Island Conservation
Endangered Kiwi chick hatches at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia. The Kiwi is an important native bird of New Zealand. The feathered yet flightless creature was named by the Maori–the first people to ever live in New Zealand. The Kiwi is integral to Maori culture and considered sacred. It traditionally served as an occasional food […]
The New Zealand Department of Conservation has successfully eradicated invasive ants from Tiritiri Matanga Island, New Zealand. If ants have ever invaded your home, you know what a nuisance they can be–it can be very difficult to completely get rid of these persistent pests. Now imagine trying to eradicate ants from an entire island. Sound impossible? It’s […]
Researchers find that humans have been altering the natural environment for thousands of years, call for conservation action. Recognition and criticism of man’s harmful impact on the natural world is becoming more and more prominent. Though this awareness may seem recent, the fact of human-induced environmental destruction is not. Research from the University of Oxford reveals that humans have […]
Critically Endangered Kākāpō, the world’s heaviest parrot, has had a much-needed breeding success this year. This breeding season, 37 Kākāpō chicks are surviving on predator-free island sanctuaries. The charming New Zealand native experienced a dangerous population decline in recent years due to the introduction of invasive predators. The Kākāpō is flightless–it lives and forages peacefully on […]
On islands, small mammals become bigger and large mammals get smaller. Ecosystem make-up and food resources are believed to be the cause of these size-change patterns. The “Island Rule” describes the change in body size of mammals that migrate to islands: small mammals get bigger, and big mammals get smaller. Why is this? There is […]
A chef in Miami Beach, Florida is taking conservation in an unexpected direction. What’s on the menu? Invasive species. Bun Lai is a chef in Miami Beach. He operates an environmentally-friendly restaurant. Lai offers a selection of invasive-species dishes. At a dinner last month, Mr. Lai served small bowls filled with citrus broth and those whelks, periwinkles […]
Endangered species find refuge on predator-free Wedge Island, Australia. The protected area offers species a chance to bounce back from extinction. The Critically Endangered Brush-tailed Bettong and Black-footed Rock Wallaby used to thrive in Australia. However, due largely to predatory invasive species such as feral cats and foxes on Mainland Australia, these mammals have experienced […]
New Zealand’s Department of Conservation aims to protect the Black-fronted Tern, an endangered migratory seabird that depends on safe island nesting sites. The Black-fronted Tern is an endangered seabird native to New Zealand. Its population has been steadily decreasing over the past several decades due to invasive predators that prowl their nesting sites. After three years of careful […]
Coqui Frogs, invasive species in Hawaii and most recently Southern California, are so shrill that their vocalizations are often mistaken for radio and house alarms. In the 1980’s, Coqui Frogs were accidentally introduced to Hawaii. There they proliferated across the four main islands. They have now become unwelcome invasive inhabitants of some regions in Southern California as well. Coqui Frogs represent […]
Snipe, Penguins, Parakeets, and Petrels are some of the many bird species that live and nest on Antipodes Island. In addition to this impressive variety of winged natives, a diversity of plants and insects call Antipodes Island home. But there used to be more. Since the accidental introduction of mice in the 1800’s, the unique native flora […]