World Oceans Day

Here’s a roundup of some of the many charities involved in conservation of and education for , in and about the oceans… World Oceans Day 2020 Marine Conservation Society UK produces the Good Fish Guide. Plastic Oceans uses science to engage people Mission Blue inspires action to explore and protect the ocean. Led by legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue is uniting a global coalition to inspire an upwelling of public awareness, access and support for a worldwide network...

Sharks….

Sharks often have a bad reputation – so the attack by a suspected great white off the New South Wales , Australian beach did not help! Here are a selection of Shark charities ( in no particular order) working hard to change the ‘JAWS’ mentality to show they are actually amazing creatures who happen to be top predators…. almost all of which have very good / excellent education resources. The Shark Trust UK undertakes research, a range of shark /...

Indigenous languages vital

As the world responds to the state of race relations in United States of America, I focus on the importance of Indigenous languages and groups working to raise awareness and take positive actions “When you drink water, think of the source” (Chinese proverb) Most indigenous languages are in danger, even though they are the main conveyors of knowledge that provide original solutions to contemporary challenges. “The major influence on the sorry state of their languages is the fact that indigenous peoples...

Should we kill ‘pests’ ?

Should I swat a fly? How do you deal with ‘pests’ if you love wildlife? This question, posed by BBC Wildlife online, was similar to my own experience of a cane toad‘s visit to my own garden Helen Pilcher explains: A few months ago I did a terrible thing. I was tending to my patio plants, barefoot, when I disturbed an ants’ nest under a pot. The feisty invertebrates were furious. They flung themselves at my toes, sinking their mandibles...

Wildlife surveys

As this is #Volunteers week, it’s a good time to review the surveys that are undertaken to check on the creatures we share planet Earth with. Here’s a selection, from the United Kingdom. Bats Conservation UK states The National Bat Monitoring Programme surveys are carefully designed so that anybody can take part in monitoring these fascinating but easily overlooked mammals. There are many different surveys – sunset, sunrise, waterways, woodland, hibernation – check what survey is right for you here....

Elephant dies horribly!

The Hindustan Times reports that Pregnant elephant dies after being fed pineapple stuffed with crackers A pregnant elephant died after a local allegedly fed her a pineapple stuffed with crackers, in Kerala’s Malappuram. The incident took place on May 27 while the elephant was standing in water and forest officials said that it died standing in river Velliyar after it suffered an injury in its lower jaw. “First, we observed this animal on May 23 when we were informed by...

Seas online resources

Though schools are very slowly ‘getting back to normal’ , there have more and more groups putting their best resources online for free. Here are oceans, seas and coasts groups…. Surfers against sewage – SAS – are focused one of the greatest outdoor classrooms – the beach! See their digital ocean school Whilst Marine Conservation Society is NOT undertaking their normal Cool Seas programme, they have instead Cool Seas Webinar as well Oceans Schools Resource Hub The Shark Trust has...

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,...

It’s time for Nature!

As World Environment Day approaches on Friday June 5th, there are many activities and challenges that you might like. Here’s a selection. World Environment Day Quiz via UNEP – the focus is on biodiversity The UN has helpfully provided a biodiversity quiz to help us prepare for World Environment Day on Friday.  There’s useful feedback on your responses as you go through the test (sorry, quiz).  You’ll have to keep your own score as you go along, as the site doesn’t tell you how badly you did....

Black birder week

Learn how you can participate in #BlackBirdersWeek on Twitter and Instagram starting Sunday 5/31! A group of approximately 30 black scientists, birders, and outdoor explorers are raising awareness of the black birding community and are encouraging new members. This event is hosted by @BlackAFinSTEM(link is external). Learn more about the inaugural event, including the list of activities, in Bird Watching Daily. Get involved via Birdwatching Daily LearnFromNature  Tweet  ...

Native versus introduced…

Nice night time visitor or large invader? Spotted the above in my backyard tonight…. At first , I was excited as it’s ‘wildlife’ and I am enthused to ID life that I had not seen before – a frog! Seeing a creature at night , is particularly exciting and important at this time of Coronavirus lockdown, when we want to be more aware of what’s in our local environment. So, I ran inside, returned with my camera, zoomed in for...

Top animal photos

Here are a selection of some of best websites featuring animal images… Photo Ark founded by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore has taken images of 10, 000 species in a bid to ‘show the world before it’s too late’ …. There are education resources called Photo Ark in the Classroom using Endangered Species, Storytelling and a special Save the Frogs project , all via the massive resource that is National Geographic The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition brings together...

Wildlife safari, England

Welcome to safari but we are not in Africa or Asia, but at Longleat in the English countryside! Learn what colour a zebra actually is. How a giraffe walks. what the top speed of an emu. Why Asian elephants are in trouble in the wild. How animals like the camel, and antelope, can go for such periods without drinking water. Of course, sadly due to lockdown, longleat is currently closed, but you can enjoy the above and have a virtual...