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☆ More than 2,000 dead penguins washed up on Uruguay's coast. A bird expert says they can't pinpoint a cause.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Sebastian Cahill | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Over 2,000 dead penguins have washed up on the shores of Uruguay. The birds have tested negative for the avian flu, leaving experts guessing at causes of death. According to the Times, Magellanic penguins can be found across the Pacific and the Atlantic, with concentrations in the Falkland Islands, Chile, and Argentina. The Times added that they move north in colder temperatures to find warmer water and food. Tesore added that he found other dead animals on the beach, like seagulls and sea turtles.

Persons: Carmen Leizagoyen, Leizagoyen, Richard Tesore, Tesore Organizations: Service, Science Times, Times, of Fauna, Environment Ministry, NDTV, Uruguay's Ministry, Environment Locations: Uruguay, Wall, Silicon, Pacific, Falkland Islands, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay's

☆ These Watches Can Be Fruit, Flowers, Fauna or Almost Anything at All
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Kathleen Beckett | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

We create our own path.”The OriginsThe path of form watches began at least 500 years ago. “There are records from approximately 1500 with watches made in different shapes,” said Simon Bull, a watch historian and consultant in England. “Basically, form watches start with watches in a ball shape, in a pomander shape, made in metal with piercings.”Nathalie Marielloni, vice curator at the Musée International d’Horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, said that, in addition to a watch, the pomander would include some perfume. There also were watches in the form of religious objects, he said. “You get watches in the shape of crosses, you get skulls, memento mori, due to the paranoia that people had about going to heaven or hell.”

Persons: “, ”, Simon Bull, Nathalie Marielloni, Timepieces, Bull, Pierre, Martin Scheult Organizations: Fonds, Metropolitan Museum of Art Locations: England, La Chaux, Switzerland, New York City

☆ Climate Change Demands We Clean Up Our Rivers for Swimming - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Paul Hockenos | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

MUNICH — The mesmerizing scene along the banks of Munich’s lime-green Isar River on a recent summer afternoon made me, an out-of-towner, quiver with envy. Clusters of students, off-duty office workers, families and nude sunbathers were sprawled out on blankets with bottled beer and light meals. The restoration was meant to benefit flood-prone neighborhoods, as well as the river’s flora and fauna. But today the river is also an easily accessible public space that offers essential relief from the heat. “I don’t have a balcony, I don’t have a garden, but I have the Isar,” said an apartment-dwelling friend who swims there regularly.

Persons: ” Locations: MUNICH, Munich

☆ Ancient shrimplike predator was misunderstood, according to new research
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. CNN —With appendages growing out of its head and an armored mouth, an ancient shrimplike creature was thought to be the quintessential apex predator of its time. The 2-foot-long (0.6-meter-long) Anomalocaris canadensis was one of the largest marine animals to live 508 million years ago. The model was based on a well-preserved but flattened fossil found in the Burgess Shale formation in the Canadian Rockies. The marine animal was one of the largest of its time.

Persons: ”, Russell Bicknell, Anomalocaris canadensis Bicknell, Bicknell, ” Bicknell Organizations: CNN, American Museum, Natural, University of New, Canadian Rockies, Royal Society Locations: University of New England, Australia, Germany, China, Switzerland, United Kingdom

☆ Rize: Turkey’s hidden mountain hideaways
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Feride Yalav-Heckeroth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Rize province, on the Black Sea coast near Turkey’s northeast border with Georgia, is still largely unknown to many international travelers. Away from Rize itself – the seaside city which lends its name to the province – the area’s valleys and plateaus, surrounded by high-altitude mountain ridges, have remained largely rural. With high rates of rainfall, Rize’s mountain villages (yayla) become a point of escape from summer temperatures. “The state of tourism in Rize is not very pleasant because visitors often arrive without much knowledge about the local culture or the nature. “I think the purpose of coming to Rize shouldn’t be to rush through everything and take a few selfies.

Persons: Orhan Eskiva, café, hamsili, Rize’s, Zeyne, Ahmet Şişman, İbrahim Birben, it’s, Dağ Evi, Trebizond, Emre Corbaci, Taşkın, ”, Elif, Peri, Deniz Demirci Tarakçı, Çinçiva, “, Işık Güner, Feride, Conde Nast Organizations: CNN, Ottomans, Apo, Rize Zua Coffee Locations: Rize, Turkey’s, Georgia, Rize province, Çamlıhemşin, Forestry, Karadeniz, Russia, Senyuva, Çamlıhemşin’s, Mola, Sümela, Trabzon, Zilkale, Armenian, Şenyuva, Istanbul, Pokutsal, Peri, Rize Zua, Yasemin, Barcelona, Fırtına, “, Lake Constance, Kinfolk

☆ First ever video captures the adorable birth of critically endangered Burmese peacock softshell turtle hatchlings
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Staff at a conservation group captured the birth of 15 Burmese peacock softshell turtle hatchlings. Nyein Chan & Yae Aung / Fauna & FloraAs a result, Burmese peacock softshell turtles are one of the world's most endangered freshwater turtle species. An adult Burmese peacock softshell turtle (Nilssonia formosa) being released in Indawgyi. "Working with local communities will be key to our success in addressing the threats to the critically endangered Burmese peacock softshell turtle. We are already seeing the results of collaborating with communities to manage and protect key nesting sites and habitat," said Zau Lunn, Programme Manager, Freshwater and Marine, Fauna & Flora.

Persons: —, Nyein Chan, Jeremy Holden, Fredric Janzen, Flora, Zau Lunn, Lunn Organizations: Service, Zoological Society, London's, Local, Flora International, Fauna & Flora International, & Flora, New York Times, Michigan State University, Fauna, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Locations: Myanmar, East, Southeast Asia, Indawgyi, formosa

☆ European tourist island declares itself a phone-free zone
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Amaya Mcdonald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —As summer approaches and tourism season begins, social media users will struggle to answer the age-old question: If you didn’t post about your vacation, did you really even go? Though it may be difficult for some to resist work emails and updating social media during vacation, the island of Ulko-Tammio in Finland is urging visitors to ignore their screens and enjoy nature. “The island of Ulko-Tammio, which is located off the coast of Hamina, will be a phone-free area this summer,” Mats Selin, an expert in island tourism at Visit Kotka-Hamina, said in a news release. However, the staff of Parks & Wildlife Finland, the company that manages the island, hopes that the campaign translates to tourists unplugging and engaging with the flora, fauna and fellow visitors. “We spend countless hours scrolling our social media feeds, so taking a short break from them means you have more time for new experiences.”Visitors can spend their phone-free nights on the island in tents or in a cabin maintained by Parks & Wildlife Finland.

Persons: that’s, “, ” Mats Selin, ” Sari Castrén Organizations: CNN, Nordic, Nokia, Parks & Wildlife, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare Locations: Ulko, Tammio, Finland, Eastern Gulf of Finland, Hamina, Parks & Wildlife Finland, Eastern Gulf

☆ Coast Guard searches for 5-person crew aboard submersible that went missing on dive to Titanic wreck
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Phil Mccausland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a missing Canadian research submersible that disappeared on Sunday after it went to explore the wreck of the Titanic. The 21-foot submersible and its five-person crew, from the Canadian research vessel Polar Prince, started a dive on Sunday morning, according to the Coast Guard. The missing submersible was part of an OceanGate Expeditions tour exploring the Titanic wreckage, located 900 nautical miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He said the Coast Guard immediately launched a surface and aerial search to find or recover the submersible and any survivors. Mauger added at the press conference that the Coast Guard is working to expand its capabilities to include an underwater search as well.

Persons: John Mauger, Mauger, Hamish Harding, Harding, OceanGate, OceanGate's, James Cameron Organizations: U.S . Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Expeditions, NBC, Action Aviation, Sunday, New York National Guard, Canadian Coast Guard, Poseidon, New York Times Locations: Canadian, Cape Cod , Massachusetts, OceanGate, Newfoundland, Canada

☆ Ukraine investigating dam blast as war crime, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

AMSTERDAM, June 6 (Reuters) - Ukraine is investigating the blast at a major hydroelectric dam in the south of the country as a war crime and as possible criminal environmental destruction, or "ecocide", the office of its prosecutor general said on Tuesday. The prosecutors said in comments sent to Reuters that they had started "urgent investigations" into the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric dam. Ukraine is one of a small number of states, including Russia, that have criminalised 'ecocide' through domestic legislation. Kyiv defines ecocide as "mass destruction of flora and fauna, poisoning of air or water resources, and also any other actions that may cause an environmental disaster" in Article 441 of its criminal code. Reporting by Anthony DeutschOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anthony Deutsch Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Ukraine, Nova, Russia

☆ How to explore Greece's lesser-known islands like a local
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | Morgan Awyong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

But now it wants tourists to get to know lesser-known locations across its thousands of sprawling islands. Currently, Germany and the U.K. represent Greece's largest inbound tourism markets by revenue, followed by the United States, France and Italy. An eco-paradise surrounded by 24 islets, Lipsi forms part of the Dodecanese island collection in the southeastern Aegean Sea. Alonissos, SporadesDivers' delight Alonissos, part of the Sporades group of islands, is a diver's paradise and the site of Greece's first underwater museum. Alonissos, part of the Sporades archipelago in the northwest Aegean Sea, is known for its diving spots, including Greece's first underwater museum, the "Parthenon of the Wrecks."

☆ Why Do American Diners Have Such a Limited Palate for Textures?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Ligaya Mishan | Esther Choi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

What of the worlds that lie between slime and velvet, collapse and refusal, succulence and desiccation? Not only does English lack a robust vocabulary for food textures but, whether as corollary or coincidence, English speakers also tend to value a narrower range of textures. In a survey by the American sensory scientist Jeannine F. Delwiche conducted at Ohio State University in 2002, respondents considered texture significantly less important than taste and scent in its impact on flavor. It is often defined as a confluence of taste, scent and memory, yet other senses intrude. Studies have shown that diners have difficulty identifying flavors when foods are dyed different colors, for example.

☆ South Africa’s most epic hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Here are nine of South Africa’s best multiday backpacking trails:Otter TrailThe coastal Otter Trail takes in some of South Africa's most beautiful coastline. South African TourismSouth Africa’s oldest (established in 1968) and most celebrated hiking route, the Otter Trail runs along the Eastern Cape coast between Storms River Mouth and Nature’s Valley in Garden Route National Park. South African TourismSummit the legendary Drakensberg escarpment on a vertiginous route that rises high above Thendele Royal Natal National Park in KwaZulu-Natal province. Distance: About 25 kilometers (16 miles)Time: 2 daysInfo: hikingsouthafrica.co.za/kgaswane-summit-trail/Tsitsikamma TrailThe Garden Route National Park is an advenure sport paradise. Each traverse takes seven to 10 days during the South African spring (September-November).

☆ Mount Vesuvius park closes access to volcano after Napoli fans plan to fake an eruption after potential title victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Vesuvius national park authority in Naples, Italy, has announced it will be closing access to the live volcano on Saturday, ahead of Napoli’s potential title-winning game on Sunday. Should Lazio drop points against Inter Milan in an earlier kickoff on Sunday, the Italian side could win its first Italian league title in 33 years with victory against Salernitana. Authorities became concerned after reports emerged of plans to use blue smoke bombs and industrial strength fireworks inside the crater, which has been described as a “fragile and intrinsically dangerous place.”The volcano overlooks the city. Supporters burn flares next to a mock grave for a coffin in Naples adorned with the scarves of rival teams Inter Milan, Juventus and AC Milan. “Vesuvius crater is a fragile and intrinsically dangerous place.”The press release went on to say the Vesuvius police municipalities and the Carabinieri military police would provide a “massive garrison” to protect the entrances and access.

☆ How to put your best travel foot forward for Earth Day 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

But you don’t have to totally cut out travel or stay super close to home to be a good planetary citizen. You need a city that’s dedicated to getting it right to best enjoy an urban biking vacation. Here, we've curated 30 of our favorite corners, including the Thu Bon River, which flows through central Vietnam. A maze of rivers and caves, the UNESCO World Centre is defined by its craggy limestone facades and jade green water. Bruno De Hogues/Photodisc/Getty Images Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park: A UNESCO World Heritage, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is heaven for spelunkers.

☆ Uninhabited Scottish island could be yours for $190,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —If you’ve ever fancied escaping the grind of daily life and heading to a remote island with no other inhabitants, now could be your chance. Situated just off the southern coast of Scotland, Barlocco Island is up for sale, priced at offers over £150,000 ($190,000). Barlocco Island is a haven for wildlife. At low tide, the island can be reached on foot, by tractor or quadbike. “We have witnessed strong demand from domestic and international parties for entire private islands having handled the sale of several in Scotland,” Edgar said.

CNN —A female bear that was sentenced to death for the fatal mauling of jogger in Italy has been given a stay of execution until May 11, officials in Trento have said. Andrea Papi, 26, was attacked and killed last week while jogging in a public nature reserve in the Trentino–Alto Adige region of northern Italy. In the last 15 years, several bear attacks have been reported, including the nearly fatal attack of a mushroom farmer in 2014 and the 2020 attack of a father and his son while they were hiking. This time, after the fatal attack on Papi the World Wildlife Fund, which had previously petitioned to keep JJ4 alive told CNN they agree that the bear should be put down. There are now four bears, including JJ4, with judicial orders to be culled.

☆ Hippo attacks: How to avoid one of Africa's most dangerous animals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

“Hippos attack not to eat people, but to get them the hell away from them,” Lewison said. Larger vessels can offer more protection from a sudden hippo attack. photocech/Adobe StockGet to know the signs of disturbed hippos, Muruthi advised, in case you wander too closely. … If you slap the water, the percussion 99.9 times out of 100 will turn the hippo,” Templer said. Remember to suck in air if on the surface.”Another hippo attack survivor in this National Geographic video also was able to conserve her breath.

☆ Charles Rivers recommends against PETA's proposal for transparency on lab monkeys
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 31 (Reuters) - The board of Charles River Laboratories (CRL.N) has unanimously recommended against a shareholder proposal requiring transparency on its import practices of lab monkeys, according to a regulatory filing by the U.S. contract research organization firm. PETA's proposal also demands information on whether the monkeys are caught in the wild or bred in captivity. Charles River shareholders will vote on PETA and other proposals from the board at the company's annual meeting on May 9. According to government estimates, 95% of the 92,430 monkeys brought into the U.S. between 2019 and 2021 were long-tailed macaques. While Charles River's board recommended against PETA's proposal, it said the company will include information on how its "imports are purpose-bred in accordance with applicable laws" in its 2024 annual report, the filing on Thursday showed.

☆ Fears for orangutans, dolphins as Indonesia presses on with new capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Stefanno Sulaiman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

She is one of 127 orangutans that the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) is caring for in the Samboja district, East Kalimantan. The Nusantara Capital City Authority said mangroves would be replanted in other areas and guidelines have been made for workers encountering an animal. "It's a very high concern of how we'll try to have harmony between people, nature and culture...because that's the soul of the city," Nusantara chief Bambang Susantono said. "We hope that with the capital city being here, we can pave the way for animals to live side by side (with humans)," said BOSF manager Aldrianto Priadjati. "At least provide an area for orangutans so they can live a better life."

☆ New images offer rare glimpse of the DMZ between North and South Korea where wild animals find peace and flourish
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

New images were released showing a "wildlife sanctuary" in Korea's demilitarized zone (DMZ). The project marks 70 years since the Korean armistice agreement split the nation between North and South. Photographs show many rare flowers and endangered animals living in the area. "After the Korean War, the DMZ had minimal human interference for over 70 years, and the damaged nature recovered on its own," the site said. The DMZ is home to plants and animals "completely unique to Korea" — 38% of which are endangered, Google said on the project site.

☆ Google Offers Rare Look at Restricted Areas Near Korean Peninsula’s DMZ
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jiyoung Sohn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL—For nearly 70 years, the demilitarized zone that divides the Korean Peninsula has stayed off limits to nearly all human habitation. Now anyone can take a virtual walk through restricted areas that border the DMZ, catching rare glimpses of former battle sites, as well as natural landscapes, fauna and endangered wildlife that has flourished in the decades since the Korean War hostilities ended with an armistice in July 1953.

☆ Cruz Foam makes styrofoam alternative from shrimp shells and food waste
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Meanwhile, companies that ship or sell fragile goods, food or medical supplies that need to stay cold during shipping still need materials with the lightweight, insulating qualities and manufacturability of styrofoam. That's where startup Cruz Foam comes in. Cruz Foam is made from naturally occurring materials including chitin (pronounced like "kite-in") along with starches and fibers diverted from agricultural waste streams. Chitin is a polymer contained in the shells of shrimp and other crustaceans, as well as insect exoskeletons. Besides that, styrofoam products are usually treated with flame retardants and can absorb other pollutants from water around them, increasing the threat to any wildlife that eats or lives amid the discarded styrofoam.

☆ New museum in Mexico spotlights endangered axolotl salamander
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Alberto Fajardo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] An axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) swims in an aquarium at the new Axolotl Museum and Amphibians Conservation Centre, which is to promote the protection and study of this endangered species, at Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City, Mexico, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Henry RomeroMEXICO CITY, Jan 26 (Reuters) - A new museum and conservation center dedicated to Mexico's critically endangered axolotl salamander is highlighting the amphibian's remarkable story that has captured the attention of scientists and the public alike. With an impressive ability to heal itself, the axolotl (pronounced ah-sho-LO-tul) salamanders were showcased in the exhibit, which opened on Saturday, at Mexico City's Chapultepec Zoo. For decades, researchers have marveled at how the axolotl can regenerate amputated limbs and damaged body tissue, even its heart and brain. While the axolotl native to Mexico City's southern Xochimilco district is especially well-known, Gual points to 16 other kinds of axolotls that also call Mexico home, each one "like a wetlands ambassador."

☆ ‘Wildheart’ Review: Saga of a Scots Pine on PBS
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Making a single tree the star of a wildlife special wouldn’t seem like the path to electrifying programming, but “Wildheart”—titled after the 500-year-old Scots pine at the center of this “Nature” presentation—is not just enchanting in its approach to the flora, fauna and history of the Scottish Highlands, but a novel way to get into the subject, even if the process does take anthropomorphism to new heights. The tree in question, treated as a character in its own drama by narrator Thoren Ferguson , has been a mute witness to history since Mary Queen of Scots was a child; in a fanciful bit of dramatic recreation, the tiny royal tosses a pine cone, which takes root in the country where she was crowned at nine months of age, betrothed to the son of Henry VIII of England and, after treaties fell apart and tension mounted, secreted away in what the Romans had dubbed the Caledonian forest. By 1549, when the pine had attained a height of about two feet, Mary was already in France, temporarily safe from dynastic battles and French-English-Scottish politics.

☆ It’s Not Every Day That You Run Into a Coyote
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Joe Queenan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Recently, while walking my son’s dog in a wooded area near his home in southern Colorado, I turned around to see a large animal staring at us. Collarless, too big to be a household pet, it had an expression on its face that I didn’t like. Neither did the dog. Because there are lots of pushy bears and territorial mountain lions around there, and because I had read that Colorado recently reintroduced certain endangered species to the state, and because I have always been much stronger on flora than fauna, I initially concluded that the animal was a wolf.

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