A group of Tasmanian devils have taken up residence in San Diego Zoo in California as part of a conservation programme to protect the endangered species.
Showing posts with label conservation programme. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conservation programme. Show all posts
Friday, 11 October 2013
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Joint Iraqi and UK team set to work on major new conservation initiative in Iraq
Courtesy of BirdLife International
April 2012. Thanks to a £300,000 (US$ 480,000) grant from Defra's Darwin Initiative, a major new three year conservation programme is starting in Iraq. Focusing on the mountainous region of Kurdistan the project will involve experts from BirdLife International and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), in partnership with Nature Iraq (BirdLife Partner).
April 2012. Thanks to a £300,000 (US$ 480,000) grant from Defra's Darwin Initiative, a major new three year conservation programme is starting in Iraq. Focusing on the mountainous region of Kurdistan the project will involve experts from BirdLife International and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), in partnership with Nature Iraq (BirdLife Partner).
The project will generate new data for conservation and resources for protected area management and environmental education. The team's aim is to make serious progress in addressing the challenges of conservation resulting from nearly 30 years of scientific isolation.
Nature Iraq
"The biodiversity of Iraq is extremely vulnerable following years of unstable government, breakdown in traditional land management and recent rapid development", explained Tony Miller, RBGE's Centre for Middle Eastern Plants (CMEP) Director and UK project leader. "What's more the country has limited capacity to deal with threats to the environment. At present the only internal organisation engaged in conservation work is Nature Iraq. Supported by BirdLife International, since 2005, it has adopted a Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) approach to identifying biodiverse-rich regions. The new funding will allow us to work with the two agencies towards conserving the country's fragile environment".
"The biodiversity of Iraq is extremely vulnerable following years of unstable government, breakdown in traditional land management and recent rapid development", explained Tony Miller, RBGE's Centre for Middle Eastern Plants (CMEP) Director and UK project leader. "What's more the country has limited capacity to deal with threats to the environment. At present the only internal organisation engaged in conservation work is Nature Iraq. Supported by BirdLife International, since 2005, it has adopted a Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) approach to identifying biodiverse-rich regions. The new funding will allow us to work with the two agencies towards conserving the country's fragile environment".
This is not the UK teams' first involvement in Iraq. Both BirdLife and RBGE have been working with Nature Iraq for several years, delivering training to Iraqi scientists. These activities have involved staff, students and personnel from all major Iraqi organisations with an interest in the environment, including the major universities and Ministries in both Iraq and the Kurdish Autonomous Region.
"Richard Porter, of BirdLife, commented: "Working with Nature Iraq for the past seven years has been inspiring and a great privilege. Their extensive wildlife surveys have produced a wealth of information and now there is a great opportunity to use this for an exciting education programme".
The UK's Natural Environment Minister Richard Benyon said: "Iraq has suffered many years of war and conflict, and protecting its wildlife has understandably been a low priority. Things are now changing, and with work already underway to tackle threats to the environment it is clear Iraq has stepped up its efforts to conserve its vulnerable wildlife. The Darwin Initiative is all about helping the world's poorest countries protect their wildlife, and I hope that the money and expertise provided by the UK will allow them to focus on this once more."
This project brings together the foremost British expertise in both Middle Eastern plants and birds to work in partnership with the Iraqi environmental NGO Nature Iraq", added Sophie Neale, CMEP's
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Saving the Kereru, New Zealand’s only native pigeon
Survey reveals kereru is thriving in urban areas
March 2012: Forest & Bird's nationwide kereru count has provided valuable information about New Zealand's only native pigeon and will help conservation projects aimed at reversing its population decline.
(SURVEY: The first kereru count has been held. Picture: Craig Mackenzie)
Kereru Count Project Co-ordinator Jenny Lynch was pleased 1,179 kereru sightings were recorded during the inaugural nine-day survey last month.
Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin emerged as kereru hotspots, which Jenny says was partly due to ‘more eyes and ears' looking out for the birds. But the high numbers also indicated kereru could thrive in urban areas.
Good pest control is the key to success‘It seems urban reserves and parks are providing food for kereru and then that's spilling over into backyards. Now we want to encourage residents living near these reserves to plant kereru-friendly food plants to support these populations,' she says.
‘It's good to see the distribution is spread right across New Zealand but the results show there are some areas where kereru numbers aren't as high as they should be.'One sighting of about 40 kereru on the West Coast was ‘a nice surprise' in the survey.
Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin emerged as kereru hotspots, which Jenny says was partly due to ‘more eyes and ears' looking out for the birds. But the high numbers also indicated kereru could thrive in urban areas.
Good pest control is the key to success‘It seems urban reserves and parks are providing food for kereru and then that's spilling over into backyards. Now we want to encourage residents living near these reserves to plant kereru-friendly food plants to support these populations,' she says.
‘It's good to see the distribution is spread right across New Zealand but the results show there are some areas where kereru numbers aren't as high as they should be.'One sighting of about 40 kereru on the West Coast was ‘a nice surprise' in the survey.
‘We would have seen flocks that size all over the country before Maori and Pakeha settlement. Now it only happens in places where there is really good pest control.'
The survey data will be analysed and the results shared with local conservation groups, councils and the Department of Conservation. Data will identify where there is a need for more pest control and ensure future development of green spaces supports boosting numbers of resident kereru.
The survey data will be analysed and the results shared with local conservation groups, councils and the Department of Conservation. Data will identify where there is a need for more pest control and ensure future development of green spaces supports boosting numbers of resident kereru.
Keen observers who recorded a kereru sighting during the nine-day survey will be emailed suggestions on how they can support local kereru populations. They will learn what food trees favoured by kereru will grow well in their region, and the relevant conservation projects happening in their area.
Forest & Bird is looking to make the survey an annual event and build up data on long-term population trends.
Kereru numbers have been in decline since human settlement. As the only bird capable of dispersing large seeds from some of New Zealand's native trees, they are crucial to maintaining the biodiversity of forests in the country.
Forest & Bird is looking to make the survey an annual event and build up data on long-term population trends.
Kereru numbers have been in decline since human settlement. As the only bird capable of dispersing large seeds from some of New Zealand's native trees, they are crucial to maintaining the biodiversity of forests in the country.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Illegal Orangutan Trader Prosecuted
ScienceDaily (Feb. 23, 2012) — The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) has just announced Sumatra's first ever successful sentence of an illegal orangutan owner and trader in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia.
The seven-month prison sentence is only the third for Indonesia, despite orangutans being strictly protected under Indonesian law since 1924.
Although there have been over 2,500 confiscations of illegally held orangutans in Indonesia since the early 1970's, the first actual prosecution of an illegal orangutan owner occurred in Borneo in 2010, and now in Sumatra with this case in 2012.
The case began with the confiscation of a young male orangutan named Julius last July in Mardinding, Karo District, in the province of North Sumatra. The owner was allegedly trying to sell the orangutan, which was believed to be three years old.
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