Latest news with #TheNatureConservancy
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Ohio cicada map 2025: When will cicadas go away? How deep do they burrow?
Is the cicada season over yet in Ohio? If you're reading this in Greater Cincinnati, you've probably seen the cicadas swarming around the city. After these adult cicadas mate, they will lay eggs, and their cicada babies (known as nymphs) will hatch after a few weeks. How far into the ground will the nymphs burrow when they hatch from their eggs? Here's a little biology lesson. After six to ten weeks, cicada nymphs will hatch. They appear white and ant-like when they hatch, according to the Ohio State University Extension. Once they hatch, they drop to the trees and immediately burrow around 6–18 inches below the ground. The nymphs then spend the next 13 or 17 years below ground before emerging to continue the life cycle. Millions, if not billions, of cicadas (whether you like them or not) have emerged in Cincinnati, Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana. This brood of cicadas is XIV (14), the latest brood of 17-year cicadas to emerge in the United States. The duration of the cicadas' presence depends on the brood and whether they are annual or periodical species. Once periodical cicadas have mated and the females have laid their eggs, the insects will die after about three to six weeks above ground. That means many of this year's periodical cicadas could go away in mid-June, according to The Nature Conservancy. However, Gene Kritsky, professor emeritus of biology with Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, said that Cincinnati's cicadas are still approaching their peak in many areas. Kritsky, founder of Cicada Safari, an app that crowdsources and reviews data on cicadas, attributed their continued presence this late into June to the cooler, rainy days in May. The eggs will hatch in early August and nymphs will burrow into the soil, while the dead adult cicadas will fall back to the ground, helping to fertilize the soil while leaving a stinky, terrible mess. This 2025 brood has emerged in great numbers along the I-71 corridor near Cincinnati, per The Enquirer. All or part of several other counties in Southern and Southwest Ohio are experiencing cicadas this year. Here are the counties that are getting hit the hardest: Adams Brown Parts of Butler Clermont Most of Clinton Most of Gallia Parts of Hamilton Highland Parts of Ross Most of Warren In two years, a 13-year brood is expected to emerge in Brown and Clermont counties southeast of Cincinnati, as well as 10 other counties in Northern Kentucky. Ohio will then see cicadas again in 2033, 2036 and 2038, according to Cicada Mania. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cicada map 2025: See where they are in Ohio, how deep they burrow
Associated Press
03-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
NatureVest Celebrates a Decade of Impact
For more than a decade, NatureVest, The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) in-house impact investing and sustainable finance team, has been harnessing the power of private capital to drive conservation at scale. Thanks to the support of our colleagues and collaborators, our impact investment portfolio demonstrates how investing in nature is smart business strategy, pairing meaningful returns with measurable impacts. As we mark the 10th anniversary of NatureVest with this 2024 Impact Report, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude. In our early years, we embarked on pioneering projects like Livestock to Markets, to improve herding practices and land management, and the Olympic Peninsula Acquisition Project for sustainable forest management and restoration. These early projects helped lay the foundation for our ambitious vision. Now, a decade later, our portfolio has grown to represent USD 3.5 billion in committed capital, with projects spanning four continents and covering a variety of asset types. This remarkable progress highlights the unwavering commitment of our team, partners, investors, and collaborators. Reflecting on how far we have come, I extend my heartfelt thanks to all who have been an integral part of this journey. What's Inside the Report? New Deals: The report highlights TNC's latest impact investment projects, including the Blue Revolution Fund and Bahamas Nature Bonds. These initiatives illustrate how collaboration among partners and investors creates new opportunities for conservation funding and impact. Conservation Updates: We explore the latest developments across the Cumberland Forest Project, the Sustainable Water Impact Fund, the Africa Conservation and Communities Tourism Fund, and our BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group (TIG) and TNC Collaboration. This year, our updates focus on how conservation efforts can diversify revenue streams while achieving environmental and social outcomes. Impact Investing Interview: The interview titled 'Built to Last: Building Impact into Investment Structures' features Glen Jeffries, NatureVest's managing director of impact investments. He describes how NatureVest integrates impact into a project's structure to ensure outcomes for nature. Here, readers can learn about the three Ps as well as answers to questions like: How do you balance returns with impact objectives when structuring a deal? Outcomes: We explore each project's impact targets and realized impact to date. Be sure to check out the Appendices to see the results of our collective work. Across our growing portfolio, we are excited to report significant wins for nature and people. We express our deepest thanks to our colleagues across TNC, as well as the partners and investors who make these transformative transactions and their positive outcomes possible. We also extend our gratitude to all our readers for your continued support and interest in our mission. By Catherine Burns, Interim Managing Director, NatureVest Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from NatureVest
Miami Herald
31-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Texas Map Shows Cities Where Sea Level Rise is Accelerating
Several coastal cities in Texas are facing rising sea levels that could impact infrastructure and homes, according to new data. Research from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science has revealed that some of the highest sea level rises in the United States are along the coast of Texas in the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S.'s coastline is densely populated and will be vulnerable to more frequent and intense flooding, coastal erosion, and the loss of critical infrastructure as sea levels continue to rise. In particular, Texas has many cities and towns located along the Gulf Coast. These sea level changes will profoundly impact life in some of the country's largest cities and could even lead to the displacement of communities. The 2024 sea level analysis, based on 55 years of data from tide gauges across 36 U.S. coastal communities, uses historical measurements at specific locations, meaning each city has a specific sea level increase. According to the data, mapped by Newsweek, three cities in Texas reported high sea level rises in 2024. Rockport saw the highest recorded rise, at 7.1 millimeters a year, while Galveston saw a rise of 6.8 millimeters. Port Isabel, meanwhile, recorded a sea level rise rate of 5.2 millimeters a year. All three cities are heavily exposed to the Gulf. However, other cities along the Gulf coastline in different states reported significantly lower sea level rises. In Florida, cities like Pensacola and Cedar Key reported increases of less than 4 millimeters per year, and even Key West, which is located on an island separated from the Florida mainland, reported just 3.6 millimeters, roughly half that of Rockport. Piper Wallingford, Climate Resilience Scientist at The Nature Conservancy, told Newsweek: "Rising sea levels that we see today are primarily caused by warmer temperatures associated with climate change. As the planet warms, the oceans are undergoing thermal expansion, where warm water takes up more space than cooler water. "Warmer global temperatures are also causing glaciers and ice sheets to melt, adding additional water to the oceans. Local conditions like topography and erosion can lead to faster or slower rates compared to the global average, but overall sea level rise is expected to accelerate in the next century as further greenhouse gas emissions create feedback loops." If sea levels continue to rise, urban areas may need to consider drastic measures to prevent flooding and other disruptions to city life. Related Articles Elon Musk's Starbase City Warns Residents Over Property RightsCensors Allowed to Remove Books From Libraries, Court Rules'Trump Burger' Gets Scathing Reviews From Food Critics: 'Bland'More Property Tax Relief Coming For Texans 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cicadas attract pests, nearly invisible mites that bite and can cause a rash. What to know
The latest 17-year brood of cicadas is invading, bringing millions if not billions of the noisy insects to Cincinnati and southwest Ohio. While cicadas may be annoying — they're loud, they leave their nymph shells everywhere after molting and they may upset your pet's stomach if your dog gorges on them — the insects are harmless, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. They're even beneficial: They're a valuable food source for native wildlife, per ODNR, and the nymphs emerging from underground can help your lawn, according to The Nature Conservancy. However, cicadas can attract a pest, the oak leaf itch mite. And as the name suggests, these mites can cause an irritating rash in humans. Here's what to know. According to WebMD, these mites are nearly invisible to the naked eye, being about 0.2 mm long. They commonly feed on larvae of an oak gall midge, a type of fly, that lives on pin oak leaves. Starting in late July, these mites drop from the tree or are blown on the wind, landing on animals and humans. Their bites can cause an itchy rash of small red bumps that can be painful to scratch. The rashes can be intense. They're also known to feed on cicada eggs, per WebMD, and were linked to a 2007 outbreak of rashes in Chicago, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, where the mites were feeding on 17-year cicada eggs. In 2021, the University of Maryland Extension found it likely that Brood X cicada eggs were likely the mite's food source for an outbreak of rashes in the Washington D.C. area, as reported by the Washington Post. If you develop a rash, an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion as well as antihistamines may help with the itch, per WebMD. Don't scratch; that may cause a bacterial infection. Controlling the mites on the trees is difficult, according to the PennState Extension. Sprays aren't effective because the mites are protected and hidden in leaf folds or galls. The use of insect repellent containing DEET has shown mixed results. "People can best protect themselves by limiting their time from under infested trees and by immediately removing and laundering clothing and then showering," PennState Extension writes. After 17 years underground, Brood XIV is emerging, and it will bring millions if not billions of the noisy insects to Southwest Ohio and a dozen other states this spring. Brood XIV is one of 15 recognized broods of periodical cicadas that emerge every 13 or 17 years, and one of four that appear in the Buckeye State, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. They emerge when the soil temperature reaches 64 degrees, which typically happens in the second half of May. Annual cicadas emerge worldwide each year, but periodical cicadas are found only in eastern North America. They live underground as nymphs for either 13 or 17 years before emerging above ground in massive numbers. Different populations of periodical cicadas are called 'broods' and are numbered with Roman numerals. Brood XIV cicadas will stretch from northern Georgia to Massachusetts. In Ohio, they will emerge in a more than dozen counties, per ODNR, mostly in Southwest Ohio: Adams Brown Butler Champaign Clermont Clinton Gallia Greene Hamilton Highland Jackson Lawrence Pike Ross Scioto Warren Washington They are active for three to four weeks as they focus on mating and reproduction, per ODNR. Male periodical cicadas produce a deafening chorus of calls to attract females. Once mated, female cicadas deposit their eggs into the branches of trees and shrubs. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cicadas invading Ohio in 2025 bring an itchy pest. Here's what to know
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Two fire bills signed by Governor, two others see vetoes
Fire crews work on the Horse Gulch fire near Helena on July 15, 2024 (Photo courtesy of Northern Rockies Incident Command). Gov. Greg Gianforte made decisions on four firefighting laws this week, signing two bills and vetoing two others. The two bills Gianforte signed — House Bills 84 and 421 — dealt with wildland firefighting. The two he vetoed, House Bill 511 and House Bill 547, would have added $5 million in funding for local fire departments and another seeking to change a law preventing coordinated fire response in consolidated governments. HB 84, called the Prescribed Fire Manager Certification and Liability Act, creates a certification program and outlines who is liable if a prescribed fire gets out of control. In 2022, a prescribed fire in New Mexico did, becoming the state's largest in history. The program will including training for fire managers and that their certification standards must match other states and organizations. A certified prescribed fire manager will only be able to be held liable for a wildfire getting out of control if, their actions 'constituted negligence or a higher degree of fault.' Fire scientists and proponents of HB 84 — brought by Rep. Steve Gist, R-Cascade — have pointed to prescribed fires as an important forestry management tool. 'I know it seems counterintuitive to fight fire with more fire, but the science is clear,' said Mike Schaedel, representing The Nature Conservancy and member of the state's prescribed fire council. 'It's the best tool we have. We know what wildfires can do without prescribed fire. They damage our forests and all those values we hold dear. This bill protects our forests. It enables private landowners to manage their lands in a safe and effective way that keeps people working in the woods.' Land management practices in the United States have led to some forests being overgrown and at risk for more intense wildfires, said proponents of the bill. 'To address the current forest health and wildland fire crisis, we need to get on this,' Gist said during a Senate hearing on his bill. 'We need to do prescribed fire. We need to do fuel mitigation followed up with prescribed fire. Prescribed fire is one tool of doing fuels reduction. It's essential.' HB 421, also sponsored by Gist, increased fire protection fees for land classified as forest from $50 to $58.70 for each landowner in a wildland fire protection district. For landowners with more than 20 acres of land, there's an additional fee per acre which increased from $0.30 to $0.49. The two vetoed bills were brought by Anaconda Democrat Rep. Scott DeMarois, who is a career firefighter. HB 511 would have taken $5 million from the general fund and directed it to a special revenue account for dispersion to local governments via grants. The money would have gone to training facilities. 'Training with the right equipment gives us critical knowledge of fire behavior and response techniques, along with that 3 a.m. muscle memory that saves lives,' DeMarois said in a press release. 'With this veto, Governor Gianforte has shown us that he doesn't really stand with first responders, and doesn't really care about protecting firefighters or the communities that we put their lives on the line to defend.' Gianforte's veto letter pointed to the state needing a balanced budget and said instead of grants, should look at creating a low-interest loan program. 'The budget and other bills with hefty price tags that the Legislature passed, however, are not fiscally responsible,' the veto letter reads. 'Therefore, I will keenly review the budget and spending bills the Legislature passed, making some difficult decisions to protect taxpayers and their hard-earned resources.' The Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department also saw a setback in the form of a veto on HB 547. Due to a decision made in the 1970s to create a consolidated city-county government — only used by Butte and Anaconda — the Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department hasn't been able to coordinate as well with its outlying volunteer fire departments. The bill would have struck a clause and replaced it with language that said, 'The fire department of the municipality must have a director of fire service or a fire chief, who shall manage and control the department in the manner prescribed by the ordinances of the municipality.' Proponents said that would fix the problem. Butte-Silver Bow officials and firefighters lined up in support of the bill. 'We have great volunteers that work in Butte-Silver Bow, and this is not to take anything away from them,' J.P. Gallagher, Butte-Silver Bow chief executive said during a Senate hearing on the bill. 'The director of Fire Services works directly for me and within the powers that are directed to the director of fire services, he has the ability to coordinate those services, but the unintended consequences of 1979 kind of stripped him of that ability to coordinate services.' Members of rural fire associations across the state spoke against the bill during House and Senate hearings. Opponents included Jerry Brothers, who is the vice president of both the Montana State Volunteer Fire Association and of the National Volunteer Firefighters Association. 'We did not have a voice in the system at all,' Brothers said during the bill's Senate hearing. DeMarois said during his Senate testimony the change would only impact the state's two consolidated city-county governments, but Gianforte, a Republican, disagreed in his veto letter. 'House Bill 547 raises more questions than it answers, and it introduces instability into the operations of rural fire districts, the backbone of Montana's emergency network,' the veto letter reads. 'Ultimately, House Bill 547 erodes the reliability and strength of rural fire protection throughout our state, while appearing to provide a one-sided resolution to a dispute within one consolidated government.'
