Island Innovations: Celebrating Bright Spots, Leadership and Successes in Island Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods

In close collaboration with the Republic of Seychelles and Palau, as well as the Commonwealth of Grenada, as co-chairs of the Global Islands Partnership (GLISPA), I am pleased to officially announce that an island summit will be held on the margins of COP-11 on 16 October 2012 thanks to the generous support from the Government of Japan. The event, named "Island Innovations: Celebrating Bright Spots, Leadership and Successes in Island Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods", will be an opportunity to celebrate island leadership, progress and new commitments in implementing the Programme of work on Island Biodiversity and achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. In addition, in light of the in-depth review of the Programme of Work on Island Biodiversity (PoWIB) to take place during COP-11 as well as the positive outcomes for islands and biodiversity at Rio+20, Islands Innovations will provide a platform to mobilize support for further actions to promote the conservation and sustainable use of island biodiversity.

Island Innovations is being organized by participant countries and organizations through GLISPA, with support from IUCN through the European Parliament’s BEST framework, as well as RARE Conservation. More detailed information on the summit is presented in the flyer attached to this notification. Delegates wishing to attend the afternoon session of the summit should send an e-mail to Ms. Leisha Beardmore at: leisha_beardmore@hotmail.co.uk.

The text of this notification is also available on the CBD website at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2012/ntf-2012-123-island-en.pdf

Friday is Japan Dolphins Day

On August 31, 2012, rallies and peaceful protests will be held in front of Japanese Embassies and Consulates worldwide. The events are to protest the September 1 start of the annual Taiji dolphin cull as seen in The Cove. The message is positive: Japan, let the dolphins live & be free!

Please help celebrate Japan Dolphins Day 2012 at a Japanese Embassy or Consulate near you! Click here to see a full list of event cities around the globe.

Sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties/ COP11

As you are aware, the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, will be held from 1 to 5 and 8 to 19 October 2012, respectively, in Hyderabad, India.

The Secretariat is pleased to invite Parties to the Convention and organizations, who may wish to organize press conferences during the above mentioned meetings, to submit their request via the form available at http://bch.cbd.int/mop6/pressconf/ (regarding COP-MOP 6) and at: http://www.cbd.int/cop11/events/press-conferences/ (regarding COP 11).

Please send the duly-completed form via email to ulrika.nilsson@cbd.int (regarding COP-MOP 6) or amelie.nappert@cbd.int (regarding COP 11) or by fax at: +1-514-288-6588.

The Secretariat will send a confirmation of your request within approximately 10 working days of submission of the form. To best prepare your press conference and to ensure the smooth and efficient conduct of the media events during the meetings, it is highly recommended that all press conference organizers read the FAQs and instructions, which can be found in the above-mentioned web links.

The text of this notification is also available on the CBD website at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2012/ntf-2012-121-press-conf-en.pdf

NEW PERSPECTIVES Workshop exchange- SPAIN

Apply to the ''NEW PERSPECTIVES Workshop exchange'' from 2nd to 14th of September 2012 in Avila, Spain, with objectives to:

-To bring together young people from various countries and cultural backgrounds so that they may meet, get to know one another, and become friends

-To establish a platform for discussion and debate, so that participants may share ideas and experiences with each other

-To raise awareness about each others’ cultures and values

-To learn more about the current economic situation in the European Union, and how it came about

-To learn more about prejudices that may appear in the mass media, and how to recognise them

LANGUAGE- It is expected that English will be used more frequently to communicate between and among participants and monitors than any other language. Therefore, it is recommended that participants have some knowledge of English. It is understood and expected however, that very few people will have English as their first language, and that there may be participants of various levels of fluency.
 

METHODOLOGY- The methodology used at the event will depend on the session and activity. There will be plenary sessions and smaller working groups, presentations and cultural activities. There will also be an excursion to Toledo.

PARTICIPANTS- There will be 29 participants aged 18-25 coming from 7 countries (in alphabetical order- Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Hungary). In some cases participants may be up to 29 years of age, but please consult us. Gender balance should be maintained within each group.

MONITORS- There will be 9 group leaders and monitors. There will be at least one Monitor from each of the countries from which participants are coming. Monitors and group leaders may be of any age.

VENUE- The exchange will take place in a small vilage in the province of Avila, which is around 100 kilometres from Madrid.

FINANCIAL CONDITIONS- This exchange is funded by the European Union’s Youth in Action Programme and most of the expenses are covered. There is however a participation fee of 60-80 Euros (per person, and depending on country) to cover additional costs not covered by the programme. With this, the following are covered:

- 70% of travel expenses from participants’ place of residence to venue (and back). Please let us know about travel expenses before buying tickets. We can also help find the most economic options. Your point of arrival in Spain should be Madrid.

- All costs related to stay (room and board) over the course of the event (from the 2nd to the 14th of September 2012)

- All costs related to excursions and all materials related to the exchange

Participation fees: Spain, Germany, Italy and the : 80 Euros Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Portugal: 60 Euros

Please note- participants’ arrival is on the 2nd of September and departure on the 14th of September, 2012. The project does not cover expenses related to arrivals earlier than the 2nd of September or to departures later than the 14th of September.

Read more at: http://www.toprural.com/Caba%C3%B1a-o-bungalow/La-Espuela_19061_f.html For the application and questions, read the attachment and send an email as soon as possible to: info@concordia-group.org

UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate and Sustainable Energy Finance

Following the extraordinary success of this year’s Sustainable Energy Finance Summer Academy in Frankfurt Germany, and due to overwhelming demand, the Frankfurt School - UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate and Sustainable Energy Finance (the Centre) offers a second Summer Academy this year for the very first time in Nairobi, Kenya. With a special regional focus on Africa, the course will take place from October 21 to 26 at UNEP’s Headquarters.

The Summer Academy targets project developers, policy advisors, financiers and consultants. The Academy offers a comprehensive framework for financing renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in both emerging and developing markets, including practical, integrated knowledge and tools. There will be a wealth of opportunities to network and solve problems with other relevant stakeholders.

The course will cover the following topics:

 Climate change & policy negotiations
 Potential for RE/EE projects in Africa
 Challenges and opportunities for successful investments in clean energy technologies
 Sources of financing: Public, private and carbon markets
 RE/EE Microfinance and SME finance
 Broad insights in the economics and dynamics of the most significant RE sources, e.g. wind, solar, biomass and hydro
 Project analysis from RE/EE: Risk identification & allocation, cash flows, and introduction of financial modelling
 Practical examples through case studies from the region

Please note: The selection of applications will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The APPLICATION DEADLINE is August 30, 2012

For more information please visit: http://www.frankfurt-school.de/content/en/consulting/ias/summer_and_winter_academies/sustainable_energy_finance_nairobi.html or www.fs-unep-centre.org

To read about the recent Summer Academy in Frankfurt please visit: http://fs-unep-centre.org/events/sustainable-energy-finance-summer-academy-frankfurt-am-germany

TORONTO ZOO GETS READY TO WELCOME THE ONE MILLIONTH VISITOR FOR 2012!

 

Saturday, 2012-08-25 at approximately 12:00pm.

 

The winner and their family will be presented with a fabulous Toronto Zoo Prize Pack valued at over $2,000 including WILD Zoo-venirs, a one year Toronto Zoo Family Membership, complimentary lunch, a 'Behind the Scenes' tour for six guests and overnight accommodations, including parking and a buffet breakfast at the Delta Toronto East Hotel.



 

Orangutan Awareness Weekend- Canada

Friday, August 24 to Sunday August 26

 

 

Orangutan Awareness Weekend

 

Did you know? The Toronto Zoo is the only Zoo in Canada with Sumatran orangutans! Check out an orangutan enrichment interpretive station, artifacts, and artwork painted by one of our talented orangutans. Join us for a special Orangutan Keeper Talk at 1:00 pm daily and find out how YOU can commit to conservation efforts to help the extremely endangered Sumatran orangutans.

In conjunction with Orangutan Awareness Weekend, the Toronto Zoo has officially launched its Orangutan iPad program.

CLICK HERE for full details. 

 

Image by Mike Leveille 

Youth Constituency at the UNFCCC (YOUNGO)

As part of the money received from the Norwegian government last year, the Youth Constituency at the UNFCCC (YOUNGO) was able to produce a report about its activities at the 17th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP17). This report is now ready ! Thanks to the report writers, Roli Mahajan & Esther Agbarakwe, who put in a lot of time to make this happen.

Depending on the speed of your Internet connection, you can access the report at 3 different quality levels and file sizes, in order from highest quality (longest download) to lowest quality (shortest download):

http://youthclimate.org/files/2012/Report_commercial.pdf
http://youthclimate.org/files/2012/Report_standard.pdf
http://youthclimate.org/files/2012/Report_low.pdf

Enjoy your reading !

3rd annual Green Schools National Conference (North America)

 

‘Super’ Early Bird Registration is now open!

It’s time to register for the 3rd annual Green Schools National Conference, and to take advantage of our “Super” Early Bird Registration rates.

Conference dates are Friday-Sunday, February 22-24, 2013 at the Palm Beach Convention Center, in West Palm Beach, FL.

‘Super’ Early Bird rates are offered through Sept. 15, 2012. After that date, the early bird still gets the worm, with Early Bird discounts Sept. 16 through Dec. 15 Regular Registration rates are in place until Jan. 31.

Visit www.greenschoolsnationalconference.org and click on the Register tab to learn more.

Global Youth Biodiversity Network

The Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) is now on Twitter. You can follow us there now and also tweet about the kick-off meeting which already started. Please follow us at @GYBN_CBD and when twitting, please also use the hastags #GYBN #UNCBD You can also follow NAJU at @NAJU_DE

Of course encourage your friends, colleagues, others to register and attend online: https://meet31332461.adobeconnect.com/_a1070055801/gybn/event/registration.html After approving their registration, they will send you a detailed program with the online participation guide that will help them through their participation. They can learn more information at www.gybn.org and at www.naju.de/english/gybn Also let them know that we are available on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/122514511134547/

See you on Twitter and ask others to join online !

CBD Notification 2012-117 - "Cities for Life: City & Subnational Biodiversity Summit" A Forum for Local and Subnational Governments in parallel with the 11th meeting of Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity 15-16 October 2012

In decision X/22, Parties requested the Executive Secretary, "subject to the availability of resources, to ... convene, with appropriate partners, meetings of local authorities at the margins of future meetings of the Conference of the Parties, as per its two previous meetings, and continuing with a summit on local authorities and biodiversity to be held in India prior to the high-level segment of the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties". The decision "further requests the Executive Secretary to report on the implementation of the Plan of Action at future meetings of the Conference of the Parties".

Accordingly, the Secretariat of the CBD, the Governments of India, Andhra Pradesh and Hyderabad, with the generous support of the Government of Japan, and in close collaboration with ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, will convene the "Cities for Life" Summit in parallel with CBD COP 11 on 15-16 October 2012. Thanks to the mobilization of subnational governments and cities within the Global Partnership on Subnational and Local Action for Biodiversity, the Summit will be paired with a meeting of leaders of subnational governments on 16 October 2012, supported by the Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development (nrg4SD), with an integrated final session on the afternoon of 16 October 2012. ICLEI's South Asia Secretariat, based in New Delhi, has established a secretariat in Hyderabad for on-site logistical coordination and will work closely with staff of the Secretariat of the CBD as well as the Government of India.

Among other results, the Summit will disseminate best practices in cooperation between different levels of government, examine successful network arrangements and projects and discuss implementation plans for cities, states, academia and international organizations. The event will also see the launch of the Cities and Biodiversity Outlook, an assessment of the links between urbanization and biodiversity; of guidelines for the development of subnational and local strategies and action plans in support of their national policies and of the Strategic Plan of the CBD for 2011-2020; and of a "Cities in Biodiversity Hotspots Initiative" by ICLEI.

Local and subnational authorities can contribute significantly to thematic programmes of work and cross-cutting issues under the Convention, such as inland waters, protected areas, invasive alien species, climate change, development and poverty alleviation, tourism, health and biodiversity, agriculture, food and nutrition, among many others. I therefore request that you promote and support the representation of subnational governments, cities and other local authorities in your delegation to COP 11.

To ensure a successful Summit, the Secretariat of the CBD and ICLEI intend to contact selected local and subnational government representatives based on their efforts to contribute to national, regional and global implementation of the CBD, and request that they share their experiences. Thank you for your support to the "Cities for Life" Summit and please feel free to request any additional clarification through Mr. Oliver Hillel (oliver.hillel@cbd.int) and Mr. Andre Mader (andre.mader@cbd.int).

The text of this notification is also available on the CBD website at:
http://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2012/ntf-2012-117-cities-for-life-en.pdf

Check out the Plastic Pollution PSA

Check out the Plastic Pollution PSA that the founders and One More Generation and Greening Forward recently shot together and let us know what you think. A special thanks to Charles Orgbon for all his support.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/105172608236577906771/posts/ixrht4i8NgR?gpinv=AMIXal-OF-F4CGrl5C9xzHO7foGlaVB1SddqBibxgYvt9ngyjXi4eHRupxbrXWtexMUhmLmoy5zFEIb8O1HIxeRdJHWsFlY6ei6lHzTZdiCDys4Dq6_ofAc#105172608236577906771/posts/ixrht4i8NgR

INTERNATIONAL LETS TAKE CARE OF THE PLANET CONFERENCE IN EGYPT

Conference date is confirmed to be in midyear holiday January 2013 in Sharm Elshekh 2013 to give the international delegation chance to participate.

Website upgrade for all the conference information will be available by next week application online is open now you can just click in this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AiX5rkMzk-7JdE9aeXpWTXlneWpGV1p1WlBRTERWWFE#gid=0 and submit your application and for workshop you can go to direct in this link : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDJmTGh4bkhKLU9XTTJrYlAyNHVVb2c6MQ#gid=0 and apply your workshop online.

 

HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICT ON THE RIFE- BHUTAN

In Nubi gewog of Trongsa, central Bhutan, discontent farmers shared that the government’s compensation scheme for livestock killed by tigers is insufficient and involves a longer process. In Kengkhar of Mongar, east Bhutan, farmers have lost about half their crop to wildlife damage and for the last two months, they are spending sleepless nights in safeguarding their crops. They complained that the electric fencing in the neighboring village has put their fields more prone to wildlife attacks.
9, 14 August
http://www.kuenselonline.com/2011/?p=35044
http://www.kuenselonline.com/2011/?p=35217

TOURISM CHANGING LIVES- CHINA

In 2011, Gangsha village in southwest and Tashigang village in southeast Tibet have earned more than 5 million Yuan and 1.5 million Yuan respectively from tourism. This has improved the living standards of locals including the development of tourism amenities in the villages.

10, 11 August

http://eng.tibet.cn/2010home/news/201208/t20120810_1767642.html

http://eng.tibet.cn/2010home/news/201208/t20120811_1767837.html

THE WHISTLEBLOWERS – FOR A CLEAN SHIMLA- INDIA

In an effort to keep the city clean, Shimla Municipal Corporation have hired a group of people known as wardens and their job is to blow the whistle when pedestrians are found to litter the streets. Largely, tourists visiting the area are the one mainly responsible for open disposal of waste. Those found littering will be issued warning at first instance and for the repeated mistakes, fine will be imposed.
14 August
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-14/the-good-earth/33200546_1_polythene-bags-shimla-municipal-corporation-wardens

FLOODS AND AQUACULTURE- INDIA

In recent Assam floods, around 14000 hectares of land was inundated that was meant for fish farming according to state fishery department. Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Morigaon, Nalbari, Barpeta, Nagaon and parts of Kamrup are the districts where inundation of fishing ponds was reported. Some of them have already started restoring aquaculture.
10 August
http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=aug1012/state07

OF ENCROACHERS AND FOREST OFFICERS- NEPAL

The encroachers - 21 families – who were living in a community forest in Pipledanda VDC in Kanchanpur District, west Nepal, for past 3 years were evicted by Sukhlaphata wildlife reserve authority. The forest is used by wild animals for their movement. The authority has provided lands to the affected families in different location. Meanwhile, the District Forest Office in Rautahat, central Nepal, has suspended its 9 employees after they failed to report the felling of trees in national forest. 
11, 13 August
Kantipur, The Himalayan Times

SWELLING RIVERS AND EROSION- NEPAL

Spur of Gandak dam has suffered a huge damage followed by erosion brought about by swollen Narayani River in Nawalparasi District, west Nepal. Rivers flowing through the buffer zone in Chitwan National Park have eroded around 100 hectares of land. For the damage incurred, the park authority will provide a cash compensation of NRS 25 million to the affected families. Similarly, after erosion near Banbasa Bridge, rising water level in Mahakali River in west Nepal has put several villages at risk of flooding.
8, 10, 11 August
Kantipur, Republica, The Himalayan Times

DO IT NOW!

This song is going to be sung in Belgium on the 22 and 23 of September.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVnedIW1y8E&feature=player_embedded

Information regarding visa process for the Sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP 6) and Eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 11) - Hyderabad, India

This is to inform you about the special arrangements made with the Government of India to facilitate and speed up the visa process for the Sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP 6) and the Eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 11).

To initiate the visa process, participants must first be pre-registered to the meetings. To pre-register, Parties, other governments and organizations must provide to the Secretariat an official letter of nomination clearly indicating the names and contact information of each representative. After validation, delegates will receive an automated email message that will include: (i) a ''Priority Pass'' (to speed up the on-site registration process), (ii) a Visa Assistance letter and (iii) a Clearance letter. The visa assistance letter and clearance letter must be submitted along with the visa application, as required by Indian Embassies and High Commissions. For further information on visa requirements, please refer to the Information Note for Participants.

Participants are also kindly reminded to arrange for their hotel accommodation in Hyderabad. For more information on this, please refer to the hotel booking section on the Accommodation page of the host country website: www.cbdcop11india.in/accomodation.html.

Be part of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network’s (GYNB) kick-off conference

Livestream, discussions, online participation

Due to the fact that we received MUCH more applications than we could provide invitations to Berlin - we wanted to create a platform for all young people engaged in the protection of biodiversity so that they can share their knowledge and experiences. In order to enable this wider range of environmentalists to participate to the conference an online platform has been set: now you can participate from your own computer! This is your chance to be part of it and get connected with young people from all over the world who share the same vision and walk through the same way to halt the loss of biodiversity. Be a part of the solution! Now! Just register here:

https://meet31332461.adobeconnect.com/_a1070055801/gybn/event/registration.html
After approving your registration we will send you a detailed program with the online participation guide that will help you through your participation.
You need more information? www.naju.de/english/gybn

If you are interested in GYBN, you’re also welcome to subscribe to our international mailing list at https://listi.jpberlin.de/mailman/listinfo/gybn
If you wish to receive regular updates on Biodiversity and youth activities, you can also become a fan of GYBN on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegybn

About GYBN: Building a global youth coalition to halt the loss of Biodiversity!
GYBN’ vision is to create a global platform that will enable young environmentalists from all parts of the world to connect in order to join forces for the protection of biological diversity on our planet. GYBN also aims to become the international coordination platform for youth participation in the CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) and is committed to bring the opinions and positions of youth into the negotiations and make their collective voice heard. The establishment of GYBN has been prepared by an interim steering committee, consisting of young people from thirteen countries, which was formed shortly after CBD COP10 in October 2010. GYBN is officially supported by the CBD secretariat.

About the GYBN Kick-Off meeting: 35 participants, 7 days, 1 goal

The GYBN Kick-Off meeting will be hosted by NAJU (German Youth Association for the Protection of Nature) from August 21st to 27th in Berlin, Germany, and is organized in close coordination with the GYBN interim steering committee. Among others, the six-day conference will feature capacity building sessions and policy briefings on the CBD and the main issues on the agenda of COP11. Furthermore numerous workshops on topics like lobbying, organizing creative actions and campaigns as well as press- and public relations will be offered. However, the emphasis of the conference will lie on the establishment of GYBN and the preparation of youth participation at COP11. For this purpose participants will take part in a so called “Future Workshop” session and determine the structure, mandate and coordination etc. of GYBN and develop plans and political targets for meaningful youth participation at COP11.

Sustainability is here to stay

Five years ago, “sustainability” was a cultural buzz word. Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth had just won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and whether or not global warming was real was a topic for discussion in the presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain. Magazines like Time and Newsweek regularly featured pieces on the “environmental debate” and attacked companies for green washing.

Times have certainly changed. This winter, the MIT Sloan Management Review reported that sustainability is approaching a tipping point with companies adopting sustainable business practices in record numbers. Of 4,000 survey respondents to their most recent sustainability survey, 70% of companies report placing sustainability permanently on their corporate agendas.

Read more at:

http://www.renewablechoice.com/blog-sustainability-white-paper-12-06-06.html

Bacteria as Art

Professor Eshel Ben-Jacob of Tel-Aviv University and Professor Herbert Levine of UCSD's National Science Foundation Frontier Center for Theoretical Biological Physics watched bacteria solve problems in the petri dish for years. They have isolated some of the world's smartest bacteria, with implications for drug resistance.  In doing so, they caught bacteria in the act of creating beautiful art. 

"While the colors and shading are artistic additions, the image templates are actual colonies of tens of billions of these microorganisms," according to the researchers. "The colony structures form as adaptive responses to laboratory-imposed stresses that mimic hostile environments faced in nature.   How cool is that! 

Check out this gallery: http://star.tau.ac.il/~eshel/gallery.html

Images from Professor Eshel Ben-Jacob (Tel-Aviv University)

CANADIANS BELIEVE IN CLIMATE CHANGE

On the heels of reports that July 2012 was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States, a recent survey found that out of over 1500 Canadian respondents, only 2% did not believe that climate change was real. The numbers aren't quite so high in the United States, but just last year a poll found that the number of people there that believe that climate change is real was 62%, up from 58% in 2010.

See http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/canadians-believe-climate-change-occurring-july-2012-becomes-155952406.html

ECOLOGY ALONG THE ROAD TO HEAVEN RESTORED- CHINA

Desertification on Qinghai-Tibet railway, the world’s highest railway system, has been controlled which was spread over 443 km of the 1,956-km railway line.  This has led to increase in vegetation cover from 2% to 40%.  The restoration project involved an investment of 300 million yuan in an area of 240,000 hectares. Over the past 3 years, temperature on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has increased by more than 2 degree C on average according to scientists.
6 August
http://chinatibet.people.com.cn/7899557.html

SUMMER KILL- INDIA

Thousands of fish have been found dead in Nageen Lake in Kashmir. The Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) has linked the cause of death to increase in temperature that led to decrease in oxygen level and high decomposition of weeds and macrophytes in water bodies. Of late, there has been a massive increase in fish population due to ban on fishing in the lake.

6 August

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2012/Aug/6/mysterious-death-of-fish-in-nigeen-lake-triggers-panic-43.asp

PROJECT HORNBILL- A SUCCESS STORY- INDIA

The Hornbill Nest Adoption Program (HNAP), a conservation effort which was launched a year ago to protect Hornbills in the fringe area of Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary in East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh has been a big success.  The project built about 29 artificial nests out of which 16 nests were found to be occupied and 4 of them were damaged due to fire.
4 August
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Hornbill-plan-pays-dividend-in-Arunachal/articleshow/15356376.cms

CONSERVATION AREAS REELS UNDER STAFF CRUNCH- NEPAL

Banke National Park, Api-Nampa Conservation Area and Blackbuck Conservation Area are administered by only 6, 2 and 2 staffs against the requirement of 170, 64 and 16 staffs respectively. Likewise, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) is also facing shortage of human resources.
6 August
Nagrik

POACHERS AND SMUGGLERS- NEPAL

The poacher has been sent to custody for further investigation after his arrest last month. For his involvement in smuggling of rhino horns and killings of nine rhinos in Chitwan National Park, he has been dubbed as the most wanted poacher by the park authority. Police have arrested two smugglers in Jhapa District, east Nepal, for possessing two elephant tusks each of 19 inches and 13 inches long respectively.
3, 5 August
Kantipur, Republica

FOREST DEPARTMENT REWARDS FARMERS- NEPAL

The District Forest Office in Chitwan under the “President Chure Conservation Program” has rewarded a cash prize of NRS 3000 each to 10 farmers from 5 different community forests of Bhandarbhar forest area for not grazing their cattle in the forest. According to the forest officer, this will motivate the famers in keeping their cattle at bay from forest area.
2 August
Nagrik

IT’S ALL ABOUT FLOOD- NEPAL

Following an incessant rain some 200 houses have been inundated in Bardiya district, west Nepal, and a Dalit settlements in Beluwa village in Parsa District, central Nepal, have been left stranded after the only road access to the village were submerged after a overflowing irrigation canal. Meanwhile, due to flood related incidents in Gulmi and Dang districts, west Nepal, hundreds of families have been displaced and 10 people are reported to have been killed.  Similar flood related incidents have also been reported in other parts of western Nepal. Also, the Karnali highway, the only road network to Karnali Zone, has been blocked for a month due to landslides
1, 4, 7 August
Kantipur, Republica

North American freshwater fish are going extinct at a rate over 800 times the fossil record

From 1900-2010, freshwater fish species in North America went extinct at a rate 877 times faster than the rate found in the fossil record, while estimates indicate the rate may double between now and 2050. This new information comes from a U.S. Geological Survey study to be published in the September issue of the journal BioScience. 

Trio of female Mauritian skinks kick-start breeding programme in Jersey

The breeding skills of three female orange-tailed skinks have impressed conservationists and given the new safety net population for their Critically Endangered reptile species a real chance for the future.

Over the past four months at the Durrell headquarters in Jersey, the females have produced a staggering 16 juveniles between them, all of which are doing well, and another 4 eggs are currently incubating.

This is despite the fact that female skinks produce only two large eggs at one time and the trio were the only females out of 22 rescued orange-tailed skinks that were brought to Durrell a year ago that were able to breed; the others were still too small or male.

Matt Goetz, Head of Durrell’s Herpetology Department, said: “These three orange-tailed skinks have gone above and beyond our expectations for them since they arrived at Durrell a year ago and started breeding in March. When they were rescued from Flat Island in Mauritius following the invasion of the predatory Indian musk shrew, we knew that a safety net population elsewhere was going to be essential as their numbers were critically low. But even in our wildest dreams, we couldn’t have hoped that the females would get off to such a flying start. They are clearly happy and healthy, and we are delighted that population numbers of the orange-tailed skink in Jersey are increasing so rapidly.”

The invasion of Flat Island by the Indian musk shrew followed the development of tourism there and sadly recent surveys have confirmed that no orange-tailed skinks have survived on the island.

Fortunately, fears about the extinction of the species led Durrell’s team, along with staff from the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and the Mauritius National Parks and Conservation Service, to translocate 82 orange-tailed skinks to the Mauritian nature reserve, Gunner’s Quoin, in 2008 and a further 390 in 2010. Unlike Flat Island access by tourists and the public is prohibited.

The restoration of Mauritian endemic reptile communities is one of Durrell’s core conservation projects and in an attempt to establish a safety net population, 22 of the rescued skinks made their way to Jersey in June 2011.

Dr. Nik Cole, Durrell’s team leader in the Mauritian reptile project said: “Aside from the population at Durrell, the only surviving orange-tailed skinks are present on Gunner’s Quoin and it will be years before we know whether the translocation there has been a success or we manage to find a way to tackle the shrew problem. That is what makes the safety net population of this Critically Endangered reptile so important and in turn what makes the news about the breeding trio of females such a delight.”

The first of the females’ eggs were laid after conservationists created the onset of an artificial wet and hot season in the skinks’ new habitat in March. Having produced four clutches each, the females will now rest and the artificial climate will cool down. Towards the end of the year, the Durrell team will initiate another hot, rainy season and by then the remaining skinks will have reached maturity and should start breeding as well.

Images from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

Dance to Save the Ocean from TRASH Pollution

Check this out:

http://good art.maker.good.is/pr ojects/dance4oceans

Whales (Pearl Islands Panama)

Breaching baby humpback whale 

It may look big but it is still the baby 

An an adult's fin next to the baby's 

More breaching!

                     Mr. Panamá

Venomous Fer-de-lance Snake In my Backyard (Panama)

Moving along almost completely hidden 

Close up (not me just using the lens of course) 

               Mr. Panamá

Lots of truly great gorilla news at Durrell Wildlife Park!- UK

For the first time since 2003, we have a pregnant female! Our keepers and veterinary staff are cautiously optimistic that 24-year-old Hlala Kahili will give birth to the first - of hopefully many - offspring of our new silverback Badongo!

This is fantastic news on many levels, not least of which is the profound effect it will have on solidifying our gorilla group as a ‘family’. Much like people, the arrival of a little one brings gorillas together to share the duties. Badongo will enjoy a definite position as the dominant male, and ‘Kahili’ - as she is known for short here - will become an important maternal figure!

See:

http://www.durrell.org/Latest/News/Lots-of-truly-great-gorilla-news-at-Durrell-Wildlife-Park/

Image from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

Adopt a Negotiator

Adopt a Negotiator (AaN) is a project of the Global Campaign for Climate Action, an alliance of more than 350 non-profit organizations working to ensure a safe climate future for people and nature, to promote the low-carbon transition of our economies, and to accelerate the adaptation efforts in communities already affected by climate change by mobilizing civil society and galvanizing public. AaN got its start with a group of passionate young climate activists publicly tracking their country’s climate negotiators during the lead-up to the Copenhagen Climate Talks (COP15) in 2009. The project has since continued to support activists in publicly tracking their government’s roles in international efforts to respond to climate change.

If you are up for the challenge, apply on our webpage!

Commonwealth Youth Climate Network (CYCN)

London, 8th August, 2012

On the occasion of the International Youth Day 2012, the Commonwealth Youth Climate Network (CYCN) is pleased to release the report of its participation to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) last June, in Brazil.

From 6 to 23 June, 2012 a group of six environmental young leaders from Australia, Cameroon, Canada, New Zealand, Pakistan and Zambia represented the network at the conference in Rio de Janeiro where they organized a series of events and activities, and also supported other global youth and civil society organizations to design ‘’The Future We Want’’, the outcome document of the conference. On 17th June, they delivered a successful side event, '‘Achieving a sustainable future in Rio: what can do a Blue Economy?'’. This event, attended by over 25 participants, considered the implication of climate change on young people living in Small Islands Developing States.

Before Rio+20, the youth delegation also co-organized ‘'London+20'‘ an event initiated to empower young people in the United Kingdom on their role towards a successful Rio+20 Conference. The event held at the British Youth Council in London, on the 5th of June, the World Environment Day, with twenty (20) participants who improved their knowledge on the UN negotiation process on sustainable development.

Find attached the reports of the two events, along with a press release for immediate dissemination. You can also access the reports at:

1. CYCN at Rio+20: http://fr.calameo.com/read/001329964132c08db402a

2. CYCN at London+20: http://fr.calameo.com/read/00132996419b0e8e17068

In the lead-up to the International Youth Day 2012 on August 12th (http://social.un.org/index/Youth/InternationalYouthDay/IYD2012.aspx), the UN undertakes a global online initiative, calling on young people around the world to commemorate the day by organizing events in partnership with civil society, Member States, the private sector, academia and philanthropists, especially in the five key thematic areas. Many activities are currently underway to involve young people, including six live Google+ Hangouts on 8th, 9th and 10th of August, each happening twice a day. If you are interested to join, please watch the following video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YdQxtJOyYU&feature=youtu.be then follow the Google+Hangouts on gplus.to/unitednations and contribute with questions via Twitter: @un4youth #IYD2012 and Facebook: www.facebook.com/UNyouthyear The detailed schedule of all topics and dates is as follows:

Wednesday, 8 August

11:00 AM EST – Political inclusion

02:00 PM EST – Citizenship and the protection of rights

Thursday, 9 August

11:00 AM EST – Employment

02:00 PM EST – Entrepreneurship

Friday, 10 August

11:00 AM EST – Education

02:00 PM EST – Education on sexual and reproductive health

This is a great opportunity for Commonwealth and global youths to celebrate their day. Joining the Google+ Hangouts for example is a concrete way to get involve. The CYCN would like to encourage you all to also join and contribute. Don't forget to read the reports above too.

The Commonwealth Youth Climate Network (CYCN)

Email: secretariat@youthclimate.org.uk

Facebook: Commonwealth Youth Climate Network

Website: www. youthclimate.org.uk

Twitter: @cycn09

Internship Opportunity at the CBD in Montreal

Below is the link to an internship opportunity of minimum of 4 months (6 months preferable), commencing September 1st 2012, in Montreal, Canada for a young graduate or under graduate student at the CBD Secretariat in Montreal. The purpose of this internship is to provide assistance to implement the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity with regards to mainstreaming gender into the convention on biological diversity (http://www.cbd.int/gender/), taking development and poverty eradication policies, strategies and processes into account. The deadline for submission of applications is 17 August, 2012.

More information at: : http://www.cbd.int/doc/vacancies/2012/scbd/internships/scbd-intern-gender-20120725-en.pdf

A little video about global warming

A little video about global warming on YouTube, Check it out.  

http://youtu.be/qyhoBwaQM08

Sira Barbet

         A new species of bird has been discovered in the Peruvian Andes—the Sira barbet (Capito fitzpatricki). The Sira barbet was first discovered in a 2008 expedition led by Michael G. Harvey, Glenn Seeholzer, and Ben Winger, all ornithologists who had previously graduated from Cornell University. At the time of its discovery it was thought to be a Scarlet-banded Barbet. However, after closer examination it turned out to be a new species. It was finally published in the July 2012 issue of The Auk, published by the American Ornithologists' Union.

Mr. Panamá

     

PROMOTING LOCAL BREEDS OF LIVESTOCK- BHUTAN

In fear of losing out the local breeds of livestock against the high yielding breeds, the dzongkhag livestock sector of Pemagatshel has initiated backyard livestock farming in two villages. With increase in demand for local produce, the program is faring well and the farmers are encouraged about rearing local breeds.
28 July
http://www.bhutanobserver.bt/livestock-sector-initiates-programme-preserve-genetic-heritage-local-breeds/

DIGITAL LIBRARY OF TIBETAN PLANT SPECIES

In view of maintaining database on plant species of Tibetan plateau, the seeds of more than 1,100 plant species, mostly native to Tibet, have been collected and preserved in a China Germplasm Bank of Wild Species. According to a report Tibetan plateau is home to more than 9,600 wild plant species, including 855 unique species to Tibet.
27 July
http://eng.tibet.cn/2010home/news/201207/t20120727_1763140.html