Looking to make an impact this Earth Month? Here’s how.
Island Conservation
Discovery of a tagged Black-browed Albatross serves as a reminder that seabird conservation requires a multi-faceted approach. On a remote island located halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica, seabirds are thriving. Macquarie Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a vital to many seabird populations including Black-browed Albatross. Macquarie Island was once overrun by invasive […]
Researchers are finding that relocating marsupials to a predator-free island changes their behavior such that they are no longer afraid of predators. Over the past 80 years, the Northern Quoll, a cat-sized carnivorous marsupial with a pointed snout and bushy long tail, had disappeared all over Australia due to the invasive toxic Cane Toad. Northern […]
Nearly a dozen islands off the Queensland Coast will close to the public while conservationists implement a project to protect the native ecosystem by removing invasive rats. Six far-north Queensland Islands, including the Frankland and Northern Barnard Islands, will be temporarily closed as Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service officers carry out a three-week pest control […]
Critically Endangered Southern Corroboree Frog averts extinction with the release of 1000 captive-bred eggs into critical habitat. Conservationists are hopeful the release will help wild populations to recover. High in the sub-alpine bogs of the Snowy Mountains lives one of Australia’s most striking and rare species, the Southern Corroboree Frog. This poisonous frog is endemic […]
Wallabies return to Dirk Hartog Island, Australia after invasive feral cats are removed. Dirk Hartog Island is a national park that lies off the coast of West Australia, and after an extensive project to remove invasive feral cats, the island is now safe for native species, including Rufous and Banded Hare Wallabies. In 2017, 24 […]
Australia is known for its unique ecosystems that support an array of wildlife. However, over 1,800 plant, animal, and ecological communities in the region face extinction right now. Two years ago, the Bramble Cay Melomys was the first mammal to go extinct as a direct result of climate change. Perhaps this extinction could have been […]
WIRED features GBIRd and Island Conservation Project Director Karl Campbell in an article about the potential for gene drives to help prevent extinctions of island species. By: Emma Marris KARL CAMPBELL IS a craftsman bedeviled by bad tools. He’s a middle-aged, medium-size, muscular Australian with a five-day beard and an intense gaze who seems perpetually […]
Australian Crows have learned how to make a meal out of the toxic invasive Cane Toad. Crows often get a bad rap, but these birds are actually very intelligent and adaptable. Members of the family Corvidae show a capability to learn and problem-solve that is unparalleled among other birds. These clever Australian corvids have learned […]
Predator-free islands were thought to be the saving grace for the Critically Endangered Australian Swift Parrot, but research finds that mainland efforts are also necessary. Sometimes conservation projects have clear trajectories and the answer to protecting a species is relatively straightforward, but more often than not there are a few surprises along the way. This […]
At-risk species on the road to recovery have reached important conservation milestones in 2017. Here are just a few of the conservation successes to celebrate this year. By: Emily Heber Hawaiian Crows Fly Free After a 15-year absence from the wild, conservationists have successfully released 11 Hawaiian Crows, also known as Alalā, to the wild in the Pu‘u Maka‘ala […]