Here’s some of our favourite recent conservation stories, carefully picked out by Johanna:
New Conservation Projects Aimed at Amphibians and Reptiles in Wales
Over £400,000 of National Lottery funding has been allocated to the charity ARC Trust to protect Welsh herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles).
The projects will involve habitat creation and restoration to increase connectivity between suitable areas for native species.
They also aim to improve community involvement in conservation projects and will be delivering both English and Welsh language educational campaigns.
Read more here!
The Endangered Kākā Parrot Was Successfully Reintroduced to
New Zealand’s South Island
A dozen individuals of this endangered species were released into Abel Tasman national park. They become the latest of many species to be reintroduced to the park by Project Janzoon who oversee the park.
This is happening in line with the Predator Free 2050 project that aims to clear invasive predators from large areas of the country by 2050 in order to allow native species to recover.
Invasive predators like stoats, rats and possums kill around 25,000,000 native birds every year in New Zealand so their removal will greatly improve prospects for endangered species like the Kākā.
Find out more here.
The Funky-Looking Violet Coral Fungus Has Been Found in the UK for the First Time in 10 Years
This fungus is one of the rarest in the UK and was found in Wales. The exact location is not being disclosed due to fears that professional foragers may take it. However, its discovery is still great news for an often overlooked taxon.
Check out the full story here.
The Silver-Backed Chevrotain Has Been Rediscovered in the Wild by Camera Traps in Vietnam
An Nguyen and team report in this Nature communication article that the species, previously thought to be extinct in the wild, is still surviving. This deer-like species that is the size of a rabbit, lives in a region under massive pressure from habitat loss and intensive hunting – as such the authors have called for immediate conservation action.
New Study Shows That Even 100 Years Is Not Enough for Recovery of Plant Diversity
This study in Nature shows that plant diversity in grasslands recovers poorly even a century after agriculture ceases there. They also found no significant increase in plant productivity. The authors recommend that active conservation efforts are needed to speed up this recovery process.
On a lighter note, the winners of the official Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2019 have been announced. Check them out here!