biodiversity

Hedgehog Sightings Increasing in the UK After Years of Decline

Hedgehog Sightings Increasing in the UK After Years of Decline

According to a survey by BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, hedgehog sightings in the UK are finally on the rise after declining observations of these mammals since 2000. A separate report from 2022, State of Britain’s Hedgehogs, noted a marked decline in hedgehogs, particularly in eastern Britain. According to that report, rural hedgehogs had decreased 30% […]

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    Mexico’s Maya Train Project Threatens Vulnerable Ecosystems, Including Ancient Caves

    Mexico’s Maya Train Project Threatens Vulnerable Ecosystems, Including Ancient Caves

    Mexico’s 966-mile Yucatán Peninsula Maya Train rail project — Tren Maya — is causing concern because of the potential for harm to environmentally sensitive areas like an ancient ecosystem of thousands of subterranean caves. In late 2023, a southeastern portion of the train service connecting Cancún opened, with the government announcing the remaining routes would […]

    Wetlands 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Wetlands 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Quick Key Facts What Are ‘Wetlands’? A wetland is exactly what it sounds like: ground that is covered by or saturated with water for all or part of the year. The water that makes a wetland can come from a variety of different sources, including ocean tides; freshwater sources like lakes, rivers, or ponds; underground […]

    Climate Change Will Harm Older Elephants the Most, With Major Impacts on Ecosystems, Study Finds

    Climate Change Will Harm Older Elephants the Most, With Major Impacts on Ecosystems, Study Finds

    A first-of-its-kind study by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) has found that older elephants will have less chance of survival as the climate warms, and this will reverberate throughout the surrounding landscape. The research team has developed models for potential mitigation scenarios, which have already […]

    Fewer Wild Birds Are Visiting Gardens in the UK, Survey Finds

    Fewer Wild Birds Are Visiting Gardens in the UK, Survey Finds

    An analysis of data from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has found that fewer wild birds are visiting gardens in the UK.  RSPB analyzed data from its annual Big Garden Birdwatch, which kicks off in late January each year since 1979. The Big Garden Birdwatch asks participants to spend at least […]

    Study Finds Alarmingly High Levels of PFAS Contamination in Small Estuaries

    Study Finds Alarmingly High Levels of PFAS Contamination in Small Estuaries

    A new study has discovered that small coastal estuaries contain concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) “forever chemicals” high enough to indicate a worldwide issue. For the study, the researchers looked at the distribution, occurrence and risks of PFAS during the dry season in three micro-estuaries, a press release from Hebrew University of Jerusalem […]

    Bumble Bee Species Found in 20 States Could Be Listed as Endangered

    Bumble Bee Species Found in 20 States Could Be Listed as Endangered

    Bumble bees are synonymous with summer, buzzing about pollinating flowers and crops. Now, one common North American bee may be joining the more than 70 pollinator species listed as endangered. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has found that petitions for nine new animal species may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act, including […]

    7 of the Oldest Living Plants on Earth

    7 of the Oldest Living Plants on Earth

    While standing in the midst of a grove of aspens in Utah, you’re actually in the presence of a single organism that’s 14,000 years old. Travel west to Oregon and hike on top of a 2,400-year-old fungus growing beneath the ground. Cross the Atlantic, and meet a rose bush that’s been blooming for over 1,000 […]