Island Conservation
The Con X Tech Prize is a competition for bold new ideas in conservation technology. Win up to $20,000 for your innovative ideas aimed to help prevent extinctions. Are you an innovator? A creative thinker? Always have a trick up your sleeve and a clever idea to solve the latest problem that stands in the […]
According to a new report led by Predator Free New Zealand Trust, community conservation needs clear objectives and a firm support structure in place to keep volunteers engaged and inspired. Researcher Dr. Marie Brown from the Catalyst group, an environmental management consultancy, recently published a report that highlights the need for stronger support structures for […]
Scientists discover smallest island where mammal species can speciate, lending insight into how evolution works on islands. Madagascar has several species of lemurs, Australia has multiple kangaroo species, and the Galápagos has the world’s only ocean-diving iguana. When animals are isolated on an island, they evolve differently than they do on mainlands, giving rise to […]
One of the world’s most isolated locations, the Kerguelen Islands, has been infiltrated by invasive rabbits. The Kerguelen Islands, also known as the Desolation Islands, are a remote cluster of islands in the Southern Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Antarctica. It is one of the most isolated places on Earth, with only a few dozen […]
The Sable Island endemic Sweat Bee is threatened. Conservationists hurry to understand this small species better before a crucial pollinator is lost. The Sable Island Sweat Bee is a tiny ant-sized bee that many people may find unimportant. However, researchers have taken notice of its threatened status due to its sole habitat being Sable Island, […]
Islands are biodiversity hotspots, yet the decline of island species is more rapid than anywhere else in the world. Island species have evolved over thousands of years in isolation, leading to a high proportion of island-endemic (found nowhere else in the world) species. These animals have often evolved without predators and therefore without defensive mechanisms […]
If you’re new to birdwatching, this guide will help you get acquainted with the essentials. In your backyard, on your way to work, at the beach–birds are all around us. Looking to learn more about these feathered friends? Birdwatching can be can fulfilling pastime: observe wild birds in their natural habitat. Birds are admired by […]
National Geographic and partners have declared 2018 the Year of the Bird in celebration of the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Jonathan Franzen wrote the January cover story “Why Birds Matter” and joins Steve Curwood on Living on Earth to talk about the importance of birds and the perils they still face today. […]
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 […]
The population of the Lesser Antillean Iguana has declined by over 70% since European contact, an alarming rate that puts the species closer to extinction. The Caribbean is known for idyllic beaches and lush palm trees where people can get away to relax and enjoy the sun. However, the Caribbean islands are more than just […]