Latest news with #habitatloss
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers warn of 'full-on emergency' unfolding across US coastlines: 'Very difficult'
Researchers warn of 'full-on emergency' unfolding across US coastlines: 'Very difficult' As global temperatures rise and summer crowds surge, a crisis is playing out along America's coasts. Nesting shorebirds are being squeezed out of their habitat by a growing tangle of threats — and human activity is at the center of it. What's happening? The State of the Birds 2025 report, compiled by a coalition of conservation and science groups, issued a stark warning: A third of U.S. bird species are in decline. Nearly 80 species have lost more than half their populations in the last 50 years and are still shrinking, as reported by StarNews Online. "Birds tell us that we have a full-on emergency across all habitats," said Marshall Johnson, chief conservation officer at the National Audubon Society, in a release. Among the hardest hit are shorebirds, which have seen a 33% population drop since 1980. This comes from loss of beach habitat from oceanfront development, rising sea levels, stronger storms, extreme heat, and predation — all compounding the risks they face during nesting and roosting seasons. Add to that surging beach crowds during the summertime, and things can get even worse. "In many cases they're competing for the same habitat as people, so that can be very difficult," said Lindsay Addison, a coastal biologist with Audubon North Carolina. Why are bird populations important? Birds aren't just picturesque beach companions; they're ecosystem engineers. Their decline points to a broader environmental imbalance. When shorebirds vanish, insect populations explode unchecked, fish stocks shift, and coastal vegetation loses a key ally in seed dispersal (important for our food supply). Entire ecosystems — and the communities that rely on them — feel the damage. Shorebird habitats can also serve as buffers against storm surges and flooding. Losing them to development or erosion removes natural protections that help keep coastal cities safe during extreme weather events. What can we do to protect shorebird populations? Despite these numbers, there's hope. Volunteer bird steward programs — such as one at Wrightsville Beach with nearly 80 local ambassadors — play a key role in protecting nesting areas. Signs, barriers, and even student-drawn illustrations encourage beachgoers to respect these natural spaces. Many governments have also designated protected zones for nesting and roosting sites. Conservation efforts have also seen promising comebacks of bird populations, including the American oystercatcher. But advocates say education is just as important. Simple actions — such as giving birds a wide berth and not chasing them — can help more fledglings survive. So next time you head to the shore, respect wildlife signs and keep pets away from nesting zones. And if you come across any unusual or distressed birds, report them to local wildlife officials. Do you worry about air pollution in your town? All the time Often Only sometimes Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
BBC News
19-07-2025
- Science
- BBC News
How YOU can help butterflies, just by counting them
Do you love spotting butterflies as they flutter through the flowers? Well, you can help to protect them - just by counting each one that you see. The Big Butterfly Count is back from 18 July to 10 August, and everyone in the UK invited to take part. Last year, butterfly numbers were at their lowest in 14 years. Some well-known species like the Small White, Common Blue, and Small Tortoiseshell had their worst summer ever. Experts are worried that butterflies are disappearing because of habitat loss, climate change, pollution and other year's warm, sunny weather is better for butterflies, but they still need help and counting butterflies can give scientists important information about how these insects are doing in different parts of the UK. In 2024 a decline in numbers was put down to a wet spring and cooler summer, however butterfly numbers have seen a general decline since the 1970s. Experts warn that things like loss of habitat, climate change and chemicals used in pesticides are largely to blame. Dr Richard Fox, head of science at Butterfly Conservation said: "Butterfly numbers fluctuate from year to year in response to the weather, and the warm, sunny conditions over recent weeks have been much better for butterflies than the wetter, cool conditions last year, which resulted in one of the worst years for UK butterflies on record."How much butterflies have bounced back will only become clear if people get out, in their thousands, to take part in the Big Butterfly Count," he said. "Although the recent sunshine is great for adult butterflies, the growing drought across many parts of Britain is bad news for their caterpillar offspring, which need growing plants to feed on." How do I get involved in the Big Butterfly Count? To take part, first you need to ask a grown-up to go onto the Big Butterfly Count website. You can then go out together, and maybe take a friend or sibling with you, and find an outdoor a 15 minute timer, and see how many butterflies you count in that them down, and see if you can spot certain colours or types of count runs from Friday 18th July to Sunday 10th August 2025.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NOSTALGIA: A look at Cumbria's love of nature on Global Tiger Day
FOR this Nostalgia edition we wanted to take a look at Global Tiger Day. An annual celebration to raise awareness for the plight of tigers and the urgent need for tiger conservation. Tigers are a critically endangered species whose numbers are affected by the illegal wildlife trade, habitat loss and climate change. Wild tiger populations have declined by around 95% since the beginning of the 20th century. There's now estimated to be around 3,900 wild tigers. Each tiger has a unique set of stripes – like a fingerprint – and this helps us identify individuals in the wild. Since the beginning of the 20th century, wild tiger populations have declined by around 95%. Sadly, there are more tigers in captivity in the US than are left in the wild. The tiger is officially classed as endangered by the IUCN. These photos show how people in Cumbria have shown their love of tigers over the years.
Forbes
07-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Nature's Blueprint: A 3,000-Mile Butterfly Trek On Building Resilience
It takes up to four generations for monarch butterflies to complete a migration pattern south for the season, one mired by threats including habitat loss. Trekking thousands of miles, 3,000 to be precise, they congregate together along the way, building the foundation for the future as they breed and lay eggs of a new generation. Sensing that their existing strengths may not be enough to overcome these stress factors, they adapt to the factors around them, taking calculated risks and approaching the journey as a collective rather than alone, ensuring their future and livelihood. Business leaders can learn a lesson from these small, barely four-inch, creatures in the versatile ways they've responded to volatile environmental factors, from weather and predators to everything nature throws at them. Interestingly, monarchs nourish themselves with milkweed, which is toxic to most animals – a symbol of the versatile ways they've responded to their environment. For c-suite executives, this adaptability and resilience is more than just a virtue. It's a business imperative that must be built into a company's DNA. Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles south as a collective, a sign of how they use ... More disruption to build resilience. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) In just five years, CEOs, the c-suite, their employees and most people have experienced waves of systems shock that have moved volatility from a passing phase to the new norm. To better understand how companies are responding to these disruptions, Accenture has published the Resilience Index, the third since 2023. Our proprietary analysis of more than 1,600 of the world's largest companies reflects a business's percentile position within its industry peer set and across critical technology, commercial, operational and people dimensions. Here's what we know: Resilience on an absolute basis has rebounded to post-pandemic highs. However, when we unpack what that means, we find its foundation is starting to show cracks. The gap between strong and weak organizations has expanded by 17 percentage points. Companies are selectively investing in some areas while neglecting others (e.g. technology resilience has increased by 3% but people resilience has been cut by 7%), and time and time again, we're seeing leaders hold on to yesterday's playbook despite AI's transformative impact. In short, resilience may be holding steady, but it is more fractured, misaligned and stagnant than ever before. In fact, less than 15% of companies are consistently achieving long-term profitable growth. What sets this group of high performers apart? They don't simply view disruption as something to endure. Rather, they see it as an opportunity to establish their competitive edge. This mindset enables them to raise revenues 6 percentage points faster with profit margins that are 8 percentage points higher than their peers. And at a time when agentic AI, AI-workforce integration and operational optionality have entered the corporate vocabulary – terms barely on the radar until recently – resilience is certainly in need of being redefined. Otherwise, companies will risk getting left behind. As disruption expands and the macroeconomic and geopolitical environment brings more change, we often see companies retreating. Yet, high-performing companies thrive on change. They're not simply bracing for impact; they view it as a launching pad for sustained growth. For monarch butterflies, for example, pursuing migration is effectively agreeing to constant disruption and a sustained, adaptable response – whether depending on the sun or their internal clocks as they head to overwintering sites. For companies, resilience is no longer about responding to a crisis when it happens or just being prepared for risk. It's about making an organization flexible and able to change so that when change does happen, the company can react effectively. Take, for example, the initial response to proposed changes in trade. Automotive companies that have a small supply chain were much more likely to be hit by shocks. Life sciences companies with a larger supply chain, on the other hand, could adjust their supply chain more quickly. It speaks to the benefit of having built in that resilience across the enterprise that can make it possible to adapt when necessary. Without that strategic investment in your company, it's much harder to handle change in the future. Our data shows organizations that make these investments early do better than those lagging behind. Leaders looking to fortify their companies' enterprise resilience must first redefine resilience as being balanced across the four key pillars of technology, commercial, people and operations. Here's what that looks like: Fortified with steel, the butterfly embodies the importance of strengthening not just to withstand ... More disruption but to build resilience from it. As part of our research, we undertook a series of simulations to calculate how a company's position on the Accenture Resilience Index would relate to its response to systemic shocks. The benefit is clear: 60% of companies in the top quartile of the Resilience Index would see a positive return on profits, versus just 21% of the bottom quartile (almost 3x as much). By embracing what we call 'adaptive resilience,' these leaders can anticipate potential shocks, rather than simply respond to them, and achieve long-term profitable growth in the process. In the time of 'no regret' moves, they are pursuing scenario planning with multiple situations in mind and constantly reevaluating their strategies to determine whether they are meeting the moment for today's crisis. Take for example, a multinational European technology company that created a risk management system that alerts decision-makers to disruptions before they escalate. This key move was shown to lead directly to a 30% increase in their supply chain efficiency. With their milkweed diet being a core tenet to how monarchs protect themselves from predators, other butterfly species have evolved to resemble monarchs' coloring as a way to gain protection. These viceroy butterflies, in adopting a sense of mimicry, prove what we know about responding to today's disruption. While critical, absolute strength alone will not equip you for the future; it's about looking around the corner and toward what's in front of you to build resilience that is well-rounded, versatile and adaptable. It's the leaders that will prioritize these capabilities, in the face of external volatility or other stress factors, that will lend themselves to long-term growth.
ABC News
05-07-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Tweet of the week 6 July 2025
This weeks tweeter is the Regent Honeyeater. It ranges from the southeast of Queensland to the northeast of Victoria. Some call it the "jewel of the forest" for its striking black-and-yellow colours. But it's a jewel in Regent Honeyeater has been heavily affected by loss of habitat, and there may only be a few-hundred individuals left in the wild. And some good news this year... Conservation experts have high hopes for a mass eucalypt budding event across the Mid North Coast and Hunter regions - the heart of the Regent Honeyeater's range. And that budding is a result of the healthy soaking the trees have had since April and May. And this week's winner is.....
