Tag Archives: travel & nature

Scotland’s Battle Over the Beaver

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons In medieval England, a beaver pelt was worth three years of wages to a peasant laborer . So important, in fact, was the beaver, that the Church of England classified it as a fish so it could be eaten on Fridays. After a few hundred years of such popularity, however, the European beaver became extinct in the UK. Now, after four centuries, conservationists have decided it is time to reintroduce the beaver to Scotland—a decision many residents strongly oppose…. Read the full story on TreeHugger

See the original post here:
Scotland’s Battle Over the Beaver

The Ballad of Lonesome George, The Galapagos’ Most Famous Tortoise

Photo credit: Wikipedia /Creative Commons Lonesome George is quite a character. He’s a Pinta Island tortoise, and, as Brian noted when he visited a few years ago , he’s the last of this breed. Yep, that means when he’s gone, that’s it — his species will be lost to the world forever. That doesn’t mean that all hope for him or his kind is lost, though…. Read the full story on TreeHugger

The rest is here:
The Ballad of Lonesome George, The Galapagos’ Most Famous Tortoise

What is Really Being Done to Save the Galapagos?

Is enough being done to save the Giant Tortoises? Photo credit: Collin Dunn Conservation efforts, especially in places as renowned as the Galapagos, have something of a reputation. It’s developers vs. protesters, consumers vs. conservationists, people vs. animals. Thanks to a lecture by Ros Cameron, who works at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) on Santa Cruz island in the Galapagos, we can see it’s lot, lot, lot more complex than that. So, with that as a given, what’s actually being done now to save the Galapagos?… Read the full story on TreeHugger

Read more from the original source:
What is Really Being Done to Save the Galapagos?

Russian Scientist Creating a Backyard Ice Age Ecosystem to Slow Global Warming

Photo via debbie_sonberg Some people put up bird feeders to expand their backyard wildlife, while others add native plants and flowers to attract insects and animals. But Sergey Zimov has decided to recreate a habitat from 10,000 years ago. Over the last 20 years, he’s added wild horses, musk oxen, reindeer, and is even planning to add Siberian tigers and wolves to create an ecosystem lost after the last ice age. … Read the full story on TreeHugger

More here:
Russian Scientist Creating a Backyard Ice Age Ecosystem to Slow Global Warming

Undulating Squid Worm Discovered in Vulnerable Depths

There is something mesmerizing about this clip of a squid worm, also named teuthidodrilus samae by researchers after it was ‘discovered’ recently in the depths of the Celebes Sea between Indonesian and the Philippines. “This illustrates how much we have to learn about even the large, common inhabitants of deep pelagic communities,” said W… Read the full story on TreeHugger

More here:
Undulating Squid Worm Discovered in Vulnerable Depths

Are the Galapagos Islands Ready for More Tourism?

This Great Blue Heron, one of the first organisms to greet us upon arrival in the Galapagos, sure doesn’t seem to mind the tourists. All photos credit Collin Dunn. The Galapagos Islands are like no place on earth. The Galapagos Islands have too many tourists. The Galapagos Islands have some of the most interesting, unique plants, animals, landscape, and scenery in the world. The Galapagos Islands aren’t prepared to maintain the level of conservation necessary to preserve the natural wonder of this place in the face of increasing human impact. A case can be made for all of the above, and in some… Read the full story on TreeHugger

Read the original:
Are the Galapagos Islands Ready for More Tourism?

Will California Rush to Mine Gold Again?

photo: goldrushfieldtrips.com California has a history rich in gold, but despite sky high prices, the gold mining industry doesn’t seem positioned for a revival in the state. The price of gold is more than $1363 an ounce, causing some folks in areas near historic lodes to clamor for a renewed mining industry in California. But cultural attitudes have shifted, and residents concerned about the environmental impacts and effects on tourism seem more inclined to preserve mining as a relict of the past. … Read the full story on TreeHugger

Go here to see the original:
Will California Rush to Mine Gold Again?

120 Million Acres of Alaska Coast Declared Critical Polar Bear Habitat

Photo: flickrfavorites , Flickr, CC In Alaska, over 187,000 square miles, or 120 million acres, have been designated ‘critical polar bear habitat’ under the Endangered Species Act. The designation resulted as part of a settlement in the ongoing lawsuit brought against the US Department of the Interior by some of the most powerful conservation groups in the country. The lawsuit aims to protect the polar bear by having it listed as ‘endangered’ as opposed to ‘threatened’. Here’s what the news means for polar bears:… Read the full story on TreeHugger

See the rest here:
120 Million Acres of Alaska Coast Declared Critical Polar Bear Habitat

Family Restaurant In Chile Prepares All Food With Solar Cookers (Video)

Photos: Screen capture of video by EcoIdeas.net. Thanks to a program by a Chilean University and a government office, a group of families in the Villaseca town of Valle del Elqui, Chile, went from struggling with the task of finding firewood to cook and keep themselves warm, to getting proficient in the art of solar cooking . Among them are Carvajal’s, who run a small family restaurant in which all food is prepared with the sun rays…. Read the full story on TreeHugger

Read this article:
Family Restaurant In Chile Prepares All Food With Solar Cookers (Video)

Forget Football, Watch Live Feed of Rainforest Animals This Thanksgiving!

Photo via kodismom More often than not, if the television is on during Thanksgiving day, it’s tuned into the football games. However, there’s something even better you could be watching today. The World Land Trust (WLT) and the Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu (REGUA), an organization that protects one of the last stands of tropical rainforest in Brazil, have partnered up to place the cameras in the reserve, and you can watch live feed of the amazing animals living in this area from their website. … Read the full story on TreeHugger

The rest is here:
Forget Football, Watch Live Feed of Rainforest Animals This Thanksgiving!