Ocean trash is one of the problems photographed by Christopher Swain on his 1,000-mile ocean advocacy and education journey.
As the Obama Administration’s Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force moves into its sixth public meeting on an interim report in Cleveland this week, one determined ocean advocate is continuing to make his way from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C, in part to dramatize his concern about the state of the seas.
Christopher Swain’s 1000-mile swim, which includes frequent stops along the way to educate students and to do sampling, was born out of a childhood connection to the sea growing up in Massachusetts. He says the journey will take about 200 days of swimming over two years — and will continue off-and-on through the winter.
Let’s face it - life can be hard in the jungle. But one very lucky gazelle, who was quick on her feet, outsmarted predators and avoided certain death, twice. Sometimes faking it may just be a life-saving decision after all!
A recent study has revealed that the critically endangered Javan rhino faces even more threats than previously thought.
Today, only around 50 Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus) remain inside Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park. And, according to the latest study by the Indonesian Rhino Foundation (YABI), now these rhino can add food shortages, water scarcity, and the effects of climate change to an already overwhelming list of threats facing this isolated population.
As China marches forward with aggressive infrastructure construction plans, years of panda conservation face major setbacks.
Despite the panda’s status as China’s signature animal, China’s desire for economic development may spell doom for this shy and gentle creature.
The panda’s already fractured habitat is being split up into even smaller pockets by construction of highways at nature reserves. According to People’s Daily Online, WWF China has reported several panda populations have already been forced into habitats just 1 kilometer wide.
Pandas limited to fragmented home ranges are unable to breed with other populations, severely impacting opportunities for genetic diversity within the species - and leading to extinction in the wild.
U.S. District Court has sentenced a Vermont man to a week in jail for killing an endangered lynx - after he left the carcass with a taxidermist for mounting.
According to the Bangor Daily News, Vermont Fish and Wildlife officials were tipped off by the taxidermist, who said the man claimed he thought was “shooting at a coyote” while enjoying a deer hunting excursion in Maine.
This marks the third time in less than three years that someone has been sentenced for killing an endangered Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis).
U.S. Magistrate Judge Margaret Kravchuk believed the jail time was necessary, saying that
We have the Endangered Species Act to protect, restore and save these types of animals. I do think this defendant deserves jail time. Just a fine would be a meaningless punishment.
The man who killed the lynx, Alan B. Clark Jr. 38, of South Hero, VT, admitted to Kravchuk that he knew it was a lynx when he took it to the taxidermist, and pleaded guilty to the federal misdemeanor crime of possession of unlawfully taken wildlife.
Although Clark faced up to six months in jail, and a fine up to $25,000, his attorney got him a reduced sentence, citing “recent chronic health problems” and “inability to work.” Clark’s jail time starts Thursday afternoon at the Penobscot County jail.
Apparently, Clark’s right to possess guns and hunt will not be affected by the conviction.
Restoration of shallow lake habitat in southern and western Minnesota is one of the habitat programs funded by a new 25-year conservation tax in the state. Photo courtesy of Ducks Unlimited.
A new three-eighths cent Minnesota sales tax that took effect July 1 is beginning to result in conservation improvements. Approved as a constitutional amendment by Minnesota voters in November 2008, the tax is in place for 25 years and is expected to raise about $250 million per year for habitat protection, clean water and parks and trails projects.
The first headliner among projects funded by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment is the largest forest preservation deal ever in the state. About $36 million in taxpayer money, combined with private funds, will purchase conservation easements on 300 square miles of northern Minnesota forestland, staving off potential division of the habitat into a checkerboard of smaller private parcels. Landowner UPM Blandin will continue to own the land and manage it for forest products, but development is prohibited and public access to the land is preserved.
Alarmed with the almost daily reporting of rapidly declining tiger numbers and the inaction that follows, school children and several civil society groups in the Indian capital city of New Delhi are coming together to demand the basic right of the tiger–a Right to Survival. And in that, ensuring the survival of the entire human race. The Rally that follows a tiger consultation will also be a shift from all that has been done to all that needs to be done. As an organizer of the rally, commentslike these are both inspiring and thought provoking.
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.
Marine biologists have discovered a dense population of mussels (the vent mussel Bathymodiolus brevior, a common, edible bi-valve “shellfish”), carpeting the sides of a submarine volcano, which has survived–despite the highly acidic environment–for the past 40 years. The results of this study were reported in a recent, on-line edition of the Journal Nature Geoscience.
The acidification of ocean habitats due to increased absorption of CO2 (which reacts with water to form carbonic acid) has become an issue of great concern over the past decade. Shellfish and other marine species (like corals and snails) that make their “homes” or shells from carbonates of calcium (CaCO3), are vulnerable to more acidic waters. A lower ph (generally below 8 on the ph scale) marine environment makes calcium ions less available to these creatures to fabricate their fortifications against nature’s predators and chemical forces. The result of this acidic exposure in shellfish is typically a much thinner shell, thus making the creature more susceptible to predation and even disease (as in the case of many corals; see: ).
Artist Don Simon creates stark worlds that cut to the chase and make thoughtful commentary on human’s impact on animals and their habitat. Via Grist, you can see a flash movie of his work, complete with commentary by the artist.
A day at the zoo brings back classic kiddie flashbacks for just about everyone. Who doesn’t remember an afternoon of lions, tigers and bears? But – oh my – as our eco savvy radar grows savvier over the years, the zoo experience can be a bit of a conundrum: How can we justify the variety of issues zoos bring to the plate – from cages to carbon footprints – for today’s world?
One approach: Select your zoo destination carefully and make a conscious effort to make your experience as green and educational as possible. One suggestion:
Head for the San Diego Zoo. Sure, the San Diego Zoo has been heralded as a zoological leader for decades and remains a southern California pillar of tourism. But there are reasons for that as the San Diego Zoo keeps redefining and reinventing the zoo experience. With a dash of educational effort, your family zoo outing can evolve to an inspiring environmental educational experience.
At their core level, the San Diego Zoo – like other zoos – bring a global array of animals directly in front of one’s eyes. Kids naturally form a magical connection with animals – the challenge is how to further this fascination into a lifelong habit of stewarding the planet and taking the conservation message to heart. The San Diego Zoo offers various approaches to do just that, as my family and I experienced during a recent trip to sunny southern California, escaping the Wisconsin winter back on our farm.
Here’s four tips from our San Diego Zoo outing on greening your zoo experience with kids:
1. Prep Beforehand
A dash of preparation beforehand can significantly enhance the zoo experience.
