In Darwin's wake: retracing HMS Beagle's route 200 years on
Two centuries on, a magnificent Dutch three-masted topsail schooner — the Oosterschelde — has docked in the shadow of Tower Bridge after a two-year conservation expedition retracing Darwin's steps, having stopped at big ports where the Beagle made landfall. But whereas Darwin's voyage forced humanity to reconsider its past, this project looks to the future.
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BBC News
13 hours ago
- BBC News
Somerset butterfly count is expected to drive conservation effort
An annual butterfly count is under way after it logged the lowest numbers on record last year. There was a 35% decline in butterflies and moth species recorded across Somerset in 2024 - with a total of 43,547, compared to a total of 66,486 in 2023 according to the Buttery count has been running for 15 years but last year the charity said butterflies were at "their lowest ebb" on the back of 50 years of decline - with the wet weather contributing to the poor results. "What we really need to see is which species have been able to bounce back from that weather of last year, and which species might still be struggling," said Dr Dan Hoare from the charity. The gatekeeper butterfly was the most spotted species in Somerset last year, with more than 9,000 reported sightings. To join in the count people can sign up online and record their results on the website or app. Dr Hoare said: "Butterflies are an indicator of the health of our environment. "With about half of Britain's butterfly species already threatened or near threatened with extinction, it's really important that we understand what's driving these declines in nature – and we can use butterflies as an indicator. "When we get things right, they bounce back really quickly, and they can show us where nature recovery is working, but when their numbers are declining, that's a real sign that we need to do more."He added that Somerset was a significant area for butterflies with "really lovely rural habitats".The survey runs until 10 August, with the results revealed the following month.
Times
a day ago
- Times
In Darwin's wake: retracing HMS Beagle's route 200 years on
The abiding image of Charles Darwin is of the naturalist in his later years, bearded and with a face etched by time, sitting in his garden at Down House in Kent. But he was a youthful 22-year-old when he embarked on what would be one of the most consequential expeditions in human history: his five-year journey onboard HMS Beagle, beginning in 1831, which gave rise to the theory of evolution by natural selection. Two centuries on, a magnificent Dutch three-masted topsail schooner — the Oosterschelde — has docked in the shadow of Tower Bridge after a two-year conservation expedition retracing Darwin's steps, having stopped at big ports where the Beagle made landfall. But whereas Darwin's voyage forced humanity to reconsider its past, this project looks to the future.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Rare angel shark spotted off Welsh coast
One of the world's rarest species of shark has been spotted off the coast of Cardigan Bay in Wales. The angel shark is critically endangered and conservationists have described the sight as "rare and exciting".It was recorded by underwater cameras that were being used to study a group of bottlenose dolphins. The last time this species was seen off the Welsh coast was in 2021 and dives are planned for later this year to see if there are more in the area. Angel sharks - also known as a flat shark - are usually found in coastal areas in the east Atlantic and Mediterranean seas and Wales is thought to be a key habitat. They spend a lot of their time camouflaged with the seabed where they wait for a fishy feast. But according the IUCN red list, the angel shark is critically endangered. It's partly because they are slow growing and are slow at reproducing too. But it's also because fishing techniques like bottom trawling not only disturb their habitat, but can also catch the sharks or injure them while they lie in wait for their prey. Sarah Perry, a marine conservation and research manager with the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, said: "These findings highlight the urgent need to protect these fragile habitats from damaging activities like bottom trawling."
