The popular pastime of birdwatching has many healthy benefits for people and the planet, including immersion in nature — which has been shown to be beneficial for mental health — breathing fresh air, exercise, exposure to natural vitamin D, socializing and building togetherness through birdwatching communities and increased appreciation for nature. There were approximately 15.23 […]
In New South Wales, Australia, an outbreak of varroa mite parasites, also called varroa destructors which are deadly to honey bees, has led to the culling of over 15 million bees since the parasite was first detected on June 22. New South Wales’ Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders said that bees in 1,533 hives have been […]
One of the biggest attractions of Yellowstone National Park, which receives more than three million visitors a year, is the wildlife. More than 360 species — including black bears, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, bison, Canada lynx and gray wolves — roam the 3,472 square miles of alpine meadows, sagebrush steppe, grasslands and subalpine forests of […]
Even if global temperatures start to decrease, after peaking this century due to climate change, biodiversity risks are likely to persist for decades, a new study by London’s Global University (UCL) and University of Cape Town researchers finds. The potential impacts on biodiversity were modeled against pre-industrial levels if temperatures increased by more than 2°C […]
Invasive species threaten native species by crowding them out or taking over much of the available resources the native species need to survive. While experts have taken many approaches to confront invasive species, a distillery in New Hampshire is taking an innovative route: by turning the invasive European green crab into an ingredient for a […]
Despite their name, invasive species can be deceptively cute, stunning, or fragrant, inspiring people to introduce them to non-native habitats. But the issue is that some species are moved to a new area, either on purpose or by mistake, and are met with a lack of natural predators, allowing them to crowd out native species.
Frogs’ legs are most frequently associated with French cuisine, but records show that the culinary delicacy was commonly consumed in southern China from at least the first century AD. The earliest records of the French consuming frogs’ legs date from around the 12th century, when French monks began eating them during Lent, as they were […]
Sea sponges are simple marine animals that have been around for about 600 million years. Their skeletons are dense and porous and they adapt well to their particular habitat, attaching themselves to different types of surfaces, from rocks and corals to soft sediments, like mud and sand. They have even been known to fasten themselves […]
The European Commission has proposed a new law that would cut pesticide use in half by 2030 and completely ban the use of these chemicals near schools, playgrounds and hospitals. The proposal is part of a larger set of goals to reverse biodiversity loss and restore 20% of land and seas by the end of […]