World Penguin Day

  Penguins are sadly one of the most threatened groups of seabirds, with half of the 18 species listed by Birdlife as either Vulnerable or Endangered. While penguins are well adapted to their environments, human impacts are hitting their homes too hard and too fast for them to cope. The threats are numerous, including habitat loss, pollution, disease, and reduced food availability due to commercial fishing. Climate change is of particular concern for many species of penguin, as the sea...

Earth Day 2024…..Planet vs. Plastic

  EARTHDAY.ORG’s founders created and organized the very first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Since then, EARTHDAY.ORG has been mobilizing over 1 billion people annually on Earth Day, and every other day, to protect the planet. Forbes states: Over the past 60 years, around eight billion tons of plastic has been produced, according to a recent study in the journal Science Advances — 90.5 per cent of which has not been recycled. As a result, this year’s Earth Day...

All about dolphins

In the US, April 14th is National Dolphin Day when the focus is on these highly intelligent creatures. Here are some facts about dolphins you might not know… DifFerences between dolphins and sharks Although they’re commonly referred to as “cuties” by all who adore them, baby bottlenose dolphins are actually called “calves.” Male dolphins are called “bulls,” females are called “cows,” and a group is a “pod.” A bottlenose dolphin’s outermost skin layer may be replaced every 2 hours. This...

Tuesday Tree Talk | What makes ecucalypts special?

Eucalypts are truly unique. There’s no other tree species in the world, for example, that can produce timber, paper, essential oil and even honey! They are also some of the hardiest trees on the planet, able to biologically adapt to drought conditions, pest infestations, and regrow after fire. Some interesting fats you might not know…. Eucalyptus Flowers Have No Petals Square Stems and Uncommon Leaf Formations Eucalyptus essential oil has been used in Indigenous Australian medicine as an antibacterial and...

International Beaver Day | differences & re-introductions

Beavers are very important for the environment, creating natural dams and helping cleanse water. Help raise awareness about the threats facing this declining species. The beaver may be the national animal of Canada but the furry dam-building rodent can be found across the North American continent and Eurasia as two distinct species, but the population has been on the decline for several decades now. International Beaver Day aims to celebrate and raise awareness of the plight of the rodent. Re-introductions...

Netted in illegal wildlife trade: Sharks of India

TRAFFIC and WWF-India have released a new factsheet – it represents findings on the illegal trade of sharks in India spanning from January 2010 to December 2022. “The demand for shark fins and meat is a major driver of the global shark fishery. Shark fins are the most sought-after shark product used to make ‘shark-fin soup,’ a delicacy” Dr Merwyn Fernandes, Associate Director of TRAFFIC’s India Office “Netted in illegal wildlife trade: Sharks of India”, a new factsheet recently released,...

Insects & light pollution – new campaign by Buglife charity

  Every time we turn on a light, we risk polluting the natural world. But what if helping to protect nature was as simple as drawing the curtains or lowering a blind?  This simple action, that many of us already carry out every day, will help reduce light pollution and the impact it has on nature. More about this new campaign here  LearnFromNature  Tweet  ...

BREAKING: frosted phoenix moth ‘re-discovered’ in New Zealand

The Press this morning broke this amazing story….. Mysterious moth unseen for 65 years accidentally rediscovered by tourist The Frosted Phoenix is legendary among New Zealand bug experts. Last seen 65 years ago, the distinctive moth was feared to be extinct – until an unexpected discovery on a hotel balcony cracked the case wide open, proving the potential of citizen science and nature’s capacity to surprise us. It was Pav Johnsson from Sweden who, after a night out wildlife watching...

New report: Rising slaughter of small whales and dolphins

Killings of small whales, porpoises and dolphins are rising, with more than 100,000 of these marine mammals slaughtered each year, according to a new report from German and British NGOs. Many regions report increased catches driven by demand for dolphin meat as food and shark bait in areas impacted by economic crisis and dwindling fish stocks. Failure to address unsustainable exploitation of small cetaceans exacerbates ecological imbalance and heavy metal toxicity risks to humans who eat them, according to the...