Good News Notes: “The “cake” was made from frozen fruit juice, sweet potatoes, carrots and sugar cane and it lasted about 15 minutes once giant panda mama Mei Xiang and her cub Xiao Qi Ji got hold of it. The National Zoo’s most famous tenants had an enthusiastic breakfast Saturday in front of adoring crowds…
Tag: extinction
Humpback whales removed from Australia’s threatened species list but feeding grounds still at risk
Good News Notes: “Humpback whales have been removed from the threatened species list after a significant increase in numbers in the 60 years since they were first protected, but green groups warn populations could decline again as oceans warm. Global heating is predicted to have a significant impact on krill populations in Antarctica, a major…
‘Most Wanted’ list leads to rediscovered species. Conservation group sets its sights on finding 8 more.
Good News Notes: “From Cuba to New Zealand, teams of scientists around the world are looking for rare species of animals, plants and fungi. How rare? They haven’t been seen by humans for at least 10 years — and in some cases, almost 200 years. This global effort is part of the Search for Lost Species,…
Tasmania’s giant kelp forests starting to regrow just a year into rescue trial
Good News Notes: “A little over a year ago these giant kelp were just tiny brown smudges on a laboratory plate. Now they are pillars of hope in the fight to save Tasmania’s giant kelp forests from extinction. Cayne Layton and his team of scientists from the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) began a selective breeding…
Hunted for Centuries and Almost Extinct the Right Whale Is Making a Comeback in Brazil
Good News Notes: “Whale season started this month on the Brazilian coast and is expected to last until November. Projeto ProFranca Director Karina Groch reported that, for right whales, the season started a little early. The first specimens were reported on June 12. “Since then, the number has been on the rise,” Groch said. On…
Mastercard Looks To Protect Wildlife Facing Extinction In Campaign From McCann XBC
Good News Notes: “Many Critically Endangered species may go extinct by the time a number of Mastercard gift cards expire–as reflected in this film, part of a campaign out of agency McCann XBC. Mastercard, in partnership with Conservation International, is turning the card expiration date into a tool to create awareness about the importance of…
A Small Band of Panamanian Golden Frogs Is Saving Their Species From Oblivion
Good News Notes: “At first glance, frog number 307457, also known as “the Old Man,” looks no different from the 30-odd Panamanian golden frogs he shares a basement room with at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. His personality, though, is more muted. Although he has an entire enclosure to himself, he often prefers to hide among…
Eastern black rail gets federal protection under Endangered Species Act
Good News Notes: “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday it will list the eastern black rail as a ‘threatened’ species under the Endangered Species Act, a move that gives the elusive bird new protections in South Carolina and other states where populations have declined or disappeared altogether. Nicknamed the ‘feathered mouse,’ the eastern…
Hunted to extinction, England’s first wild beavers in 400 years allowed to stay
Good News Notes: “After a 400-year wait, sharp teeth are once again gnawing through trees and building dams on English waterways. Hunted to extinction in the 16th century, wild beavers are making a comeback after a five-year study demonstrated their positive impact on the environment. Local landowners had expressed concern that they could spread disease…
Why Are Our Waterways Shrinking?
We hear a lot about global warming and climate change. So, it would be easy to step back, shrug our shoulders and blame them for the receding water. There is, however, a more direct offender, cows. Those peaceful, harmless pasture grazers on the side of the road might look insignificant. They also look quite tasty…