Blogs

From beavers to bettongs

By David Salt, Brian Walker / On March 6th, 2018
Re-engaging nature’s ecosystem engineers In the gloomy pall of the advancing Anthropocene, it’s nice to hear good news now and again on the environmental front. And such is the case with the release of beaver families back in the wild in the UK.

Let the National Monuments Hear How Much You Love Them

By Jason Mark / On August 16th, 2017
About half of all the all of the Sequoiadendron giganteum that exist on Earth reside in California’s Giant Sequoia National Monument. At Bear’s Ears National Monument in Utah, pre-Columbian petroglyphs and potsherds can be found tucked amid the high desert buttes. Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is a testament to how a forest battered by logging can regrow into a wet and wild home for moose, bear, and lynx. Wonderful places, all—and each of them under threat.   

A Day for the Birds

By Larry Nielsen / On May 27th, 2017
We revel in the glory of the African elephant, giant panda or Galapagos tortoise—the charismatic megafauna that gets most of attention, whether on television or at the zoo. But I think the group that deserves the award as the world’s number one animal group—perhaps we should call it the charismatic omnifauna—is the bird.

#ForewordFriday: Inspiring Conservationists Edition

By Katharine Sucher / On February 10th, 2017
In today’s divisive political climate, where meaningful change is often stalled by partisanship and bureaucracy, it’s easy to feel powerless in the face of environmental challenges like climate change, habitat loss, and disappearing species. But environmentalists are no strangers to opposition, and a look back at their stories may provide the inspiration needed to move forward. In Nature’s Allies, Larry A.

Ten Fun Facts about the Conservationists of Nature's Allies

By Larry Nielsen / On February 2nd, 2017
Given election results that have further empowered political leaders who deny climate change, it’s easy to feel powerless in the face of environmental challenges like massive deforestation, biodiversity loss, and dying oceans. At a time when it seems like we are moving backwards and progress is stalled by partisanship and bureaucracy, conservation success stories provide the inspiration and courage needed to move forward.

Aid, Poverty, and Global Biodiversity

By Bruce Rich / On May 16th, 2016
International efforts to conserve biodiversity in developing coun­tries are recognizing the need to provide alternative livelihoods.

Guest Opinion: We need a moon-shot for the environment more than ever

By Dominick A. DellaSala / On April 25th, 2016
This week, more than 193 nations will celebrate Earth Day. The annual event is a marker for the environmental movement begun on April 22, 1970, when Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson organized a peaceful teach-in. At the time, rivers were on fire, oil spills fouled Santa Barbara’s coastline, spaceships were headed to the moon, and the nation was at war.

This Earth Day, Focus on 21st Century Conservation

By Joe S. Whitworth / On April 21st, 2016
April 22 is not a moment to celebrate the wonder of this unique planet. It’s an opportunity to recognize what next steps we need to take to secure a better future.
Photo credit: Flock/bandada by Flickr.com user Rafael Edwards

Breaking Down the Human-Environment Barrier

By Charles G. Curtin / On December 17th, 2015
While sitting in a board meeting of the Great Northern Large Landscape Cooperative recently the perennial question came up of if the organization that was working on a vast landscape from Yellowstone National Park to northern Canada needed more biological or social science in their program development. As I reflected on the question the answer came to me that my response would be that we need more of neither.

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