The Guardian

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Nature and people | Swimmers and sharks get closer

  Sharks – an ‘apex’ predator are found ‘in just about every kind of ocean habitat, including the deep sea, open ocean, coral reefs, and under the Arctic ice ( according to Smithsonian ). With summer in full swing, with more families enjoying the beach and sea, unsurprisingly more likely contact between people and sharks…. Only yesterday, the Department of Conservation in New Zealand issued this warning – “Please be extra vigilant. There are always sharks around our coastline and...

The unseen but very real problem…Plastics!

  Plastic – a family of polymers that is cheap, lightweight, strong, durable and very versatile, making it a primary choice for a variety of applications – has for the exact become same reasons become an environmental burden and a human health concern. Up to 14 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean every year.  It takes years….. to degrade! Here are some updates – good news of positive actions, and ‘reality checks’ from the United Kingdom. Some good...

Glum future! The platypus

The platypus – Scientists say the risk of local extinctions is rising due to damaged waterways, land clearing and climate change – the Guardian reports It is dusk beside a creek and we are instructed to look for a trail of bubbles, under which could be one of the world’s weirdest mammals. When you’re desperate to see a platypus in the fading light, everything looks like one. Floating logs from bank-side paperbark trees, gyrating leaves caught in a dance with...

Young people need positive roles in nature

The young birder and environmental campaigner Mya-Rose Craig – a friend of this blog – believes the coronavirus lockdown has had a positive impact on the environment. “Wildlife has been doing much better, as it is less disturbed by people, traffic and dogs. We are listening, noticing and looking much more,” she says. “Hopefully, people will continue to do these things now lockdown is easing, which can only benefit nature and our health.” ( source : The Guardian) “The highlights...

Culling one creature to save another?

There’s a very fine balancing act to be had…. culling – killing using humane methods – one species, to ensure the survival of another Large mice are devastating rare birds on a tiny island, now moves are afoot to exterminate the rodents. But should conservation ever be about killing? Patrick Barkham explains Gough Island is about as remote a fragment of land as it is possible to find on a map. Its 91 square kilometres of uninhabited volcanic rock rise...