California"s people and landscape are both suffering due to this historic drought. Unfortunately, the 3,000 year old sequoias are no exception. #Californiadrought #sequoiatrees #conservation - http://clapway.com/2015/09/24/sequoias-california-drought123/

If you’ve watched the news in the past four years, you probably already know that California is in the midst of a historic drought. It is a known fact that residents have been dealing with dry conditions for a while now, but what about the rest of nature? Is it getting the water it needs to survive?

Sick-quoias

According to scientists, this is a particularly stressful time for the sequoias in Sequoia National Park, located in southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California. The trees, considered to be amongst some of the oldest living things in the world (a few are up to 3,000 years old), are a popular tourist attraction; in fact, people from all around the world come to see these massive plants, which reach about 300 feet in height. However, they are quickly browning, when they should still be green.

Saving the Trees

The trees use up to 800 gallons of water a day. That water is then recycled back to the environment. But if there is no water in the underground system, the Sequoia trees face a major dilemma. Is there anything that can be done to help them out?

Scientists from the University of California, along with US Geological Survey Researchers, are currently studying the more vulnerable parts of the Sierra Nevada Sequoia groves in an effort to determine which areas they should be most concerned about. In order to conduct a series of tests, researchers have already started to take samples of trees with browned foliage.

Furthermore, information about humidity levels and temperatures in the upper canopy of the trees will be collected more often. This will help researchers determine which groves need more sunlight. The trees selected will go through a thinning process, using a controlled burn method so that more sun can ultimately reach the darker areas. The burn will also help direct the underground water to the trees that need it the most.

Fortunately, despite the severe lack of precipitation, a large amount of the sequoias have not died off. Other trees have not fared so well under the same conditions.

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SAVE THE sequoias. MOTHER NATURE WILL THANK YOU:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD63kwQuZ2I

Saving The Sequoias In California"s Drought

24 baby #gorillas were named in a #conservation ceremony that takes place in #Rwanda every year. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/06/baby-mountain-gorillas-rwanda123/

On Saturday, the Rwandan government named 24 baby gorillas, as part of its annual Kwita Izina naming ceremony that takes place in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park every year.

Kwita Izina naming ceremony highlights the importance of conservation

The event, largely considered a popular tourist attraction, has been taking place for the past 11 years. This year, in a scene The Guardian describes as “reminiscent of Planet of the Apes,” a dozen performers in hairy gorilla suits danced around by the foot of the volcano, taking the place of the 24 baby gorillas, which were not present at the ceremony.

The naming ceremony pays homage to a Rwandan tradition celebrating the birth of a child. Aside from its role as a tourist attraction, the event sheds light on the importance of conservation in the country. Today, the World Wildlife Fund estimates that there are only 900 mountain gorillas left in the world. In recent years, however, the population size has seen a slow increase, especially since the initiation of Kwita Izina back in 2005.

“Hopefully the continuation will soon be no longer to call them an endangered species,” said Yamina Karitanyi, the Rwanda Development Board’s chief tourism officer.

ECOTOURISM AND THE CONSERVATION EFFORT IN RWANDA

This year, Kagame, Rwanda’s sixth and current president, was also present at the event. He stated, “Conservation efforts show that the first beneficiaries of protecting the environment are citizens.”

Ecotourism, in particular, has been a vital driving force behind Rwanda’s economy and its conservation efforts. In contrast to standard tourism, ecotourism is directed towards exotic and generally threatened natural environments with support to conservation. Today, for example, foreign visitors pay $70 (£494) to go gorilla tracking in the national park, according to The Guardian. By contrast, Rwandans can go for under $50.

The revenue generated from tourism has allowed the government to construct primary schools and fund community projects to build roads, bridges, and health centers. In fact, in the past decade, Rwanda has generated nearly $1.83m (£1.21m) in tourism revenue alone.

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Conservation is key to preserving the beautiful world around us. Now, you can also bring nature indoors with the help of the Atmoph:

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Baby Mountain Gorillas Named In Rwanda Ceremony

Florida Bears will have a bad week in October thanks to the #FloridaFishandWildlifeConservationCommission’s (FWC) approval of a #bearhunt Wednesday. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/05/florida-bear-hunt-fwc-opposition-101/

Bears in Florida will be having a bad week in October thanks to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) approval of a bear hunt Wednesday. This hunt is Florida’s first in more than two decades. It aims to control increasing bear populations and human-to-bear conflict.

WHY THE FWC APPROVED THE BEAR HUNT

According to the FWC, hunting supports keeping population size in check, fewer bears being pushed into neighborhoods and increasing wariness and fear of humans. Bears were removed from Florida’s threatened species list in 2012. About 300 bears are expected to be killed by an unlimited number of permitted hunters. Florida has an estimated 3,150 black bears in four regions — the eastern Panhandle, Northeast Florida, east-central Florida and South Florida — where the hunts would be conducted, according to the Panama City New Herald. The numbers are based on 2002 estimates for the eastern Panhandle and South Florida, and a 2014 count in the Northeast Florida and east-central Florida regions.

RULES OF THE BEAR HUNT

Bear permits are $100 for Florida residents and $300 for non-residents, according to the FWC. Permit sales end midnight on the night before the seven-day hunting season, which begins Oct. 24 and runs until the 30th. There is a chance that the bear hunt could end earlier—if the harvest objective is reached. The limit is one bear per person per season with a 100-lb minimum. Hunters are prohibited from shooting bears with cubs present.

THE OPPOSING SIDE OF THE BEAR HUNT

While some people are submitting permit requests for next month’s bloody show, others are opposing the upcoming bear hunt. Kate MacFall, Florida state director for The Humane Society of the United States, said in a statement, “By sanctioning a trophy hunt on bears in lieu of effective solutions on human-bear conflicts, the FWC has ignored sound science, responsible wildlife management and the majority of Floridians who oppose a hunt on this highly vulnerable and rare sub-species of bear, found nowhere else in the world outside its range.” She said the society will continue to oppose the hunt, which she says is unjustified and will likely lead to inhumane practices like hounding and baiting in the near future.

Bolton-Jorbert, a speaker at the commission, noted Florida’s increased human population is expanding into wildlife habitat. He and other speakers stressed that the state should further implement non-lethal rules, such as bear-proofing trash containers, prohibiting people from feeding wild bears and cracking down on the illegal harvesting of saw palmetto berries, which is a staple of a bear’s diet.

A petition to stop the bear hunt has been gathering hundreds of signatures.

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https://youtu.be/mwnF1BfXqlA

Florida Bear Hunt Gathers Growing Opposition

%A new species of #monkey discovered in #Peru demonstrates just how much of planet earth we still haven’t seen.% - http://clapway.com/2015/08/22/peru-new-species-titi-monkey-101/

It’s hard to believe in 2015 that there are parts of the world yet to be explored, but a new species of monkey discovered in Peru demonstrates just how much of planet earth we still haven’t seen. This discovery sheds light on not only what exists untouched in the most remote parts of the World, but also what we may lose without ever knowing thanks to human development. This entire species and others like it have the potential to disappear forever without ever being discovered if conservation efforts are not enhanced.

WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE TITI MONKEY?

This is a very special little primate, because it has eluded taxonomy for all of its existence as a species. The titi Monkeys have been described as far back as 1914 as a potential new species, but were never actually considered a new species until now. Due to the similarities between species of monkeys it has always been difficult to separate what is a seemingly homogeneous population of primates, relying on photographs taken over the years by travelers, and countless expeditions in the forest in search of the monkeys. Jan Vermeer, the project’s chief researcher, was finally able to identify this new species of Titi Monkey. The photographs provided by tourists proved to be a critical part of the research effort according to Vermeer, “For this study we received help from people all over the world who provided their photographs for comparison.”

HOW DID RESEARCHERS STUMBLE UPON THIS NEW SPECIES?

At first it seemed as though they might discover this new species by sheer coincidence. A rare stuffed monkey stowed away in the American Natural History Museum in New York City can be cited as one of the initial causes for the expedition to begin. A researcher found the preserved specimen to be unique and believed that it could offer insight into the taxonomy of a new species of primate. It turns out that he was correct in his initial assumptions, because his intuition led to the discovery of this new species of titi monkey. Vermeer suggests that studying specimens such as the one found in the American Natural History Museum could be the key to discovering additional species still unidentified, “Titi monkeys are often difficult to identify in the forest, especially the darker species, and more museum specimens would help us with understanding the diversity of this genus.”

NOW THAT THEY ARE FOUND, WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE TITI MONKEYS?

Vermeer wants to continue exploring this part of Peru, and believes that the area is rich in discoveries which have yet to be made. Although there is still a lot of work to be done, new methods of research, e.g., the ability to instantaneously share photos, will lead to the discovery of more fascinating species in the future. All these things may someday improve conservation of efforts for those species as of yet unidentified.

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TRAIN SOME HUMANITY WITH PAVLOK

Peru: New Species of Titi Monkey Discovered In Plain Sight

%Florida officials will keep the panther on the #endangered species list; #Florida commissioners to vote on a draft #policy paper to assist #panther #rehab soon.% - http://clapway.com/2015/08/16/florida-panther-endangered-september-101/

The endangered panther’s numbers have been thriving in southwest Florida in recent decades thanks to diligent conservation efforts and public support, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). However, officials at FWC have no plans to remove the panther from the endangered species list at this time, and Florida commissioners will vote on a draft policy paper regarding the next step for panther rehabilitation this September. The original draft of this policy was put forward this June, but was set aside for the time to allow the FWC to review data and give thorough input regarding the panther’s endangerment level.

ENDANGERED STATUS OF PANTHERS IN QUESTION

The FWC recognizes that panther numbers are improving and states that it will reflect on federal criteria regarding the panther’s endangered species status. The new version of the draft stresses the importance of protecting the panther’s natural habitat — specifically southwestern Florida — where most of the panthers are currently concentrated. However, the federal objective has been to work towards building panther populations beyond this area alone. The policy paper seeks to determine what specifically the state agency will be responsible for versus the federal government regarding panther protection and recovery.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

The species was officially listed as endangered in 1967. At the time, there were a mere 30 adult documented panthers living; current numbers suggest that there are 180 adult panthers in Florida population.

While a great improvement, Florida conservationists say that panther rehabilitation efforts are still absolutely crucial. Some Florida citizens are concerned that growing numbers in the panther population has led to an increase in safety issues. However, the FWC stresses the importance of public awareness in guaranteeing that the Florida panther remains alive and well.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

A successful increase in panther numbers naturally results in more “conflicts” with the human population, says FWC deputy director Kipp Frohlich. Claims that the current panther population is a burden to residents due to conflicts such as road accidents and loss of livestock were redacted when the draft was revised for the upcoming vote. For now, the FWC hopes to continue efforts in broadening the species’ population’s numbers, while not necessarily expanding into new territory. The next step for the Florida panther relies on next month’s vote.

Florida Panther Policy Faces Upheaval this September

Utah: Reburying Ancient Pueblo Pit House to Preserve for the Future - http://clapway.com/2015/08/03/utah-reburying-ancient-pueblo-pit-house-to-preserve-for-the-future-243/

In order to preserve the past, archaeologists in Utah have decided to rebury a 1500-year-old Pueblo pit house in hopes that future technological advancements can shed more light on the ancient way of life of the Anasazi peoples.

Archaeologists Rebury an Ancient Pueblo Pit House

Early in 2015, a group of engineers in the middle of conducting surveys for a development project stumbled upon a Pueblo pit house in southern Utah. The plans came to a quick halt to allow archaeologists access to research the site for the time being.

Volunteer archaeologists and researchers worked on the excavation and studied the site closely. They documented the site through photography, meticulous notes, and digital mapping techniques in order to precisely record the finding.

After four months of studies, the team decided to rebury the ancient Pueblo pit house to allow future archaeologists with better, more advanced technology the chance to find out more information from the remnants of the Anasazi culture in the Dammeron Valley.

Pueblo Pit House Reveals Life 1,500 Years Ago

The researchers found that the house was 1,500 years old and had belonged to the Puebloans, an ancient civilization also referred to as the Anasazi peoples. Upon further investigation, the archaeologists discovered bone fragments and tools that indicated the group had links to corn farming.

The volunteer archaeologists who worked on the excavation appeared to gain quite a bit of knowledge from observing the pit house and the remains of ancient life within it. Though no advanced technologies were used, the Anasazi way of life had been easily glimpsed just by observing the archaeological site.

Greg Woodall, one of the volunteers, explained to local media outlets that the inhabitants of the pit house had most likely built the home by digging a rather large pit about 10 feet deep, placing a roof over it, and accessing it via ladder.

Before entombing the Washington County house again, the research team carefully layered protective fabric over the floors and walls. This step would act as a preventative measure to protect the excavated house from erosion and also to signal to future researchers where their studies had ended.

Preserving the Pueblo Artifact for Future Technology

Though many abandoned Anasazi sites may have been built long ago in Utah, many of them haven’t been discovered and won’t be, as land developers have demolished the ancient houses without knowing of their historical significance.

Luckily, for this particular home, the developer is adamant that he should protect the recent archaeological find. Brooks Pace, the future owner of the land, has agreed to preserve the site by selling the rights to the lot that contains the Puebloan pit house to the Archaeological Conservancy.

Local news reports say that the conservation group may also have plans to create a museum to explain to visitors the site’s significance in ancient Anasazi life.

Maybe burying the past isn’t a bad thing, especially considering that in the future, archaeologists may have the technological advances needed to reexamine the house, unlocking the mystery and the secrets to the Pueblo people and why they abandoned the house sometime around 1500 years ago.

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Technology that can take us on a little trip to the past:

 

Utah: Reburying Ancient Pueblo Pit House to Preserve for the Future

Polar Bears Will Soon Disappear From Earth Forever - http://clapway.com/2015/07/08/polar-bears-will-soon-disappear-from-earth-forever987/

Our White Ice-Loving Friends are Disappearing

The concerns about the ever rising sea levels, melting ice caps, and constant warnings about global warming making their way into everyday news and our lives, it is no surprise that bears inhabiting the arctic regions are now suffering as a result. The extent of the damage done to the Polar Bears may mean they’ll soon be gone in a scant few years.

In the Blink of an Eye, the Polar Bears Will Be Gone

No one wants to see our white furry friends go. That’s why the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has responded to the declining population of the polar bears by drafting up a conservation plan to save them, or at least minimize their losses. The draft of the conservation effort can be found here on which it lists that number of polar bears that are present across the northern arctic tundra is lower than what one would expect. The number concerns many who are keeping an eye on the population.

The one factor that accounts for most of the reason for their declining population is a changing, warming climate, and all its complications and consequences, including rising sea levels and the melting of the polar ice caps. Under the final rule on the ESA listing of the Polar Bear back in 2008 as a threatened species, it states that the species is on the brink of becoming an endangered species should the loss of habitat continue.

What exactly is the plan to save them?

With efforts to severely limit the amount of greenhouse gases that is emitted by the U.S every year, efforts to save the polar bear are underway. However, this is not happening without some rebuking and chiding of the EPA on their power plant rule, for reasons relating to the standing foundations of government powers by the Constitution that the rule overstepped. The clock is ticking now to see how successful efforts to save the polar bears turn out.

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Polar Bears Will Soon Disappear From Earth Forever

Yellow-breasted bunting need to be saved. - http://clapway.com/2015/06/09/china-yellow-breasted-bunting-hunting-could-end-species-123/

Yellow-breasted bunting (Emberiza aureola) were among the most populous birds of Europe and Asia. Today, due to its presumably delicious meat this not the case. Not even close.

Why Yellow-Breasted Bunting So Rare Nowadays

Since 1980, these birds experienced a huge decline in population of about 84.3% to 94.7% (Conservation Biology). Previously, these bunting could be found in eastern Europe, Japan and Russia. Now, it would take more than a little work to even spot one. Unfortunately, because yellow-breasted bunting are considered a delicacy in China, yellow-breasted bunting hunting is allowed. Due to this, their species is on their way to extinction.

These Bunting May “Meat” The Same Fate Passenger Pigeons Did

Humans have been hunting these birds for over 2000 years. Back in 1997, China actually did ban yellow-breasted bunting hunting but the demand for its meat led to a black market where its meat would be sold anyway–and in millions, too. They were known throughout the country as the “rice bird”.

Dr. Johannes Kamp of the University of Munster describes this decline of these bunting as “unprecedented among birds distributed over such a large area.” The exception being the passenger pigeon. In 1914, we lost the entire passenger pigeon species and not since then has there been such a decline within the bird species.  It was also the result of habitat loss and industrial hunting.

These Birds Really Are A Delicacy There

Data shows that as China and East Asia experiences economic growth, the consumption of yellow-breasted bunting also increases. In 2001 alone, about one million were consumed just in Guangdong province of China.

The birds breed in north of the Himalayas and spend their winters in warmer Southeast Asia, after passing through eastern China where they have been hunted for more than 2,000 years now. The research team said that the birds at their wintering grounds, gather in huge flocks at night-time roosts, making them easy prey for trappers using net.

A World Without Yellow-Breasted Bunting

The study published in Conservation Biology is almost like a warning–the warning being, we might lose yellow-breasted bunting forever if we don’t do something. It highlights the parallels between this migratory bird and the passenger pigeon. In both cases, the loss has a very profound affect on the species and ecology.

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China: Yellow-Breasted Bunting Hunting Could End Species

New Zealand: Rare Species of Dolphin Near Extinction - http://clapway.com/2015/05/26/new-zealand-rare-species-of-dolphin-near-extinction-123/

Our fragile planet contains many rare species which are threatened or endangered by our manipulation of the circle of life. The latest victim in a series of species threatened to near extinction is the Maui’s Dolphin. Most conservation experts are calling for drastic measures to be taken In order to ensure the rare species does not go extinct. Currently only about 50 of these dolphins exist in the wild making them a critically endangered species.

The Main Threat to the Maui’s Rare Species of Dolphin

The Maui’s dolphins are only found off the coast of New Zealand, only live in shallow water, and their primary killer is large fishing nets as well as other man made devices. These marine mammals get tangled in the fishing nets, and aren’t able to surface to breath so they suffocate under water. Efforts have been made in the past to restore the species to a larger population, but not enough was done. Hundreds of experts have gathered for the annual International Whaling Commission meeting, and conservation efforts for the at-risk dolphins will be discussed.

Dr. Barbara Maas discusses the significance of the data regarding the remaining Maui’s Dolphins, “These new figures are a loud wakeup call: New Zealand has to abandon its current stance which places the interest of the fishing industry biodiversity conservation, and finally protect the Dolphins’ habitat from harmful fishing nets, seismic air-gun blasts, and oil and gas extraction.” She believes that if direct intervention is not made immediately, it is inevitable that the species will become extinct.

While there have been regulations enforced by the New Zealand government, nothing that they have done so far has been enough to restore the Maui’s Dolphin population to what it was since its decline due to an increase in fishing in the region. In fact there has been a drop in population since 2011 when there were approximately 59 of the Maui’s Dolphins remaining in the wild at that time, which has decreased by about 12 to what they believe are only 47 remaining in the wild off the coast of New Zealand. With little regard for the invasiveness of their tactics, fisherman have drawn in and killed the Maui’s Dolphin, to the point where directly intervention is now essential to ensure the continuation of the exceptionally rare marine mammals.

 

New Zealand: Rare Species of Dolphin Near Extinction

Syria: Rare Bird Threatened by ISIS Occupation of Palmyra - http://clapway.com/2015/05/25/syria-rare-bird-threatened-by-isis-occupation-of-palmyra123/

The terrorist organization known as “ISIS” has been taking control of essential territories in the Middle East, leaving hundreds dead in their wake, and piles of rubble in place of cities and artifacts. They threaten the stability in the Middle East and test the strength of the still developing armies in places like Iraq. Most recently ISIS has captured the historically significant City of Palmyra, killing over 200 as it lays waste to the ancient city. In capturing Palmyra ISIS proves to be a new type of threat. ISIS now greatly threatens the population of an endangered species known as the Northern Bald Ibis, and without intervention ISIS will cause the total extinction of the species.

 

Conservation Efforts Put On Hold Leaving Ibis Helpless

Many previous efforts have been made to ensure that the bird population not dwindle to a dangerously low level, and prevent the extinction of the species. In 2013 a few of the birds were moved to Europe for the first time since all of the Northern Bald Ibis were completely wiped out in Europe due to a lack of hunting regulations and other environmental causes, forcing them to die off in the region completely. Now they face an entirely new threat from the active combat present in the Syrian city of Palmyra.

As shots ring out and bullets fly, the conservationists in Palmyra are desperate to save the last of these Northern Bald Ibis that are left from extinction. Militant groups came into the city, causing many of the citizens charged with taking care of the endangered bird to flee for fear of losing their lives. Northern Bald Ibis in Palmyra once had a population of about 11 total birds, but this has been reduced now to only 3. Left behind are 2 male and 1 female Ibis. All three have not been moved out of Palmyra, because there is an egg that has not hatched, and cannot be moved without risking damage to the single egg that the 3 remaining birds have produced. ISIS proves to be a grave threat to the inhabitants in the Middle East, and to the historical artifacts that they will destroy. Although the fate of the 3 Northern Bald Ibis left behind is unknown, if there is no intervention to prevent the further destruction of Palmyra, it is likely that these 3 will prove to be the last of their kind.

Syria: Rare Bird Threatened by ISIS Occupation of Palmyra