America’s wetlands are diverse ecosystems featuring an array of flora and fauna – learn why it’s critical that we care for our wetlands and the creatures that live there.
Rachel Carson’s influential book Silent Spring, which documented the effects of the indiscriminate widespread use of pesticides on the environment, was published back in 1962, nearly 60 years ago now. Since that time, the book has often been cited as one of the drivers behind environmental action and regulation of various kinds. Following the release,
The solar transition is well underway in the UK. Our sister site SolarLove has reported that solar energy generation surged by around 153% over the last year in the UK (2014–2015). So, without much ado, research about the effects of solar farms on biodiversity continues. The fertile news is that after a conclusive study of solar farms, the
The oceans are huge carbon sinks for the world. Fish and whales comprise only a tiny part of their overall biomass. Nevertheless, studies have shown that fishing and whaling by humans have altered the ocean’s carbon storage and sequestration capabilities by causing a change in the food chain, or a trophic cascade. As naturalist and
With the population of the critically endangered black rhino only around 5,000, why did the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service (US FWS) recently issue sport-hunting permits to kill two black rhinos in Namibia? The permits, which cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each, will allow two wealthy American sport hunters to import their black
Today’s World Animal Day, celebrated across the globe since a 1931 convention of ecologists in Florence, Italy, conceived of it as a way to highlight the plight of endangered species. They chose October 4 because it’s the Catholic Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. Since then, people have used the
A new research study has found that pet, stray, and feral cats are killing a tremendous number of wild animals. While this news is likely to upset many cat owners and cat lovers, the study’s conclusions should not be ignored. (If and how they become translated into public policy is another question.) The research was
America is blessed with a great diversity of natural and cultural wonders: some of the most amazing archeological, historical, and ecological treasures on Earth. These places are too special for us to allow them to be destroyed by mining, drilling or clear-cutting. They are national treasures for current and future generations to share They should
Climate change is the largest threat that our natural heritage has ever faced. We must now actively work to create resilient habitats where plants, animals, and people are able to survive and thrive on a warmer planet. To fully protect wildlife and wild places for future generations to experience and enjoy, we need to expand
The following is an action alert I received from Oceana. I get a lot of action alerts like this and while I think they are important and I sign them, I don’t normally include them as posts on here. But from time to time I receive one that I think needs a full re-post. Like
Other than what we’ve already covered, of course, here are a number of good environmental, wildlife, and green living stories form around the internet. GreenDeals aims to be a Groupon for green shoppers New website aims to offer US consumers discounts on green products and services… High-speed rail route to get 2m trees for shelter
With an anti-conservation majority taking over in the House next Congress, this is our last chance for the foreseeable future to pass important bills — many of which have been waiting for years to pass — to help sea otters, lions, migratory birds and other wildlife. Take action now. Urge your senators and representative to
Scientists studying the BP oil spill which has only recently been capped believe there could be a decades-long “cascading” effect on marine life. Experts estimate that some 400 species could be at risk from the impact of oil and the chemical dispersants laid down in an effort to disperse the oil. They believe a massive
Native Alaskans need our help for Earth Day. Help save Bristol Bay in Alaska and it’s wildlife. [social_buttons] Natural Resources Defense Council is trying to create visibility around the issue of saving Alaska’s Wildlife Eden from becoming a landfill. Few Americans are aware of the UK’s bargain to dump toxic waste in Bristol Bay, what
The world’s tiger population is 90% lower than in 1900, and yet it is the year of the tiger? What can you do? [social_buttons] Since the start of the last century, the Earth’s tiger population has decreased ninety percent. I am writing this post thinking of how it is now the traditional year of the
The Common Barn Owl is not so common in Midwestern states where it’s considered vulnerable. A recent surprise appearance in Wisconsin highlighted the species’ fragile status in the region. [social_buttons] A raptor listed as an endangered or threatened species in seven Midwestern states made a rare appearance in Wisconsin late in 2009. The ailing barn
[social_buttons] An expert advisory committee this week released recommendations on restoring Minnesota’s dwindling moose population, whose decline one expert said is related to gradual warming of the state’s climate. “The moose, of course, is not an animal that deals very well with heat,’’ panel chairperson Rolf Peterson of Michigan Technological University said. “We wouldn’t even
Select hunters have been given permits in Florida to hunt and kill non-native pythons in the wild. Experts say the alien constrictors number in the tens of thousands in Everglades National Park, and they are wiping out native endangered species. An official with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the hunt is just
The recovery of peregrine falcons is one of the great success stories of conservation. Now their population in Florida has rebounded enough to remove them from the state’s endangered species list. Upon approving their removal from the list, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission called the combined efforts of wildlife managers and individuals to
With an economic crisis knocking at the front door and an energy crisis knocking at the back, the Department of Interior is working to responsibly balance development of conventional energy sources and the accelerated development of clean, renewable energy while at the same time protecting the treasured landscapes, wildlife, and cultural resources that claim America as their home.
[social_buttons] As a child, eggs were special one day of the year: Easter. Back then an egg was a treasure. But since my parents stopped hiding eggs for me, eggs haven’t held much meaning. White and, well, egg-shaped, they help me when I need to make a quick meal or mix up some cookie dough.
A new road is needed in the Kenyan Osupuku Conservancy. And strong stone is needed for the road. A Chinese corporation, Sinohydro, owns a rock quarry, which offers the best stones to build a strong road; a road which wouldn’t need repairs for a long time. However, the rock quarry poses a threat to the aboriginal wildlife of the region.
Nine monkeys escaped from an Oregon Health & Science University animal testing lab after a cage was left unlocked. Four were shortly re-captured and four others have been spotted on campus — but one has entirely eluded authorities. [social_buttons] “One of our cage cleaners accidentally left a lock off a cage,” said Jim Newman, a
In a huge break for the United States’ anti-GMO movement, a federal judge ruled that the US Fish & Wildlife Service should not have allowed genetically modified crops to be planted within a Prime Hook, a national wildlife refuge in Delaware. [social_buttons] The suit, filed by the Center for Food Safety, Public Employees for Environmental
Weeks before the planned start to the hunting season, Russia’s natural resources minister announced a ban on hunting seals under 1 year old today. The move spares up to 35,000 seals. [social_buttons] “The bloody sight of the hunting of seals, the slaughter of these defenseless animals, which you cannot even call a real hunt, is
While 58 wolves have already been killed since Saturday, there’s hope that Alaska’s Department of Fish & Game will not reach their enormous quota. Defenders of Wildlife has taken legal action that could stop the hunt immediately. “The Board of Game did not authorize the use of helicopters by state agency personnel as part of
Following the news of a 31-year-old chimp who evidently likes to plot out attacks on his Swedish zoo visitors, a monkey in Thailand became tired of his owner beating him and forcing him up trees to collect coconuts — so he threw one straight at the owner’s head.
Despite vocal opposition from the public and conservation groups ForestEthics and Sierra Forest Legacy, California will soon move 40 Pacific fishers from a healthy habitat along the North Coast to land owned by logging company Sierra Pacific Industries along the Southern Cascades. [social_buttons] The California Department of Fish and Game’s stated intention is to rebuild
The Center for Biological Diversity has won a lawsuit against the US Department of the Interior to force the government to consider listing the American pika as threatened or endangered. [social_buttons] The tiny rabbit-like rodent has been in steep decline in recent years, which many blame on climate change. The animal has thick fur and
The cheeky kea, a type of parrot native to New Zealand, is under “severe stress,” according to conservationists. The bird was determined to be the smartest in the world by the Institute of Cognitive Biology in Vienna, even concluding that its intelligence rivals some primates. In the 1990’s, 15,000 of the birds soared
Scientists at North Carolina’s Fort Bragg are scrambling to stop two types of bats that live on the base from becoming endangered. But it’s not entirely out of the goodness of their hearts — they admit that they do not want to deal with the hassle of having a listed endangered species in their midst.
Over 80% of conflicts from 1950 to 2000 happened in some of the planet’s most biologically diverse regions, a new study has concluded. [social_buttons] The research, titled “Warfare in Biodiversity Hotspots” and published in the new issue of Conservation Biology, used environmental group Conservation International’s data to compare the earth’s battle zones to 34 “biodiversity
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/do9AoKyjjQg&hl=en&fs=1] First-hand video shows an Australian firefighter finding a lone koala amid the charred remnants of a forest. He’s a lucky survivor of the brush fires that have swept the country for the past few days. “It was amazing, he turned around, sat on his bum and sort of looked at me with (a look)
Last week news surfaced that several raccoons had been seen repeatedly in areas around the White House grounds. Humane traps have been set to capture them, and if caught, the fuzzy-looking bandits will be released in a forested area by the National Park Service. [social_buttons] Forget the need for economic stimulus, Barack, can you come
“Leave No Trace” has always been an honored credo of the Boy Scouts of America. The trumpeted tenet is supposed to refer to ethical guidelines which preach having a minimal impact on land, nature and wildlife. But according to a recent investigation, the Boy Scouts have been caught logging over 34,000 acres of pristine forest
A disproportionate amount of Brown Pelicans have been dying along the California coast in recent days. This is especially troubling since the pelicans have been on the endangered list since 1970. The birds were nearly decimated before the chemical pesticide DDT was banned in 1972. This grim development is being monitored by wildlife conservation and
The traditional breeding ground for African penguins has turned to a rocky moonscape, leaving the rapidly vanishing species confused when it comes time to lay their eggs. Humans caused the problem and now some people are trying to fix it. [social_buttons] Like they have for centuries, the penguins will return to Dyer Island off the
Officials in Palm Beach County, Florida arrested Heather K. Southworth for felony fraud after exposing her big cat rescue charity as a complete fabrication. [social_buttons] Her non-existent organization, called Rescue: Big Cat Organization, complete with a fictional website, location, staff, and convenient donation link, was outed by The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission when
Wildlife officals in Parma, Ohio can’t decide how to deal with a young deer who managed to get a plastic jar stuck on its head while trying to lick the remaining food out from the bottom.
Police in Woodfin, N.C. closed a portion of an interstate highway on Tuesday, when a mother bear wandered on to the road, trying to retrieve the body of her cub killed by a vehicle.
New research by the Wildlife Conservation Society and Save the Elephants has found that African Elephants are quickly becoming trapped by new road construction cutting through their forest habitats. The study, which appeared in today’s issue of Public Library of Science, says the elephants have adopted a “siege mentality” and literally cannot bring themselves to
Democratic Oklahoma state senator Earl Garrison has proposed a “Hunters Bill of Rights” that would guarantee the legality of hunting. He fears a ban on hunting could could happen at some point due to pressure from animal rights groups and hopes to preemptively block any attempts with a constitutional amendment. “Animals have to be harvested,”
Inundated by rabbits, Robben Island in South Africa, will close for several weeks as officials cull the local population, BBC News reports. The island is home to the prison where former South African President Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years. According to officials, the rabbit population has become so unwieldy that it endangers the
Climate change could make it easier for some “deadly” diseases to be transmitted from animals to humans. Global Warming is not just about melting ice caps and rising temperatures. Scientists continue to discover new ways in which the “butterfly effect” of global warming could transform life on Earth as we know it. The Wildlife Conservation
A federal judge has banned snowmobiles from Yellowstone National Park. He said that a plan approved by the Bush Administration to allow 500 snowmobiles to travel daily through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in the winter months would cause damaging noise pollution, air pollution, and would also stress wildlife.
Rogue prefers his steak medium-well. But when it comes to sniffing out a rare plant, this dog performs work that’s very well done, indeed.
The 4-year-old Belgian sheepdog is part of a Nature Conservancy collaborative project to test the efficacy of using dogs to sniff out the threatened Kincaid’s lupine. The plant is host to the endangered Fender’s blue butterfly, found only in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Tomorrow my family is planning to make a trip to the zoo. I like zoos, but there are some things about them that always get my mind racing through ethical questions about animals and the nature of people. I find that zoos tend to reliably provoke more thoughts in my mind than other places that
Few places on Earth are as untouched as the "Crown of the Continent" — a 10-million-acre expanse of mountains, valleys and prairies in Montana and Canada. The area has sustained all the same species — including grizzlies, lynx, moose and bull trout — for at least 200 years.
Now — in one of the most significant conservation sales in history — The Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land have preserved 320,000 acres of forestlands in western Montana that provide valuable habitat for species in the Crown of the Continent.
