Conservation – Von Keller Blog

Global Pet Adoption by North Shore Animal League

Kelley Stuart — Mon, 01 May 2023 15:14:41 +0000

Global Pet Adoption by North Shore Animal League

From May 6 to 13, North Shore Animal League America (NSALA) will hold its 29th annual Global Pet Adoptathon at its site in Port Washington. The month-long initiative, in collaboration with Rachael Ray Nutrish, is dedicated to helping animals locally, nationally, and internationally find loving homes. In order to preserve the lives of homeless animals, more than 2,000 animal shelters and rescue organizations will also take part in the Global Pet Adoptathon throughout the month of May.

Finding caring, responsible homes for animals who have been rescued locally, nationally, and internationally is the main goal of this annual, month-long program. It also honors the committed global community that promotes and supports animal adoption and rescue.

The most variety and animals will be available for adoption at NSALA’s adoption facility thanks to the 2023 Global Pet Adoptathon. Numerous dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens of various breeds, ages, and sizes will be present.

The New York Mets mascot Mr. Met will make a special appearance on opening weekend, starting on Saturday, May 6, when NSALA will stage exciting events to kick off the occasion. May 6 and 7 will see an extension of hours.

Additionally, there will be interactive photo booths, outdoor activities like Jenga and corn hole, arts and crafts, food, and drinks. Additionally, there will be a dog park meet and greet for households welcoming new pets.

How does it work?

Animal League America promotes animal adoption as the most effective method of obtaining a pet by working with regional municipal animal care and control organizations, local and foster-based rescue organizations, and shelters of all sizes and locations.

Major cities (New Orleans, Houston, and Los Angeles) as well as smaller towns (Anderson, SC; Fayetteville, NC; and Prineville, OR) are home to the participating shelter partners. Each organization will commemorate the Global Pet Adoptathon with unique events, adoption incentives, and regional advertising.

Animal League America works together with each to get the support of the local media in spreading the word that adopting animals is the better alternative. Finding responsible, loving homes for thousands of abandoned animals is the shared objective of everyone working together.

For more information about Global Pet Adoptathon and to find a participating shelter, visit Animal League directly.

Source: PR Newswire

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Data from satellites Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon has decreased since last year.

Kelley Stuart — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 15:18:15 +0000

Data from satellites Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon has decreased since last year.

According to preliminary satellite data collected by the government’s space research agency Inpe, 167 square kilometers (64 square miles) were cleared in the region last month, down 61% from January 2022, the worst month in the eight-year series.

Deforestation in January was also lower than the 196 square km historical average for the month since 2016, though January data can be especially noisy due to heavy clouds over the rainforest early in the year. The new figures came after Reuters exclusively reported on that the US was considering making its first contribution to a multilateral fund aimed at combating Amazon deforestation, with an announcement possible during President Joe Biden’s meeting with Lula at the White House.

An aerial view shows a boundary demarcation area at the Arara indigenous reserve during an operation to combat deforestation near Uruara, Para State, Brazil January 21, 2023. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

Healthy vegetation sits alongside a field scorched by fire in the Amazon rainforest in 2019. Leonardo Carrato/Bloomberg

Play Video about An aerial view shows a deforested area during an operation to combat deforestation at the Cachoeira Seca indigenous reserve, in Uruara, Para State, Brazil January 19, 2023. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

Source: Reuter

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Conservation Activist in Ghana Suing the Government to Protect the forest from Mining

Kelley Stuart — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 13:20:22 +0000

Environmental activist groups in Ghana are suing the government to prevent mining in the forest.

In response to mounting requests for more nature reserves to tackle climate change, environmental activists have filed a lawsuit against the government of Ghana to stop a proposed mining project in a protected national forest that they claim threatens their health and wellbeing.

The proposed mine in Ghana’s Atewa Range Forest is a component of a $2 billion agreement with China under which the latter will receive access to bauxite, which is used to create aluminum, in exchange for funding infrastructure initiatives in Ghana like roads and bridges.

About the Atewa Forest

The Atewa Range Forest Reserve in Ghana’s eastern region is internationally recognized as one of the most important ecosystems in West Africa due to its high species diversity, rare species, and hydrological importance. In 1926, the forest was designated as a National Forest Reserve, then as a Special Biological Protection Area in 1994, a Hill Sanctuary in 1995, and one of Ghana’s 30 Globally Significant Biodiversity Areas (GSBAs) in 1999. It is also designated as a Critical Bird Area.

The forest ranges in elevation from 300 to 800 meters. The highest parts are frequently shrouded in mist and clouds, resulting in a distinct flora and trees dripping with epiphytic mosses and lichens. Shade-bearing herbs cover the ground where the tree canopy remains intact.

Atewa forest contains at least 1100 plant species, 56 of which are threatened with extinction and many of which are endemic to the Upper Guinea ecoregion (humid forests west of Togo/Benin) with highly localised distributions. Butterfly diversity is also high – the highest of any site in West Africa – with over 700 species thought to exist, including two unique to this forest (Mylothis atewa and Anthene helpsi). Amphibians include 40 species, one-third of which are threatened. conraua derooi, a critically cndangered cogo clippery frog, has a stronghold in the Atewa Forest.

What is Bauxite?

Aluminum’s primary raw material is bauxite. Almost all of the aluminum produced in history has been extracted from bauxite. Although the United States has a few small bauxite deposits, at least 99% of the bauxite used in the country is imported. The US is also a significant importer of aluminum metal.

Bauxite is a non-mineral. It is a rock made up primarily of aluminum-bearing minerals. It forms when laterite soils in a wet tropical or subtropical climate are severely leached of silica and other soluble materials.

Why would the government allow this mining from China?

The proposed mining for Aluminum in Ghana’s Atewa Range Forest is a component of a $2 billion agreement with China under which the latter will receive access to bauxite, in exchange for funding infrastructure initiatives in Ghana like roads and bridges.

The Ghanaian government, through the Ministry of Roads and Highways (MRH) and the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA), is attempting to combine the well-known, traditional method of road construction and rehabilitation with the new concept of output and performance-based road contracting (OPRC) for the management and maintenance of selected highways and feeder roads in the country’s Brong-Ahafo, Northern, and Upper East regions.

Local Ghanian advocacy groups complaints

According to their lawyer, seven local advocacy groups and four citizens claim that mining in the forest violates their constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment, as well as their right to protect it for future generations.

The government of Ghana’s spokesman did not respond immediately to requests for comment, and the state-owned Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) declined to comment.

President Nana Akufo-Addo has previously stated that bauxite can be extracted without causing harm to wildlife, and GIADEC has promised that the expanding bauxite industry will create 35,000 jobs.

Is this deforestation of the northern region?

Experts estimate that at least a million species will become extinct in the next few decades, and the United Nations wants governments to support plans to conserve 30% of the earth’s surface by 2030 at its Biodiversity Convention next year in China.

Local groups across Africa are becoming more confident in using the courts to pursue grievances against mining companies, as they balance the need to boost job creation and economic growth with the preservation of their diminishing forest cover.

According to the U.S.-based Global Forest Watch, Ghana experienced a 60% increase in primary forest loss between 2017 and 2018, the highest increase in any tropical country, with trees lost due to illegal mining, logging, and expanding cocoa farms.

A 90 km away capital city, Accra, receives water from three major rivers that originate in the Atewa forest, which is also home to uncommon plants and animals.

Since 2017, protests, an online petition with nearly 30,000 signatures, a billboard outside the presidential palace, and backing from celebrity environmentalist and actor Leonardo DiCaprio on Twitter calling for the mining to be halted.

Bulldozers have already started cutting routes through the woodland, despite the protesters’ calls for it to be transformed into a national park.

Play Video

Source: Reuters

Von Keller Blog is an informational website with public news, company insights and reports of our companies events, news, press and blogging. Let’s Chat.

World Water Day: The power of water

Kelley Stuart — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 12:07:23 +0000

World Water Day: The power of water

Water is central to sustainable development because it is necessary for socioeconomic development, energy and food production, healthy ecosystems, and human survival. Water is also central to climate change adaptation, acting as a vital link between society and the environment.

As the world’s population grows, there is a greater need to balance competing commercial demands on water resources so that communities have enough for their needs. Women and girls, in particular, must have access to clean, private sanitation facilities in order to manage menstruation and maternity in dignity and safety.

Water unites all aspects of life. Access to safe water and sanitation can quickly transform problems into opportunities, giving people more time for school and work and contributing to better health for women, children, and families all over the world. Today, 771 million people (one in ten) do not have access to safe drinking water, and 1.7 billion people (one in four) do not have access to a toilet.

Is a global health crisis caused by a lack of water?

Water cannot be considered in isolation from sanitation at the community scale. They are critical for reducing the global burden of the disease and improving population health, education, and economic productivity.

2.2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water services
(WHO/UNICEF 2019)
Almost 2 billion people rely on health-care facilities that do not provide basic water services. (World Health Organization/UNICEF 2020)
Over half of the world’s population, or 4.2 billion people, do not have access to safe sanitation services. 2019 (WHO/UNICEF)
Every year, 297,000 children under the age of five die from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor sanitation, poor hygiene, or unsafe drinking water. 2019 (WHO/UNICEF)
2 billion people live in countries with severe water scarcity. (UN 2019)
Weather-related disasters from climate change, such as floods and droughts, account for 90% of all natural disasters. (UNISDR)
Almost all water, (80% )of wastewater is discharged into the environment without being treated or reused. UNESCO (2017a)
A cooperative management framework does not exist for roughly two-thirds of the world’s transboundary rivers. (SIWI)
Out dated agriculture practices is responsible for 70% of global water withdrawal.

How do a lack of water affect kids in developing regions?

Globally, more than 1.42 billion people, including 450 million children, live in areas of high, or extremely high, water vulnerability, according to a new analysis released by UNICEF. This means that 1 in 5 children worldwide does not have enough water to meet their everyday needs.

The study, which is part of the “Water Security for All” initiative, identifies areas where physical water scarcity risks intersect with inadequate water service levels. These communities rely on surface water, unimproved sources, or water that can take more than 30 minutes to collect. This is a basic essential to life. We can build oil pipelines all over the world, but our children still have to walk to get water to eat, shower, and drink.

Water stress has been exacerbated by decades of mismanagement, poor management, over-extraction of groundwater, and contamination of freshwater supplies. Simultaneously, water demand is increasing due to rapid population growth, urbanization, and increased water needs from a variety of sectors. Water stress is being exacerbated by climate change and extreme weather events. The resulting impact on children’s health, development, and safety jeopardizes decades of significant progress in child survival and sustainable development. It endangers children’s lives today and threatens future generations.

What effect does water have on the climate?

Water stress has been magnified by decades of poor management, poor management, over-extraction of groundwater, and contamination of freshwater supplies. Simultaneously, water demand is increasing due to rapid population growth, urbanization, and increased water needs from a variety of sectors. Water stress is being amplified by warming temperatures and severe weather events. The resulting impact on children’s health, development, and safety jeopardizes decades of significant progress in child survival and sustainable development. It endangers children’s lives today and threatens future generations.

Extreme weather events and changes in water cycle patterns are making access to safe drinking water more difficult, particularly for the most vulnerable children.

Between 2001 and 2018, 74% of natural disasters, including droughts and floods, were water-related. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of such events.
Around 450 million children live in areas with a high or incredibly high risk of flooding. This means they don’t have enough water to meet their daily requirements.
When natural disasters strike, they can destroy or contaminate entire water supplies, increasing the risk of diseases such as cholera and typhoid, to which children are especially vulnerable.
Rising temperatures can cause deadly pathogens to grow in freshwater sources, making the water unsafe to drink.
Major water pollution endangers the lives of children. Water and sanitation-related diseases are among the leading causes of death among children under the age of five.
Rising sea levels are causing fresh water to become salty, threatening the water resources on which millions rely.
Adapting to climate change’s water effects will protect children’s health and save their lives. Water efficiency and the transition to solar-powered water systems will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and further safeguard children’s futures.

The world needs to become more water-savvy. Everyone has a part to play, and we can’t afford to waste time.

Source: UNICEF

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A Cluster of Seaweed Is En Route To The Florida Coast.

Ndira Keller — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 23:20:19 +0000

A Swarm Of Seaweed Is En Route To the Florida Coast.

A 5,000-mile-wide mass of macroalgae known as sargassum is making its way to Florida, but it’s unclear where it will end up.

Sargassum is a genus of brown macroalgae or seaweed that is found all over the world, but especially abundantly in the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean. The massive seaweed drift is not a new phenomenon.

Researchers began to notice explosive growth in the belt, known as the Great Sargassum belt, in 2011, which was thought to be caused by excess fertilizer, raw sewage, and soil runoff.

This winter, the floating mass, which stretches from Africa to Florida in the Atlanta Ocean, grew even more alarmingly.

According to Brian Lapointe, an algae specialist and research professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, “this year could be the biggest year yet,” even bigger than previous upticks.

The algae is currently washing up in the Florida Keys, Barbados, and other parts of the region, but researchers are unsure where the majority of it will end up.

The massive seaweed bloom is just one example of a growing global invasion of macro and microscopic algal blooms thriving in freshwater and marine ecosystems on an increasing supply of nutrients such as nitrogen.

Play Video

Video Source: CBS Miami

What is causing the most subsequent bloom?

According to a recent Nature study on coastal phytoplankton, algal blooms have been linked to human activities. Lawn fertilizers, wastewater, and agricultural runoff all contribute to the pollution of rivers, lakes, and oceans.

The flow of sargassum from the Mississippi River, extreme flooding in the Amazon basin, and the mouth of the Congo, where upwelling and vertical mixing of the ocean can bring up nutrients that feed the blooms. According to the experts it’s deforestation and the burning of the forest that could play a role.

Is climate change having an impact on algae blooms?

The authors of an article called “Harmful Algae” Brian E. Lapointe *, Laura W. Herren, David D. Debortoli, Margaret A. Vogel discovered the following:

In some areas,Nutrient pollutions can be a link between changes in sea surface temperature and ocean circulation.
Warmer temperatures correlated with blooms in high-latitude areas like Alaska and the Baltic Sea.
Climate change has the potential to alter ocean circulation and the movement of nutrients that support phytoplankton blooms.
El Nino and other global climate events have also been linked to bloom frequency and movement.
Warmer temperatures have increased algal bloom-favorable seasons in temperate seas.

Where is sargassum going?

There is know way to know for sure because winds, currents play major role, and even small storms can all have an impact on where the sargassum moves.

Source: Pensacola News Journal

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Courtesy Yahoo News.

In a “World-First” Procedure, Elderly Penguins Receive Custom Lenses.

Ndira Keller — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 07:25:32 +0000

In a "world-first" procedure, elderly penguins receive custom lenses.

The Mandai Wildlife Reserve announced Tuesday that three elderly penguins from a Singapore zoo underwent successful cataract surgery and received new custom-made lenses, marking the first time the procedure has been performed on the animals.

Six penguins from Jurong Bird Park underwent surgery to “enhance their sight and improve their quality of life,” which included the removal of cloudy lenses caused by cataracts. Only three king penguins received the artificial lens.

The procedure was chosen for king penguins because they are a larger species with eyes that are large and stable enough to hold the custom lenses in place. The lenses were custom-made in Germany to fit each penguin’s eye based on their measurements, and the process took about two months.

The penguins recovered completely two months after the procedures and are now back with their colony in Jurong Bird Park. Dr. Ellen Rasidi, a veterinarian with the Mandai Wildlife Group, said in a statement that all of the penguins are doing well.

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A post shared by Mandai Wildlife Reserve (@mandaiwildlifereserve)

Source: Mandai Wildlife Reserve Instagram

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Congratulations to Gladys Kalema Zikusoka for being recognized with an animal conservation award

Kelley Stuart — Sat, 11 Mar 2023 19:26:54 +0000

Congratulations to Gladys Kalema Zikusoka for being recognized with an animal conservation award

Gladys Kalema Zikusoka, a renowned conservationist, has been nominated as a finalist for the esteemed Indianapolis Zoological Society Inc. animal conservation award. This award honours leaders in the conservation field who make great strides to protect animal species and help restore their habitats. We are delighted to congratulate Gladys on her nomination and wish her the best of luck.

Gorillas are one of the world’s most endangered animals and their population continues to decline. However, there are still people who are fighting for their survival. One of these people is Gladys Kalema Zikusoka, who has been nominated for the world’s most prestigious animal conservation award.

Gladys is a wildlife veterinarian and the Founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH). She has dedicated her life to saving gorillas and other wildlife in Africa. In 2003, she established CTPH to provide health care and disease prevention services to mountain gorillas and other wildlife.

Gladys’ work has had a significant impact on the survival of mountain gorillas. Thanks to her efforts, the mountain gorilla population in Uganda has increased by 26% since 2006.

If you are interested in learning more about Gladys and her work, then read on!

The finalists for this year’s prize

The Indianapolis Zoological Society Inc. celebrates the preservation of wildlife and natural habitats through the biennial world’s leading animal conservation award. This award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated great effort in protecting wildlife and its natural environment in developing countries around the globe. This year’s award finalists have just been announced and they are an impressive group. The six finalists are Christophe Boesch, PhD (Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology; Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, Germany), Pablo Borboroglu, PhD (Global Penguin Society, Argentina), Gerardo Ceballos, PhD (Institute of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico), Karen Eckert, PhD (Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network, WIDECAST, USA), Biruté Mary Galdikas, PhD.(Orangutan Foundation International, USA) and Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka , DVM.(Conservation Through Public Health Uganda). These incredible individuals all work to protect the environment and promote conservation—they represent the very best in their field

The Prize

The winner will receive $250,000 and the other amazing finalist will receive $50,000.00 to put towards their conservation project. The finalists for the prize will also benefit from bringing global media attention to their projects, and the bottom line, getting more money and necessary resources to continue and expand their noble work.

The Importance of Animal Conservation

Animal conservation has become an increasingly important topic in recent years. Various species have become vulnerable, endangered, and even extinct as a result of human population growth, loss of habitat, climate change, illegal hunting and more. To protect animal populations and preserve biodiversity, conservation efforts must be made to prevent extinctions and promote ecological health. Programs such as research into population dynamics, legislation of protected areas and laws against poaching can all help to ensure that the animals we share this planet with are here for future generations.

Animal conservation is vital to protect the biodiversity of our planet. It goes beyond just protecting the animals themselves; it is also about maintaining the balance of entire ecosystems and preserving the unique features of different habitats. The work of the finalists of this year’s award is making a real difference in their home countries. In developing countries, conservation efforts can often be difficult and especially important due to economic pressures that could lead to the over-exploitation of resources or rapid destruction of habitats. We applaud each finalist for their dedication and commitment to protecting the environment in their country.

The finalists are doing amazing work to protect endangered species and habitats across the world. We hope that the winner of the prize will be able to use the funds to expand their work and make an even bigger impact on their respective conservation projects. We wish them all the best of luck!

Source: Press Release PR Newswire

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