Positive Wildlife News 2023

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'A once-in-a-lifetime' conservation effort has preserved 14,000 acres of land along the ridge line bordering Monterey and Tyringham in western Massachusetts

More than 836 acres along the ridgeline bordering Monterey and Tyringham are now preserved after a complex series of land transactions and the imposition of conservation restrictions.

The Berkshire Natural Resources Council Inc., based in Lenox, shepherded the deals, which included cash and cooperation from the state and multiple organizations, including the Monterey Preservation Land Trust.

“There was an opportunity here to fill in the pieces of the puzzle,” said Rich Montone, director of development at the Berkshire Natural Resources Council. “Those additional acres that were conserved by these acquisitions connect about 14,000 acres total, perhaps a little less, between all of the different forests and conserved lands.”

“I think that’s about the land mass of the size of Manhattan,” Montone said, “so it’s a pretty sizable block for the Northeast.”

'A once-in-a-lifetime' conservation effort has preserved 14,000 acres of land along the ridge line bordering Monterey and Tyringham
 
Celebrating 9 Years of Achievements: REGENERATE Project Comes to a Close

On 22 February 2023, a closing ceremony was held in Male’, Maldives, to celebrate the successful conclusion of the Reefs Generate Environmental and Economic Resiliency for Atoll Ecosystems (REGENERATE) project. The project aimed to improve access to science-based decision making, capacity building, strengthened decentralized management and financing for improved reef health and resiliency to climate change in Maldives.

Celebrating 9 Years of Achievements: REGENERATE Project Comes to a Close
 
“Dinosaur Parcel” on Kasilof River in Alaska Conserved

DNR, The Conservation Fund secure key coastal wetland habitat

Today, Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and nonprofit partner The Conservation Fund announced the addition of 309 acres to the Alaska State Parks system within the Kasilof River estuary. Known as the Dinosaur Parcel for its unique shape, the site has long been prioritized for conservation.

Unique Parcel on Alaska's Kasilof River Conserved | The Conservation Fund
 
Partners Protect Major Portion of Colorado's Mount Tom Conservation Corridor

The once-in-a-generation, $25 million investment will support wildlife and catalyze future outdoor recreation opportunities near Denver

Today, The Conservation Fund, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS) and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) announced an exciting milestone in their joint effort to protect approximately 2,000 acres within the Mount Tom Conservation Corridor area, located adjacent to Ralston Creek State Wildlife Area (SWA) just northwest of Denver. The conservation area connects other previously conserved landscapes and protects natural resources for wildlife and Colorado communities. The area is not yet open to the public, but future access for outdoor recreation is planned for a portion of the publicly owned land.

Partners Protect Colorado Conservation Corridor | The Conservation Fund
 
National corridor project aims to save Chile’s endangered huemul deer

  • Endemic to Chile and Argentina, the huemul deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus) is an endangered species, threatened by habitat loss, poaching, diseases and climate change.
  • With only about 1,500 individuals still left in the wild, the huemul population has been reduced to only a small fraction (as little as 1%) of what it once was.
  • In Chile, the National Huemul Corridor is a recently launched project that aims to save the species by reducing threats to its survival and restoring areas of its natural habitat.
  • The species could act as a flagship for recovering the natural habitats for a range of other species, according to conservation organization Rewilding Chile.
Standing beside the Andean condor on Chile’s coat of arms is the huemul deer. The species, whose habitat stretches from central Chile all the way south to the tip of Patagonia, has declined dramatically over the last two centuries. But in Chile, a recently launched public-private project, the National Huemul Corridor, aims to boost the iconic deer’s population and push for large-scale ecosystem restoration.

The corridor project is a collaboration between Rewilding Chile Foundation, Chile’s Ministry of Agriculture, the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) and the National Agricultural and Livestock Service. The aim is to connect huemul habitats within the country’s Route of the Parks. Spanning more than 2,700 kilometers (1,700 miles) across Patagonia, the route crosses 17 national parks and protects more than 11 million hectares (27 million acres) of land.

National corridor project aims to save Chile’s endangered huemul deer
 
Tasmania's Lagoon of Islands is back to a healthy state after decades of poor water quality

Ten years ago, Hydro Tasmania environmental scientist Carolyn Maxwell stood on the bank of a lagoon in Tasmania's central highlands looking over an expanse of mud, hoping a plan to rehabilitate an unusual wetland would work.

Key points:
  • Lagoon of Islands in Tasmania's Central Highlands has been rehabilitated by Hydro Tasmania
  • The lagoon was dammed in the 1960s, but water quality problems led to a restoration project that started about 10 years ago
  • Environmentalists say Hydro should now restore Lake Pedder — but that would be a much bigger project
The view from that bank is very different today — reeds abound in the lagoon, tiny purple "fairies aprons" grow in the moist soil at the edges, and other native vegetation has returned. A heron wades in the shallow water, and the sounds of frogs and insects fill the air.

Lagoon of Islands, almost 40 kilometres north of Bothwell, was dammed in 1964 by the then-Hydro Electric Commission, not for electricity generation, but to provide water to irrigators along the Ouse River after water was diverted from the Waddamana Power Station into the new Poatina scheme.

"Before Lagoon of Islands was dammed it was a unique eco-system," Dr Maxwell said.

"The floor of the wetland was what's called a schwingmoor, [which] is a system where the roots of the reeds out there interlace with each other and form a solid mat that will support the weight of a human, or a couple of humans, walking across it, but it actually floats on top of the water.

"It is anchored into the sediments around the perimeter of the lagoon."

There was nothing else like it in the world, but this wetland was destroyed. Now it's back from the brink
 
Rewilding in action: 10 projects awarded funding boost to combat climate crisis

Over £120,000 has been awarded to 10 rewilding projects across Britain to boost their efforts to combat the nature and climate crises through rewilding.

National charity Rewilding Britain has awarded up to £15,000 to 10 projects in the latest round of its Rewilding Innovation Fund. The biannual fund supports innovative approaches to rewilding land and sea.

Sara King, Rewilding Manager for Rewilding Britain, said: “We’re delighted to be funding yet more exciting and innovative rewilding projects across Britain through this latest round of the Rewilding Innovation Fund. The recent UN climate report was crystal clear: we need swift and drastic action to avert the nature and climate crises, and rewilding is a proven method by which to do that.” .

Rewilding in action: 10 projects awarded funding boost to combat climate crisis - Inside Ecology
 
More than $5.2M raised for these six conservation projects in southeast Michigan

What’s happening: Six conservation projects in southeast Michigan have been announced recipients of $1.7 million in grants as part of the Southeast Michigan Resilience Fund (SMRF). The $1.7 million was awarded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and with $3.5 million in matching contributions confirmed, it means that more than $5.2 million has been secured through the SMRF for local conservation projects dedicated to improving water quality, enhancing wildlife habitats, and increasing accessibility to public green space.

More than $5.2M raised for these six conservation projects in southeast Michigan
 
Greece leading the way in conserving Key Biodiversity Areas in Europe

Greece has become the first European country to recognise Key Biodiversity Areas in its laws and policies. Key Biodiversity Areas are recognised as sites of global importance for biodiversity by the Law 5037/2023 and the existing Natura 2000 Committee of Greece will form the KBA National Coordination Group for the country. The Natura 2000 committee is the main scientific advisory body for coordinating, monitoring and assessing the policies and the actions taken for the protection of Greece’s biodiversity. The Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency of Greece (N.E.C.C.A.), headed by Associate Professor Kostas Triantis, will be responsible for the collection and management of KBA data for the country.

Greece leading the way in conserving KBAs in Europe
 
Chucanti, a nature preserve in Panama’s Darien with great biodiversity

Rio Congo Arriba, Panama, Apr 5 (EFE).- In the jungle on the private Cerro Chucanti nature preserve, in Panama’s Darien region, a family of black spider monkeys (Ateles fusciceps rufiventris) cavorts in the trees as they feed. This is a typical picture here, although the species is one of the most threatened on the planet.

“There’s no place in the world where you can so easily see … such a large number (of the monkeys) as you can see here … (which) are in the top 25 more endangered primates in the world. So, it’s a species of interest for conservation. That’s impressive,” said Panamanian researcher Josue Ortega during a visit by EFE to the preserve.

Chucanti, a nature preserve in Panama’s Darien with great biodiversity
 
Fish Passage Projects Support Migrating Fish, Recreational Opportunities and Flood Prevention

The National Fish Passage Program Restores Rivers, Protects Wildlife, And Builds Economies

Across the country National Fish Passage Program projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help restore rivers, protect wildlife, support communities, and improve climate resilience.

In 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced 22 states will receive $35 million to support 39 projects that will address outdated or obsolete dams, culverts, levees and other barriers fragmenting our nation’s rivers and streams.

Around the world, millions of barriers are fragmenting rivers, blocking fish migration, and putting communities at higher risk to flooding. Improving fish passage is one of the most effective ways to help conserve vulnerable species while building safer infrastructure for communities and improving climate resilience. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provides a once-in-a generation opportunity to invest in climate resilient infrastructure, healthy rivers and streams, and abundant fisheries. The 2023 projects represent the second year of a five-year commitment and build on the 40 projects announced last year.

This year, there are 23 projects that have Tribal involvement and nine projects that are Tribally-led, where funding is going directly to those awarded Tribes. Many of these projects will help with conservation efforts for threatened or endangered species.

https://www.fws.gov/story/2023-04/f...ing-fish-recreational-opportunities-and-flood
 
Huge milestone achieved in Javan warty-pig conservation

Copenhagen Zoo has reintroduced the endangered Javan warty pig in Baluran National Park where they have been extinct for over 30 years.

Copenhagen Zoo has been working for several years in Baluran National Park on Java together with Indonesia's Ministry of Environment and Forestry and has now succeeded in reintroducing Javan Warty pig for the first time since they went locally extinct in the national park in the 1980’ies. See the exclusive video of the first free-roaming Javan Warty-pigs in Baluran since 30 years!

Huge milestone achieved in Javan warty-pig conservation
 
The Mediterranean Monk Seal Is Making a Comeback

The endangered sea creature, known for its reclusive nature, has re-emerged out of the shadows

The Mediterranean monk seal begins its life in a cave. Even after it grows to hunt and mate in open water, the seal sticks to its monkish ways. These retiring creatures—the only seal species in the Mediterranean region—are among the scarcest marine animals in the world, with a population around 800. About half can be found in Greek waters, where an island or inlet might be home to just a few monk seals.

The Mediterranean Monk Seal Is Making a Comeback | Science | Smithsonian Magazine
 
Footage of northern hairy-nosed wombat in south-west Queensland refuge a good sign for species

Rare footage of the elusive northern hairy-nosed wombat — the largest burrowing marsupial in the world — has been captured in regional Queensland, raising hopes the species may be back from the brink of extinction.

Key points:
  • The northern hairy-nosed wombat is one of the most endangered animals on Earth
  • In 1980 only 30 animals existed
  • Australia has three wombat species, including the southern and bare-nosed wombat
Once widespread throughout Queensland and New South Wales, the critically endangered animals are now only found in two small regional Queensland sites.

Australian Wildlife Conservancy photographer and videographer Brad Leue unexpectedly captured the footage of one of 16 mammals believed to call the Richard Underwood Nature Refuge (RUNR) home in south-west Queensland in October.

"Only 16 northern hairy-nosed wombats are at RUNR, with around 84 active burrows, so it's no easy feat identifying which burrows the wombats are using as they use multiple exits and entrances," he said.

Rare footage of northern hairy-nosed wombat a good sign for species
 
Crane habitat conservation efforts have flourished in Nebraska under once-novel management plan

Nearly 26 years ago, the federal government, Nebraska and two neighboring states agreed to a unique idea for managing the Platte River Basin. The plan that emerged from that process has endured, boosting conservation efforts and easing conflicts.

It’s late March and a million or so gray, red-capped sandhill cranes with gotta-dance attitudes have returned to their favorite spring break destination: Nebraska’s Central Platte Valley.

Crane habitat conservation efforts have flourished in Nebraska under once-novel management plan - Flatwater Free Press
 
Tiger Conservation Success in 2023

Endangered Bengal tiger numbers in India have risen to record high.

Record-breaking numbers of Bengal tigers in India have been announced by the country’s latest tiger census with over 3100 tigers now in the country – double the number living there less than 20 years ago.

The recovery of the Bengal tiger population is one of the most successful wildlife conservation stories – a story made possible by the collaborative work led by the Indian government’s Project Tiger campaign and supported by conservation charities including ZSL.

Tiger conservation success in 2023 | ZSL
 
New Mexico Creates Conservation Fund to Protect Rivers, Wildlife, and More

The historic trust will bring in more funds and promote climate resilience.

After four years of difficult negotiations, New Mexico created the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund during the 2023 legislative session. Until this year, New Mexico was one of the only western states without a dedicated revenue stream for conservation and restoration projects. This meant that our state agencies were completely reliant on whatever they could get through the annual budget process to complete special projects. Because many conservation programs in the state do not have a specific line item in our state’s budget, they sometimes had no money at all unless the agency secured a special appropriation on a year-to-year basis. Most substantially, it also meant that New Mexico was not claiming significant federal money, which frequently requires states to put up some percentage as a match to get the federal funds.

https://www.audubon.org/news/new-mexico-creates-conservation-fund-protect-rivers-wildlife-and-more
 
Community conservation benefits Sulawesi flying foxes, but more is needed, experts say
  • Flying foxes play a vital role in maintaining forest health. As pollinators and seed dispersers they are also invaluable to the economic and social well-being of communities.
  • In Indonesia’s Sulawesi, conservation groups are working to protect flying foxes, which face threats including hunting for food and habitat loss.
  • Community-led approaches are showing success, but conservationists say greater protection and an expansion of projects is needed to protect more bat roosts.
After four years of conservation action, the number of flying foxes — large bat species — flocking to the Indonesian island of Mantawalu Daka has grown from around 8,000 to 40,000, according to PROGRES Sulawesi, an Indonesian NGO. Conservationists have worked with community members to change negative perceptions of bats and limit hunting on the island. Protecting bats can improve forest health, and since their return in greater numbers, local fishers report fish are easier to come by around the island.

“Our hypothesis is that the bat poop washes out to the outer area of the islands,” Sheherazade, co-executive director of PROGRES Sulawesi, told Mongabay. As it does so, it’s thought the bat guano spurs seagrass growth, which in turn provides habitat for fish. “Now, more and more fishermen report that it’s easier to catch fish closer to the island.”

Community conservation benefits Sulawesi flying foxes, but more is needed, experts say
 
Lancaster Conservancy preserving 300-plus acres near Susquehanna River

A hilltop located across the Susquehanna River from Chickies Rock County Park will become a nature preserve, the Lancaster Conservancy announced Friday.

The organization plans to acquire over 300 acres along the river in Hellam Township, York County at a cost of more than $4 million. The land won’t be open to the public until the purchase is finalized. Lancaster Conservancy said that will take place sometime next year.

The area known as Roundtop is located north of Wrightsville and the Route 30 bridge, across the river from Chickies Rock. It is known for a 19th century mansion overlooking the river, which is not part of the acquisition.

Lancaster Conservancy preserving 300-plus acres near Susquehanna River
 
In Amazon, small towns are a force of nature

Years ahead of schedule, Bolivia has met an ambitious goal to protect 30 percent of its land — and that's thanks in large part to Amazonian towns and villages that are accelerating the pace and scale of conservation in the country.

Bolivia’s last national protected areas were created in the early 2000s. Since then, local municipalities have stepped up. Today, their lands represent a third of all land under conservation in the country. With support from Conservation International, two new municipalities deep in the Amazon recently joined this growing effort.

“When people think about conservation they tend to think of national parks and other protected areas created by national governments,” said Conservation International-Bolivia Executive Director Eduardo Forno. “In this case, little by little, municipalities — some as small as 200 people — are having an impact on the Amazon.”

In Amazon, small towns are a force of nature
 
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