“Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats” inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List
On 26th July, 2021, the 44th Session of the World Heritage Committee endorsed the inscription of the Republic of Korea’s tidal flats on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List, marking an enormous step forward to secure the critical habitats of the Yellow Sea for millions of migratory waterbirds that depend on this area as a vital stopover on their migratory journeys from as far away as Australia and New Zealand to breeding grounds in Arctic Russia and Alaska.
China's effort to conserve Asian elephants pays off
The unusual march of a herd of wild Asian elephants, deviating from their traditional migration route in southwest China's Yunnan Province, has captured unprecedented global attention.
The herd has been marching northward for more than a year, sparking curiosity, concern and heated discussions among the public. They have become global stars during the past few months. Their activities including sleeping, taking mud bathing, or playing, have captivated millions.
In recent weeks, pachyderms appear to end their epic journey as they show signs of returning to their original habitat. However, authorities are taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of both the animals and local residents.
New Nature Conservancy of Canada property connects habitat for genetically unique bears on Saugeen Bruce Peninsula
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is announcing the purchase of a property on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula. At 160 hectares (395 acres) of forest and wetland, the Britain Lake Wetland and Woodlands property connects adjacent protected areas to form a conservation corridor at the north end of the peninsula between Britain and Otter lakes, covering over 445 hectares (1,100 acres).
Connected ecosystems allow animals to move freely without having to face threats like crossing a highway or bumping into human development. The beech trees that form the deciduous forest on the Britain Lake property also provide fatty meals of beech nuts for the local population of American black bear. A conifer swamp, dominated by cedars, shades native orchids and limestone ridges jut from the spine of the Niagara escarpment, supporting calcium-loving ferns that cling to the rock.
If anyone is interested, I post plenty of articles to this Facebook page called Conservation Success Stories. I am not the administrator, but feel free to like and follow it.
Business And Wildlife Groups Skip The Fight, Work Together To Save A Species
Gopher tortoises are big, dry, wrinkly reptiles that dig burrows underground in the parts of Georgia where the soil is sandy, down south and near the coast.
To the people who study them, they're "cute," "quite personable," and "just a great little critter."
To the 350-or-so other species of animals that use their burrows, they're property developers.
To businesses, they're a potential problem. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering protecting gopher tortoises under the Endangered Species Act, and that could mean red tape and additional costs.
Instead of fighting the potential listing, Georgia businesses are taking an unusual approach. They're working with wildlife agencies, private foundations, environmental groups – and even the Department of Defense – on a project to save the gopher tortoise. They hope to protect enough animals that federal regulation won't be necessary.
African wild dogs return to southern Malawi for the first time in 20 years
Fourteen endangered African wild dogs were recently translocated to Malawi in an attempt to reestablish populations in Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve.
There are currently only about 6,600 African wild dogs, including 700 breeding pairs, left on the African continent.
Experts say the success of the translocation will hinge upon whether the dogs reproduce and form a larger population, and also if they manage to stay away from danger if they wander outside the reserve.
Beams of light cut through darkness as people stand by a row of transport crates, preparing to open them. When they pull up the side panels, three dogs with mottled coats and white-tipped tails slip out into the darkness. A fourth stays in his crate, resting his head on the floor, but he gazes ahead with wide, alert eyes.
These animals are just a few of the 14 African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), also known as painted wolves, recently released in Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve in southern Malawi, where the endangered species hasn’t been seen in about 20 years. In the western part of Malawi, however, experts say there may be a small population.
For species in the red, IUCN’s new Green Status signals conservation wins
The IUCN will soon be launching the IUCN Green Status of Species, a new assessment tool that will illuminate the ecological functionality of species within their ranges, and also show how much a species has recovered due to conservation efforts.
The new framework will classify species into nine recovery categories, and measure the impact of past and present conservation efforts and recovery potential in the short term and long term.
A team of more than 200 international researchers presented preliminary Green Status assessments for 181 species in a new paper.
The IUCN Green Status for Species will officially launch online at the start of the IUCN World Conservation Congress in September.
The California condor has been teetering on the brink of extinction for decades. When the species was first assessed in 1994 for the IUCN Red List, the global authority on the conservation statuses of species, it was listed as “critically endangered.” Nearly 30 years later, its status has not changed. But this doesn’t tell the whole story.
Here is another relevant article from the Guardian.
New IUCN green status launched to help species ‘thrive, not just survive’
Conservation tool will focus on recovery efforts to give a fuller picture of threats to plant and animal populations
A new conservation tool could help put thousands of threatened animal and plant species on the road to recovery, allowing creatures such as the Sumatran rhino and the California condor to flourish once again.
Scientists have typically focused on monitoring how close endangered species are to extinction, regularly updating the severity of the risk on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list, which includes iconic wildlife such as the mountain gorilla and rare flowering plants such as the Bayard’s adder’s-mouth orchid.
Now, a new global standard known as the IUCN green status of species will help provide a richer picture of a species’ conservation status by detailing how close it is to recovering its original population size and health.
How Traditional Owners and officials came together to protect a stunning stretch of Western Australia coast
Recent disasters such as the Black Summer bushfires and the Juukan Gorge destruction highlighted the need to put Indigenous people at the centre of decision-making about Australia’s natural places. But what’s the right way to combine traditional ancient wisdom with modern environmental management?
A project off Western Australia’s northwest coast offers a potential way forward. For the first time in the state’s history, Indigenous knowledge has been central to the design of a marine park.
The protected area will span 660,000 hectares northeast of Broome, taking in the stunning Buccaneer Archipelago and Dampier Peninsula. The area comprises thousands of small islands fringed by coral reefs and seagrass beds. The waters support a rich abundance of species such as corals, fish, turtles and dugongs, as well as humpback whales which give birth in the region.
Often, Indigenous input is sought only in the consultation phase of park planning, once maps have been drawn up. But in this case, Traditional Owners co-designed three marine parks with the state government and will jointly manage them. Traditional ecological and cultural wisdom has been embraced and valued, enhancing Western scientific knowledge of a fragile stretch of Australia’s coast.
Important habitat conserved in southeastern Saskatchewan
Landowners partner with Ducks Unlimited Canada and Nature Conservancy of Canada to protect wetlands and grasslands.
Pipestone Creek, Saskatchewan ‑ The protection of grasslands and wetlands is a priority in Saskatchewan and not-for-profit organizations Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada are working together to conserve a natural area.
The property is in southeast Saskatchewan, located along Pipestone Creek in the Moose Mountain Natural Area. The private landowners, Clint and Jody Blyth,worked with both DUC and NCC to develop conservation agreements to protect existing grassland and wetland areas.
Multi-million pound boost for green jobs and nature recovery
90 projects awarded grants to accelerate action to support 2,500 jobs, plant almost a million trees and boost nature recovery across the country
Action to support 2,500 jobs, plant almost a million trees and boost nature recovery across the country has been stepped up today (Wednesday 28 July) with 90 innovative projects set to receive money through the Government’s £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund.
The projects, which will receive a share of £40 million, will span over 600 sites from North Northumberland to the tip of Cornwall, and will range from new ‘insect pathways’ in our countryside and towns, to tree planting projects in deprived urban areas – contributing towards the Government’s commitment to treble tree planting rates across England by the end of this Parliament.
China makes headway in rejuvenating population of Chinese alligators
The National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China announced Friday that the population of the Chinese alligator has effectively increased after years of protection boosted by artificial breeding.
The Chinese alligator, also known as the Yangtze Alligator, is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Chinese alligators were once widely distributed in the Yangtze and Yellow River basins, but have been on the brink of extinction due to the impact of climate change and human activities.
A survey in 2003 showed that the number was less than 100. Since then, China has included Chinese alligators among 15 wild animals and plants for conservation and established the country's largest Chinese alligator national nature reserve in eastern Anhui Province. It has successfully implemented habitat restoration, and at present, the majority of wild Chinese alligators in the country are in the reserve.
Historic reintroduction reverses extinction of England’s rarest frog
The northern pool frog, England’s rarest amphibian, has been successfully reintroduced to Thompson Common, in Norfolk – reversing its disappearance from there in the 1990s. Thompson Common was the last site at which this species occurred prior to its extinction from England.
ARC staff released over 300 tadpoles into the reserve's pingos, post-glacial pools which offer the perfect habitat for the creatures. The tadpoles had been reared in captivity, away from predators, to increase the numbers of young frogs that survive through the tadpole stage.
Huge wildlife corridor in Belize sees progress, boosting hope for jaguars and more (commentary)
Conservationists are working hard to create the Maya Forest Corridor, connecting the massive Belize Maya Forest in the country’s northwest with the Maya Mountains Massif network of protected areas in southern Belize.
Frequented by tapirs, opossums, armadillos, agoutis, jaguars, and other big cat species, the network of reserves and corridors could prove to be critical conservation infrastructure for the region.
A biologist who was just there shares news of some major land purchases and plans for wildlife underpasses for the Coastal Road, which is now in development along the corridor’s route.
The views expressed are of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.
I was quite thrilled reading Jut Wynne’s commentary on the Maya Forest Corridor (MFC) published by Mongabay on May 24th of this year. Jut described the critical importance of the MFC being the missing link connecting the Belize Maya Forest to the Maya Mountain Massif. Being an ecologist and environmentalist, I find any news of efforts to establish wildlife corridors very exciting. I so hope for this project’s success.
Misson Springs success - exploratory gas drilling extension refused
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust expresses delight at County Council’s decision to refuse application to extend restoration deadline for exploratory shale gas drilling site at Misson Springs.
Locally based environmental charity Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust has today spoken of its delight after Nottinghamshire County Council refused an application by IGas for an extension to the time allowed to restore the shale gas exploratory drilling site at Misson Springs, just 125 metres from the Charity’s Misson Carr Nature Reserve and SSSI, Nottinghamshire.
Speaking immediately after the Council’s Planning meeting at which she gave a verbal report, the Trust’s Head of Nature Recovery (North) Janice Bradley said:
“We’ve long stood shoulder to shoulder with campaigners and the local community to protect the wildlife of Misson Carr SSSI from operations designed to unlock huge reserves of fossil fuels, so we are delighted that sense has prevailed with today’s decision by Councillors.
South Korea is bringing back bears in a country of 52 million people – I went to find out how
The return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in 1995 popularised the idea of reintroducing long-lost species to modern habitats. While scientists are still trying to fully understand the ecological consequences, the wolf’s reintroduction likely benefited other species, illustrating how conservation can not just slow biodiversity loss, but even reverse it.
That project, however, took place in a vast protected wilderness. Many of the places where biologists now hope to reintroduce large wild animals – whether it’s lynx in Britain or cheetahs in India – are a little closer to where people live, with all of the potential problems that entails in terms of human-wildlife conflict.
In South Korea, a country of similar size and similar human population density to England, conservationists are in the process of restoring the native bear population, Asiatic black bears, or moon bears, to be precise. While slightly smaller than their North American cousins, these are still large wild animals, capable of causing fear and alarm and posing a risk to human life and property.
France Declares New Protections for Glorioso Islands
The Indian Ocean biodiversity hot spot is home to hundreds of threatened species
The rich waters around the Glorioso Islands—a small but biologically significant territory in the western Indian Ocean between the Seychelles and Madagascar—recently became France’s newest marine protected area.
On World Ocean Day last month—June 8—French President Emmanuel Macron made good on a 2019 pledge to permanently protect the archipelago as a national nature reserve. The new reserve encompasses more than 43,000 square kilometers (16,600 square miles) of territorial waters—an area slightly larger than Denmark—and 4.3 square kilometers (1.6 square miles) of land. All mining is prohibited within the reserve, and fishing, research, and other human activities are strictly regulated so as not to undermine the ecosystems’ integrity.
Two rare endangered California condor nests spotted in south Utah
Biologists in southern-Utah and northern-Arizona are celebrating the news of two confirmed critically endangered California Condor nests in southern Utah.
Each nest houses a "quickly growing, fuzzy-gray nestling."
Scientists are excited because this is the first time they've seen multiple condor nests in Utah during the same breeding season, according to a news release.
Endangered orcas get new protection from US government
Endangered killer whales received new habitat protections from the U.S. government Friday.
The National Marine Fisheries Service finalized rules to expand the Southern Resident orca’s critical habitat from the Canadian border down to Point Sur, California, adding 15,910 square miles of foraging areas, river mouths and migratory pathways.
Seattlepi.com reports that the total protected area now encompasses more than 18,000 square miles.
