Audubon  reported

Since then, a broad coalition of conservation partners—biologists and zookeepers, tribes and government agencies, nonprofits and universities—has brought about a striking rebound. “When you add it up, it’s hundreds of people working really hard to try to save this one little bird,” says Vince Cavalieri, a National Park Service biologist who oversees plovers at Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the population’s core stronghold, about 40 miles south of Cathead Bay. Last year the Piping Plover population reached a high of 81 pairs: 76 spread across five states, plus 5 in Ontario, on all five Great Lakes. Not only have the resilient shorebirds returned to remote coasts, they have also started families on human-built beaches and in the shadows of skyscrapers.

Read story at : After Four Decades, Efforts to Save Great Lakes Piping Plovers Are Seeing Signs of Major Success | Audubon

SF Gate

The footage from a Northern California photographer revealed a rare species in broad daylight at Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Read on www.sfgate.com/california-parks/article/rare-animal-footage-lassen-volcanic-national-park-20392424.php

University of Bristol reported

The research, led by the University of Bristol in the UK and the University of Innsbruck in Austria, presents the first global simulations of glacier change up to 2500 under so-called ‘overshoot’ scenarios, when the planet temporarily exceeds the 1.5°C limit up to 3°C before cooling back down.

The research, led by the University of Bristol in the UK and the University of Innsbruck in Austria, presents the first global simulations of glacier change up to 2500 under so-called ‘overshoot’ scenarios, when the planet temporarily exceeds the 1.5°C limit up to 3°C before cooling back down

Read on yubanet.com/enviro/glaciers-will-take-centuries-to-recover-even-if-global-warming-is-reversed-scientists-warn/

SF Gate reported

A contentious proposal from a Republican senator from Utah to sell millions of acres of public land across the West was scrapped from the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” Monday night, but the lawmaker has made a last-ditch attempt to rally support.

Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled Monday that the plan from Sen. Mike Lee to impose a mandatory sale of up to 3 million acres of Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service land, including large swaths of California, would not make it into the Republican-led megabill.

Read more Sale of millions of acres of public land scrapped from Senate bill

The Guardian reported

Researchers say urgent conservation efforts will be needed to mitigate the ‘shocking statistic’ that threatens to unravel ecosystems

Read on www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/24/extinction-crisis-could-see-500-bird-species-vanish-within-a-century-report-aoe

Good News Network reported

Dropped off via helicopter on a cliff edge high on a rocky escarpment in South Africa, an observer might have mistaken a pair of herpetologists for Army Rangers.

In reality, they were searching for a gecko species not seen in 30 years since the first instance it was recorded. So much time had passed without a sighting of the little desert-colored reptile that scientists had begun to doubt its existence.

Read on www.goodnewsnetwork.org/daredevil-researchers-rediscover-mysterious-gecko-thought-extinct-or-even-imaginary/

from Golden Gate Bird Alliance

Join us this Thursday, June 26 at 7pm online for “The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta: connections and complexity”.
speaker: Aaron N. K. Haiman

In this talk, Aaron will discuss the connections that created and define the Delta from its formation to its ecology/biodiversity. Aaron will also explore the ecological and social complexities the Delta embraces and faces.

Zoom Link:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83516705279?pwd=a76VLb7FhDsDqGxt2HE9XChkKQHrbW.1

CNN reported

The first test images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile showcase thousands of previously unknown asteroids and millions of glittering galaxies.

Read on www.cnn.com/2025/06/23/science/vera-rubin-observatory-first-images

The Guardian reported

Behavior in orca population off coast of US and Canada captured by scientists using drone observation

Read on www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/23/killer-whales-kelp-grooming-tool-use

CBS News reported

Unprecedented footage of an elusive deep-sea creature came to light this week. On an expedition through the Southern Ocean last Christmas Day, researchers discovered the Gonatus antarcticus, a mysterious species of squid known to roam the freezing waters around Antarctica but never seen alive before in its natural habitat.

Read more and see photos Elusive Antarctic squid spotted alive in the wild for the first time, captured on video – CBS News

All About Birds reported

Last autumn, nearly 1,000 birds died in a single night at a single building. This year, after applying simple white markers to the windows, collisions are down by 95% over previous years.

Read more  A Simple Window Treatment Drastically Cuts Bird Collisions at a Chicago Landmark | All About Birds

The Guardian reported

How green is this? We pay billions of pounds to cut down ancient forests in the US and Canada, ship the wood across the Atlantic in diesel tankers, then burn it in a Yorkshire-based power station.

Welcome to the scandal of Drax, where Britain’s biggest polluter gets to play climate hero. The reality is that billions in public subsidies has enabled Drax to generate electricity by burning 300m trees. Now the government is trying to force through an extension that would grant Drax an estimated £1.8bn in public subsidies on top of the £11bn it has already pocketed, keeping this circus going until at least 2031.

Read more Ancient trees are shipped to the UK, then burned – using billions in ‘green’ subsidies. Stop this madness now | Dale Vince | The Guardian

Live Science reported

Newborn pilot whales have been spotted mysteriously swimming among pods of orcas. Scientists are trying to puzzle out how the pilot whale calves got there and what happened to them.

Read more Living lunch box? Iceland orcas are unexpectedly swimming with baby pilot whales, but it’s unclear why. | Live Science

Good News Network reported

Gradually, signs began to appear that the Spanish beaver (Castor fibre) was progressively inching closer to Portugal.

Read on www.goodnewsnetwork.org/after-500-years-the-beaver-is-back-in-portugal-and-ready-to-give-a-dam/

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 20, 2025

PG&E to Restore Portions of Hell’s Half Acre Wildflower Meadows

YubaNet reported

PG&E to Restore Portions of Hell’s Half Acre Wildflower Meadows

Read on yubanet.com/regional/pge-to-restore-portions-of-hells-half-acre-wildflower-meadows/

Smithson Magazine reported

Researcher Vladimir Dinets watched the bird repeatedly sneak behind a row of cars to ambush its unsuspecting prey

Source: A Young Cooper’s Hawk Learned to Use a Crosswalk Signal to Launch Surprise Attacks on Other Birds

The Guardian reported

Many in Kassel have embraced the animal but the EU classes it as an invasive species and ecologists are divided about what to do next

Read on www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/19/raccoons-german-city-kassel-wild-population-europe-aoe

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 19, 2025

250+ million acres of public lands eligible for sale in SENR bill

from the Wilderness Society

250+ million acres of public lands eligible for sale in SENR bill. You can easily contact your senators at  Take Action and encouage them oppose the sale of public lands.

Read more 250+ million acres of public lands eligible for sale in SENR bill | The Wilderness Society

ScienceDaily reported

Planting flower strips in a field with at least two species can increase the number of natural enemies of pests by 70 percent. The more flower species, the better the effect, according to a new meta-analysis.

Read on www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522125022.htm

NPR reported

Goliath the tortoise had a big shellebration Sunday as he marked his first Father’s Day.He also turned 135 at Zoo Miami.

Read more at  Goliath the Galápagos tortoise celebrated his first Father’s Day and 135th birthday : NPR

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 18, 2025

Pollinator-Friendly Native Plant Lists 

Xerces Society

You can help pollinators significantly by growing a diversity of native plants in your space. Our regional native plant lists, though not exhaustive, highlight species that have been shown to provide a number of benefits to a diversity of pollinators. These native plants can be grown across rural and urban landscapes to create new pollinator habitat or to enhance existing habitat

.Our plant lists include key flowering plants that provide pollinators with nectar and pollen. We also highlight host plants for caterpillars of butterflies and moths, plants that provide nest sites or nesting materials for above-ground nesting bees, and plants that support specialist bees that require pollen from certain plants. Our lists also note those plants that support beneficial insects such as predatory or parasitoid insects that help to control pests of ornamental and crop plants.

See Plant Lists at Pollinator-Friendly Native Plant Lists | Xerces Society

SFGate reported

Last week, the California Legislature approved a preliminary $325 billion spending plan, including cuts to a State Parks library program.

Read on www.sfgate.com/politics/article/calif-state-parks-library-program-budget-cuts-20380001.php

ScienceDaily reported

Ten thousand years after mastodons disappeared, scientists have unearthed powerful fossil evidence proving these elephant cousins were vital seed spreaders for large-fruited trees in South America. Using dental wear, isotope analysis, and fossilized plant residue, researchers confirmed that mastodons regularly consumed fruit supporting a decades-old theory that many tropical plants evolved alongside giant animals. The extinction of these megafauna left a permanent ecological void, with some plants now teetering on the edge of extinction. Their story isn t just prehistoric it s a warning for today s conservation efforts.

Read on www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250614121947.htm

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 17, 2025

Wolves continue remarkable comeback with 3 new packs in NorCal

SF Gate reported

Three new wolf packs have emerged in the rural, mountainous regions of northeastern California, wildlife officials announced. All three packs are located in a remote region where the northern Sierra Nevada meets the southern Cascades. The Ashpan Pack is located in eastern Shasta County, the Ishi Pack is in eastern Tehama County and the Tunnison pack is in central Lassen County.

Read more  Wolves continue remarkable comeback with 3 new packs in NorCal

The Guardian reported

The increase in Burmese pythons had resulted in loss of animals native to the Everglades

Read more  Florida removes record haul of invasive pythons in effort to curb population | Florida | The Guardian

Center for Biological Diversity News Release

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed listing seven species of pangolins as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, a move that would strengthen trade and import restrictions within the United States and underscore the species’ critical conservation status.

Read on biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/pangolins-proposed-for-us-endangered-species-act-protections-2025-06-16/

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 16, 2025

These Plants Protect Larvae From Wildfires 

The New York Times reported

Growths on plants formed by parasitic weevils help their offspring hunker down on a Brazilian savanna and outlast the flames.Growths on plants formed by parasitic weevils help their offspring hunker down on a Brazilian savanna and outlast the flames.

Read more at These Plants Protect Larvae From Wildfires

ScienceDaily reported

After millions of years of evolutionary isolation, Madagascar developed an unparalleled array of wildlife, and recent research has uncovered an unsung ecological hero: the lizard. Though often dismissed in studies of seed dispersal, lizards in Madagascar have proven to be vital agents of endozoochory, consuming fruits and spreading the seeds of over 20 plant species. Surprisingly, their seed choices differ from those of the dominant lemurs, suggesting an unrecognized ecological role. Even more striking, these lizards persist in degraded environments where larger frugivores can t, hinting at their crucial function in restoring Madagascar s forests.

Read on www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250610004054.htm

Society of Environment Journalists  reported

“Scientists have learned that another species of fungus found in Europe and Asia causes white-nose disease, which has ravaged bat populations in the United States and Canada.”

“In the winter of 2006, biologists in New York State got a gruesome surprise. As they surveyed colonies of hibernating bats, they discovered heaps of dead animals on the floors of caves and abandoned mines.

The culprit was a fungus new to science.

Read more  Fungus Devastated North American Bats. New Species Could Be Killer Blow. | SEJ

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 14, 2025

Photos from Regional Park Botanic Garden 6/10/25 Part 2

Photos taken in the Regional Park Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on June 10, 2025.

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The Regional Parks Botanic Garden is a botanic garden of California native plants. The Garden is open Monday through Sunday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM.  It is located within Tilden Park in the hills above Berkeley, California.  It is a 10-acre garden for many of the state’s rare and endangered plants and a place for visitors to wander among trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses from plant communities throughout the state. To learn more about the garden visit the website at www.nativeplants.org .

 

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