Latest news with #biodiversity
The Sun
an hour ago
- General
- The Sun
Win a lawncare wildflower bundle and tin of seeds
MORE and more we're being encouraged to grow native wildflowers in our garden. Not only are they great for pollinators - they improve soil health and encourage biodiversity - a wider ranger of beneficial insects and birds. 3 3 One idea is to leave a part of your lawn to grow wild. But Johnson's seeds have gone one better with a new seed and wildflower mix. They're offering TEN Sun Gardening readers a Wildflower lawncare bundle worth £25 each. The Lawn Seed combines slow growing grasses with UK native mowable flowers - a pollinators dream - plus there's a tin of Celebration Wildflower s. To win fill in the form below. Or write to Sun Wildflower Lawn Competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. July 5, 2025. T&Cs apply.
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Beaver kits born in Cairngorms National Park for second year running
Five beaver kits have been born in Cairngorms National Park for the second year in a row – after a 400-year hiatus. The kits have been captured on camera at two separate sites in the park, in the Scottish Highlands, and hopes are high more may be born on other sites. Beavers were first released into the park less than two years ago in a bid to establish a 'healthy, sustainable' population. The Upper Spey river catchment provides an ideal habitat of wetland and lochs, and it is hoped the beavers will restore the landscape, helping combat climate change and boosting biodiversity. In the autumn, a third round of beavers will be released, amid hopes other land managers may offer to have them on their land. Jonathan Willet, beaver project manager at the Cairngorms National Park Authority, said: 'It's so exciting to see the new kits emerging from the burrow, exploring the habitat around them with their parents and splashing in the water. 'We're hopeful that there may be even more kits at other sites, which we are monitoring closely over the next few weeks. 'Kits usually stay with their family for two years before leaving the family unit to find a mate. 'Those born last year – the first beaver kits in the Cairngorms National Park for 400 years – are now healthy juveniles who will be ready to start exploring and finding mates of their own over the next year. 'It's heartening to see that this year's breeding season has also been a success.' The Cairngorms National Park Authority has a five-year licence with NatureScot, granted in December 2023, for 15 beaver pairs to be released over half a decade. The first pair of beavers were released into Lochan Mor on Rothiemurchus in December 2023, with subsequent releases at sites owned by partners and private landowners.
Reuters
a day ago
- Science
- Reuters
Chile's vital underwater forests face threats from mining, warming seas
PAPOSO, Chile, June 19 (Reuters) - In the cold seas off Chile's arid northern coast an underwater forest teems with life. Towers of red and green seaweed float upwards from the sea floor, providing food for wildlife, income for locals - and oxygen and carbon capture for the planet. For scientists, these forests hold even more potential as sustainable protein, food and other materials, though they are threatened by warming oceans and human pollution. "They form a belt along coastal edges, which is essentially a belt of protection and biodiversity for life," said Alejandra Gonzalez, a marine biologist from the University of Chile who specializes in marine ecosystem conservation. She explained that seaweed produces oxygen and captures carbon dioxide, creating important carbon stores under the waves. "The future of the planet is seaweed," she said. But these forests globally are under rising pressure, opens new tab. One example: kelp forests are declining at an annual rate twice that of coral reefs and over four times that of rainforests, a British Natural History Museum-backed report said in May. "Before, these areas were very rich in seaweed, seafood, fish, things that most people in this town live off of, from seaweed harvesting," said Maria Jose Espinoza, leader of the local Changa indigenous community. The Changa have lived off harvesting seaweeds for generations, but are worried as they've seen the forests shrink. Espinoza blamed tailings waste from mining in the nearby copper and lithium-rich Atacama Desert region for harming coastal environments, as well as desalination plants being developed by miners he worried would hurt marine life. Chile is the world's top copper producer and second largest lithium producer, with most mining activity in the north. Diver Roberto Carlos Chango, out with his son to collect shellfish, agreed on the importance of the seaweed forests. "Seaweeds are very important because they feed all animals. If there were no seaweeds, there would be no fish or shellfish," he said. Sergio Gutierrez, a Changa seaweed harvester who works gathering the algae, drying it and bundling it to sell, said the marine forests were a key part of the community. "They are the livelihood for our households and much more," he said. With all the benefits the underwater forests provide for the environment and community, marine biologist Gonzalez says more policies to protect the forests are needed. "All the marine organisms associated with (the forests) depend on their existence, so do humans," Gonzalez said. "These forests maintain temperatures, create a natural breakwater effect, and keep the ecosystem stable."
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- General
- Irish Examiner
White-tailed eagle in Kerry poisoned with banned substance, confirms NPWS
A white-tailed sea eagle in Glencar, Co Kerry, has been poisoned with a banned substance, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has confirmed. Toxicology tests confirmed the young female was poisoned with Carbofuran, an insecticide which has been banned in Ireland since 2007. 'It is not known how the eagle ingested this substance at this time,' the NPWS said. An investigation has begun, and the public's assistance is being sought. A second eagle is suspected to have been poisoned in Co Clare, but the substance has yet to be confirmed. That case involves one of Ireland's oldest breeding white-tailed eagles, Caimin, who held territory in Lough Derg. He was one of the first chicks to be released from Killarney National Park in 2008, as part of the White-tailed Eagle Reintroduction Programme to bring back the formerly extinct species to Irish skies. The NPWS is appealing to the public for information on the Glencar poisoning. The scenic valley alongside Carrauntoohil in Macgillycuddy's Reeks is mainly a sheep farming area and is popular with walkers and climbers. The young female eagle was brought in as a chick from Norway in 2024 by the reintroduction programme and was released in Killarney National Park the same year. Since 2020, all eagles released as part of this programme are monitored via satellite tags. Concerns were raised in early April, as the eagle's satellite tag showed she had remained stationary for several days. NPWS staff went to the location of the satellite tag and located the partially decomposed carcass of the eagle in a woodland. Minister of state for nature and biodiversity Christopher O'Sullivan said it was "a tragic loss", but added "the NPWS and his department would continue to protect and to introduce the birds which were once native to the Irish skies". 'We will continue with our efforts to introduce, nurture and protect these birds as part of the reintroduction programme, which has been making significant progress in restoring this lost flagship species to Irish skies.' The reintroduction programme has so far released nearly 200 young eagles, which have been supplied by the Norwegian government. The eagles are delivered to Kerry Airport and the young chicks are taken to sites in Killarney National Park and the Shannon estuary in North Kerry, where they are fed and released into the skies. Currently, there are 13 to 16 breeding pairs, with 64 chicks fledged by the end of 2024. Persecution by humans is the biggest threat to the reintroduction programme in Ireland, the NPWS said. Poisonings account for nearly half of eagle deaths, where the cause of death is able to be determined. At least one eagle has been shot and a number of eagles have succumbed to avian flu, as well as other conditions. The NPWS said it 'deplores the deliberate killing of rare and endangered species, and takes bird of prey persecutions extremely seriously'. In its appeal to the public, the NPWS is calling for anyone who may have information in relation to the incident, or any other suspected poisoning or other unlawful killing of birds to come forward. Any information in respect of this or any suspected breaches of the Wildlife legislation should be reported to the NPWS head office or local offices or via email to wildlifeenforcement@ Wildlife crime incidents can also be reported to An Garda Síochána. The public is strongly advised not to handle the dead birds in the interests of their own health and safety. Read More Wildlife crime is a real crime and a serious problem
Zawya
a day ago
- General
- Zawya
Oman: Billions of seeds to be dispersed to restore Dhofar's green cover
Salalah – Dhofar Municipality has launched a major environmental campaign to restore natural vegetation and control invasive species by dispersing around 10mn seed balls and more than 3bn pastoral grass seeds across the Dhofar mountains during June and July 2025, coinciding with the khareef season. The initiative, overseen by the Steering Committee for Parthenium Weed Control, builds on efforts started in 2023 when over 400,000 seed balls were released. Last year, the project expanded with the distribution of more than 4mn seed balls and over 10 tonnes of pastoral grass seeds, equal to about 4bn individual seeds. Mohammed bin Mubarak Ak'ak, Deputy Head of the Field Team for Parthenium Weed Control in Dhofar, said the campaign is part of a broader plan to restore biodiversity and limit the spread of invasive plants such as parthenium weed and mesquite trees. These plants, along with overgrazing, climate change and human activities, contribute significantly to desertification in the region. Ak'ak said the project applies nature-based solutions, using seed balls that remain dormant until conditions are right. They are drought-resistant and suitable for the khareef's unique rainfall pattern. Each seed ball contains a mix of native tree and grass species, including saghout, ar'ar, taiq, ghaidhit, tabaldi, alli, shabthaf, zadart and athath, all adapted to local conditions. Besides seed dispersal, the campaign uses multiple methods to control parthenium weed, such as manual removal, mechanical cutting, flame treatment and targeted pesticide use. The aim is to reduce the weed's harmful effects on people, animals and native plants. Ak'ak highlighted the importance of community support, describing the campaign as an example of government and civic collaboration. Volunteers and members of the Wa'i (Awareness) initiative are actively involved in the work. 'This campaign is a vital step towards the long-term sustainability of mountain ecosystems in the governorate,' he said. © Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
