Island Conservation
A number of biologists have recently made the argument that extinction is part of evolution and that saving species need not be a conservation priority. But this revisionist thinking shows a lack of understanding of evolution and an ignorance of the natural world. By: Carl Safina A few years ago, I helped lead a ship-based expedition along […]
The future is uncertain for Earth’s incredible island worlds. By: Dr. Vivien Cumming The Earth is a blue planet with oceans covering over 70 percent of Earth’s surface. Out there alone, in the middle of these vast oceans, stand islands – havens for life on Earth. Standing alone in the middle of the ocean, there is […]
The project to restore Kayangel stands to benefit incredible wildlife and local community. By: Richard Griffiths and Tommy Hall As Island Conservation Project Directors, we work on islands where both the concentration of biodiversity and rate of extinction are greatest. Few places offer a higher return on conservation investments or greater satisfaction. Increasingly though, we have found ourselves working in […]
Saving species never involves a one-size-fits-all solution, so conservationists are constantly making progress as they learn how to prevent extinction. Preventing extinctions of native island species is no simple task, and no island chain proves that more than the Hawaiian Islands, which have the unfortunate moniker of “Endangered Species Capital of the World.” The remote […]
CNN’s “The Wonder List” explores stories of incredible places, people, and species. In their latest episode, journalist Bill Weir investigates New Zealand’s ambitious Predator Free 2050 initiative. New Zealand was once a bird’s paradise where no native mammalian predators were ever found. Now, invasive predators including rats, possums, and stoats threaten the native wildlife that still remains. […]
Some Good News for Caribbean Species: Threatened Iguanas Can Now Safely Breed on Cabritos Island For release on Nov. 1 Contact: Sally Esposito, Island Conservation, sally.esposito@islandconservation.org, (706) 969-2783 Resources: interviews, photos, b-roll footage The Critically Endangered Ricord’s Iguana and the Vulnerable Rhinoceros Iguana can once again thrive on Cabritos Island, Dominican Republic after the successful […]
Communications Specialist Sara Kaiser engages philosopher Nickolas Knightly in a conversation about the connection between philosophy and conservation. Does philosophy have a place in conservation? Philosophical inquiry can provide pathways to broader and clearer understandings of the daily efforts and deeper purposes of any pursuit, including conservation. The process of asking questions often gives rise […]
Campaign raises awareness about Samoa’s elusive and Critically Endangered bird, the Manumea. On islands throughout the world, birds have evolved to be suited to just one region and nowhere else. This is the case for the national bird of Samoa, the Manumea, which evolved only on the western island of Samoa and is currently facing […]
In the race against extinction, conservationists need new technologies to scale up restoration efforts. One such potential technology is gene drive. An article published in Audubon Magazine provides insight on a potential new tool for conservation–gene drive–and its potential to enhance island restoration efforts. Island Conservation is working within a partnership–Genetic Biocontrol of Invasive Rodents (GBIRd)–to […]
Seed bank safeguards native Hawaiian plants. With the influx of people to islands comes the spread of weeds, pests, and disease. Such introductions have contributed to the demise of over 130 plants species in Hawai’i. More than 40 percent of all Endangered and Threatened plants in the United States can be found in Hawaii. The […]