We have a bit of a warm spell here in the Okanagan. That gave me a chance to start my winter sowing project. This is my fourth winter all using these 4L milk jugs.
#wildflowers #rewilding #nativeplants #bees #pollinators #butterflies #WinterSowing #zone6 #biodiversity #Okanagan
"Taken together, our review highlights that extreme climatic events associated with climate change are undermining biodiversity through diverse pathways, and that the prospects for rapid adaptation and evolutionary rescue are severely constrained by a host of ecological and genetic challenges."
Recreation industry and tourism harm Reedy Creek Reserve's Paperbark Forest
Reedy Creek Reserve's Paperbark Forest Walk in Agnes Water closed after tourist and environment concerns >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-07/agnes-water-reedy-creek-reserve-closed-paperbark-walk/106100738
#biodiversity #conservation #tourism #harm
62,000 African Penguins Starving to Death Highlights Humanity-Driven Extinction Crisis
cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/6952365 [https://hexbear.net/post/6952365] > cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/11958 [https://news.abolish.capital/post/11958] > > > [https://lemmy.zip/api/v3/image_proxy?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhexbear.net%2Fapi%2Fv3%2Fimage_proxy%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.commondreams.org%252Fmedia-library%252Fsave-the-african-penguin-from-extinction-protest-in-south-africa.jpg%253Fid%253D62288727%2526width%253D1200%2526height%253D400%2526coordinates%253D0%25252C78%25252C0%25252C444] > > > > > > A study published this week about tens of thousands of starving African penguins is highlighting what scientists warn is the planet’s sixth mass extinction event [https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/01/18/scientists-decry-human-indifference-probable-sixth-mass-extinction], driven by human activity, and efforts to save as many species as possible. > > > > Researchers from the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE), the United Kingdom’s University of Exeter, and other institutions examined a pair of breeding colonies north of Cape Town, South Africa, and published their findings [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.2989/00306525.2025.2568382] Thursday in Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology. > > > > “These two sites are two of the most important breeding colonies historically—holding around 25,000 (Dassen) and around 9,000 (Robben) breeding pairs in the early 2000s. As such, they are also the locations of long-term monitoring programs,” said [https://news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-environment-science-and-economy/penguins-starved-to-death-en-masse-as-food-supply-collapsed/] study co-author Azwianewi Makhado from the DFFE in a statement. > > > > As the study explains: “African Penguins moult annually, coming ashore and fasting for 21 days, when they shed and replace all their feathers. Failure to fatten sufficiently to moult, or to regain condition afterwards, results in death.” > > > > The team found that “between 2004 and 2011, the sardine stock off west South Africa was consistently below 25% of its peak abundance, and this appears to have caused severe food shortage for African penguins, leading to an estimated loss of about 62,000 breeding individuals,” said co-author and Exeter associate professor Richard Sherley. > > > > > — (@) > > > > The paper notes that “although some adults moulted at a colony to the southeast, where food may have been more plentiful, much of the mortality likely resulted from failure of birds to fatten sufficiently to moult. The fishery exploitation rate of sardines west of Cape Agulhas was consistently above 20% between 2005 and 2010.” > > > > Sherley said that “high sardine exploitation rates—that briefly reached 80% in 2006—in a period when sardine was declining because of environmental changes likely worsened penguin mortality.” > > > > Humanity’s reliance on fossil fuels is warming [https://e360.yale.edu/features/salt-scourge-the-dual-threat-of-warming-and-rising-salinity] ocean water and impacting how salty it is. For the penguins’ prey, said Sherley, “changes in the temperature and salinity of the spawning areas off the west and south coasts of South Africa made spawning in the historically important west coast spawning areas less successful, and spawning off the south coast more successful.” > > > > The researcher also stressed that “these declines are mirrored elsewhere,” pointing out that the species’ global population has dropped nearly 80% in the last three decades. With fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs left, the African penguin was uplisted [https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697810/256021744] to “critically endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species last year. > > > > Sherley told [https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2024/11/population-crash-means-african-penguins-are-now-critically-endangered/] Mongabay at the time that the IUCN update “highlights a much bigger problem with the health of our environment.” > > > > “Despite being well-known and studied, these penguins are still facing extinction, showing just how severe the damage to our ecosystems has become,” he said. “If a species as iconic as the African penguin is struggling to survive, it raises the question of how many other species are disappearing without us even noticing. We need to act now—not just for penguins, but to protect the broader biodiversity that is crucial for the planet’s future.” > > > > > Looks like the combined effects of climate change and over fishing are key factors in decimating the populations of these penguins.www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi [http://penguins.www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi]… > > > > > > [image or embed] [https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wllsvhzlt2aee32ouicr6kj7/post/3m7a7d2bdqc2x?ref_src=embed] > > > — Margot Hodson (@margothodson.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wllsvhzlt2aee32ouicr6kj7?ref_src=embed]) December 5, 2025 at 4:46 AM [https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wllsvhzlt2aee32ouicr6kj7/post/3m7a7d2bdqc2x?ref_src=embed] > > > > Fearful that the iconic penguin species could be extinct within a decade, the conservation organizations BirdLife South Africa and the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) last year pursued a first-of-its-kind legal battle in the country, resulting in a settlement with the commercial fishing sector and DFFE. > > > > The settlement, reached just days before a planned court hearing this past March, led to no-go zones for the commercial anchovy and sardine fishing vessels around six penguin breeding colonies: Stony Point, as well as Bird, Dassen, Dyer, Robben, and St. Croix islands. > > > > “The threats facing the African penguin are complex and ongoing—and the order itself requires monitoring, enforcement, and continued cooperation from industry and the government processes which monitor and allocate sardine and anchovy populations for commercial purposes,” Nicky Stander, head of conservation at SANCCOB, said [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y0xl8gp14o] in March. > > > > The study also acknowledges hopes that “the revised closures—which will operate year-round until at least 2033—will decrease mortality of African penguins and improve their breeding success at the six colonies around which they have been implemented.” > > > > “However,” it adds, “in the face of the ongoing impact of climate change on the abundance and distribution of their key prey, other interventions are likely to be needed.” > > > > Lorien Pichegru, a marine biology professor at South Africa’s Nelson Mandela University who was not involved in the study, called the findings “extremely concerning” and warned [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/05/african-penguins-starve-to-death-south-africa-sardine-population-aoe] the Guardian that the low fish numbers require urgent action “not only for African penguins but also for other endemic species depending on these stocks.” > > > > — > > > > From Common Dreams [https://www.commondreams.org/feeds/news.rss] via This RSS Feed [https://www.commondreams.org/feeds/news.rss].
#Norwegen setzt die Vergabe von #Tiefseebergbau-Lizenzen bis mindestens 2029 aus.
Obwohl große Vorkommen an #Kupfer, #Zink und #SelteneErden im Norwegischen und #Grönlandmeer vermutet werden, wurde die geplante Erkundung auf Druck kleinerer Parteien gestoppt.
Der Abbau gilt als umweltrisikoreich, da giftige Abfälle und radioaktive Nebenprodukte entstehen können.
https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2025-12/norwegen-tiefseebergbau-seltene-erden-umweltschutz
#rohstoffe #meeresboden #umweltschutz #ressourcenpolitik #biodiversity #environment
"i... didn't come here to be upstaged by a starfrontlet" -- flashy male Rainbow Bearded Thorntail
#BirdsOfMastodon #Hummingbird #Bird #Birding #Rare #Rainbow #Photography #BirdPhotography #Flashy #Colorful #Nature #Biodiversity
Here's my photo of a young Cougar in snow (Puma concolor). The Cougar is also known as Mountain Lion, Puma, Catamount, or Panther. ©Carl R. Englander
#ArtAdventCalendar #ThrowbackThursday #Throwback #Caturday #CatsOfMastodon #Cat #Cats #Catstodon #NaturePhotography #Photography #PhotographersOfMastodon #Photo #Photographer #Nature #Outdoors #Biodiversity #Naturalist #Color #Film #Kodak #Winter #Mammal #Conservation #Biodiversity #Environment #Ecosystem #Ecology
Why Pangolins Are So Special
#Pangolins of #Africa and Asia are the world’s most trafficked animal. Tragically they are disappearing due to illegal poaching as well as habitat loss for agribusiness like #palmoil. They get their name from the Malay word pengguling, which translates to “rolling up” in reference to their balled-up protective pose when threatened. Pangolins play an essential part in ecosystem health, keeping insects in check with their highly sensitive tongues and sense of smell. These remarkable and critically endangered animals deserve a break from savage and cruel #poaching and palm oil #deforestation. Help them when you #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
The remarkable #pangolin is named ‘pengguling’ in Malay. Looking like a #pokemon or a scaly #dragon 🐉 they rid ecosystems in #Africa and #Asia of excess insects. Help them survive, be #vegan and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-92l
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterWritten by Olajumoke Morenikeji, Professor Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Pangolins play a vital role in ecosystems by controlling insect populations, particularly ants and termites, which helps maintain ecological balance.
Pangolins are fascinating creatures known for their unique appearance and distinctive scales. They are mammals belonging to the order Pholidota and are native to Africa and Asia. Due to their primary diet of ants and termites, pangolins are often referred to as “scaly anteaters”.
The African pangolin species are dispersed throughout southern, western, central and east Africa.
Pangolins face rapid declines across Asia and Africa, with all eight species classified as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. They are threatened by poaching and habitat loss, driven by the demand for their meat and scales.
Pangolins are the most trafficked wild mammal in the world. Their meat is considered a delicacy in Asia while their scales are also used in traditional medicines, fetching huge sums on the black market. As many as 8.5 million pangolins are estimated to have been removed from the wild in west and central Africa for the illegal trade between 2014 and 2021.
The trade route analysis of pangolin trafficking points to Lagos as the main connection point both domestically and worldwide, including south-east Asian countries. Malaysia, Laos and Singapore also serve as key transit countries for pangolin-scale shipments from Nigeria.
China and Vietnam are the main destinations for these illegal shipments.
I am a zoologist who’s passionate about the environment and biodiversity conservation. I am also the founder and chair of Pangolin Conservation Guild Nigeria. In my view, effective protection, law enforcement and changes in consumer behaviour are necessary to address the complex drivers of poaching and trafficking.
What makes pangolins special
Pangolins are interesting for a number of reasons.
Scales: Unlike any other mammals, they are covered with keratin scales. This adaptation is a defence against predators. The scales, made of the same material as human fingernails, provide armour-like protection as they curl into a ball when threatened, shielding their vulnerable underbelly. The scales can account for up to 20% of a pangolin’s total body weight. A pangolin’s scales are a reminder of the incredible diversity of adaptations in the natural world.
Habitats: Pangolins, as a group, are also adaptable to different environmental conditions. Their habitats include tropical forests, dry woodlands and savannahs. Some pangolin species, like the white-bellied, are adept climbers and spend much of their time in the canopy, foraging for insects among the branches. These arboreal habits provide them with both food and shelter, as well as protection from ground-dwelling predators. Other pangolin species, such as the ground pangolins, live on the forest floor or in grasslands. They may dig burrows underground where they retreat for rest and safety, particularly during the heat of the day or to escape potential threats.
Defence: The name “pangolin” originates from the Malay word pengguling, which translates to “rolling up”. They tuck in their head and limbs and curl into a tight ball when faced with danger, wrapping their body in a protective layer of overlapping scales. This has helped pangolins survive predators such as big cats, hyenas and humans.
Diet: Pangolins primarily feed on ants and termites, making them essential players in controlling insect populations within their ecosystems. They find the insects using their keen sense of smell and their tongues – which are often longer than their bodies. These long tongues are coated with sticky saliva, allowing them to probe deep into ant and termite nests to extract their prey. Their strong claws are also well-suited for tearing open insect nests and breaking through hard soil to uncover hidden prey. Pangolins’ diets play a crucial role in maintaining the health and stability of their environments.
Pangolins in Africa
In west and central Africa, the giant pangolin is distributed in a variety of habitats, including primary and secondary forests, swamp forests and wooded savannahs. Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) is the most widely distributed African pangolin, occurring mainly in southern and east Africa. The black-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla) is an arboreal pangolin species, and occurs in west and central Africa. The white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) is the most frequently encountered pangolin in Africa. The white-bellied pangolin is found in north-central and south-western Nigeria.
White-bellied Pangolin Phataginus tricuspisIn Nigeria, pangolins are found in various habitats, including forests, savannahs and grasslands. Their distribution and abundance in Nigeria are uncertain, highlighting the need for further research and conservation efforts.
Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, serves as a hub for the illegal trade of pangolins. It is a transit route to Cameroon and is involved in shipments of pangolins from sub-Saharan Africa to Asia. Cameroon is at the centre of wildlife trafficking in central Africa. It is both a source country of animal products as well as a transit route for contraband from neighbouring Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic.
In 2022, Nigerian customs officials seized 1,613 tonnes of pangolin scales and arrested 14 people. In October 2023, Nigeria burned four tonnes of seized pangolin scales, valued at US$1.4 million. Officials said this was the first time they had publicly destroyed seized wildlife products to discourage illegal trafficking.
Why pangolin conservation is important
Pangolin conservation is crucial for several reasons.
Firstly, pangolins play a vital role in ecosystems by controlling insect populations, particularly ants and termites, which helps maintain ecological balance.
They also contribute to soil health through their digging behaviour, which aerates the soil and promotes nutrient cycling.
Moreover, pangolins are indicators of ecosystem health. Their presence or absence can reflect the overall well-being of their habitats. Protecting pangolins helps safeguard biodiversity and the integrity of their ecosystems.
They also have cultural and economic value in many regions, contributing to ecotourism.
Written by Olajumoke Morenikeji, Professor Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
ENDS
Pangolins get their name from the Malay ‘pengguling’ meaning rolling up. These special critically endangered animals deserve a break from savage poaching
by Palm Oil DetectivesDecember 7, 2025October 12, 2025Giant Pangolin Smutsia gigantea
The Giant Pangolin is are the largest and heaviest of the pangolin species weighing up to 35 kilos. These majestic creature are cloaked in keratin armour and embark on nightly quests…
by Palm Oil DetectivesOctober 27, 2024March 23, 2025Sunda pangolins AKA Javan pangolins are capable swimmers and curl protective balls, palm oil and hunting exploitation are major threats, boycott palm oil!
by Palm Oil DetectivesJuly 16, 2023October 12, 2025Load more posts
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Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global South America S.E. Asia India Africa West Papua & PNGFrill-Necked Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii
Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum
Ecuadorean Viscacha Lagidium ahuacaense
Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata
Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
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Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
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The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
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https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
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Pledge your support#africa #animalBehaviour #animalBiodiversityNews #animalCruelty #animalExtinction #animalIntelligence #animalRights #asia #biodiversity #boycott4wildlife #boycottpalmoil #deforestation #dragon #giantPangolinSmutsiaGigantea #palmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #pangolin #pangolins #poaching #pokemon #sundaPangolinManisJavanica #temmincksPangolinSmutsiaTemminckii #vegan #whiteBelliedPangolinPhataginusTricuspis
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