Rhett Ayers Butler’s Post

The winners of the second edition of the Satellites for Biodiversity Award 🏆 have been announced, reports Abhishyant Kidangoor. The winners include conservation initiatives that use satellite data to monitor and protect wildlife such as chimpanzees, bears, wolves and rhinos in South Sudan, Peru, Ethiopia and Nepal respectively: 🌍 Fauna & Flora International (FFI) For its work using satellite imagery to assess landscapes in South Sudan 🇸🇸, identify causes of deforestation, and protect animals like chimpanzees, pangolins and African forest elephants. 🇵🇪 Conservación Amazónica - ACCA For harnessing spatial data to map the habitats of Andean bears to develop an effective conservation strategy. 🇹🇭Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University  For its work with the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute to monitor the remaining 366 Ethiopian wolves in Bale Mountains National Park. 🇬🇧🇳🇵Zoological Society of London (ZSL) For its work in Nepal’s Chitwan-Para-Valmiki complex where it plans to leverage satellite data to protect the threatened one-horned rhino The award was launched in December 2022 as a partnership between the Airbus Foundation and U.K.-based nonprofit the Connected Conservation Foundation. The winners of the award receive: - Access to Airbus’s high-resolution Pléiades and Pléiades Neo satellite systems, which offer images with a resolution of 50 centimeters and 30 cm, respectively. - Funding and training from the Connected Conservation Foundation “As we navigate an era defined by unprecedented environmental threats, the role of remote sensing in biodiversity conservation has never been more critical,” Sophie Maxwell, executive director of the Connected Conservation Foundation, told Kidangoor. “From tracking habitat changes to monitoring species populations, satellites offer a bird’s eye view of our planet’s intricate ecosystems, providing invaluable insights into their health and resilience.” ➡ Wildlife from space: Winners of Satellites for Biodiversity Award named https://mongabay.cc/igwfWN

Last week the Whitley Fund for Nature honored grassroots conservationists with the 🏆 2024 Whitley Awards. The winners were recognized for "their locally-led solutions to the global biodiversity and climate crises." Here's a brief summary of each winner: 🐵 Fernanda Abra (🇧🇷 Brazil) For building canopy bridges in the Amazon forest to facilitate safe passage for primates over highways, thus mitigating the impact of habitat fragmentation and road-related mortality. 🔗 Mongabay story: https://mongabay.cc/TbxAC4 🐡 Naomi Longa (🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea) For empowering women to conserve coral reefs in Kimbe Bay by establishing Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) and promoting women's leadership roles in marine conservation. 🐟 Aristide Takoukam Kamla (🇨🇲 Cameroon) For restoring Lake Ossa's ecosystem and improving freshwater management to protect African manatees, while also supporting community-managed fish farming and ecotourism. 🔗 Mongabay story: https://mongabay.cc/EoAeaI 🌿 Purnima Barman (🇮🇳 India) Recognized with the Whitley Gold Award for her efforts to restore the population of Greater Adjutant Storks in Assam, India, through community-driven conservation initiatives, primarily led by local women. 🔗 Mongabay story: https://mongabay.cc/hANzMI 🦉 Raju Acharya (🇳🇵Nepal) For developing an action plan to safeguard owls in Central Nepal, helping address threats such as hunting, illegal trade, and habitat loss, through training and conservation efforts. 🔗 Mongabay story: https://mongabay.cc/T3l8Xd 🐦 Leroy Ignacio (🇬🇾 Guyana) For his work in protecting the endangered Red Siskin bird across indigenous and state lands in Guyana, by creating a co-management plan involving local communities and providing opportunities for employment. 🐒 Kuenzang Dorji (🇧🇹 Bhutan) Honored for promoting co-existence between humans and Gee's Golden Langur in Bhutan through community involvement in conservation efforts and education initiatives. 2024 Whitley Awards: https://lnkd.in/gEY-grG4

"Protecting nature is not a luxury; protecting nature is essential to our existence." - Sylvia Earle At the 9th Our Ocean Conference in Athens, Mongabay’s Elizabeth Alberts interviewed oceanographer and marine biologist Sylvia Earle about the pressures facing our oceans, actions needed to turn things around, and how to find hope for the future. Earle has been a trailblazer in her career as a scientist, with more than 225 publications to her name, leading more than 100 expeditions, and breaking records as the first woman to venture into the deep ocean in a submersible and also to perform the deepest untethered sea walk. She’s currently president and chair of the Mission Blue / Sylvia Earle Alliance and an explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society. Now in her late 80s, she still spends most of her time traveling the world to inspire action to protect the ocean. A few quotes from Earle: 🐋 "Saving the planet is a team sport. It takes everyone to do what they have the capacity to do." 🐠 "The beauty of the 21st century is we have a choice." 🦐 "We have the best chance we’ll ever have right now to change this trajectory of decline to recovery." 🐟 "Consider what it takes, what it has taken to create you — your existence. When you think of all of the factors that could mean that you don’t exist, it should cause you to say, 'Hey, who am I? What am I doing here?'" ➡ ‘Our life support system is at risk’: Interview with ‘Her Deepness’ Sylvia Earle https://mongabay.cc/x0jcLf

A new study from Indonesia’s Leuser forests challenges the traditional use of charismatic “umbrella species” like tigers and rhinos to represent ecosystem biodiversity, reports Basten G.. Researchers found that focusing on these well-known species neglects other important wildlife and may not accurately represent overall biodiversity. Instead, the study proposes a data-driven approach using camera-trap data: “Our study proposes a new framework to identify the best umbrella species using camera trap data collected from the field and accounting for imperfect detection i.e. that species might be undetected during surveys but they are present,” study lead author Ardiantiono told Gokkon. “We should be monitoring several species together — not just the charismatic ones that attract conservation funding.” “This fleet approach will help Indonesia wildlife management to put more attention to the conservation of multiple species, including ones it already prioritized to protect and monitor.” The study, which was published in Biological Conservation, identified the sambar deer and Sunda clouded leopard as better umbrella species than tigers and rhinos in the Leuser Ecosystem. "From 2017 to 2019, approximately $4.5 million was dedicated to conserving four charismatic large mammals — the Sumatran rhino, tiger, elephant and orangutan — in exchange for writing off some of Indonesia’s foreign debt. The figure exceeded the combined investment in landscape-focused conservation initiatives (approximately $3.3 million) for Sumatra as a whole," writes Gokkon. Study challenges use of charismatic wildlife as umbrella species for conservation: https://mongabay.cc/kTg5zr Paper: Ardiantiono, Deere, N. J., Ramadiyanta, E., Sibarani, M. C., Hadi, A. N., Andayani, N., … Struebig, M. J. (2024). Selecting umbrella species as mammal biodiversity indicators in tropical forest. Biological Conservation, 292. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110511

It's possible to manage mangrove forests sustainably, argues a new study. Recent findings published in the Journal for Nature Conservation shed new light on the delicate balance between preserving mangrove forests and meeting the economic needs of local communities. The study focused on Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve in Malaysia, which boasts over a century of data from its 10-year forestry management plans. Historically, Southeast Asia and parts of Africa have seen extensive mangrove loss due to illegal deforestation for charcoal and timber. This issue is particularly acute in places like Myanmar and the Philippines, where vast coastal areas have been cleared. However, some regions are demonstrating that sustainable management can indeed work when proper enforcement and oversight are in place. The research underscores the importance of protected conservation areas within mangrove landscapes. These areas are crucial for natural forest regeneration, sustaining wildlife, and maintaining carbon storage balance, all while supporting local livelihoods. While this study provides hope, it also serves as a caution. Management practices focused solely on profit can jeopardize the resilience and sustainability of these ecosystems. The balance of protection and productive use of mangroves remains a complex challenge but is crucial for the health of our planet and its coastal communities, argues the research. Carolyn Cowan's story: https://lnkd.in/gw2q8_mt The study: Chen, D., Satyanarayana, B., Wolswijk, G., Abd Rahim, N. H., Amir, A. A., Hugé, J., & Dahdouh-Guebas, F. (2024). Historical ecological monitoring and appraisal for extractive uses and other values in Malaysia unveils consequences of regime shifts in 120 years of mangrove management. Journal for Nature Conservation, 79, 126582. doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126582

Bangladesh has seen a four-year record number of olive ridley turtle eggs this year, a conservationist group says. Nature Conservation Management (NACOM) found 12,425 eggs in five turtle hatcheries — Pachar Island, Shilkali Island, Shahpari Island, Matharbunia, and Shonadia Island in Cox’s Bazar district — through April 17 this year. The number of eggs has increased by almost 53% compared with the previous year, from 8,096 to 12,425. Those tallies represent a significant jump from the 4,713 eggs recorded in 2020-2021 and 5,763 in 2022-23. According to NACOM's Dr. Munjurul Hannan Khan, there are several reasons sea turtles are rebounding in Bangladesh: 🐢 Protecting turtle nesting grounds and hatcheries on Bangladeshi beaches 🐢 Building awareness among local populations on the importance of ensuring a safe environment for egg-laying female turtles 🐢 Reminding locals about laws protecting turtles and turtle eggs 🐢 Setting up artificial turtle hatcheries Farhana Parvin's story: https://lnkd.in/gDfVzAwt

India’s wild ‘unicorns’ 🦏 are being successfully restored to habitats. In 2005, India's government established the Indian Rhino Vision-2020 to spur the recovery of the greater one-horned rhinos in the country. A recent review of the program in Assam found that rhinos that were translocated in the state were able to adapt effectively to their new environment, reports Arathi Menon. "It highlights the potential of well-managed wild-to-wild translocation schemes to contribute to the recovery of endangered rhinos," writes Menon. The effort involved the Assam state government and the Bodoland Territorial Council, with support from the International Rhino Foundation (IRF), WWF, and the United States Government Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). One of the areas targeted for translocation was Manas National Park, where 22 rhinos were reintroduced. The population now stands at 50. The global population of the greater one-horned rhino was estimated to exceed 4,000 in mid-2022. More than 80% reside in India’s national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. https://mongabay.cc/9K1BpK

Indigenous peoples and local communities are reporting a series of tangible and nuanced impacts of climate change, according to a new study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. The study collected 1,661 firsthand reports of change in sites across all inhabited continents and aggregated the reports into 369 indicators of climate change impacts, including changes in precipitation, plant cultivation and marine ecosystems, reports Sonam Lama Hyolmo. Existing measures to track climate change impacts are barely able to relate to the diverse and complex ways in which local people experience and observe environmental changes, according to the authors. For instance, instrumental measurements might capture changes in rainfall patterns but miss crucial relationships between climate change awareness, sensitivity and vulnerability. “There is the idea existing in the scientific community that local knowledge is not a valid source of knowledge, and the study aims to bridge this gap,” Victoria Reyes-García, research professor at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and lead author of the study, told Hyolmo. The story: https://lnkd.in/gdUDzpX9 The paper: Reyes-García, V., Garcia-del-Amo, D., Álvarez-Fernández, S., Benyei, P., Calvet-Mir, L., Junqueira, A. B., … Zakari, I. S. (2024). Indigenous Peoples and local communities report ongoing and widespread climate change impacts on local social-ecological systems. Communications Earth & Environment. doi:10.1038/s43247-023-01164-y https://lnkd.in/gZRWKj6j

This morning the Goldman Environmental Prize announced the 2024 winners. The Goldman Environmental Prize, often likened to the Nobel Prize for environmental activism, is an annual award recognizing grassroots campaigners from around the world. It was established in 1989 by philanthropists Richard and Rhoda Goldman in San Francisco, California. The prize honors individuals for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk. The Prize is awarded to one recipient from each of the world's six inhabited continental regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands & Island Nations, North America, and South & Central America. Each winner receives a monetary award and significant international recognition, which often helps to amplify their environmental advocacy efforts. The recipients are selected by an international jury from confidential nominations submitted by a network of environmental organizations and individuals. Here are the 2024 winners and the Goldman Environmental Prize's descriptions of their activism. 🌿 Murrawah Maroochy Johnson  Johnson blocked development of the Waratah coal mine, which would have accelerated climate change in Queensland, destroyed the nearly 20,000-acre Bimblebox Nature Refuge, added 1.58 billion tons of CO2 to the atmosphere over its lifetime, and threatened Indigenous rights and culture. 🌿 Marcel Gomes  Gomes coordinated a complex, international campaign that directly linked beef from JBS, the world’s largest meatpacking company, to illegal deforestation in Brazil’s most threatened ecosystems, leading six major European supermarket chains to indefinitely halt the sale of JBS products in 2021    🌿 Alok Shukla Shukla led a successful community campaign that saved 445,000 acres of biodiversity-rich forests from 21 planned coal mines in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. In July 2022, the government canceled the 21 proposed coal mines in the Hasdeo Aranya forests.    🌿 Teresa Vicente Vicente led a historic, grassroots campaign to save the Mar Menor ecosystem—Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon—from collapse, resulting in the passage of a new law in September 2022 granting the lagoon unique legal rights.   🌿 Andrea Vidaurre Vidaurre’s grassroots leadership persuaded the California Air Resources Board to adopt, in 2023, two historic transportation regulations that significantly limit trucking and rail emissions—including the nation’s first emission rule for trains and a path to 100% zero emissions for freight truck sales. 🌿 Sinegugu Zukulu and Nonhle Mbuthuma Mbuthuma and Zukulu stopped destructive seismic testing for oil and gas off South Africa’s Eastern Cape, in an area known as the Wild Coast Story by Liz Kimbrough, Ph.D. https://lnkd.in/gSZasErG

Conservation works❗ A study published last week in Science (https://mongabay.cc/PfjoyL) reveals a hopeful message: conservation efforts are making a difference. By analyzing 186 studies, researchers have provided compelling evidence that actions to preserve our planet's biodiversity are not only necessary but also effective. Here’s what the study found: 🐋 Positive Impact: In two-thirds of the cases studied, conservation actions either improved biodiversity or slowed its decline. This includes efforts like controlling invasive species, restoring habitats, and establishing protected areas. 🌳 Effectiveness of Actions: Some of the most successful conservation strategies involved the management of invasive species, particularly on islands, showing significant positive impacts. 🦋 Challenges and Opportunities: While the overall impact of conservation is positive, 21% of the cases showed declines under conservation efforts compared to no action. This highlights the need for continuous improvement and adaptation of conservation strategies. 🦉 Global Goals: The study underscores the need for a substantial increase in conservation efforts to meet global biodiversity targets. This calls for transformative action across the globe. This analysis serves as a strong testament to the fact that efforts to safeguard the environment can lead to meaningful outcomes. For me, one of the highlights of this study is how the authors clearly communicated the findings. In particular, the first chart conveys complex results in an accessible way—something that I don't often see in academic papers. Well done, Penny Langhammer and co-authors! 📖 Penny F. Langhammer et al. ,The positive impact of conservation action.Science384,453-458(2024). DOI:10.1126/science.adj6598