MACOUN MARSH UPDATE- OTTAWA, CANADA

Here is an update of species seen today by the Grade 6-7 Students of St. Laurent Academy.  Image above: Question Mark Butterfly

Image above: Black locust flowers

Image above: Painted Turtle

Image above: Baby woodchuck 

For those studying threatened canids:

The Chicago Zoological Society offers grants up to $5,000 USD for
conservation-oriented research through the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT)
Endangered Species Fund.

The CBOT committee is now accepting proposals for projects that "will assist directly in the protection of populations of threatened and endangered species; or a specific habitat that is of high biological value or that is substantially threatened (IUCN Red List Status)."

Proposals must be submitted online by July 15th and require endorsement by an IUCN specialist group.  The CBOT committee only accepts one endorsed proposal per group.

Details on proposal guidelines, selection criteria, and the online
submission process are at: http://www.brookfieldzoo.org/czs/CBOTGrant.

Better knowledge for Mediterranean canyons and cetaceans

Conservation leading organisations join forces to improve field research on key marine habitats and species in the Mediterranean.  See http://www.iucnredlist.org/news/better-knowledge-for-mediterranean-canyons-and-cetaceans

World Environment Day- June 5, 2011

Check out: http://www.unep.org/wed/

CONSERVATION OF THE WORLD'S LAST 5 RHINO SPECIES

http://savingrhinos.org/BustRhinoHornMyth.html

Brazil's shame

Kayapo Chief Raoni weeps over the Belo Monte dam, which will flood his tribe's lands

along the Xingu River. Picture from the Support Chief Raoni Facebook Page.

Check out Rhett Butler's article on mongabay.com to learn more about the Belo Monte dam and how this will displace more than 16, 000 people by flooding 40,000 hectares of rainforest.  It is a sad day for Brazil. 

MACOUN MARSH DISCOVERIES- OTTAWA, CANADA

Here are two odd discoveries- one today and one two days ago.
1. Some spiders like to eat snails!

This photo shows a collection of small snail shells in a web.  It is a documented fact that some spider species do eat snails.  Two years ago I photographed a spider attacking a snail in a similar web. 

2. Frogs and mice seem to tolerate eachother's company!

One of my students discovered this today in a bird feeder!  What an odd couple!