#species protection

[visionairemagazine]

Nature & Biodiversity

We all depend on nature for our food, air, water, energy and raw materials. Nature and biodiversity make life possible, provide health and social benefits and drive our economy. Healthy ecosystems can also help us cope with the impacts of climate change.

However, natural ecosystems and their vital services are under pressure from urban sprawl, intensive agriculture, pollution, invasive species and climate change. EU nature legislation, most notably the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive, forms the backbone of biodiversity policy and the legal basis for our nature protection network.

[builder-4-hire-new-home-packages]

EMP Contracting is a dependable home builder with a 100 tree per home sale commitment to show our dedication to sustainable action to safe the future today! Call us any time for new home construction packages and high efficiency buildings! Our policy is about fair living for all species of earth and our core goals are legacy builds of high quality homes and buildings priced for fair pay with negative carbon foot print! Calls us for a new home of your dreams today! 1-888-432-4888 or international long distance +1-519-204-5644 sales@empcontracting.ca

[greeningcamp]

Global Greening and Trillion Trees Initiative for faster reforestation and regreening of planet Earth

Article and News of March 2023

Here is another project work for all friends of nature explaining the importance of global greening for humanity and all other species. Nature and the forces of nature have supported the creation of this text, a person very connected to nature has written it. This article deals with the most important processes for all life and the biosphere on planet Earth - the global greening process and urban greening. It is written in English and in a very simple language to make it easier to understand. The article and very important paper is also translated into many other languages to understand some things even better. First we will look at the concept and terms, later different functions, meanings, possibilities and potentials.

Global greening and regreening is the process of restoring natural ecosystems and increasing the amount of green space on the planet. This involves reforestation, increasing the amount of vegetation in cities, and other measures to increase the amount of green cover on the land. Global greening is important for a variety of reasons, including providing habitats for wildlife, reducing air and water pollution, and mitigating the effects of climate change. It also provides an important source of food, fuel, and fiber for many people around the world. There is human-made greening and natural greening, you can build your own opinion – but read more to understand bad, good and other sides or aspects. Green is not always green, most people should finally understand, because if we talk about green we mean mostly nature, environmental friendly things or just green colors – but nature is not just green and blue like most of the 'experts' and media try to tell you. It is much more and to bring some colours and diversity into these topics Greening Deserts started the Global Greening and Trillion Trees Initiative some years ago.

Global greening efforts can be undertaken by businesses, governments and individuals in many countries. It is a continuous work and long-term investment that can have positive effects on both, our economy and environment. With the right plans and policies in place, global greening efforts can help to reduce poverty, improve public health and create a more equitable world for everyone – it even can accelerate the global cooling and peace process. Governments can invest in real sustainable reforestation projects and green initiatives to help to reduce man-made climate change impacts and provide healthier environments or habitats for their citizens and also all other humans worldwide. Businesses who do or support global greening solutions and invest in green technologies, renewable energy sources, cleantech or greentech can reduce the carbon footprint or emissions, pollution and increase their sustainability. Individuals can also taking part by planting trees, reducing energy consumption, much waste and start advocating for greener or more sustainable solutions.

Global greening is an important part of creating a better and greener future on planet Earth along with all life forms. To re-green and reforest the biosphere, nature is our greatest ally, everyone else who thinks they or their partners are or have "the solution" are lying. You can read here the best, only and really true solution - nature and many will prove it to you, as so many times before. Read more now about how the Global Greening organization began as a private and collaborative project, how it became a worldwide movement and finally an institution.

The Global Greening Project and future organization was founded many years ago as the main project of the Greening Deserts and Trillion Trees Initiative. The founder published many articles, innovative ideas and papers about the regreening and reforestation movement. GlobalGreening.org is and will be the main platform in the future, also for the development organization. The project is linked to Greening Deserts developments such as the global Greening Camps. It has long been a private initiative as part of the Trillion Trees Project. The Global Greening Institution wants to build an additional platform for Southern Europe and Africa, including the Drought Research Institute with its online platform DroughtResearch.com. With real active and financial support, the Global Greening Institute will also build a real building with the first nations that will really support us this year and have supported us in the first days - the Greening Campus and Institute can be built at any major Greening Camp still in the first year! All the organizations that have supported us financially will also be the main partners or sponsors, depending on the form and amount of support they have provided. They will make world history (or not) and some have even already made it, because historical archives, libraries and universities have stored a lot of background and information sent to them.

Global greening is one of the most important goals and tasks of humanity that can be achieved through a combination of cultural, individual, regional, societal and international efforts. Global greening is also global cooling and promotes or supports peacebuilding and peacekeeping. People in a healthier and greener environment are more peaceful and healthy. Together we humans can restore our natural ecosystems, reduce negative climate change effects or harmful man-made influences on nature and create a better future for us and planet Earth. There are a number of general and potential solutions for global greening like explained in this article. Most of them can be implemented at a local, regional, national and global level. Read also more on our project and network pages to understand the complexity and connections.

Before continuing with the main topics of the article, the Global Greening and Trillion Trees Initiative initiators are proud to announce some really great news! We have planned tree planting campaigns for 58 billion trees in North, East and West Africa - many tree species should be African, native or indigenous and endangered species, we hope international experts will also help us with this. Some countries where greening camps were started years ago will of course be included, such as Algeria, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda - of course, only if the governments allow and support it. Responsible people of all affected regions will be included, informed and asked for support, especially before tree planting activities will begin.

For more diverse trees and plants in northern regions we plan to cultivate and share also many species of marshlands, moor-, swamp- and wetlands. The focus is on wet forests but also on woods and many single trees in tundra landscapes. The plan is to plant up to 100 billion trees in taiga and tundra regions, this will also help to cool down the regions, prevent permafrost thawing and higher methane releases! Each day counts and we hope the northern nations will support us fast as possible to build the first greening and ecosystem restoration camps there.

Another good news is that we plan tree planting actions, campaigns and greening camps for 42 billion native Australian trees like the methane composting or storage trees. More tree species will be planted of course, not just in Australia but also in South Asia. The MethaneStorage and WetForest.org projects are also part of the global greening process and to establish more healthier and resilent ecosystems who can store and transform more greenhouse gases! More wet forests and wetlands with trees are essential to reduce warming of forests and wetlands, to prevent dry forest soils and methane storage capacities. Check Greening Deserts articles and posts or tweets of the Trillion Trees Initiative and @TrillionTreesEU, too. Understand why global greening is so important for all life on planet Earth and what vertical farming and urban greening can do to improve global greening efforts.

Global Greening is a term used to describe the process of increasing vegetation cover and plant growth across the planet. One of the main causes of global greening is the rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide is an important nutrient for plants, and higher concentrations in the atmosphere have led to increased growth and expansion of forests and vegetation around the world. Despite the positive effects of global greening, deforestation remains a significant problem, particularly in regions such as the Amazon rainforest and Indonesia, where large areas of forest are being cleared for agriculture, mining and other forms of industrial or problematic developments. Deforestation has serious environmental consequences, leading to biodiversity loss, increased carbon and methane emissions, soil erosion and land degradation. The opposite of Global Greening is Global Browning, a process that is unfortunately increasing rapidly every year.

Vertical Farming is an innovative agricultural technique that involves growing crops in vertically stacked layers using artificial light and controlled environmental conditions. Vertical farms can be set up in urban areas and can produce high volumes of crops and trees without requiring large amounts of land or water.

Vertical farming can contribute to global greening and reforestation in several ways. First, it can help reduce pressure on natural forests and ecosystems by providing an alternative source of food and resources. Second, it can increase overall vegetation in urban areas, which can help mitigate the effects of urban heat islands and provide a number of other benefits, such as improved air quality and reduced noise pollution. Vertical farming is the future of efficient and sustainable agriculture for urban areas. It can help combat climate change by reducing the carbon footprint and harmful impacts of conventional agriculture. By growing crops locally and using energy-efficient technologies, vertical farming can significantly reduce the carbon emissions associated with transporting food long distances and producing it using conventional farming methods. By using urban land such as rooftops and walls for agriculture, cities can increase their food security while reducing their carbon emissions. For example, rooftop gardens and urban greenhouses can provide fresh produce to local communities, reduce the urban heat island effect, and capture rainwater that can be used to irrigate crops.

Many of these reasons were also a factor why Greening Deserts has been developing concepts and projects like the Urban Greening Camp for years. Innovative methods and techniques have been further developed as well as interesting Vertical Farming developments have been shared with the society - also regionally and internationally. Since 2016, three advanced types of greening facilities have been developed, the main facilities are Greening Camps for land sites with agroforestry, agrovoltaics, greenhouses and nursery. Rainwater or seawater treatment plants, solar and wind energy will provide the needed energy - more energy can be stored in energy storage parks and converted to hydrogen. The second type is a model urban greening facility, the concept of Urban Greening facility includes extended Vertical Farming concepts, Cleantech and Greentech developments and in principle can be established in any major city as a specialized nursery for city and people. These concepts are unique and have been published several times by Greening Deserts founders on different networks and sites! The vision is that all major regions affected by deforestation, desertification, and land degradation can use these camps to do reforestation, regreening or revegetation, soil improvement and freshwater harvesting faster and more efficiently than any other solution ever. Copying the concepts only confirms that Greening Deserts' developments work. The best thing would be to ask and involve the founder, together we can improve and develop Greening Camps much further, even to the Moon and Mars - just kidding, but the reality is that the world could use thousands of such facilities to really reduce and then stop man-made desertification and land degradation! We must ask ourselves why officials and responsible people or organizations who know this since years still do not support Greening Deserts? This ignorance is not only killing the environment and many life forms every year, it will destroy all humanity! Time is running out, every day counts.

Here come some more important points about why urban greening and global greening are so important to all of us - and why they are the only big, comprehensive or realistic global solution to urban greening, global greening and cooling. The article is written in very simple and english language that even children can understand.

Urban greening, ecological forestry, and sustainable cropping solutions such as agroforestry and regenerative agriculture are important components of global greening efforts. These approaches can help increase vegetation cover, restore degraded ecosystems, and mitigate the effects of climate change. Urban greening refers to increasing vegetation cover in urban areas. This includes planting trees, creating green spaces, and using green roofs and walls. Urban greening has several benefits such as improving air quality, reducing the heat island effect, and increasing biodiversity. Urban greening can provide a source of food and other resources, which can help reduce pressure on natural ecosystems. It has a positive impact on biodiversity and provides more healthy habitats for people and a variety of animal and plant species - similar to the concept of allotment gardens developed in Leipzig. All of these measures help create more green spaces that can provide important habitat for many native species, especially insects and pollinators such as bees, butterflies and wasps. Ecological forestry or ecoforestry, is an approach to forest management that aims to balance environmental, social, and economic goals. Ecoforestry focuses on preserving natural ecosystems, using sustainable harvesting techniques, and involving local communities in forest management. Ecoforestry can help maintain and restore forest ecosystems that are critical for carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and the provision of ecosystem services. Agroforestry is an agricultural technique that combines growing trees with cropping or raising livestock. This approach can help increase soil fertility, reduce erosion, and provide farmers with a source of income. By planting trees in and around cropland, farmers can improve soil health by increasing soil organic matter and improving soil water-holding capacity. Trees can also provide shade and windbreaks for crops, which can lead to reduced water use and increased crop yields. Agroforestry can also contribute to global greening by increasing vegetation cover and restoring degraded lands. Agroforestry and regenerative agriculture can also help improve the health and resilience of soil ecosystems. Through the use of crop rotations, cover crops, and natural fertilizers, these approaches can improve soil fertility and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. This can help reduce the environmental impact of agriculture and promote the long-term sustainability of food production.

Regenerative agriculture is an agricultural approach that focuses on restoring soil health and using sustainable agricultural practices. Regenerative agriculture can help increase soil carbon sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve biodiversity. This approach can also contribute to global greening by increasing vegetation cover and restoring degraded lands. One of the most important benefits of regenerative agriculture is its potential to sequester large amounts of carbon in the soil. Carbon sequestration refers to the process of taking up and storing carbon from the atmosphere in plants and soils. By increasing the amount of organic matter in the soil, regenerative agriculture can help store large amounts of carbon, which in turn can mitigate the effects of climate change. Together with agroforestry and vertical farming, these are the best sustainable farming practices that can contribute greatly to global greening, healing and re-greening. Another important factor to consider in global greening efforts is the role of technologies. Advances in technology have the potential to significantly improve sustainable land use practices, including urban greening, ecological forestry, agroforestry, and regenerative agriculture. For example, precision agriculture technologies can be used to optimize crop yields while reducing fertilizer and water use, promoting sustainable land use practices. Similarly, remote sensing technologies can be used to monitor and map changes in forest cover and land use, providing valuable information for forest management and conservation. It is important to recognize that the use of some technologies in global greening efforts should be approached with caution. While some of the technologies have the potential to improve sustainable land use practices, they can also have negative impacts on the environment and society. For example, the use of genetically modified crops can lead to the loss of genetic diversity and the emergence of new pests and diseases. The use of technology in global greening and green developments, honest climate and environmental protection should be led by really good experts and responsible scientists, especially those with strong ethical and legal frameworks - like the Scientists for Global Responsibility. This includes policies and regulations that promote the safe and responsible use of technologies and the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems. Global Greening must not be misused for Greenwashing or Treewashing, as it has unfortunately already happened with many tree planting and environmental protection campaigns. You only have to search the media and the internet for terms like 30x30, Carbon Credits, Green Colonialism, Greenwashing, Land Grabbing, Net Zero and New Green Deal or Nature Positive and you will find a lot of scandals and scarry backgrounds. Read also more about all the problems with carbon credits, which even made the global situation immensely worse. The same goes for biodiversity credits and the idea of financialization of nature and a nature market.

Urban greening, ecological forestry, and sustainable agricultural solutions such as agroforestry, permaculture, regenerative agriculture, and vertical farming are important components of global greening efforts. These main solutions can help increase healthier and more natural vegetation, restore degraded ecosystems, and mitigate the effects of climate change. By combining these approaches with other measures such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable development, humanity may be able to stop accelerating global warming, biodiversity loss, and mass extinctions before it is too late - around the year 2030? It is no joke and very serious, some tipping points have already been passed and any further tipping point is likely to trigger cascading effects that cannot be stopped by human action! Most developments require a holistic approach that takes into account the social, cultural, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. This also requires collaboration and partnership among various stakeholders, including governments, civil society, the private sector, and local communities. For this reason, Greening Deserts will accelerate and support GlobalGreening .. read more on the project pages.

[reasonsforhope]

"Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo has a lot to celebrate.

The park, which celebrated its 30th anniversary on December 31 of 2023, also shared an exciting conservation milestone: 2023 was the first year without any elephant poaching detected.

“We didn’t detect any elephants killed in the Park this year, a first for the Park since [we] began collecting data. This success comes after nearly a decade of concerted efforts to protect forest elephants from armed poaching in the Park,” Ben Evans, the Park’s management unit director, said in a press release.

Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park was developed by the government of Congo in 1993 to maintain biodiversity conservation in the region, and since 2014, has been cared for through a public-private partnership between Congo’s Ministry of Forest Economy and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Pictured: Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. Photo courtesy of Scott Ramsay/Wildlife Conservation Society

Evans credits the ongoing collaboration with this milestone, as the MEF and WCS have helped address escalating threats to wildlife in the region. 

This specifically includes investments in the ranger force, which has increased training and self-defense capabilities, making the force more effective in upholding the law — and the rights of humans and animals.

“Thanks to the strengthening of our anti-poaching teams and new communication technologies, we have been able to reduce poaching considerably,” Max Mviri, a park warden for the Congolese government, said in a video for the Park’s anniversary. 

“Today, we have more than 90 eco-guards, all of whom have received extensive training and undergo refresher courses,” Mviri continued. “What makes a difference is that 90% of our eco-guards come from villages close to the Park. This gives them extra motivation, as they are protecting their forest.”

As other threats such as logging and road infrastructure development impact the area’s wildlife, the Park’s partnerships with local communities and Indigenous populations in the neighboring villages of Bomassa and Makao are increasingly vital.

“We’ve seen great changes, great progress. We’ve seen the abundance of elephants, large mammals in the village,” Gabriel Mobolambi, chief of Bomassa village, said in the same video. “And also on our side, we benefit from conservation.”

Coinciding with the Park’s anniversary is the roll-out of a tourism-focused website, aiming to generate 15% of its revenue from visitors, which contributes significantly to the local economy...

Nouabalé-Ndoki also recently became the world’s first certified Gorilla Friendly National Park, ensuring best practices are in place for all gorilla-related operations, from tourism to research.

But gorillas and elephants — of which there are over 2,000 and 3,000, respectively — aren’t the only species visitors can admire in the 4,334-square-kilometer protected area.

The Park is also home to large populations of mammals such as chimpanzees and bongos, as well as a diverse range of reptiles, birds, and insects. For the flora fans, Nouabalé-Ndoki also boasts a century-old mahogany tree, and a massive forest of large-diameter trees.

Beyond the beauty of the Park, these tourism opportunities pave the way for major developments for local communities.

“The Park has created long-term jobs, which are rare in the region, and has brought substantial benefits to neighboring communities. Tourism is also emerging as a promising avenue for economic growth,” Mobolambi, the chief of Bomassa village, said in a press release.

The Park and its partners also work to provide education, health centers, agricultural opportunities, and access to clean water, as well, helping to create a safe environment for the people who share the land with these protected animals. 

In fact, the Makao and Bomassa health centers receive up to 250 patients a month, and Nouabalé-Ndoki provides continuous access to primary education for nearly 300 students in neighboring villages. 

It is this intersectional approach that maintains a mutual respect between humans and wildlife and encourages the investment in conservation programs, which lead to successes like 2023’s poaching-free milestone...

Evans, of the Park’s management, added in the anniversary video: “Thanks to the trust that has been built up between all those involved in conservation, we know that Nouabalé-Ndoki will remain a crucial refuge for wildlife for the generations to come.”"

-via Good Good Good, February 15, 2024

[daisy-mooon]

Behind the jokes and badassness, Captain Marvel is a fascinating character to me, because of how death follows her.

She causes an explosion. That explosion, which gives her powers and her immortality, canonically kills her. The Kree Empire resurrects her and makes her as Kree as they can. She shares Yon-Rogg's blood and his life, she's his creation, she's his victim, she's the one who causes his downfall, she's the one that destroys the system, the society, the planet that allowed her to be abused.

It's the Kree that see her as a killer and Annihilator. She's a monster of their own making, but it influences every species and planet she touches. Her victories cause death and her mistakes cause more death. Carol's triumph, the death of the Supreme Intelligence, results in the death of probably millions of Kree, and by consequence, almost causes the death of Hala's star.

"I'm only human" Carol says, before killing the Empire that is the reason that she can't ever be human again.

"We'll be back for the weapon," Ronan says, but that weapon will kill everything he stands for.

"Your life began the day it nearly ended," The Supreme Intelligence says, coldly, calculatingly. It's an AI. It doesn't have a good concept of death. It doesn't fully grasp that Carol had genuinely been killed that day, because she's still in front of it. Carol kills it.

"Death seems to follow you," Dar-Benn says, before she causes an explosion with the bangles, trying to defeat Carol. The explosion kills Dar-Benn.

Death follows Carol. Death follows Carol! Mar-Vell is dead. Maria is dead. Talos is dead. Soren is dead. Ronan is dead. Minn-Erva is dead. Korath is dead. Dar-Benn is dead. Yon-Rogg is, probably, dead. The Supreme Intelligence is dead. Natasha is dead. Tony is dead.

The only people in Carol's life who aren't dead are Kamala, Monica, Yan, Valkyrie, and Fury.

She watches helplessly as Dar-Benn almost murders Kamala after Kamala tries to save Dar-Benn's life, tries to find a way to solve the violence without death.

She watches helplessly as Monica gets torn into another reality, which for all she knows, she could die in. The tear in reality that was caused by Dar-Benn's death.

She tries to hide Yan's existence from her friends and tries to warn him and his people. The Kree soldiers aren't fighting to maim, they're fighting to kill. He escapes death by his own fighting skills and the fact that the Kree would rather focus on killing Carol than him.

Valkyrie and Carol interact once, and she only calls when she needs help after a fight, not during. Think about it. Valkyrie and the Bifrost could have helped the trio enormously. But Carol doesn't call until the fights are over. It would be very easy for a regular Asgardian warrior to die compared to superhumans.

And Fury... have you seen how often Fury comes close to dying? He's alive from skill and luck. He is lucky that he isn't dead.

Captain Marvel is so, so fascinating. Her story begins with her own death, and the more it goes on, the more death happens around her. Nobody is safe. She causes almost all of them, even the ones of her friends - not directly, but through the consequences of her actions. The consequences of her victories and mistakes. The consequences of her anger and revenge, her power and powerlessness. It is caused by both the Human and Kree sides of her, by both Carol and Vers, Captain Marvel and the Annihilator.

Carol is immortal. She can't die. And death follows her anyway.

[evelynstarshine]

It's being estimated that the spaceX launch, lacking the regulation and oversight of NASA launches, might have wiped out as much as 4% of the population of the federally protected Piping Plovers who's nesting site was within the effected area of the launch blast.

But you know, privatising space is cool because billionare fanboys think it's awesome.

[montereybayaquarium]

🎉 Hip-hip-hooray! It’s Endangered Species Day! 🎉

From penguins to plovers, sea otters to sea bass—we’re proud to partner with so many seariously awesome organizations working to protect endangered species.

This year shellebrates 50 years of the Endangered Species Act! That’s 50 years of our collective community taking action to make sure the beautiful biodiversity of our planet endures for future generations.

Together, we have the resources, tools, and community needed to protect these amazing animals. 💪🌍💙

[wachinyeya]

.

Twenty-one critically endangered black rhinos are settling into their new home at Loisaba Conservancy in northern Kenya.

The translocations were prompted by the fact that Kenya’s 16 black rhino sanctuaries are running out of space — a remarkable turnaround from rampant poaching in the 1970s and ’80s that reduced the country’s rhino population from 20,000 to fewer than 300.

The translocated animals, 10 bulls and 11 cows, arrived at Loisaba from Nairobi National Park, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

The animals were carefully moved over a period of three weeks and released into a fenced sanctuary covering nearly half the conservancy, marking the first time the species has been present at Loisaba since 1976.

[awkwardbirdsdaily]

Day 19 of extinct birds - the broad-billed parrot (note that we don't actually know what colour they are, this depiction is only my guess!)

This was another bird from the Mascarene islands. With only short accounts, a few bones and a single sketch to go by, we know almost nothing about them. They were called 'indian crows', which could imply dark colours and/or harsh calls. The only notes on their colour are that they were red with blue heads - one sailor noted they were 'beautifully coloured' but we might never get to know them.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

By Brian Melley, AP News

13 January 2024

LONDON (AP) — An unlikely refugee from the war in Ukraine — a rare Asiatic black bear — arrived at his new home in Scotland on Friday and quickly took to a meal of cucumbers and watermelon.

The 12-year-old Yampil was named for a village in the Donetsk region where he was one of the few survivors found by Ukrainian troops in the remains of a bombed-out private zoo.

Yampil, who had previously been called Borya, was discovered by soldiers who recaptured the devastated city of Lyman during the Kharkiv counteroffensive in the fall of 2022, said Yegor Yakovlev of Save Wild, who was among the first of many people who led the bear to a new life.

The bear was found in a menagerie that had long been abandoned by its owners.

Almost all the other animals had died of hunger, thirst or were struck by bullets or shrapnel and some were eaten by Russian troops.

Yampil narrowly missed the same fate, suffering a concussion from a projectile that landed nearby.

“The bear miraculously survived,” said Yakovlev, also director of the White Rock Bear Shelter, where the bear recovered.

“Our fighters did not know what to do with him, so they started looking for rescue.”

What followed was an odyssey that your average bear rarely makes, as he was moved to Kyiv for veterinary care and rehab, then shipped to a zoo in Poland, then to an animal rescue in Belgium, where he spent the past seven months, before landing in the United Kingdom.

Brian Curran, owner of Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder, Scotland, said his heart broke when he learned of the plight of the threatened Asiatic black bear.

“He was in terrible condition; five more days and they wouldn’t have been able to save him,” Curran said. “We were just so amazed he was still alive and well.”

The bear was skinny but not malnourished when he was found, said Frederik Thoelen, a biologist at the Nature Help Center in Belgium.

He now is estimated to weigh a healthy 440 pounds (200 kilograms), Thoelen said.

The nature center in Belgium, which usually treats injured wildlife and returns them to their natural settings, has taken several animals rescued from the war in Ukraine, including a wolf, a caracal cat and four lions, though those animals had not experienced the ordeal Yampil endured.

It was remarkable how calm Yampil was when he arrived in Belgium, Thoelen said.

The bear was trained in the past two weeks to move from his enclosure to the crate that would transport him across Belgium to Calais, France, then across the English Channel on a ferry to Scotland.

Pastries from a local bakery were used for good measure to lure him Thursday into the cage, where he was sedated for the journey.

“We want to use the food that he likes most, and for most bears — and for people also — it’s sweet, unhealthy foods,” Thoelen said.

Thoelen had a sense of the bear’s weight as he drove the crate to the port.

“Every time when we had a red light or a traffic jam, when the bear moved a little bit, you could feel the van moving also,” he said.

“You could feel it was a heavy animal in the back of the car.”

Yampil arrived at the zoo about 15 miles (25 kilometers) west of Edinburgh and immediately made himself at home.

He feasted on cukes — said to be his favorite food — and melon, said Adam Welsh, who works at Five Sisters.

The Asiatic black bear is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species as vulnerable to extinction in the wild, where it can be found in central and southern Asia, Russia, and Japan.

It’s known for the distinctive white crescent patch on its chest that gives it the nickname moon bear. It can live for up to 30 years in zoos.

It’s not clear if the bear will go into hibernation. The winter has been warmer than usual but colder days are on the horizon.

The zoo has other bears, but Yampil is the only Asian bear and unique in other ways.

“We’ve had circus bears, for example, that have been rescued,” Welsh said.

“We’ve had bears rescued from places like roadside restaurants where they’ve been used as kind of roadside attractions and been kept in subpar conditions. But this is the first time that we’ve worked with an animal that’s been rescued from a war zone.”

Scottish zoo welcomes black bear which survived war in Ukraine

13 January 2024

🖤🐻🤎

[kabutoden]

bug trolls… i am interested in kankri vantas. if that isn’t too much trouble. your buggy guys are so silly and interesting and i am a fan

here is kankri and his baby brother…. they don’t get along!! i wish they did though id love to see these two go on an adventure together where they look out each other. since kankri is a beforus troll and a vegan, his shell is pretty thin because he’s not getting enough iron. on the other hand, karkat’s shell is heavier then it should be due to stress. thanks for the RQ!! im soooo glad ppl like my sillies :D

[aroaceleovaldez]

funniest answer for "what happened during Jason's fight with Krios" is, rather than Jason having a physical one-on-one unarmed fight with Krios, Jason just tears Krios a new one re: legislation by chewing him out for unauthorized activity in a state park. Because one of Jupiter's big aspects is law!

Jason sends the entirety of the Titan Army forces in California marching out of Mt. Tam State Park with their tails between their legs with one strongly worded argument and some threats to inform San Francisco Fish & Wildlife. And he gets made praetor for it.

[greeningcamp]

Artenschutz-Projekt und Kampagne zum Klimanotstand fordert Rettung von Flüssen, Feuchtgebieten und Wäldern mit Hilfe nachhaltiger Flutungen sowie Wiedervernässung

Seit Frühjahr beobachtet Greening Deserts Dürre- und Klimaforscher sowie Experte für Feuchtgebiete mit Sorge die Entwicklung und Auswirkungen der schleichenden bzw. stillen Dürre welche in Ostdeutschland und einigen Teilen von Europa leider viel zu spät ernst genommen wurde. Etwa ab Mitte März haben internationale Atmosphären- und Klimaforscher Anzeichen oder Tendenzen einer Dürre gesehen. Der Dürreforscher Oliver Caplikas erkannte ein neues ungewöhnliche Wetterphänomen im April und dokumentierte diese Phänomen ab Mai regelmäßig. Die viel zu häufigen und großen Windwirbel über der Nordsee und im Norden der Atlantikküste, teils oberhalb von Schottland und Dänemark, blockierten sehr oft die Wolkenbildung bzw. großen Wassermassen welche sonst über diesen Bereich und Kanal über West- und Mitteleuropa ziehen. Im Austausch mit internationalen Klimaforschern wurden die Effekte und Faktoren dieser extremen Dürre ergründet und es laufen Studien bzw. eine Langzeitstudie. Mehr dazu in dem Artikel: Dürre in Deutschland und Europa setzt der Monokultur-Forstwirtschaft, Landwirtschaft und Bevölkerung stark zu - Siehe auch andere Artikel, Entwicklungen und Forschungsergebnisse für innovative sowie wirklich nachhaltige Lösungen.

Auswirkungen zu Land und Wasser in Leipzig und Leipziger Region wurden umfangreich dokumentiert und analysiert, Bodenanalysen und Pegelstände von Flüssen aufgenommen. Es wurden viele Wasserproben entnommen und dunkel, fachgerecht sowie luftdicht in Flaschen für weitere Analysen und Erforschung in Zukunft aufbewahrt. Mit Sorge wurden die sinkenden Pegelstände der Elster beobachtet, besonders im Bereich Auwald, Schleußig, Kleinzschocher, Großzschocher, Knauthain-Kleeberg vorbei am Elsterstausee bis zum Zwenkauer See. Leider wurden keine Bemühungen seitens der Verantwortlichen Wasserwirtschaft gesehen den Auwald rechtzeitig zu fluten oder Wasserstände von Flüssen wie der Weissen Elster mit Hilfe der Seen im Tagebaugebiet nachhaltig zu erhöhen. Die Pegelstände und eine schonende Flutung des Leipziger Auwaldes hätte viele Dürreschäden gemildert, den Grundwasserspiegel besser gehalten und Feuchtgebiete samt den Flussauen geschont. Durch mittlerweile bedrohliche Flusspegel sind die Randbereiche und Ökosysteme gefährdet, nicht nur im Flussbereich oder Randbereichen. Viele Bäume und Stadtbäume sowie Büsche sind ausgetrocknet. Siehe Fotogalerie:

Biber machen vor wie es richtig geht. Feuchtgebiete wie Flusslandschaften, Flussauen, Auwald-Gebiete, flussnahe Biotope und Waldflüsse brauchen naturnahe Rückhaltebecken. Durch Verdrängung der Bieber und Biberbauten trocknen nun Flüsse aus. #Biberdamm #Holzdamm #naturnah #Staudamm

Es gibt massive und flexible Staumöglichkeiten, Staudämme sowie natürliche / naturnahe Lösungen - einfach mal die Biber fragen. Werden Nebenflüsse etwas angestaut können größere Flüsse auf überlebenswichtigen Niveau gehalten werden! Besonders wenn es viel geregnet hat kann wichtiges Regenwasser / Flusswasser rechtzeitig zurückgehalten werden, da braucht es keine großen Seen oder Wasserspeicher. Vieles kann über nachhaltige, etappen- bzw. stufenweises Rückstauen realisiert werden, mit Holz- oder Steindämmen.

Flusswasser sollte nun überall wo es gut geht angestaut, zurückgehalten bzw. rückgestaut werden. Kritische Pegelstände nicht ignorieren - besonders bei Feuchtgebieten, Flussauen und Mooren. Ökologische Desaster und Flussaustrocknung kann verhindert werden ! #Disaster #DRR #Flussaustrocknung #Flusssterben verhindern !

Wenn Nebenflüsse nachhaltig rückgestaut, können Mindestwasserstände aufrechterhalten und größere Flüsse im Notfall gespeist werden. Notfall-Staudämme bzw. Steinwälle mit Granit- oder Natursteinen sind auch nicht verkehrt. Damit können kleinere Nebenflüsse gerettet, somit dann auch größere Flüsse auf einem Niveau / Pegelstand gehalten werden!

Flusswasser sollte nun überall wo es gut geht angestaut, rückgehalten bzw. rückgestaut werden. Kritische Pegelstände sollten nicht ignoriert werden, besonders bei Feuchtgebieten, Flutungsgebieten und Mooren.

Nochmal, rettet "eure" Bäche und Flüsse bevor es zu spät ist. Viele Biber wurden leider verdrängt, natürliche Dämme zerstört, Flüsse begradigt und,..! Nun sehen wir alle die Folgen, ähnlich wir durch all die Trockenlegungen für Tagebaue und Teile der Landwirtschaft. #Artenrettung #Artenschutz #Biotope #Holzdämme #Flussrettung #Flusswasser #Regenwasser #Steindämme #Staudämme Jetzt!

Wenn verantwortliche Gemeinden bzw. Verantwortliche jetzt nicht handeln und das Austrocknen von Flüssen zulassen, riskieren sie je nach Region das Aussterben von vielen wichtigen Arten und Ökosystemen! Wird die Tage und Nächte nicht gehandelt wird es noch mehr Umweltkatastrophen in dieser Hinsicht geben. Das ist wie wissentlicher Ökozid oder fahrlässige Umweltzerstörung!

Die unglaubliche Gleichgültigkeit oder Ignoranz von so einigen Leuten ist Gift, es schadet und zerstört Natur bzw. Umwelt. Diese Art von Ignoranz tötet, viele sind mit Schuld am Menschen- und Artensterben. Wir reden hier von teilweise zugelassenen Desastern und Katastrophen! Genug Menschen hätten oder können handeln, gerade alle die es wissen... bevor es zu spät ist! #Disaster #DRR #Flussaustrocknung #Prävention #Umweltkatastrophen!

Mehr zu aktuellen Ereignissen und speziell zu der Dürre- und Klimaforschung sowie umfangreiche Artikel und Beiträge zum Klimanotstand hier auf den Projektseiten und auf den sozialen Seiten von Leipzig Palms und TrillionTrees.eu. - Stand 15.08.2022

Die Feuchtgebiete samt Auwälder bzw. Auenwälder, Feuchtwald, Feuchtbiotops- und Flussrettung mit Hilfe nachhaltiger Flutung aus Seen und Rückhaltebecken (auch an geeigneten Flussstellen) ist in einigen Regionen immer noch möglich. Verantwortliche der Wasserwirtschaft und für den Auwald in Leipzig und Region wurden mehrfach schriftlich über Beiträge im Internet und sogar persönlich über die Klimanotstands-Kampagne informiert, ebenso wie diverse Umweltorganisationen, etwa zur Ökofete im Clara-Zetkin-Park!

Viele verstehen den Ernst der Lage nicht. Ökosysteme in von Dürren betroffen Regionen stehen kurz vor dem kippen. Niedrigwasser, sinkende Flusspegel und Grundwasser sowie Tiefenaustrocknung haben Böden, Gewässer und Landschaften stark geschädigt. #Desaster #DRR #Landverödung

Umso länger die Dürre läuft umso mehr steigen die Risiken in diversen Bereichen, besonders im Bezug auf Brandrisiken und Waldbrände.

Updates folgen hier wöchentlich, im Notfall eventuell sogar täglich.

[reasonsforhope]

"Mexico’s government recently announced the creation of 20 new protected areas across 12 states and two coastal areas in the country, covering roughly 2.3 million hectares (5.7 million acres). This follows a series of budget cuts to the nation’s environmental agencies.

Officials introduced four new national parks, four “flora and fauna protection areas,” seven sanctuaries, two biosphere reserves and three “natural resources protection areas” under the protection of the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP).

“This is a commendable step toward biodiversity conservation and environmental protection,” said Gina Chacón, director of the Wildland Network’s public policy program in Mexico. She told Mongabay these new areas will help preserve the country’s rich ecosystems, foster sustainable practices and protect a broad range of important species and habitats. Though some environmental and Indigenous groups are wary the budget cuts could hinder efforts to conserve these areas.

The newly protected areas will preserve habitat and ecologically important marine areas for various species, including whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), Mexican prairie dogs (Cynomys mexicanus) and jaguars (Panthera onca). They will also help safeguard ecologically important coral reefs and areas of cultural significance to Indigenous communities.

Bajos del Norte, a new national park in the Gulf of Mexico, is the largest new protected area, covering 1,304,114 hectares (3,222,535 acres), almost nine times the size of Mexico City. The area is important to the more than 3,000 families that belong to fishing communities on the Yucatán coast. It is also one of the main grouper fish (Epinephelinae) reproduction sites in the Gulf of Mexico and will safeguard threatened species, such as the rocky star coral (Orbicella annularis) and the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata).

Joaquín Núñez Medrano, the secretary of the UEFAHG or Union of Forestry and Agricultural Ejidos Hermenegildo Galeana A.C. (Unión de Ejidos Forestales y Agropecuarios Hermenegildo Galeana), lives in an ejido — a type of communally owned land used for agriculture and forestry purposes — called Cordòn Grande in Sierra Grande of Guerrero, along the Pacific Coast. For more than 10 years, Medrano’s community has monitored species such as the jaguar and sustainably managed the ejido’s natural resources, without government assistance.

But now, the ejido has been designated a protected area in this latest round of decrees, as it falls inside part of the new Sierra Tecuani reserve. “The goal is to strengthen what we have already been doing but with support to do it much better,” he told Mongabay.

The second- and third-largest newly protected areas are Sierra Tecuani, a 348,140-hectare (860,272-acre) biosphere reserve threatened by illegal logging, forest fires and land use changes, and the Semidesierto Zacatecas Flora and Fauna Protection Area, which is important for the recovery of the Mexican prairie dog.

The state of Oaxaca is where the government created the most new protected areas, numbering three: the 90-hectare (222-acre) Playa Morro Ayuta Sanctuary, the 56-hectare (138-acre) Barra de la Cruz-Playa Grande Sanctuary and the 261-hectare (645-acre) Playa Cahuitán Sanctuary. Other protected areas were created in the states of Quintana Roo, Veracruz, Campeche, Nayarit, Zacatecas, Chiapas, Colima, Durango, Jalisco, Chihuahua, Guerrero and the State of Mexico...

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has protected more areas than any previous administration, with a total of 43 new areas across 3 million hectares (7.4 million acres). But Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), which works to safeguard the environment, has become severely cash-strapped throughout his six-year term.

SEMARNAT is one of many sectors in Mexico undergoing funding cuts. In recent years, Obrador’s government has implemented a series of strict austerity measures to free up more money for other areas like pensions and wages, boosting the leader’s popularity among citizens, particularly the working-class. Judicial workers, health services and academia have also had their budgets slashed in 2024...

Juan Bezaury-Creel, the director of the organization Fundación BD BioDiversidad Mexicana, said a protected area is better than no protected area because, once a decree is formalized, the government has a duty to protect it. However, this puts “huge pressure on existing personnel because they have to take care of more surface area with less resources,” he told Mongabay.

“The personnel from CONANP are heroic,” he said. “They are putting their lives on the line many times with little budget and little help.”"

-via Mongabay, January 25, 2024

[life-on-our-planet]

The rufa red knot is a medium sized shorebird, and one of the longest-distance migrants in the animal kingdom. Red knots undergo various physiological changes before their migration and arrive at their regular stopover sites extremely thin. Their gizzard is shrunken for travel so rather than standard hard foods like plant matter or arthropods their preferred food is soft, nutritious horseshoe crab eggs. This interrelatedness means that the success of the red knot population is dependent on the success of the horseshoe crab population. ©ArosFilm

[justpostsyeet]

Now i can't stop thinking about some orc scholars. Like they wouldn't have been some brutish animalistic beings after living in middle earth for so many years. They have speech, they live in communities and they can have a coordinated war formation so, their might have been some development of culture in their communities. Maybe we just don't know because their history was never preserved.