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The sixth great extinction is happening, conservation expert warns
{Earth and Leaf Editorial – The sixth great extinction is happening} {extract below} The sixth great extinction is happening, conservation expert warns With her signature shawl draped over her shoulders and silver hair pulled back from her face, Jane Goodall exudes serenity – even over our slightly blurry video call. In a Vienna hotel room, a press team and a small group of filmmakers, who are documenting her latest speaking tour, fuss around her. The famous primatologist and conservationist settles into a high-backed chair that dwarfs her slender frame. On my screen I can see that behind her, on a shelf, is her toy monkey, Mr H. The toy…
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Wildlife Trusts buy part of Rothbury Estate Northumberland ending grouse and pheasant shooting
{Ending driven Grouse and Pheasant Shooting is going to be a mainstay of upland farm sustainability in the future – Earth and Leaf Editorial} {extract below} Ending Grouse and Pheasant Shooting The Wildlife Trusts, in partnership with Northumberland Wildlife Trust, have bought part of the Rothbury Estate in Northumberland and are bidding to buy the remainder of the estate within two years, in what they describe as ‘securing the entire estate for nature and the nation‘. The estate is being sold by ‘Lord’ Max Percy, the youngest son of the Duke of Northumberland; some of his family have been prominent members of the grouse shooting dynasty for decades. The…
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Whats So Great About Sandeels?
{Whats So Great About Sandeels? – Earth and Leaf Editorial} {extract below} Have you ever seen a sandeel? Your initial instinct might be no — but if you’re familiar with Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica), then it’s highly likely that you have. After all, it’s one of their favourite food sources and you’ll often spot these shimmering silver fish in photographs, dangling from a puffin’s flamboyant bill. But it’s not just puffins that enjoy feasting on them. Packed with protein and extremely nutritious, sandeels are preyed upon by a whole host of marine creatures including seabirds like black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) and terns (Sternidae), dolphins and porpoises, and economically important fish…
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Forest Density in Great Nicobar far Higher than Estimated Flag Ecologists
Forest Density in Great Nicobar
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Reforesting Senegals Deserts – A Success Story
Reforesting Senegals Deserts
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Facing up to Accelerating Exploitation of Oceans
Facing up to accelerating exploitation of oceans
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No Red Grouse to Shoot at on Inglorious 12th? Grouse Moor Owners Releasing Non-Native Red-Legged Partridge as Alternative Quarry
{No Red Grouse to Shoot – Ending Grouse shooting and reforming upland farming practices has so much environmental benefit that it is a no brainer to end the so called sport and end persecution of raptors too – Earth and Leaf editorial} {extract below} What if there are no Red Grouse to Shoot No red grouse to shoot at on Inglorious 12th? Grouse moor owners releasing non-native red-legged partridge as alternative quarry. Today marks the opening of the red grouse shooting season (the Inglorious 12th) and the media is full of ‘woe is us’ stories from the grouse shooting industry claiming that the lack of grouse available to shoot…
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Noahs Ark
{Losing Noahs Ark – Earth and Leaf editorial} {extract below} As the evening sky turns violet, the animals of the Pantanal gather near the water. Capybaras swim in tight formation, roseate spoonbills add smudges of pink to the riverbanks, the rumble of a jaguar pulsates from the forest. This tropical wetland is the largest on Earth, stretching across Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia, and playing host to some of the greatest gatherings of animals anywhere. Now, scientists say the survival of the entire biome is at risk. Losing Noahs Ark: The Pantanal “The Pantanal is like Noah’s Ark. It is home to animals that are disappearing … a place where…
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Monday Was the Warmest Day Recorded on Earth
{Warmest Day Recorded on Earth – Our poor cool wet summer doesn’t mean that the climate change deniers are right. Far far from it, we must not be complacent – Earth and Leaf Editorial} {extract below} Monday was the warmest day recorded on Earth Our poor cool wet summer doesn’t mean that the climate change deniers are right. Far far from it, we must not be complacent. Extract below: In the past week, Earth’s record for the hottest day was broken twice. Sunday July 21 was declared Earth’s hottest day since records began, when average surface temperature reached 17.09°C. On Monday the record fell again, when average temperatures reached 17.16°C…
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Siamese Crocodile Hatchlings in Cambodia
Siamese crocodile hatchlings a ‘promising sign’ in Cambodia, but greater protection needed
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How the Infamous Pitcairn Island Became a Model of Ocean Conservation
How the infamous Pitcairn Island became a model of ocean conservation
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The Truth about Rewilding, by Seven of Britain’s Most Influential Farmers, Landowners and Conservationists
The truth about rewilding, by seven of Britain’s most influential farmers, landowners and conservationists
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Elon Musk Could Avert Global Species Extinction
{Elon Musk Could Avert Global Species Extinction – Earth and Leaf editorial – he is not going to of course} {extract below} Elon Musk could avert global species extinction Only a portion of Elon Musk’s wealth could halt over half of global species extinction. The most vulnerable countries are Madagascar, Colombia, Philippines, Brazil and Indonesia. Can we save thousands of the world’s most threatened animals and plants from extinction by protecting just a tiny fraction of the Earth’s surface? A new study in Frontiers in Science suggests that safeguarding just 1.2% of the planet’s land surface, about 1.64 million square hectares (633,200 square miles), or an area slightly smaller than…
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Scottish Farmers Damn Wild Beaver Reintroduction Policy
{Wild Beaver Reintroduction Policy – They say farmers and landowners or managers should be involved in policy decisions. Should they? I dont think so just yet – Earth and Leaf editorial} {extract below} Scottish farmers damn wild beaver reintroduction policy Farmers and landowners or managers should be involved in policy decisions. Farmers role in our environment must be redefined and then they must be acknowledged and compensated appropriately. As night falls in central Scotland, beavers appear in a pond under the fascinated gaze of a group of nature enthusiasts. Beavers are “ecosystem engineers”, whose activities can alleviate flooding, improve water quality and boost wildlife. But the visitors’ delight is…
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This Ecuadorian Forest Thrived Amid Deforestation After Being Granted Legal Rights
{This Ecuadorian Forest Thrived – Earth and Leaf Editorial} {extract below} This Ecuadorian forest thrived amid deforestation after being granted legal rights For more than 30 years, José DeCoux woke each morning to a deafening noise. In his home in Ecuador’s Los Cedros forest, monkeys squeal, squirrels scuffle, and 400 species of bird flit and squawk. A mist hangs in the trees, and ferns and mosses in countless shades of green cover every rock and tree trunk. DeCoux moved to the Los Cedros reserve in northern Ecuador from the US in the 1980s. He was “sort of heeding the call to save the rainforest, or something”, he told BBC Future…
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Green green sea grass of home
Green, green sea grass of home
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Papuans Head to Indonesian Court to Protect Forests from Palm Oil
{Protect Forests from Palm Oil – Earth and Leaf editorial} {extract below} Locals try to Protect Forests from Palm Oil Indigenous activists from the Indonesian province of West Papua have held traditional ceremonies outside the country’s Supreme Court in Jakarta calling for their traditional land and forests to be protected from palm oil plantations. Representatives of the Awyu and Moi communities held prayers and performed dances in front of the Supreme Court building on Monday as the court was reviewing an appeal in relation to their efforts to revoke permits for four palm oil companies whose proposed plantations threaten their customary forests. Indonesia began legally recognising customary forests in 2016.…
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Sierra Leones artisanal fishers turn to destructive practices
As catches fall, Sierra Leone’s artisanal fishers turn to destructive practices
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Scientist Hopeful for Eels Future as Ely elebrates
{Scientist Hopeful for Eels – Earth and Leaf editorial} {extract below} Scientist hopeful for eels future as Ely celebrates As Ely in Cambridgeshire celebrates its annual Eel Festival this weekend, what is the future of the now critically endangered fish that provided the city with its name? Eels are not found in Cambridgeshire’s River Great Ouse in anything like the numbers they once were. Historically, the fish was a staple of the local diet, as well as providing a valuable source of income for the fishing industry. That was in a large part due to the popularity of jellied eels as a dish, with clients regularly travelling to Ely from…
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Revealing the Denizens of the Forest
Revealing the denizens of the forest
