Creature feature | Pangolin still in trouble!

This shy, scaly creature is the world’s most trafficked mammal—with more than a million pangolins poached in the past decade. Learn more about the pangolin, why all eight pangolin nspecies are at risk of extinction, and the conservation efforts needed to save them.  According to Nat Geo – Smuggling networks that once focused on ivory are increasingly turning to pangolins. From 2019 : It was a monumental win for pangolin conservation as all 8 pangolin species were uplisted to Appendix...

Hippos… beware the water horse!

  It’s World Hippo Day So…. on an overland trip in East Africa in the 1990s, my wife and I learned that the hippo – not the lion or elephant or rhino – is categorised as the most dangerous wild animal in the continent! Why? Those teeth and jaws are ultra powerful Some more facts about the hippo… “Hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius) are large, round, water-loving animals that are native to Africa. The word “hippopotamus” comes from the Greek word for...

Wildlife photography | Robert Irwin bushfire shot

  Robert Irwin – the son of a hero of mine , Steve Irwin – took this stirring image from a drone… He aimed not only to highlighting the visual contrasts of the bush versus the devastating fires, and the wildlife that took the brunt. For more about Robert Irwin , Info on Australia Zoo  Details about the Wildlife Photographer Competition       LearnFromNature  Tweet  ...

South Pacific Geography | Tsunamis

The reports of a tsunami impacting Lord Howe Island last night … A tsunami warning for New Zealand and Australia’s Lord Howe Island ( 700 km off New South Wales ) , sparked by a 7.7 magnitude undersea earthquake near New Caledonia, causing small tsunami waves to hit Norfolk Island and prompting prompted marine warnings for Lord Howe Island, 700km off the coast of New South Wales – beg the question… What is a tsunami?  Earthquakes Information has been posted showing...

Quotes | Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin  12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist, best known for his contributions to the science of evolution If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.” ― CD, The Autobiography of Charles Darwin, 1809–82    “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, not those who...

Flying animals – foxes, bats flying into trouble!

Today is ‘kite flying day’ … so , as a twist, here is something about ‘flying ‘ creatures –  flying foxes / bats. Australia Flying foxes are….. “intelligent and remarkable. These unique animals help regenerate our forests and keep ecosystems healthy through pollination and seed dispersal. They are a migratory and nomadic ‘keystone’ species; meaning a species that many other species of plants and animals rely upon for their survival and wellbeing. Flying foxes, like bees, help drive biodiversity, and...

Eco anxiety is real. Some ideas what to do for children

As its Mental Health Week in the United Kingdom- and ‘eco-anxiety’ is a topic that has arisen Medical News Today states : “Eco-anxiety refers to a fear of environmental damage or ecological disaster. This sense of anxiety is largely based on the current and predicted future state of the environment and human-induced climate change. According to a 2018 national survey, almost 70% of people in the United States are worried about climate change, and around 51% feel “helpless.” Anxiety around environmental...

Environmental actions | Ipswich, Australia

Ipswich – near Brisbane, Queensland – seems sadly to have a negative reputation , has an amazing ‘ecological basis’ – “one of the most diverse ranges of natural vegetation types in South East Queensland, being home to a large number of native flora and fauna and over 2,000 recorded species of native plants and animals. The Ipswich Enviroplan Program supports the identification, protection and maintenance of vital ecosystems and natural environmental values. “ ( Ipswich Enviroplan )   Enviroplan Program Ever...

Geography | Iceberg!

What is an iceberg? The iceberg is a famous natural phenomenon- made ‘famous by such films as Titanic An iceberg is a large piece of freshwater ice is floating freely in open (salt) water. To be an iceberg, the height of the ice must be greater than 5 m (16 ft) above sea level and the thickness must be greater than 30 m (100 ft) and the ice must cover an area of at least 500 square m (5400 sq...

Bushfires | Natural and devastating as people, wildlife all suffer

    https://youtu.be/3AWp7ULODJ4 Bushfires – especially in Perth – making headlines again for being both “devastating as well as foreseeable “ – are, painfully, part of the ‘normal Australia’ .  Yet, it begs the question- are they becoming more voracious, or more reported? From Geoscience Australia: “Bushfires and grassfires are common throughout Australia. Bushfires are an intrinsic part of Australia’s environment. Natural ecosystems have evolved (with fire, and the landscape, along with its biological diversity, has been shaped by both...

Are plants really important? What about illegal trade?

Animals are exciting because they move, come with a sense of danger ( some can eat you etc ) ,  some make great pets, and so on. Plants are, well, not as exciting? even boring? Certainly overlooked. Question: What was last animal you saw? Can you remember its colour, size and shape? Could you ID it? What about the last plant? A phenomenon called ‘plant blindness’ means we tend to underappreciate the flora around us. That , suggests research including...

Celebrating 50 years of RAMSAR

The year 2021 commemorates the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran. In 1974 we also designated the world’s first Wetland of International Importance (Ramsar wetland) – the Cobourg Peninsula, in the Northern Territory.     More information at https://www.ramsar.org/resources     LearnFromNature  Tweet  ...

Habitats graphic | Wetlands and RAMSAR

  A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The Convention on Wetlands, known as the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO, which came into force in 1975.   LearnFromNature  Tweet  ...

Water, Wetlands, life!

“Wetlands are the star of the ( habitats ) show“ …. Some of the benefits of wetlands include: * providing food and habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species * providing water quality improvement * key mechanism in flood storage * shoreline erosion control * economically beneficial natural products for human use * many opportunities for recreation, education, and research       Less than 1% of water on Earth is usable freshwater and it is mostly stored...