This post is a part 2 of a 4-part guest series by Sherri Harvey. After a twenty-minute boat ride down the Sangatta River, we followed our jungle-trekking guides up a steep river embankment to a sign that read “Welcome to the Jungle.” Since Axel Rose from Guns and Roses is from my home state of Indiana, I couldn’t help but hear the song in my head, but soon enough, the sounds of the jungle took over. As we made… Continue reading
By: Angela Laws, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; Marlene Milosevich, conservation volunteer and Jeanne Dodds, Creative Engagement Director, Endangered Species Coalition The western monarch population has declined by more than 99% from its size in the 1980’s, with an 86% drop in the size of the overwintering population from 2018 to 2019. In response to this decline, The Xerces Society released a Call to Action, to identify the steps we can all take to… Continue reading
This post is a part 1 of a 4-part guest series by Sherri Harvey According to the United Nations, 2019 was one of the most disastrous years on record for Climate Change disasters. In fact, in the month of July alone, there was a climate crisis disaster reported each week. Climate Change is real, although looks different in every single part of the world. No matter the face, there is no denying we need to find solutions. In Australia and… Continue reading
Every day we see more examples of wildlife being hurt and killed by climate change. In Australia, more than a billion native species have burned to death, including kangaroos and koalas. Fires in the rain forests of Malaysia and Brazil contribute to global warming and kill endangered orangutans and giant armadillos. Plants and animals are taking the horrific brunt of human excess and greed.
Sometimes I feel alone in my understanding of how terrible this crisis really is and how urgently we must act. People often seem apathetic and behave as though someone else will solve the problem.
But I am not alone. We are not alone.
The deadly brush fires are burning in Australia have scorched nearly 18 million acres of land and caused massive devastation. Undeveloped areas such as forests and national parks have been particularly hard-hit and have caused great suffering and loss of wildlife. Scientists estimate that 480 million animals may have already perished and expect that that number is likely to be much higher. While the situation is catastrophic, there is work being done on the ground to provide aid to or… Continue reading
Diane Jones, owner of Draggin’ Wing High Desert Nursery and Jeanne Dodds, ESC Creative Engagement Director – Growing up in Idaho, I recall late afternoons watching Monarch butterflies winging through the garden, their orange patterning matching the striking summer light as they flew through the yard. It was thrilling and awe inspiring to observe a tiny part of their long journey. I knew that Monarchs were the state insect of Idaho and connected with these beautiful butterflies as a symbol… Continue reading
Chemical pesticides applied to lawns, gardens, and industrial agriculture operations are a major threat to imperiled wildlife, according to a new report released today. “Poisoned: 10 American Species Imperiled by Pesticides” details how domestic and commercial pesticides—including herbicides, insecticides, and rodenticides—are contributing to the decline of many common and lesser known species of wildlife.
This is a guest post from Trisha White from the National Wildlife Federation. This originally appeared on their blog. _ It is now officially summer and that means many Americans are packing up the family truckster like the Griswolds and taking the tribe cross country. Whether you’re on your way to America’s favorite family fun park or a national park, staying in a motel or sleeping under the stars, you may be seeing wildlife in their native habitat. And if… Continue reading
During the Pacific battles of WWII, military occupation of Java eliminated the Allies’ source of kapok, the material that filled life jackets used by soldiers in the war.1 Kapok is a cotton-like, fibrous substance surrounding the seeds of the kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra). Without this critical material to fill life jackets, the United States turned to an abundant native plant with seed carried on the wind by fuzzy, lightweight floss: milkweed (Asclepias spp.). Citizens were asked to collect milkweed pods… Continue reading
On Wednesday, February 13, 2019, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) held a hearing in Washington, D.C. to receive testimony regarding their recent Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The room was packed with citizens greatly concerned about the threat of oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s Coastal Plain, a pristine and ecologically sensitive wilderness area fought over by environmentalists and developers since the 1970s. The coastal plain, a 2,000… Continue reading
