During the last weekend of January, participants in Britain’s Big Garden Birdwatch are asked to keep track of the number of each avian species they see at their location over a one-hour period. The counting and recording is usually done in gardens, but parks and other green spaces work too. Participants in this year’s Birdwatch […]
Tag: pesticides
With the Great Mussel Die-Off, Scientists Scramble for Answers
Throughout his professional life, U.S. Forest Service researcher Wendell Haag has studied freshwater mussels in their hotspot of biological diversity, which extends across a vast swath of the southeastern United States. His more than 30-year career has been overshadowed by a single question: Why are the bivalves in this region disappearing? Freshwater mussels are one […]
Petition: Save Butterflies From Extinction – Act Now
A recent study has revealed that a whopping 22% of butterfly species in the United States have disappeared in the last 20 years. Make no mistake – this is an emergency. The loss of butterflies is not just a tragic consequence for these beautiful insects, but a sign of a much larger environmental crisis. Despite […]
Researchers Find Lead, Plastic Additives and Other Contaminants in Hedgehogs
In a new study, researchers have found a wide range of pollutants in Western European hedgehogs, including heavy metals, plastic additives and more. The researchers from Lund University in Sweden were exploring the levels of heavy metals found in hedgehogs in southern Sweden, following previous research that revealed heavy metal pollution in hedgehogs in urban […]
Court orders Trump administration to address pesticide risks to endangered species
A U.S. federal judge recently ordered the Trump administration‘s Fish and Wildlife Service to complete assessments on the impacts of six pesticides and the steps needed to protect endangered species from them. This isn’t the first time pesticide safety has come before the Trump administration. In 2017, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) conducted an […]
Use of pesticides on UK farms to be cut by 10% by 2030 to protect bees
The use of pesticides on UK farms is to be reduced by 10% by 2030 under government plans to protect bees and other pollinators. Campaigners welcomed the news, but said they were disappointed that the target applied only to arable farms and not to urban areas and parks. The plan has been a long time […]
Wild swimmers are safer in lakes and rivers where beavers live, thanks to their pollution blocking dams, study finds
Wild swimmers are safer in lakes, rivers, and ponds inhabited by beavers, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Stirling in Scotland have uncovered that beaver dams drastically improve the water quality of British eco-systems. Their work, detailed in the Science of the Total Environment journal, monitored how rodent populations affect pollution […]
UK bumblebee numbers fell to lowest on record in 2024, shows data
Figures show 2024 was the worst year for bumblebees in the UK since records began. Bumblebee numbers declined by almost a quarter compared with the 2010-2023 average, according to data from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. The researchers said the drop was probably due to the cold and wet conditions in the UK last spring. According […]