Positive Wildlife News 2023

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Haliaeetus said:
A pair of Waldrapps has bred in the city of Zurich in Switzerland, on the building of... an Harley Davidson retailer !!!
It's the "first wild" case of breeding for this species in Switzerland for 4 centuries !
media on Instagram: "Un couple d’Ibis chauves a construit son nid au printemps 2023 sur le bâtiment d’un concessionnaire Harley-Davidson près de Zurich (Suisse) ➡️ Visitez notre site web Ornithomedia.com pour en savoir plus. Ce retour spontané, qui est certainement lié à la réintroduction de l'espèce en Allemagne, est le premier cas de reproduction en Suisse depuis près de 400 ans. Photographie de Martin Meier : Ibis chauve (Geronticus eremita) en juin 2023 sur son nid construit sur le rebord d’une fenêtre du bâtiment du concessionnaire de motos Harley-Davidson dans une zone industrielle près de l’aéroport de Zurich (Suisse). #oiseaux #ornithologie #suisse #ornithomedia Waldrappteam @waldrappteam"
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China's Sanjiangyuan bolsters biodiversity conservation efforts

Over the years, China has made consistent strides in enhancing its ability to protect the biodiversity of the Sanjiangyuan area in northwest China's Qinghai Province.

The Sanjiangyuan area, known as China's "water tower," contains the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers. Located at an average altitude of more than 4,700 meters, Sanjiangyuan National Park is the world's highest national park covering a total area of 190,700 sq km and boasts one of the highest concentrations of biodiversity in the world at high altitudes.

China's Sanjiangyuan bolsters biodiversity conservation efforts
 
Tanzania's conservation efforts see rise in populations of elephants, rhinos and lions

Tanzania's conservation efforts ary paying off as the populations of elephants, rhinos, lions and other wild animals go up, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Mohamed Mchengerwa said Friday.

Mchengerwa told parliament in the capital, Dodoma, that enhanced conservation efforts have contributed to a rise in the number of elephants from 43,330 in 2014 to 60,000 in 2023, making Tanzania a third country in Africa with a large population of elephants.

He also attributed the increase in wild animals' populations to the progress made in curbing poaching.

Tanzania's conservation efforts see rise in populations of elephants, rhinos and lions
 
NFWF Announces Record $18 Million in Conservation Grants to Restore Iconic Longleaf Pine Ecosystem

Largest grant slate in program’s 20-year history will impact more than 500,000 acres of longleaf pine habitat, bolster longleaf seedling capacity and benefit at-risk wildlife across nine southern states.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced $18 million in new conservation grants from the Longleaf Landscape Stewardship Fund (LLSF) to restore, enhance and protect longleaf pine forests in nine southern states. This year’s grant slate, the largest in the program’s history, will leverage more than $14.7 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of $32.7 million.

NFWF Announces Record $18 Million in Conservation Grants to Restore Iconic Longleaf Pine Ecosystem
 
Black-winged stilts breed for first time in Lincolnshire

A nature reserve in Lincolnshire is celebrating the arrival of four black-winged stilt chicks - the first time the species has bred in the county.

The pair at RSPB Frampton Marsh hatched all of their eggs successfully, the RSPB said.

The birds are more often seen in southern Europe and only been four previous incidences of them breeding in the UK have been recorded since 1945.

John Badley, who manages the site near Boston, said staff were "thrilled".

https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-65825200.amp
 
A boost for endangered red squirrels and pine martens in North Wales

Red squirrels and pine martens have been in decline in Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy and Denbighshire for decades.

Now, with the help of a £523,400 investment from us, the Magical Mammals project is introducing more of the animals back into the wild.

Over the next five years, the project – a partnership between the Red Squirrels Trust Wales and Clocaenog Red Squirrels Trust – will work with locals on vital conservation work. Participants will learn new skills and connect with nature through activities such as building pine marten enclosures and looking after the animals before they’re released.

A boost for endangered red squirrels and pine martens in North Wales
 
Australia to triple size of protected marine park to area larger than Germany

Australia plans to triple the size of an ecologically important marine park and close off an area larger than Germany to fishing and mining, the government announced Monday, protecting millions of vulnerable seabirds and animals.

The remote Macquarie Island Marine Park, located off Australia’s southeastern coast between Tasmania and Antarctica in the Southern Ocean, is set to expand to 475,465 square kilometers (about 184,000 square miles).

Around 93% of the park will be a fully protected marine sanctuary “completely closed to fishing, mining and other extractive activities,”according to Australia’s Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.

Australia to triple size of Macquarie Island Marine Park to protected area larger than Germany | CNN
 
The “Steller” Success Story of a Sea Lion Population

Removed from the Endangered Species List in 2013, the eastern distinct population segment of the Steller sea lion is still recovered a decade later.

Steller sea lions were named for Georg Wilhelm Steller, a German surgeon and naturalist who first documented the species in 1742. They were once so abundant throughout the North Pacific that Indigenous peoples and settlers throughout the coastal North Pacific Ocean used them for meat, hides, and oil. The species still plays an important role to Alaska Natives for food and handicrafts.

Found in colder temperate to subarctic waters of the North Pacific Ocean from.

California to Japan, Steller sea lions mate and give birth on land at breeding sites called rookeries, typically coming back each year to mate at their native rookery site. They also haul out to rest on beaches, ledges, rocky reefs, and on sea ice. While most are typically found in coastal waters on the continental shelf, they sometimes forage in much deeper continental slope waters, especially during the non-breeding season.

In 1997, Steller sea lions were formally split into two distinct population segments due to differences in their genetics, body size and shape, and population trends. Under the Endangered Species Act, the western DPS was listed as endangered and the eastern DPS remained listed as threatened.

The “Steller” Success Story of a Sea Lion Population
 
Dancing Capercaillie bird makes a tentative comeback in Scotland

Exclusive: Ecologists say there are early signs that the population is recovering in remote forests.

It is a discotheque for Britain’s biggest type of grouse. Before dawn, male capercaillie will begin their courtship rituals, their black tail feathers erect and fanning out, chests puffed out, their heads thrust high into the cold spring air.

Their dancefloors are forest clearings in the Highlands which echo the males’ wheezing, popping and clattering mating calls. Often perched in surrounding pine trees, hens will carefully watch as their potential mates compete to win their affection.

Known as leks, the Old Norse word for play, these meetings are scattered across clearings in pine forests in the Highlands. Many are discreetly monitored each spring by ecologists, who have been increasingly fearful that capercaillie are again heading for extinction in the UK.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp...capercaillie-bird-tentative-comeback-scotland
 
Science and culture join forces to restore 120 miles of Hawaiian reefs
  • A new program in Hawai‘i, known as Ākoʻakoʻa, will focus on restoring 193 kilometers (120 miles) of coral reefs off the west of the Big Island, which have been in decline for the past 50 years.
  • A key aspect of the program will be the building of a new research and coral propagation facility in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island.
  • While the program will be largely science-driven, it will also rely on the traditional knowledge of community leaders and cultural practitioners.
A new program in Hawai‘i will draw on the collaborative efforts of science and community to restore local corals and coastlines to make reef communities more resilient in the future.

The initiative, known by the Hawaiian name Ākoʻakoʻa, which means both “coral” and “to assemble,” will focus on restoring 193 kilometers (120 miles) of coral reefs off the west of Hawaiʻi’s Big Island. Like most coral reefs across the world, Hawai‘i’s corals have been in rapid decline for the past 50 years due to anthropogenic pressures such as pollution, overfishing, and of course, the impacts of human-induced climate change.

Arizona State University (ASU) will lead the Ākoʻakoʻa initiative, drawing on a funding pool of $25 million to research, conserve and restore degraded corals. A key aspect of the program will be the building of a new research and coral propagation facility in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island that will help facilitate scientific inquiries into coral health and the cultivation of new corals for restoration purposes.

Greg Asner, the director of ASU’s Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, will spearhead the Ākoʻakoʻa program. In 1998, he and a team of reef experts founded the Pacific Ridge to Reef Program, which used high-tech satellite, airborne and field technologies to diagnose land and reef problems.

Science and culture join forces to restore 120 miles of Hawaiian reefs
 
Decimated brush-tailed bettong makes a startling return – with the help of peanut butter

Project to reintroduce critically endangered marsupial in South Australia, involving lures with nut spread, has surpassed expectations

The Australian bush was once full of rabbit-size marsupials darting and jumping around “like mini-kangaroos on steroids”, says ecologist Derek Sandow.

But since European invasion, the arrival of cats and foxes and the disappearance of habitat has left the brush-tailed bettong hanging on in only a handful of spots on the vast continent and on island refuges.

“They would have been one of the most common small mammals across the southern half of Australia,” says Sandow. “But they’ve gone missing from almost the entire mainland.”

However, a project to reintroduce the critically endangered bettongs to Yorke Peninsula in South Australia – a boot-shaped chunk of mainland that probably hasn’t seen them for more than a century – is having a startling and unexpected success.

Since August 2021, some 120 bettongs have been tagged and introduced to the Dhilba Guuranda-Innes national park on the peninsula’s south-west tip. Chloe Frick, a PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide, guesses there may now be up to 200 bettongs on the peninsula.

“It’s surpassing everyone’s expectations,” she says. “And it’s down to a lot of people working really hard. It is unifying and inspiring to see these animals succeeding and digging around in the landscape.”

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp...artling-return-with-the-help-of-peanut-butter
 
Conservation efforts celebrated as 26 Australian species no longer need threatened listing

Analysis finds population size and distributions of species had sufficiently improved to no longer meet listing criteria.

Australia may be the world’s leader in mammal extinction, with accelerating threats to native biodiversity in a changing climate – but successful conservation efforts may provide a glimmer of hope.

New research suggests that 26 Australian species have recovered enough to no longer meet the criteria for listing as threatened under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

Conservation efforts celebrated as 26 Australian species no longer need threatened listing
 
Ocean Conservancy Applauds Biden Administration and NOAA on the $2.6 Billion Framework for Coastal Resilience

Earlier this week, the Biden Administration announced a $2.6 billion dollar framework to support communities, ecosystems and people on the frontlines of climate change using funds from the Inflation Reduction Act. The framework includes five programs to deliver funding and technical assistance.

Ocean Conservancy Applauds Biden Administration and NOAA on the $2.6 Billion Framework for Coastal Resilience - Ocean Conservancy
 
Wildfire-charred forests get $7.8 million in rehab from Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, partners

Western landscapes recently impacted by wildfires are receiving $7.8 million in forest restoration treatments.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation allotted $330,000 in 2023 grant funding to help recover habitat for elk, mule deer, moose, pronghorn antelope, sage grouse, turkey and other wildlife, upping its overall 2021-2023 commitment to $1.6 million. Those funds helped leverage $6.2 million from RMEF’s conservation partners.

“Healthy forests mean healthy habitat. These active forest management projects positively affect elk and scores of other species,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO. “We recognize this would not happen without the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, state and county agencies, private landowners and other partnerships.”

Wildfire-Charred Forests Get $7.8 Million in Rehab from RMEF, Partners
 
10 greatest conservation success stories from India, from Gir Lions to Sarus crane

Rajasthan gained three new conservation reserves - Sorsan in Baran, Hamirgarh in Bhilwara and Khichan in Jodhpur. The grasslands in Sorsan have been the preferred habitat of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard, while Khichan is a winter home of the migratory demoiselle crane.

10 greatest conservation success stories from India, from Gir Lions to Sarus cranes
 
Parks Canada Collaborates With Innu First Nation Of Ekuanitshit

Parks Canada has announced that it acquired l’Île du Havre de Mingan last year, one of three private islands that had not yet been annexed to Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve during its establishment in Quebec.

The island — named Ekuanitshiu Minishtiku in Innu aimun — is close to shore and faces the Innu community of Ekuanitshit and Maison de la Culture Innue. The Innu practice traditional hunting and gathering activities as well as cultural activities on the island.

In recent years, the head of Ekuanitshit expressed concern about the transfer of ownership to a potential private buyer. In May 2022, Parks Canada seized a historic opportunity to acquire this island for $2,685,000 ($1.97 million USD) to promote the development of Innu culture and conserve the island’s natural and cultural wealth for present and future generations.

Parks Canada is open to establishing a shared governance model with the Innu First Nation of Ekuanitshit. The chief of Ekuanitshit supports the community's efforts to showcase cultural activities in collaboration with Parks Canada. Discussions will take place in the coming months.

Parks Canada Collaborates With Innu First Nation Of Ekuanitshit
 
Endangered Northern Bettong released at Mount Zero-Taravale Wildlife Sanctuary

Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) is helping avert the extinction of the endangered Northern Bettong by establishing a secure population at Mount Zero-Taravale Wildlife Sanctuary (Gugu Badhun country) in north-east Queensland. The area was once home to the species which has been identified as one of 20 Australian mammals at greatest risk of extinction, and whose decline is driven by the impact of habitat loss, mis-managed fire, and feral cats.

At present, there are only two known remaining populations of the Northern Bettong, one on the Lamb Range with around 1,000 individuals and a smaller population on the Mount Carbine Tableland with as few as 30 individuals estimated remaining. Within the last 20 years two other populations have gone extinct, one at Mount Windsor and a second on the Coane Range, adjacent to and including Mount Zero-Taravale. The Coane Range population was last recorded in 2003, around the time the sanctuary was acquired by AWC.

Endangered Northern Bettong released into North Queensland safe haven
 
Belize’s co-management framework is a model for community conservation

Belize’s embrace of public-private partnerships helps ensure ecological integrity and long-term sustainability.

What if a nation's non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community leaders, businesses, and government worked together to conserve protected areas? In Belize, this is more than just a hopeful wish. Since 1984, Belizean stakeholders have worked together to protect the natural environment under an ad hoc agreement known as co-management, and recently, their efforts were further formalised by the government of Belize, under a new Protected Areas Co-management Framework.

Belize’s co-management framework is a model for community conservation · Global Voices
 
Conservation leaders join forces on largest private grassland project in Canadian history

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) are working together to conserve one of the largest remaining tracts of intact Prairie grasslands and wetlands in Canada.

McIntyre Ranch, located south of Lethbridge, will be conserved through an agreement (conservation easement) between the landowners and the two organizations. This 130-year-old ranch is one of the largest private landholdings in Canada, and spans over 22,000 hectares — an area more than a quarter the size of Calgary.

Conservation leaders join forces on largest private grassland project in Canadian history — Ducks Unlimited Canada
 
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