Natural History Wanderings

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 20, 2026

Acupuncture for Rescued Elephants Provides Relief from Chronic Pain and Nerve Damage

The Good News Network reported

The largest wildlife rescue organization in India has started using acupuncture to help elephants recover from chronic pain, nerve damage, and mobility issues after their years of captivity or hard labor.

Their veterinary team sought training in alternative medicine so the techniques could be used alongside conventional veterinary medicine and found they boosted recovery rates when the usual treatments proved inadequate.

Read more Acupuncture for Rescued Elephants Provides Relief from Chronic Pain and Nerve Damage in India Care Center

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Acupuncture for Elephants

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 19, 2026

Abandoned tuna-fishing devices pollute the Galápagos Marine Reserve

Monga Bay reported

The tuna industry commonly uses fish aggregating devices (FADs) to efficiently collect large volumes of fish; when these devices are lost or abandoned, they can harm marine wildlife and habitats.
In Ecuador, lost FADs can drift into the Galápagos Marine Reserve, a protected area with hundreds of endemic and threatened species, where they pollute the environment with plastic, harm reefs and entangle wildlife.
Local agencies and organizations are developing ways to prevent FADs from entering the marine reserve in the first place and trying to clean up the mess they make when they do get in.

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Posted in Environment | Tags: Pollution at Galapagos Marine Reserve

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 19, 2026

The Tiger Population Doubled in India in Just Ten Years

Good News Network reported

Conservation in India successfully doubled the native population of tigers in the decade before the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study reveals.

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Tiger Population

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 18, 2026

Wigeons

The Alameda Post

While we can see ducks throughout the year in Alameda, some species leave in thespring to raise their young in other places and return in the fall to winter in our waters. Wigeons are one of the partial-year species. Most of them leave in April to breed in western Canada and then return in September or October, although a few do stay here each summer. While here in winter, they often feed at night. During the day they hang out in fresh water or at sheltered spots at the edge of the Bay, so look for them in ponds, including the lagoon near the beach at Crab Cove and the edge of the water at Elsie Roemer as well as multiple ponds and marshy areas throughout the East Bay.

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Posted in Birds | Tags: Wigeons

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 18, 2026

Forests are changing fast and scientists are deeply concerned

ScienceDaily reported

Forests may be growing faster—but they’re also becoming weaker, simpler, and far more vulnerable.

Forests around the world are quietly transforming, and not for the better. A massive global analysis of more than 31,000 tree species reveals that forests are becoming more uniform, increasingly dominated by fast-growing “sprinter” trees, while slow-growing, long-lived species are disappearing. These slower species act as the backbone of forest ecosystems, storing carbon, stabilizing environments, and supporting rich webs of life—especially in tropical regions where biodiversity is highest.

Read more at Forests are changing fast and scientists are deeply concerned

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Posted in Environment | Tags: Forest Growth

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 17, 2026

Important Steps To Take If A Bird Flies Into Your Window Read More: https://www.housedigest.com/2102567/steps-to-take-if-bird-flies-into-window/

House Digest reported

If you love birds and biodiversity in your garden, then you probably know all about how to attract a variety of birds to your yard so you can enjoy seeing the wildlife. However, inviting a bunch of birds to your yard can have some unintended consequences, especially if your house has windows that are remarkably transparent or reflective. Birds can unfortunately mistake the glass for clear flying space, leading them to collide with your house’s windows. This collision is very dangerous to birds, often leading to injury or even death. If you want to help the bird, you will need to work quickly and know exactly what to do in order to handle the bird safely. This includes keeping yourself and the bird safe while assessing injuries, knowing who to call for help, and understanding how to confirm and dispose of a dead bird.

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Posted in Birds | Tags: Bird Window Collisions

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 17, 2026

Apes Show Ability to Imagine in ‘Tea Party’ Experiments

The Good News Network reported

Apes share the human ability to imagine and pretend, suggests new research that included a series of tea party experiments.

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Ape

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 16, 2026

Cities May Be ‘Evolutionary Training Grounds’ for Spotted Lanternflies

The New York Times reported

Living in urban China may have given the insects the traits they needed to thrive in the United States, a new study suggests.

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Lanterflies

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 16, 2026

Rocket Frog, Damselfish, and Bandicoots: The Species Declared Extinct in 2025 • The Revelator

This year’s list includes a notable extinction caused by climate change — and several caused by introduced predators.
— Read on therevelator.org/extinct-2025/

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Species now extinct

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 15, 2026

Xerces Society Upcoming Events

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See all Xerces Society upcoming events at Xerces Society Webinars

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Posted in Butterflies, Talks | Tags: Xerces Society Webinars

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 15, 2026

How the white-tailed eagle returned to the Isle of Wight

Hampsuire Life reported

Back in 2019 something remarkable happened just off the coast of Hampshire. A magnificent bird, extinct in the UK since the early twentieth century, was reintroduced to the Isle of Wight, where it hadn’t bred since 1780. It was a pivotal moment.

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Posted in Birds | Tags: White-tailed Eagles

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 14, 2026

Can the East Bay Parks help save the California least tern?

Oaklandside reporte

The shorebirds that look like ‘little angels hovering above the waves’ have been on the endangered species list since 1970. A wildlife biologist with the park system and 8,000 volunteers have created nesting habitats in Oakland and Hayward.

The small island in an Oakland marsh is almost entirely covered in cudweed, and that’s not how the California least tern likes it. Though the patches of vegetation are less than a foot high, this native tern is even smaller, the smallest of the North American terns, about the size of a robin. The tiny shorebird has been on the endangered species list since 1970, and for this patch of shale to be attractive for nesting, they need clear sight lines to evade gulls, crows, and other predators.

That’s why more than two dozen volunteers met one Saturday morning in late January at the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline, tucked between the Oakland Coliseum and the Oakland Airport, for a day of weeding. Here, as you walk along the shoreline’s paved pathways, you’re apt to see both geese and airplanes take flight.

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Posted in Birds | Tags: Least Tern

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 14, 2026

Tejon Ranch Upcoming Events

See All Upcoming Tejon Ranch Events at Events

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Posted in Walks & Hikes | Tags: Tejon Ranch activities

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 14, 2026

The Remarkable Role of Filoplumes: Nature’s Hidden Feathers

NewsClip reported

Feathers enable birds to perform complex aerial maneuvers, and filoplumes assist significantly in this regard. These tiny structures monitor airflow, vibrations, and even touch, translating these cues into critical adjustments. They play a crucial role in maintaining flight stability, crucial for long-distance travelers like the albatross, which can soar for hours on end.

Pressure Detection: Filoplumes alert birds to feather misalignments.
Temperature Regulation: They inform birds when to fluff up for warmth or release heat.
Pest Detection: Their sensitivity allows birds to react to parasites more swiftly.

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Posted in Birds | Tags: Filoplumes:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 13, 2026

Tejon Conservancy Events

See the calendar of events for theTejon Conservancy at www.tejonconservancy.org/calendar

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Posted in Walks & Hikes | Tags: Tejon Ranch Event

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 13, 2026

Endangered animal populations bounce back on Kangaroo Island thanks to predator-proof fence

Australian Broadcasting Company reported

Populations of endangered animals on Kangaroo Island have increased by 90 to 100 per cent in five years.

The success of the program has surprised ecologists, who feared the impacts of the 2019-20 bushfires.

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Endangered animal populations, Kangaroo Island

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 12, 2026

Upcoming Events at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum

See upcoming events at the Santa Barbara Natural HIstory Museum at https ://mailchi.mp/sbnature2.org/general-events-13930336?e=693571bfe8

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Posted in Talks | Tags: Santa Barbara Natural History Museum

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 12, 2026

One Glacier Is Actually Growing–and Perplexed Scientists Hope to Discover its Secrets

The Good New Network reported

Over the decades, a glacier in Central Asia appears to have been growing when almost every other glacier on Earth has been shrinking.

Now, a scientific expedition has recovered ice cores containing 30,000 years of frozen water in the hopes that somewhere inside lies some indication of how we can help these rivers of ice survive as the planet warms.

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Posted in Environment | Tags: Glacier Growth

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 11, 2026

Anza-Borrego Foundation Upcoming Events

Anza-Borrego Foundation hosts a variety of events and educational programs, including hikes, botany walks, photography workshops, and more. See the schedule at Events | Anza-Borrego Foundation

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Posted in Talks, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Anza-Borrego Foundation Events

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 11, 2026

The Red-capped Manakin is a tropical bird species found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and Panama. It moves faster than a hummingbird. Here is a video of researcher Kim Bostwick using a high speed video camera (500 frames per second versus the traditional 30 frames per second) that shows how the Manakins make high pitched sound with their wings and best of all their mating dance that includes a Michael Jackson-like Moonwalk: Moonwalking Bird

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Posted in Birds | Tags: Bird, Manakin, Moonwalking Bird, Pipra mentalis, Red-capped Manakin

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 10, 2026

Xerces Society Events

The list of events will be updated regularly. To view past webinars, please visit our YouTube channel. We also announce events on social media and via our e-newsletter. If you have questions, please email outreach@xerces.org.

To see the current list go to Events | Xerces Society

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Posted in Butterflies, Talks | Tags: Xerces Society Events

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 10, 2026

Tropical fish appears in Adriatic, puzzling Croatian scientists

Croatia Week

Scientists in Croatia have been left intrigued by the unexpected appearance of a tropical fish species in the northern Adriatic Sea, an area known for being among the coldest parts of the Mediterranean.

The discovery was made near the Kvarner region, where researchers are now investigating how the fish managed to reach the waters off the Croatian coast.

The Adriatic Sea is home to around 450 species of fish. However, increasing maritime traffic and rising sea temperatures are gradually introducing non-native species into the ecosystem.

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Tropical Fish in Adriatic

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 10, 2026

Millions Of Coral Fragments Grown In Underwater Nurseries Are Rebuilding Reefs, Sheltering Fish And Restoring Ocean Life

Sevenstarssmethwick Reported

On Florida’s battered reefs, these nurseries have shifted the storyline from obituary to recovery log. At one site run by the non-profit Coral Restoration Foundation, more than 200,000 corals have already been outplanted onto degraded reef structures. In the Maldives, projects report survival rates of 70–80 % for nursery-grown corals, even in waters that have seen brutal heatwaves

Read on www.sevenstarssmethwick.co.uk/15-164239-millions-of-coral-fragments-grown-in-underwater-nurseries-are-rebuilding-reefs-sheltering-fish-and-restoring-ocean-life/

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Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Coral Reefs

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 9, 2026

Sonoma Land Trust Events

Check out the latest events and news for Sonoma Land Trust at OUTINGS & EVENTS

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Posted in Talks, Walks & Hikes

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 9, 2026

Wildlife trade ups the risk of diseases spilling over to … us : NPR

NPR reported

People sell wild animals for food and for traditional medicine — legally and illegally. A study looks at the risks of spillover diseases from those pangolins, giant rats and other exotic critters.

Read on www.npr.org/2026/04/09/nx-s1-5776668/wildlife-trade-pathogens-spillover

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Posted in Animals | Tags: wildlife trade

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 9, 2026

Mangrove Trees Are Absorbing Carbon, Buffering Storms And Restarting Degraded Coastal Ecosystems

Damascusbite reported

Over 600,000 Mangrove Trees Replanted Worldwide Are Absorbing Carbon, Buffering Storms And Restarting Degraded Coastal Ecosystems.

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Posted in Environment, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Mangroves

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 8, 2026

Theodore Payne Foundation Upcoming Events

Theodore Payne Foundation inspires and educates Southern Californians about the beauty and ecological benefits of California native plant landscapes.We are located on 22 acres of canyon land in the northeast corner of the San Fernando Valley. Our full-service native plant nursery, seed room, book store, art gallery, demonstration gardens, and hiking trails are open to the public year round. We offer garden tours and classes for adults and families, as well as field trips to TPF and in-classroom programs for children. Friendly on-leash dogs are welcome and there is no admission charge!

See upcoming events at Theodore Payne Foundation Events – Upcoming Activities and Tickets | Eventbrite