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1. World Leaders, Protect Half our Planet - Please sign this petition

   Posted on 9:00am Thursday 4th Apr 2019

   There’s a new Petition on Avaaz which is called World Leaders, Protect Half our Planet. The petition is calling for world leaders to forge a new agreement such that at least 50% of our lands and oceans must be protected and restored.   A global study has just found that every insect on the planet is on track to be wiped out – causing life on Earth to collapse – and that includes humans.   The petition says: To world leaders: "We global citizens are deeply concerned by scientists warning that ecosystems critical to sustaining life on Earth could collapse in our lifetimes. We call on you to meet existing targets to protect biodiversity, forge a new agreement so that at least 50% of our lands and oceans are protected and restored, and ensure our planet is completely sustainably managed. This must take into consideration the needs of human development and have the active support of indigenous peoples. This long-term goal for nature can restore harmony with our home." Nature has never needed such a strong voice and scientists are offering a way to defend nature and people too – put half the planet under protection.  At the moment, France, Germany, Canada and other countries are about to hold talks to look at the idea before a global summit on extinction.  This is all happening at the time Sir David Attenborough’s programme Our Planet streams on Netflix, hoping for an audience in 190 countries.  It could be over ONE BILLION people watch it – that’s one in seven (give or take a few) on the planet.  The petition calls on these leaders to back protection for half the earth.  Sign here

2. Blue Planet Live and Blue Planet UK comes to the BBC

   Posted on 12:00pm Sunday 24th Mar 2019

   There’s some fantastic television to watch on the BBC this week (starting Sunday 24 March 2019), with Blue Planet programmes in abundance. Pick of the Week, according to The Sunday Times (Culture Section) is Blue Planet Live.   It’s on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings on BBC1 at 8pm.  This short series sets out on a mission to explore the health of the oceans.  An aquadynamic team will be broadcasting live from different marine locations during the week. Chris Packham examines the well being of whales in Mexico; this includes mother-and-calf arrivals in the largest whale nursery in the world. Steve Backshall is in the Bahamas and sees sharks and shipwrecks. Liz Bonnin is at the Great Barrier Reef.   She is meeting baby turtles and shearwater chicks and she checks up on the coral itself. Visit Blue Planet Live’s website here And there’s more! Blue Planet UK looks at the UK side of marine life.  There’s reports on Yorkshire seabirds, kayak clean-ups and shark science with Gillian Burke, Steve Brown and Chris Packham. Blue Planet UK is on just after 4pm on BBC1 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Don’t miss it!  Visit Blue Planet UK’s website here Get involved in ocean conservation – tips from the programme’s website

   Blue Planet II from Amazon	Life on Earth from Amazon	No More Plastic from Amazon

    

3. 43,480 acres of cloud forest and paramo protected in Peru

   Posted on 9:00am Tuesday 26th Feb 2019

   There’s good news from Peru.  UK based and registered charity the World Land Trust has reported that the Ministry of Environment of Peru has declared 43,480 acres of cloud forest and paramo in the Tropical Andes as a protected area and therefore recognised the area as a priority for conservation – an Area de Conservación Privada.   The area will be under the care of the local community and it now has legal protection to safeguard the habitats there from logging, slash and burn agriculture and illegal mining. The World Land Trust has supposed its partner Naturaleza y Cultura Peru (NCP) to build up a network of 7 ACPS (that’s private conservation areas) in Northern Peru.  They will cove 20% of the country’s cloud forests. The Tropical Andes between Ecuador and Peru are known for their incredible biodiversity, including threatened birds such as the red-faced parrot and the Masked Mountain-Tanager, plus mammals such as the Inca Oldfield Mouse, the Spectacled Bear and Mountain Tapir. There are also five important rivers which start their journey from the area, and it’s an important site for both water supply and carbon storage and economic value – medicinal plants, timber and commercial native fruits.  So everyone benefits from it. The total area of thius unique habitat now under community protection in Peru funded by the World Land Trust is an amazing 111,199 acres (45,000 hectares).  The charity will continue to support NCP in managing these ACPs and thus enable locals to lead sustainable livelihoods, manage their resources and conserve the Andean ecosystem. WLT’s corporate supporter, Puro Fairtrade Coffee, has provided financial support for this project and donations to the Action Fund have played an important role in supporting the establishment of ACPs in Peru.  Join in and help the World Land Trust’s conservation efforts by donating to their Action Fund or becoming a WLT Friend – the latter means you commit a monthly donation.

    

4. Durrell has a film called Conservation Works

   Posted on 5:00pm Saturday 2nd Feb 2019

   The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has moved into 2019 looking forward to its 60th anniversary....It was founded back in 1959 by author and naturalist Gerald Durrell.  The charity is committed to saving some of the most vulnerable animals on the planet from extinction. For instance, a duck thought to be extinct for 15 years has been brought back from the brink and given a new home on a remote lake in Madagascar. The Jersey based charity has a video called Conservation Works, narrated by Alexander Armstrong and here it is from You Tube: Durrell's approach: The charity runs 50 projects in 18 countries, focusing on islands.    The role of the zoo in Jersey and overseas is conservation, managing breeding programmes for release back into the wild. It has 25 years of conservation training and runs courses for conservationists.  And it uses science to help idenfity priorities, design conservation policy and practice and animal husbandry and to evaluate the impact of its work.  In the last 30 years, Durrell has helped move 14 target species in danger of extinction away from the edge.  As a Jersey girl, I'm very proud of Durrell and the work it does, and wish everyone there and associated with it a very Happy 60th Anniversary!   Keep up the wonderful work :-)

5. Pub, local residents and children help wildlife in Queensland with a new watering hole

   Posted on 9:00pm Wednesday 30th Jan 2019

   Children in Urandangi in the Australian state of Queensland are doing wonderful work keeping the local wildlife well watered. Urandangi was founded in 1885 with a general store. It's grown a bit since then and recently locals noticed that the local wildlife had nothing to drink as the river’s been dry for 2 years. So locals did something about it to help wildlife. With local children’s help, a trough is filled every day.  Kangeroos, pigs and birds visit the trough to drink their fill. The trough is filled with a hose from a nearby property. Children, local residents and the publican of the Dangi Pub keep a close eye on the water levels to make sure the animals have enough to drink. There’s even a sign asking locals not to take the water as it’s meant for wildlife!  It says “This water is for our native and wild friends.  Please do not be mean and borrow it.” Well done to the kids of Urandangi and all the residents there for taking action to look after wildlife.   Visit the Dangi Pub Visit the Lonely Planet Online Shop for books on visiting Australia