Category:

1. Tanzania wildlife populations benefit from Wildlife Management Areas

   Posted on 9:00pm Friday 2nd Mar 2018

   In Tanzania, wildlife populations have really suffered in recent decades. Needless to say, this suffering is due to human activities such as poaching, farming, and mining. However, there’s good news which shows that community-based wildlife conservation can bring fast win-wins amongst all species great and small. The Journal of Mammology published a paper in which scientists from the Wild Nature Institute show significantly higher densities of giraffes and dik-diks, and lower densities of cattle in a community Wildlife Management Area, rather than an unprotected control site.  Before the Wildlife Management Area was established, the densities of wildlife and livestock were similar when both managed by the same authority.  However, the data showed that the establishment of Wildlife Management Areas had positive ecological outcomes with higher wildlife densities and lower livestock densities, which met the researcher’s definition of ecological success. Efforts to bring wildlife management under the control of local communities rather than central agencies have been made through the establishment of Wildlife Management Areas.   The idea is that several vilages set aside land for wildlife conservation in return for most of the tourism revenues from these areas.  There are 19 such areas already in operation, covering 7% of Tanzania’s land area, and 19 more are planned.  Hopefully this will provide an example to other countries they can follow.  Eco-tourism can provide an income for locals, and it’s the largest economic sector and money earner for Tanzania.   Click on the elephants above for ideas of holidays in Tanzania listed through Responsible Travel

    

2. Forests really matter

   Posted on 9:00pm Wednesday 28th Feb 2018

   Nature Ecology & Evolution have published research that shows the enormous value of Earth’s remaining intact forests on several levels: Climate Change Infact forests absorb about 25% of our carbon emissions from all human sources – if we destroy them, there will be far more carbon dioxide in the air which a) makes the climate warmer and b) can hardly be good for any of us to breathe in Water availability Intact forests ensure that local and regional weather remains stable, as they generate more rain than cleared forests which reduces the risk of drought. Biodiversity Intact forests have higher numbers of species who are dependent on forests and who have higher functional and genetic diversity Indigenous cultures Intact forests enable many indigenous groups to sustain their livelihoods and cultures Human health The loss of forest compromise the supply of species that millions of people rely on for medicinal purposes, and it drives the spread of many infectious diseases because humans come into closer contact with disease vectors. Professor James Watson of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the University of Queensland says that not all forests are equal and forest conservation should be prioritised on their relative values.  The researchers say we need to act while we still have intact forests left to save, before mankind destroys them all. Global and national environmental strategies must retain the integrity of infact forest, and there must be more efforts to stabilise deforestation frontiers and stimulate restoration. Policy interventions the researchers recommend include; Creating new standard metrics of intactness to raise awareness of the importance of forest quality and help target action to those areas most intact Embedding the intact forests concept in the UN Frameowrk Convention on Climate and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Reports to ensure the Paris Agreement’s commitment includes the protections of intact forests Supporting local and global policies which limit road expansion, regulate hunting, extraction and development on the one hand; and to help secure indigenous communities’ land tenure rights and invest in restoration and protected areas on the other Support efforts which restore and make degraded forests more productive, and conserve the intact systems which are at risk, rather than opening them up to activity We need to start cherishing our forests and caring for them all.  They look after us; we need to look after them.

    

3. 664,484 acres protected in Bolivia

   Posted on 9:00pm Monday 26th Feb 2018

   There's good news from Bolivia. The World Land Trust and Nature and Culture International have jointly funded the creation of Heroes del Chaco Historical and Wildlife Municipal Reserve. This is protection a whopping 664,484 acres of Dry Chaco forest in Bolivia! The project was given community support, and on the ground, it's Natura Bolivia who run it.    World Land Trust says the plains of Gran Chaco extend from the base of hte Andes across Northern Argentina, western Paraguay and south east Bolivia. It is ihome to the largest Dry Forest in South America, and has swamps, savannahs, marshes, salt flats and scrubelands. It supports about 500 species of birds, 150 species of mammals, 120 species of reptiles and 100 species of amphibians, so it's a very important area for wildlife.  Threats to the area are deforestation, hunting and unsustainable cattle farming.   Natura is working with locals in the area to develop a conservation model which works for both wildlife and people in the area.   For instance, the govenrment has given support for conservation incentives.    This is very exciting, especially the work to develop conservation models which work for people and wildlife and it will be interesting to see how the project develops.   Meantime, it's great to think that over 664,000 acres are being protected.

    

4. New reserves to create whale sanctuary in Scotland

   Posted on 9:00pm Saturday 3rd Feb 2018

   The Scottish Government is to consult the public on the creation of new marine protected areas - MPAs. Four marine reseres are set to be established to protect dolphins and whales in their Scottish breeding and nursey aresa. The areas are: North East Lewis The Sea of the Hebrides Shiant East Bank (around the Outer Hebrides)  The Southern Trench (from the sea off Buckie to Peterhead)   The Sea of the Hebrides is known to be a vital breeding spot for basking sharkes.   Risso's and bottlenose dolphins, along several whale species, frequent all the areas. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation society had proposed 3 of the sites in 2011. Currently, Scotland's MPA network covers about 20% of its seas at the moment and it comprises over 30 MPAs. You can find out more about the WDC's report on this proposal here And more about the Scottish Government's Marine Protected Areas here

    

5. Chile receives amazing donation of land

   Posted on 9:00pm Wednesday 31st Jan 2018

   There’s amazing news from Chile.

   It’s officially designated a national park network, including land which has been privately donated by a couple from the US.
   
   

   
   The government signed a deal with Kristine McDivitt Tompkins.  She and her late husband Doug worked for years to protect areas of Patagonia. They relocated to Chile in 1994 to work on conservation, and they bought up land to preserve as wilderness. He founded North Face clothing label and died in a kayaking accident back in 2015 in Chile.

   The couple set up a not-for-profit organisation, Tompkins Conservation.  The area being protected is about the size of Switzerland, and it’s thought to be the biggest donation of land by private owners to a country.

   The move will create 5 new national parks and expand 3 others.  Plus is adds about 10 million acres of land – about 10% of this was donated by the Tompkins.

   The Chilean government wants the national parks to span a tourist route of over 1,500 miles across the country.

   This is the most recent act of natural protection by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.   Back in 2017, an area off the coast of Easter Island was designated as one of the largest marine protection zones. 

   Keep going, Chile, and may other countries follow your example.  Nature needs it.