As I mentioned in my last post, species listed on Appendix I of CITES are not permitted in international commercial trade. These are species which are threatened with extinction if trade continues. Trade is allowed only for non-commercial use and under exceptional circumstances. In order for the specimen to be transported internationally, first an import […]
Archive for the ‘get involved’ Tag
Does it really help to be on the A list?
Getting your hands wet
Many of the salt marsh and barrier island restoration projects I’ve described in previous posts are pretty big scale- it would be challenging for an individual to plan and carry out offshore dredging or large-scale marsh terrace construction. But is there a way to contribute in some small fashion to these bigger projects? Given how […]
Giving frogs a leg up
In some ways, the picture of amphibian survival I’ve painted over the past few weeks is pretty grim: we know that species are disappearing around the world, in some cases faster than we can identify them; we know that disease is playing a role, as well as pollution and a changing climate; and we know […]
Cooling the greenhouse
In my last post I looked at larger, systems-wide options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but those actions may not be possible where you live, or it may require some time to move down those roads. I’m not sure how much time we have to prevent certain climate change effects, and I personally feel better […]
Building a better dingo house
Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen that dingoes play a variety of roles in the environment, and the extent and importance of those roles is hotly debated by researchers. Dingoes may help native wildlife by keeping exotic predator numbers down, but they may also prey upon threatened species in Australia. Dingoes are apex predators […]
Offering trees some shelter
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been looking at the possible impacts of climate change on temperate forests around the world, impacts that could disrupt forest dynamics and alter the landscapes around us. Rising global temperatures can rearrange precipitation patterns, warm soils, and cause expanded disease and pest outbreaks. And there are concerns that tree […]
Sharing the elephants’ burden
As I looked for ways that we all can get involved in elephant protection, I kept coming upon the same request- “Donate Now”- and, in some ways, that was very disappointing because I was hoping to get more directly involved. But, after investigating some of the issues in elephant conservation, I began to feel this […]
A helping hand for dinner
Over the past few weeks, I’ve gotten schooled in the history and current status of New England groundfish and shellfish. There are definitely some bright spots, like scallops and today’s haddock catch in Georges Bank, but there are also some problems including the economic realities of fishing for a living. I love eating seafood, but […]
This one’s for the birds
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the chance to look at the status of migratory song birds, some of which are doing quite well (Baltimore orioles, for example: stable population, large range, sports team), while others are facing very bleak conditions (for a sobering experience, check out Golden-cheeked warblers, or, if you want to […]
What’s your role?
Hopefully the past few weeks have provided some new insight into an impressive and, at least in the Northeast, common predator. Fishers aren’t abundant in all parts of their range, but they are active members of the community where I live, and information provided by Dr. Kays’ research, as I mentioned last week, indicates they […]