Researchers rediscover tiny Tasmanian crayfish thought to be extinct
Tasmania is a biodiversity hotspot that is home to many species of wildlife, but there’s one particular species that researchers hadn’t spotted in decades: the short-tailed rain crayfish. Crayfish expert Alastair Richardson first encountered the short-tailed rain crayfish in the 1970s while Read More...
Namibia: A simple switch of fishing gear is saving thousands of seabirds
Fishing boats off the coast of Namibia unintentionally kill thousands of seabirds a year. The problem lies with the long fishing lines that industrial fleets use to lure fish, which are fitted with thousands of baited hooks. When the birds try to snatch away the bait, they can become tangled in Read More...
Scientists discover a “spectacular” bright orange bat species in Africa
In early 2018, a group of scientists ventured off to conduct a conservation survey of bat populations in Guinea’s isolated Nimba Mountains in West Africa. The researchers were sleuthing in a series of old mining caves when they came across something unusual: a new species of bat with a fiery Read More...
Ikea just bought a forest in Georgia to keep it protected
A forest in Georgia covering nearly 11,000 acres was on the verge of being sold and developed when an unlikely savior appeared: Ikea, the Swedish furniture giant. At the moment, Ikea is on a mission to become “climate positive” by 2030. Climate positive means Ikea wants to reduce more Read More...
The European bison is no longer classified as “vulnerable”
In 2003, the population of the European bison stood at just 1,800 individuals, leading scientists at the International Union for Conservation and Nature to classify the animal as “vulnerable.” This led to a number of conservation initiatives, including the 5-year LIFE Bison project, which Read More...
Scientists discover new species of blue whale in the west Indian Ocean
2020 was a busy year for scientists, with some 503 new animal species being discovered. Now it seems the New Year is following up right where 2020 left off as scientists have announced the discovery of a new species of the blue whale. Each species of whale can be identified by its unique song, so Read More...
New River Gorge, West Virginia becomes America’s newest national park
As a part of the Covid-19 relief bill that was passed on Dec. 27, lawmakers have created the first national park in the state of West Virginia. New River Gorge, which is located in Fayetteville, has officially changed from a national river to a national park, becoming the nation’s 63rd national Read More...
Scientists identified 503 new animal species in 2020
While 2020 was most definitely a year of uncertainty, scientists at London’s Natural History Museum were certainly pleased to wrap up the year by announcing that, over the last 12 months, they’ve identified a total of 503 new species belonging to almost all kingdoms of life. As a result of Read More...
Scientists find a female of the world’s most endangered turtle
The giant Swinhoe’s soft-shell turtle (Rafetus Swinhoe) is the most endangered turtle in the world, with only one known male currently living at the Suzhou zoo in China. Now hopes are rising that this precious species of turtle could be saved from the brink of extinction after conservationists Read More...
US are removing old dams so fish can return to early spawning grounds
Over the past decade, nonprofits and state organizations have started recognizing that removing dams from rivers can actually help the environment by allowing fish to return to their original spawning grounds. According to Laura Craig, director of river restoration at American Rivers, removing Read More...