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Articles in: Conservation
Conservation, Nature, Weird & Wonderful, Wildlife & Flora, May 14th, 2012,
Species: Greater adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) Status: Endangered (EN) Interesting fact: The greater adjutant is named after an adjutant (military officer) because of its stately manner and habit of standing motionless for long periods of time. With its naked pink head, very thick yellow bill and low-hanging neck pouch, the greater adjutant is a rather eye-catching stork. Colonies of greater adjutants can be seen gathering in India and Cambodia at the start of the dry season in October. Large nests are constructed on tall trees, and eggs are laid between November and January. These hatch after about a month of incubation….
Tags: ARKive.org, endangered birds, endangered species, Greater adjutant, Leptoptilos dubius
Climate & Change, Conservation, Politics, May 13th, 2012,
Join Brazilian environmental and human rights organizations, along with the WWF and Greenpeace to stop Brazil’s new ‘forest code’. Sign this petition to urge Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to veto the proposed law that would open up new areas to deforestation and provide amnesty to landowners who have previously cleared forestland illegally. This new law could result in the destruction of an area of Amazon rainforest equivalent to the size of France and the UK put together. Patrick Cunningham of the Indigenous People’s Cultural Support Trust is quoted in the Guardian: The changes will overturn a law which even Brazil’s…
Tags: amazon, Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, Forest code, petition, veto
Animals, Conservation, Nature, Videos & Documentaries, Weird & Wonderful, Wildlife & Flora, May 7th, 2012,
White-tailed Eagle is one of the largest birds of prey in the world. It weighs up to 6 kilograms, with a 2.5 metre wingspan. “During the period 1800-1970, White-tailed Eagles in most of Europe, underwent dramatic declines, and became extinct in many regions of Western, central, and Southern Europe. While Norway, Germany, Poland, and Iceland harboured the largest surviving populations, pockets of reproducing pairs remained in several other countries” – according to Wikipedia. The White-Tailed Eagle (Polish: Bielik, plural Bieliki) is considered Poland’s national symbol and it is believed that it’s this noble bird that appears on the Coat of…
Tags: babies, chick, eggs, live transmission, nest, nestling, Poland, while-tail eagle
Conservation, Nature, Weird & Wonderful, Wildlife & Flora, ,
Species: Coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) Status: Critically Endangered (CR) Interesting Fact: The coelacanth is a member of an ancient lineage that has been around for over 360 million years. It may be the closest living relative to the first creature to walk on land! The enigmatic coelacanth was believed to have gone extinct with the dinosaurs until its remarkable rediscovery in 1938. Fossils have been found all over the world except for Antarctica. Living coelacanths have been found in deep submarine caverns, reefs and slopes in a number of locations off the coast of Africa. Unlike any other living animal, coelacanths…
Tags: archive.org, Coelacanth, critically endangered, Latimeria chalumnae, oceans
Conservation, green living, Nature, Sustainable living, sustainable living, Wildlife & Flora, Apr 28th, 2012,
Species: Southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) Status: Critically Endangered (CR) Interesting fact: The southern bluefin tuna is one of the largest bony fish in the world, growing up to 4.3 metres long! The southern bluefin tuna is an incredibly streamlined and powerful fish capable of reaching speeds of up to 70 km per hour through the water. Swimming together in shoals, the southern bluefin tuna migrates vast distances from the spawning grounds in the Indian Ocean to the feeding grounds in colder, southern waters. During the spawning period, a mature female will produce several million eggs. Southern bluefin tuna are opportunistic…
Tags: ARKive.org, Conservation, critically endangered species, endangered species, fish, oceans, Southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii
Conservation, Nature, Sustainable living, Weird & Wonderful, Wildlife & Flora, Apr 24th, 2012,
Species: Goliath frog (Conraua goliath) Status: Endangered (EN) Interesting Fact: The goliath frog is the largest frog in the world, weighing in at over 3 kilograms. The goliath frog can be found in flowing rainforest rivers in Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. Goliath frogs lack vocal sacs, and so their courtship displays do not involve the characteristic calls of most other frogs and toads. Females lay several hundred eggs onto vegetation on the river bottom, and once hatched, the tadpoles feed on the plant Dicraea warmingii. Complete metamorphosis takes around 85-95 days, and once mature the adults feed on insects, crustaceans…
Tags: ARKive.org, Conraua goliath, Conservation, endangered frog, endangered species, Goliath frog
Conservation, Politics, Wildlife & Flora, Apr 20th, 2012,
The demilitarized zone that makes up the borderlands dividing North and South Korea is an unlikely (and unintentional) wildlife reserve. The DMZ is home to many species that are extinct on the remainder of the Korean peninsula. Full of landmines and guarded by armed soldiers from both the north and south, the area is obviously unwelcoming to human visitors. But this has allowed the forest to grow and wildlife to thrive for nearly 70 years. The rest of Korea is a different story: international competition over the country’s resources and a 40-year Japanese occupation stripped and devastated the peninsula. What…
Tags: DMZ, Korea, wildlife
Climate & Change, Conservation, Politics, Apr 19th, 2012,
Brazil’s controversial Belo Monte Dam project is set to be the 3rd largest dam in the world and is expected to displace roughly 20,000 people and submerge some 4,000 sq km (1,550 sq mi). Located in the Amazon rainforest in the state of Pará, the dam is being built on the Xingu River, which many people depend on for their livelihoods. But it’s not just locals, indigenous groups or environmentalists who should be concerned. The Amazon is the “lungs of the Earth”, meaning that we all benefit from and/or depend on the oxygen the dense rainforest provides, not to mention…
Tags: amazon, Belo Monte, Brazil, dam
Business, Conservation, Apr 18th, 2012,
American billionaire and erstwhile presidential candidate Donald Trump is campaigning against wind energy in Scotland. Why? Because he thinks the presence of wind turbines will deter patrons of the golf resort he plans to construct on the Scottish coast in Aberdeenshire. In a submission to Scottish Parliament, Trump claimed that wind farms will end tourism in Scotland and ruin the environment. The business magnate, reality TV star and son of a real estate tycoon threatened to pull his golf resort project out of Scotland if the wind project went head, claiming that Scotland will “go broke”. A Scottish Government spokesman…
Tags: Donald, energy, golf, resort, Scotland, Trump, wind, wind farm
Conservation, green living, Wildlife & Flora, Apr 17th, 2012,
At Leo Politi Elementary, a public school in inner city Los Angeles, California, students learn about wildlife in a 5,000 square foot (465 square meter) oasis of native flora and fauna. The school is located in a crowded, economically disadvantaged neighborhood – more of concrete jungle than a real jungle. But three years ago the school decided to clear a concrete area and turn it into an space for native California fauna. Soon insects and birds came to take advantage of the lush plant life. Students have thrived in their new natural environment, with science scores rising six fold in…
Tags: elementary, Leo Politi, Los Angeles, school
Conservation, Nature, Sustainable living, Wildlife & Flora, Apr 16th, 2012,
Species: Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) Status:Critically Endangered (CR) Interesting fact: The gharial is one of the largest crocodilians and has the narrowest snout! Named after the bulbous nasal appendage of the male (which resembles an Indian pot called a ‘ghara’), the gharial is a unique species of crocodilian found in India and Nepal. A true piscivore, the extremely narrow snout of the gharial is superbly adapted to whip through the water quickly to snatch fish with its small, razor-sharp teeth. The gharial has relatively weak legs, and when fully grown is unable to raise its body off the ground. This may…
Tags: ARKive.org, conservation nature, endangered species, Gavialis gangeticus, Gharial
Climate & Change, climate change, Conservation, Nature, Science & Technology, Sustainable living, Apr 5th, 2012,
One of the most striking changes that has taken place in the Arctic since the start of satellite monitoring in 1979 is the rapid decline of the perennial sea ice cover. This ice is the sea ice that survives the summer melt season, and is typically the thickest part of the sea ice cover, sometimes spanning several years. Sea ice extent has declined as the globe has warmed, but the ice cover has thinned as well. Thinner sea ice melts more easily, and as multiyear sea ice is lost, Arctic sea ice has declined more rapidly. This NASA visualization shows…
Tags: arctic ice, climate change, climatecentral.org, melting arctic ice, melting ice caps, NASA
Conservation, Politics, Videos & Documentaries, Apr 4th, 2012,
The MST (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Terra), translated as the Landless Workers Movement, is one of the world’s largest social movements. It operates on the principles of social justice, equality, democracy and the right to live on and work the land, a right MST believes is guaranteed by the constitution of Brazil. Brazil’s economy is booming. In 2014 the Latin American giant will host the World Cup and in 2016 the Summer Olympic Games will take place in the iconic city of Rio de Janeiro. Yet despite strong economic growth, Brazil is still home to a shocking inequality, where the…
Tags: Brazil, illegal loggers, Landless Workers Movement, MST
Conservation, Nature, Science & Technology, Sustainable living, Wildlife & Flora, Mar 30th, 2012,
Tigernation.org, an innovative new website which gives everyone a chance to follow the dramas of wild tigers in their Indian forest homes and at the same time help protect India’s wild tigers, launched this week. The site gives a graphic, never before illustrated insight into India’s threatened tiger population. Take a look at the infographic and video below to understand fully what Tiger Nation is trying to achieve and how important their cause is. This is an exciting website with everyone encouraged to have fun, learn and get involved in protecting the tigers. Subscribers to the site can follow the lives…
Tags: endangered species, endangered tigers india, infographic tigers, Tigernation.org, tigers
Climate & Change, Conservation, Science & Technology, Mar 29th, 2012,
Video Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio A nifty animation from NASA illustrating the paths of global ocean surface currents from June 2005 through December 2007. Surface currents circulate water of varying temperature around the globe and thus play a significant role in weather and climate patterns. Note the Gulf Stream along the western edge of the Atlantic Ocean. This powerful current transfers warm water away from the equator and up into the North Atlantic Ocean, in turn warming the climate along the eastern coast of North America and the western coast of Europe. It is believed that…
Tags: climatecentral.org, NASA, oceans, science
Conservation, Nature, Science & Technology, Wildlife & Flora, Mar 26th, 2012,
Species: California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) Status: Critically Endangered (CR) Interesting Fact: The California condor urinates on its own legs to keep cool! The California condor is a member of the New World vulture family, and has an impressive wingspan of just less than three metres. Native to North America, the California condor soars over large distances on its immense wings, using its vision to spot carrion on which to feed. Its large size means it dominates other scavengers at a carcass, except the golden eagle which, while smaller, has an impressive set of talons. The California condor mates for life,…
Tags: ARKive.org, California Condor, Conservation, endangered birds, endangered species, Gymnogyps californianus
Conservation, Health, Science & Technology, Sustainable living, sustainable living, Mar 23rd, 2012,
By Qudimat (EthicalCommunity.com) Between the years 2004 and 2005, the world saw an extra 10,000 metric tons of fair-trade coffee being produced. The UK alone consumes around 150,000 metric tons per year. Since the inception of fair-trade coffee, less farmland was cultivated for illicit drugs, fewer children were put to work, and more kids were sent to college. The benefits of fair-trade are unmistakable. The biggest mindset change for a consumer is to recognize the effects of fair-trade are indeed positive with each purchase that they make. Main Points: Fair-trade coffee raises standards The special fair-trade blends and their respective…
Tags: ethical coffee, ethical consumers, EthicalCommunity.com, fair trade coffee
Conservation, Pollution, Videos & Documentaries, Mar 22nd, 2012,
The purpose of World Water Day 2012 is to draw attention to the fact that some 783 million people live without access to clean drinking water. World Water Day – ‘celebrated’ today, March 22nd – also highlights water conservation, wastage and consumption. Water is an increasingly more valuable resource as the Earth’s population grows and water-intensive activities like beef farming stretch world water supplies. Greenpeace is marking World Water Day with a campaign to spread awareness of the pollution of waterways – especially in China – by the global textile industry. The textile industry is the third largest source…
Tags: China, fashion, Greenpeace, Pollution, textiles, water, World Water Day
Conservation, Politics, Mar 21st, 2012,
Justice for Forests, a new report from the World Bank, claims that illegal logging is a $10-15bn (€7.5-11bn) global business. Perhaps the most shocking figure contained in Justice for Forests is that every second forestland the size of a soccer field/football pitch is illegally logged. As much as 90% of all timber felled each year is cut illegally. The report attributes this massive deforestation to organized crime and corrupt officials. A quote from the report (via BBC News): All too often, investigations – in the rare event that they do take place – are amateurish and inconclusive, and the…
Tags: crime, illegal logging, Justice for Forests, Madagascar, report, World Bank
Conservation, Nature, Science & Technology, Weird & Wonderful, Wildlife & Flora, Mar 19th, 2012,
Species: Markhor (Capra falconeri) Status: Endangered (EN) Interesting Fact: The horns of the male markhor can reach up to 1.6 metres in length! The stunning markhor is a species of goat that roams the precipitous rock faces of central Asia. It is a highly skilled climber and nimbly traverses mountains in order to avoid predators such as the snow leopard. Mainly feeding on tussock grass, female and young markhor live in small herds whilst the males are solitary until the breeding season or ‘rut’. The males then join the herds and compete aggressively for the right to mate by rearing up…
Tags: ARKive.org, Capra falconeri, Conservation, endangered animals, endangered goat, endangered species of the week, Markhor
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