‘Canary in the cornfield’: Monarch butterfly may get threatened species status

‘Canary in the cornfield’: Monarch butterfly may get threatened species status

Monarch butterflies were once a common sight throughout the North American heartland. In Mexico, where they overwinter, single trees would often be covered in thousands. But declines in milkweed – their caterpillars’ only source of food – have led to a 90 percent decline in monarch numbers. Now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) […]

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Poll: Vote for Your Favorite Species to Help Celebrate World Shorebird Day! (Photos)

Poll: Vote for Your Favorite Species to Help Celebrate World Shorebird Day! (Photos)

This Saturday marks the first World Shorebird Day, a day to celebrate these beautiful birds and raise awareness for their conservation. Shorebirds nest and migrate along beaches and grasslands, and are known to have some of the most impressive migrations in the animal kingdom. They’re an incredibly diverse group of birds, consisting of plovers, oystercatchers, […]

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Is 20 millions tons enough? Scientists recommend plastic crackdown as oceans choke

Is 20 millions tons enough? Scientists recommend plastic crackdown as oceans choke

Every year, 20 million tons of plastic enters the world’s oceans. In 2012, the Rio +20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development dubbed marine plastic litter “a major environmental issue that the world must address,” and asked for management action by 2025. One group of researchers started early and was among the first to take […]

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