Latest news with #SarahMeyer
CBC
13 hours ago
- Science
- CBC
Like taking nature pics? The national week-long scavenger hunt for biodiversity is for you
From backyard bird sightings to interesting plants and curious mushrooms on the hiking trail, everyday nature encounters can be recorded and photographed to be added to a national biodiversity database. Londoners are invited to join the Big Backyard BioBlitz, a Canada-wide citizen science event organized by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), which returns for its fifth year from July 28 to August 4. The week-long initiative invites people of all ages to snap photos or make audio recordings of the birds, animals, plants, fungi and even invasive species they come across, and upload them using the free iNaturalist app. "It's open to everyone," said Sarah Meyer, co-ordinator of conservation biology at the NCC, on CBC London Morning. "Whether you're in your backyard, walking through a city park, or camping in the backwoods, your observations help shape our understanding of local ecosystems." The BioBlitz is more than a fun outdoor activity, it's a crowdsourced scientific effort. Last year, participants submitted more than 47,000 observations, including nearly 22,000 in Ontario alone. Since it started, the event has helped document over 8,600 species, including rare and endangered ones. "It's about getting more eyes on the ground," Meyer says. "We can't be everywhere at once, but this gives us a snapshot of what's blooming, what's migrating, and even when invasive species are starting to spread." Armed with a smartphone, tablet or digital camera, participants can upload what they see and hear to iNaturalist, which helps identify species and makes the data accessible to researchers. The information gathered will help inform everything from conservation planning to habitat protection. New this year, the BioBlitz has been extended from a long weekend to a full week, giving families more time to get involved, including over the August holiday. To help engage younger naturalists, the NCC has created printable activities available online, including scavenger hunt bingo, word searches, and colouring pages. "It's amazing what kids can spot," Meyer said. "Sometimes they're the first to see something we'd completely miss. This is a chance for them to be scientists, too." Meyer said the BioBlitz also serves a larger purpose, especially as biodiversity faces growing threats from climate change and habitat loss. "Every single observation adds to our knowledge," she said. "It might just feel like you're taking a photo of a milkweed or a beetle, but collectively, that data helps scientists make real conservation decisions."
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Woman who featured in This Morning abandoned baby appeal finally meets birth dad
A woman abandoned in a car park as a baby finally got some answers when the identity of her parents was uncovered by ITV's Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace. The series - which is presented by TV stars Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell – sees people trying to track down lost relatives. Sarah Meyer, 24, became the show's youngest searcher when she appeared in the episode on Wednesday, 2 July. She had been left when she was barely an hour old and at the time her story featured on ITV's This Morning, with former presenter Judy Finnigan issuing an appeal. Her parents never came forward but the Long Lost Family team managed to track them both down. In the episode, Meyer said she was hoping to find answers. "Why was I abandoned?" she asked. "I am hopeful that I will find something." She had been left in a car park in Surrey in 2001 when she was minutes old. She became known as the 'baby in Pink' because she had been wrapped up in a pink towel. A letter was later sent to police saying: "Please look after my little girl. I love her so much, but just can't cope with another baby." Meyer appeared on This Morning alongside police officer Wendy Whiting, with Finnigan telling viewers: "This little sprog here was abandoned in a multi-story car park. She was barely an hour old and weighing just 7lbs." While she was named Caroline at first, she ended up being adopted when she was three months old and was named Sarah. 'I was named Caroline after the nurse who looked after me, and Pembrooke after my car park,' Meyer said. 'It's like a little secret identity of mine. It's a part of my history, which is very important to me. Even with my name now, my middle name is Caroline.' Meyer was reunited with Whiting in the show, and thanked her for what she had done for her. Later she learned that the Long Lost Family team had tracked down her birth mother. It turned out that she had been in her late teens and that Meyer's birth father hadn't known that she existed. Long Lost Family fans urge show bosses to end 'spoilers' Long Lost Family viewers hail 'lovely young man' found by aunt Nicky Campbell says he's 'emotional mess' over Long Lost Family Her mother did not appear in the episode but Meyer was still pleased by the development. "It's good to hear that she's at least alive and is out there,' she said. 'It leaves the door open for her to come and meet me if she wants to. And I'll never close that door… I want her to see that I've lived a good life, and I want her to see that I'm not angry with her.' 'It's at her pace,' she added. However, there was more news when she was told the team had also found her birth father. He had a new partner and another daughter, and was keen to get to know her. He agreed to appear on the programme, although his identity was obscured to help protect her mother's identity. After learning of her dad and seeing a photo of him, Meyer said: "It's just, over the moon is what I am." Her father told host Campbell: "It is hard to process, very hard, that I didn't know about her, that I wasn't there. I should have been. "When I found out that she was abandoned in that car park it was very upsetting to know that my daughter was just left there in that situation. Anything could have happened to her." He and Meyer later had an emotional meeting, with the pair hugging as they saw each other for the first time. "It was a shock," he said of finding out she existed. "I just want to be there for you now." "You can be," Meyer replied.
The Sun
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I was abandoned by my mum an hour after I was born – 24 years on I've tracked down my dad & have a message for mum
DISCOVERED in a Surrey multi-story car park in 2001, she was famously known as the 'Baby In Pink'. Sarah Meyer's story first appeared on ITV's This Morning 24 years ago and made her first appearance today. 6 6 6 She was initially featured on the ITV show as a newborn in a bid to trace her parents. Found wrapped in a pink towel, her story captivated viewers. More than two decades later, Sarah returned to This Morning to provide a significant life update to hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard. She shared details of her adoption, with footage showing her being cared for by former hosts Judy Finnigan and Richard Madeley during her initial appearance. In the clip, Judy, then 57, held Sarah and told viewers: 'This little sprog was abandoned in a multi-story carpark. She was barely an hour old, weighing just 7lbs.' After watching the tape back, Sarah said: 'It was crazy seeing that again and being back here. It's insane, full circle. I've been able to find my birth parents. 'My foster parents have always kept me informed about my past, and done it the right way. 'My backstory - they've shown me the clips and newspapers. I've always had my identity and history, that's the way it should be. Any questions I've had, they answered.' This week Sarah's search for her birth parents will be shown in a documentary called Long Lost Family: Born Without A Trace. Sarah continued: 'I'm proud of my story. I wanted to find out what is out there but also wanted to show who is out there that I've had a good life. I Met My Sister After More Than 50 Years Apart 'I understand they'd also have the question of where am I now - I wanted to show them that I'm okay and give them that reassurance. I'm at peace with it and they can put it to bed. 'My birth mother thanked everyone for looking after me in a letter. 'The amount of gratitude of the people who stepped up to be my family is immense, they don't get enough gratitude. Nobody thanks them. 'They are the start of the family for those people, Wendy was the start of my family.' Sarah originally appeared on This Morning in 2001, as she was being held by a police officer called Wendy. Speaking to Cat and Ben today, Sarah described her birth father explaining how 'insane' it is that they are 'so alike.' She added: 'My dad didn't even know that I existed. The way he welcomed me into his family was insane. My nan worked in the hospital I was brought into.' Speaking about her birth mother's absence, Sarah said: 'The door is open for my birth mother and always will be. 'I've had 24 years to process my story. My mum has had a much shorter amount of time to process it. Life is complex.' As the interview with Cat and Ben came to the end, a video of Richard Madeley speaking from his garden was played. The TV presenter, 69, said: 'What an end to an incredible story. We were so passionate about trying to find your family for you. 'Huge congratulations from Judy and from me. Have a great rest of your life and lots of love.' 6 6 6 Sarah was joined on the sofa by Ariel Bruce, the lead researcher from Long Lost Family who used Sarah's DNA to finally get her answers on her birth parents. Ariel Bruce, Long Lost Family's lead researcher, joined Sarah on the sofa. Bruce, who utilized Sarah's DNA, was instrumental in providing answers about her birth parents. Speaking about her journey, Ariel said: 'Sarah trusted us with her search and that's the beginning. I'm very grateful to do this sort of work. 'We put Sarah's DNA across the four being genealogical sites. 'We use a combination of those connection and conventional genealogy to build a forensic narrative. 'It's a mixture of science, good luck and detective work. It's only the beginning of the story though. "Having contact is just the beginning of a lifelong journey.' How can you make a blended family work? THERE are an increasing amount of blended families making it work around the world, with some of them even taking that extra step and living together. And in a post on the Supernanny website, clinical psychologist Dr Victoria Samuel has revealed her three of her top tips to make a blended family work and to avoid common blended family pitfalls. Prepare for intense feelings "For a new blended family to be formed, a breakdown of an original family must happen, so it's normal for children to experience intense and sometimes overwhelming feelings: anger, disappointment, sadness, grief, guilt, worry and insecurity," she said. "When parents remarry or move in with a new partner who has children from a pre-existing marriage, a child faces further threats to his sense of stability." To help this process, ensure you accept and listen to all your children's feelings "without judgement or suggesting immediate solutions", and "convey an acceptance of their experiences with concern and empathy". Agree parenting roles "It's absolutely crucial to show a united front," Dr Victoria said. "The younger family members need to know that rules will be consistently and fairly applied, by both adults, to all children in the family." In a bid to put across a "consistent approach", take the time to "openly discuss your parenting values with your new partner". "Talk about those taken-for-granted beliefs you have about family life: what behaviour you expect and what you won't tolerate," she added. Push a problem-solving approach "A great way of avoiding simmering resentment is to arrange regular family meetings," Dr Victoria suggested. "Take it in turns to chair the meeting and avoid interruptions and shouting with the pass the stone technique: to be allowed to talk at the meeting, the 'stone' (a pen or apple or whatever you have to hand!) has to be in the speaker's hands. "There is only one stone, so only one person talks at once."
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I was abandoned by my mum in a car park 24 years ago - now I've tracked down my dad and have a message for her I hope she never forgets
A woman abandoned by her birth mother has returned to This Morning today - 24 years after her first appearance on the show. Sarah Meyer was left in a multistory carpark in 2001 and appeared on the ITV show's sofa as a newborn in a bid for police to trace her parents. At the time, she had been dubbed the 'Baby In Pink' after being found in the Surrey location, wrapped in a pink towel. More than two decades later, she returned to This Morning to give hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard a major life update. She told the pair how she was adopted after her appearance as footage showed her being doted on by then-hosts Judy Finnegan and Richard Madeley. In the clip, Judy, now 77, held Sarah and told viewers: 'This little sprog was abandoned in a multi-story carpark. She was barely an hour old, weighing just 7lbs.' After watching the tape back, Sarah said: 'It was crazy seeing that again and being back here. It's insane, full circle. I've been able to find my birth parents. 'My foster parents have always kept me informed about my past, done it the right way. My backstory - they've shown me the clips and newspaper. I've always had my identity and history, that's the way it should be. Any questions I've had, they answered.' Sarah's search for her birth parents will be documented on Long Lost Family: Born Without A Trace this week. She continued: 'I'm proud of my story. I wanted to find out what is out there but also wanted to show who is out there that I've had a good life. 'I understand they'd also have the question of where am I now - I wanted to show them that I'm okay and give them that reassurance. I'm at peace with it and they can put it to bed. 'My birth mother thanked everyone for looking after me in a letter. The amount of gratitude of the people who stepped up to be my family is immense, they don't get enough gratitude. Nobody thanks them. 'They are the start of the family for those people, Wendy was the start of my family.' Wendy - a police officer - originally appeared on This Morning with Sarah in 2001. Describing her birth father, Sarah told Cat and Ben: 'The fact that me and my dad are so alike is insane - my dad didn't even know that I existed. The way he welcomed me into his family was insane. My nan worked in the hospital I was brought into.' Addressing her birth mother's absence, she said: 'The door is open for my birth mother and always will be. I've had 24 years to process my story. My mum has had a much shorter amount of time to process it. Life is complex.' Ben and Cat then played a sweet video message from Richard Madeley, filmed from his garden. The 69-year-old said: 'What an end to an incredible story. We were so passionate about trying to find your family for you. 'Huge congratulations from Judy and from me. Have a great rest of your life and lots of love.' Sarah's search for her birth parents will be documented on Long Lost Family: Born Without A Trace this week Sarah was joined on the sofa by Ariel Bruce, the lead researcher from Long Lost Family who used Sarah's DNA to finally get her answers on her birth parents. Speaking about her journey, Ariel said: 'Sarah trusted us with her search and that's the beginning. I'm very grateful to do this sort of work. 'We put Sarah's DNA across the four being genealogical sites. We use a combination of those connection and conventional genealogy to build a forensic narrative. 'It's a mixture of science, good luck and detective work. It's only the beginning of the story though. Having contact is just the beginning of a lifelong journey.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
With vaccine approval process set to change, FDA advisers leave wiggle room in annual Covid-19 shot recommendations
A group of experts who advise the US Food and Drug Administration on its vaccine decisions voted unanimously Thursday to make a broad recommendation about which lineage of the coronavirus should be included in this year's Covid-19 vaccines, giving the agency latitude to keep the current shots or update its formulas to more closely match circulating viruses. Several of the committee members asked at Thursday's meeting about the FDA's new vaccine approval framework. Some expressed concern that changing the strain targeted in this year's vaccine might decrease access to the shots in the fall, since the updated version would require new FDA approval. Capt. Sarah Meyer, a pediatrician who directs the Immunization Safety Office at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, posed it as the first question of the meeting. 'I did have a question on how the new regulatory framework put forward this week might affect aspects related to selecting the strain. For example, if a different strain was selected for this season, would that require additional clinical trials, etc.?' she asked. 'I think that's a little off-topic,' said Dr. Jerry Weir, a longtime FDA staffer who is director of the Division of Viral Products within the agency's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. 'I think for today, we focus mainly on what we think in this committee should be in the vaccine, and then the rest of it, we'll work on that later.' Under the new framework, the agency says, it will accept the same kind of study data it has been using to approve annual flu shots and updated Covid-19 vaccines, but only for certain groups: those 65 and older and people with underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk of severe illness. In order to approve Covid-19 vaccines for healthy younger adults and children, however, the agency now wants to see placebo-controlled clinical trials, which take longer and are expensive to run. Even if vaccine manufacturers choose to run those studies, it's unlikely that the research could be conducted in time for them to have shots ready for everyone 6 months and older by the fall. 'Is there a possibility that if we choose a different vaccine, [there are] actually going to be different regulatory measures that are taken that would delay the vaccine getting to the market?' asked committee member Dr. Stanley Perlman, a microbiologist and immunologist at the University of Iowa. FDA representatives attending the meeting had no firm answers about whether changing the targeted coronavirus strain might put the shots out of reach for some groups this fall. 'I think that the goal today is to figure out what the selection of the strain is, but we don't anticipate and our goal is not to impact the timely availability of vaccines,' said Dr. David Kaslow, director of the FDA's Office of Vaccines Research and Review. The voting members of the FDA's Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee agreed that next respiratory season's shots should target the JN.1 family of viruses that swept the globe last year, although they stopped short of making a specific recommendation. The JN.1 branch of the Omicron family tree was a big shift from the viruses that came before, and it quickly replaced the XBB lineage viruses that had been circulating. It has sprouted its own descendants, which are now the predominant variants. Although JN.1 and its offshoot KP.2 – the sublineage used to make the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines in the US last year – are no longer circulating, several more viruses derived from them continue to drive Covid-19 transmission. They're all part of the JN.1 family, and so vaccines based on that virus are still protective. Last week, the World Health Organization said that single-strain inoculations based on JN.1 or KP.2 remain 'appropriate' choices. The FDA advisory committee heard evidence from vaccine manufacturers that vaccination with JN.1-or KP.2-based shots continues to boost antibodies to protective levels, even against newer viruses with slightly different mutations. But manufacturers also presented data showing that updated shots based on a newer member of the JN.1 family – LP.8.1, which is currently the dominant variant in the US – could boost antibodies even more robustly. 'We need to stay ahead of this virus, as opposed to behind it,' said committee member Dr. Hayley Gans, a pediatrician at Stanford, who said she favored updating the vaccine formula for the fall to LP.8.1. 'I think what we need to do is to have the most effective vaccine, not one that predicts that it would be less effective down the line.' Committee member Dr. Eric Rubin, a professor of immunology and infectious disease at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, agreed. 'The data suggest that there are not enormous differences right now, but we're trying to pick an antigen for the future, and not an antigen for now.' Kaslow said the FDA would decide on the specific composition of the 2025-26 vaccine shortly so manufacturers could have the shots ready in time for the fall.
