unsustainable levels of international trade, and to identify problems and solutions concerning effective implementation of the Convention. This RST Management system tracks the progress of species for the...

Protecting our fisheries

Many of us enjoy eating fish – and there are numerous benefits to eating fish  “Eating fish is an important source of omega-3 fatty acids. These essential nutrients keep our heart and brain healthy. Two omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Our bodies don’t produce omega-3 fatty acids so we must get them through the food we eat.” According to Greenpeace : “More than 3 billion people around the globe depend on...

Survey | Frogs of Australia

FrogID Week is Australia’s Biggest Frog Count, held annually for Australians to help record frog calls through the free FrogID app, as a measurement of frog health and distribution around the nation. It aims to monitor frog distributions over time, helping us to understand how frogs and their ecosystems are responding to a changing planet. From croaks and barks, to whistles and bleats, every frog species makes a unique sound. Using the free FrogID app, you can record the frogs...