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South Sudan Safeguards Wildlife Amidst Interethnic Warfare, Boma National Park, South Sudan, March 13, 2012 (ENS) – A new headquarters building was inaugurated in wildlife-rich Boma National Park on Friday in South Sudan’s conflict-ridden Jonglei State. The world’s newest nation, South Sudan claimed its independence on July 9, 2011, but fighting still rages in Jonglei…

Sea Shepherd Declares Victory as Japanese Whalers Head Home, Williamstown, Australia, March 9, 2012 (ENS) – The whale conservation group Sea Shepherd is celebrating victory as Japan ends its whaling season with less than a third of its annual self-assigned quota. “It has been a successful campaign,” Sea Shepherd founding president Captain Paul Watson said Friday. “There are hundreds of whales swimming free …

Ted Turner Donates $1 Million to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Atlanta, Georgia, March 7, 2012 (ENS) – Philanthropist, environmentalist and CNN founder Ted Turner tonight announced his contribution of $1 million to the Atlanta-based Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, which works to save endangered gorillas in Rwanda and eastern Congo. …

Rainbow Toad Rediscovered, Photographed for First Time

The rainbow frog.

July 14, 2011, www.news.nationalgeographic.com | “A colorful, toxic toad that was last seen 87 years ago—and never photographed—has been rediscovered in the jungles of Southeast Asia.  Called the Sambas stream toad or Bornean rainbow toad, the elusive amphibian was last spotted by European explorers in 1924.”

GoodNews FortheEarth
“~ Rainbow Toad found again after 87 years! This is an adult female, 2 inches long, found at night at an undisclosed location in remote mountains.”

  • Comments:
  • Bob Hughes “wonder why no dissclosure of location”
    • Virginia Bryan “Protection?”
    • Sandra Beal “yes protection I reckon… and what a good idea.. such a precious discovery :)”
    • Robert Brothers “No disclosure of location is part of the good news, because it was not found in a protected area, and they are concerned about poachers.”
    • Carol Nel “good thing about the no disclosure, poachers who would want to sell such a rare find for big money….and arent the little toads colourful?”

    Carol Nel, Virginia Bryan, Denisse Alicea, M.s. Reindorp, Bridget Foy, William Raymond Bronson, Jana Gale Connell, Trinity Acres Farm, Judith Green, Mary Chambers, Zeenat Khan, Heather Hazen, Sandra Beal, Sharon Camons, Grant Vincent, Kieran Ballantyne, and Bob Hughes like this.

Jul 14, 2011 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals, Animals & Plants, Species Re-discovered

Bioluminescent mushroom rediscovered after 170 years

Jul 13 2011, www.mnn.com | “Spotted once in 1840 and then never seen again, one of the world’s most bioluminescent mushrooms has been rediscovered deep in the Brazilian wilderness.”

“~ old good news from July, 2011. For more info, seehttp://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/2011-07-09-bioluminescent-glowing-mushroom_n.htm?csp=34tech”
Jul 13, 2011 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals & Plants, Species Re-discovered

Chinese Cat Lover Saves 1,200 Cats

June 30, 2012, www.care2.com | “Duo Zirong, who lives in Shanghai, China, has saved over 1,200 cats from being skinned and eaten. These cats live in Zirong’s home and are taken care of by a dozen volunteers.”

“Chinese Cat Lover Saves 1,200 Cats (video)
www.care2.com
Duo Zirong, who lives in Shanghai, China, has saved over 1,200 cats from being skinned and eaten. These cats live in Zirong’s house and are taken care of by a dozen volunteers. Zirong is passionate about protecting the lives of animals and she has seen a significant change with people doing more thi…”
    • Comments:
    • GoodNews FortheEarth “Personal actions helping individual animals parallel the actions of large groups protecting large areas of habitat. May each inspire more of the other : ) Here’s another example: http://www.care2.com/causes/northern-california-fishermen-free-entangled-grey-whale.html”
    • Nici Richter, and Crystal Pistol like this.
Jun 30, 2011 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals & Plants, Compassionate Actions

New Fishing Hook Reduces Accidental Shark Catch

May 25, 2011, www.livescience.com | “Scientists have developed a new type of fishing hook to reduce the number of sharks accidently caught from commercial fishing. The special hook, called “SMART Hook™” (Selective Magnetic and Repellent-Treated Hook), combines two shark repellent technologies, magnetism and shark repellent metals, into standard fishing hooks.”

May 25, 2011 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals, Animals & Plants, Compassionate Actions, Ocean Fish, Oceans

Two Public-land Grazing Plans Dismissed to Protect Arizona Wildlife

January 18, 201,  www.biologicaldiversity.org| “In response to appeals filed by the Center for Biological Diversity last fall, the U.S. Forest Service today reversed two decisions that would have allowed livestock grazing across 33,000 acres of national forest lands in Arizona.  Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests failed to account for the impacts of grazing on pronghorn, deer, elk and tassel-eared squirrel populations. The lands and species in question also include habitat and prey for the threatened Mexican spotted owl and critically endangered Mexican gray wolf.”

“~ 33,000 ACRES PROTECTED FOR RARE GRAY WOLVES, PRONGHORN ANTELOPE, ELK, SPOTTED OWLS AND TASSEL-EARED SQUIRRELS. There are millions of acres already available for cattle grazing. January 18, 2011
Two Public-land Grazing Plans Dismissed to Protect Arizona Wildlife
www.biologicaldiversity.org
PHOENIX— In response to appeals filed by the Center for Biological Diversity last fall, the U.S. Forest Service today reversed two decisions that would have allowed livestock grazing across 33,000 acres of national forest lands in Arizona.”
  • Jeavonna Chapman, Калин GreenTeam Bulgaria, Pedro Di Girólamo, Leanne Ferree, Dawn Steelman, Diana Burke, Bob Hughes, Good Vibrations, Scotty Allen, Mary Chambers, and Bradley Rendon like this.
Jan 18, 2011 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals, Animals & Plants

Thought extinct in the 1940s, bird found on U.S. soil

Dec 9, 2010 www.content.usatoday.com | “A bird once thought extinct and then found only in two breeding sites in Japan has turned up on U.S. soil. Nests of the endangered Short-tailed Albatross have been discovered on two tiny islands in the northwestern Hawaiian islands. Previously the birds were only known to nest on Torishima and Senkaku islands in Japan.”

“~ Nests of the endangered Short-tailed Albatross have been discovered on two tiny islands in the northwestern Hawaiian islands. Mother Nature is full of surprises.
Thought extinct in the 1940s, bird found on U.S. soil – Science Fair: Science and Space News – USATO
content.usatoday.com
Thought extinct in the 1940s, bird found on U.S. soil – Science Fair: Science and Space News – USATODAY.com”
    • Janie Harwood “Now they won’t be as safe! Human intervention, not always a good thing. Good luck to these lovely birds”
    • Janie Harwood, Judith Green, Hannah Urpeth, Bradley Rendon, and Good Vibrations like this.
Dec 9, 2010 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals & Plants, Species Re-discovered

What to do with Unwanted Fur? Donate It to Help Orphaned Wildlife

Dec 1, 2010, www.humanesociety.org | “Do you have an old fur coat in your closet? Is your grandmother’s mink stole stored in the attic? Many of us have fur apparel that we no longer want or that was left to us by a family member. Some aren’t comfortable selling it or giving it to charity, because they feel people should not wear animal fur.  So what should people do with it?

Give it back to the animals. If you would like to see that old fur put to a good use, see if there is a wildlife rehabilitator in your area who will use it to aid and comfort wildlife.”

Lindy Rose shared a link.
Donating Used Furs to “Coats for Cubs” Helps Wildlife : The Humane Society of the United States.
Don’t know what to do with that old fur coat? Give it back to the animals. Here’s how.”
Comments:
Robert Brothers “What a great idea! Wildlife rescuers use the furs to warm and comfort orphaned and injured wildlife. More than 200 groups from across the United States and Canada now participate in the program. This is the kind of creative thinking that helps us look for other opportunities like this.”
    • Judith Green “Three years ago while my mother and I were cleaning out her closets we ran across some old forgotten fur muffs and stoles that had been purchased by some family member or other back in the 1940’s or ’50’s. We both felt bad finding those furs. We sure did not want to keep them or wear them! But we didn’t want to sell them, either–didn’t want the money, and didn’t want to encourage other to wear the furs. Fortunately I’d seen a notice about this “Coats for Cubs” programs at the Buffalo Exchange in Bellingham, Wa. My mother agreed that was where they should go. It felt good to be able to give the fur back to animals and to know it would give comfort to some little orphan or injured animal.”
    • Robert Brothers “great to hear how this really works!”
    • Robert Brothers, Ara Johnson, Judith Green, Ysabel Vicente, and Christine Aspinall like this.
Dec 1, 2010 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals, Animals & Plants, Compassionate Actions

In 1999, 35 million small family plots produced 90% of Russia’s potatoes, 77% of vegetables, 87% of fruits, 59% of meat, 49% of milk — way to go, people!

August 9, 2009, www.thebovine.wordpress.com | “In 2003 the Russian President signed into law a further “Private Garden Plot Act” enabling Russian citizens to receive free of charge from the state, plots of land in private inheritable ownership. Sizes of the plots differ by region but are between one and three hectares each [1 hectare = 2.2 acres]. Produce grown on these plots is not subject to taxation.”

 

Leila Bee shared a link.
“In 1999, 35 million small family plots produced 90% of Russia’s potatoes, 77% of vegetables, 87% of.
thebovine.wordpress.com
And since 1999, it seems things have only gotten better when it comes to small-scale agriculture in Russia. In 2003 the Russian President signed into law a further “Private Garden Plot Act…”
  • Comments:
    • Leila Bee‎”in Russia, we can already see the evidence that they are thinking small. How else can you explain that in 1997 small households in Russia independently grew 97% of Russia’s potatoes, 77% of its berries and fruit, and 73% of its vegetables, and those percentages have risen in the decade since then.” Vladmir Megré not quite the same percentages but close…I’ll see if I can find more.
    • Leila Bee finding lots of interesting russian gardening sites..http://www.the-village.ru/village/people/people/96403-moskovskie-ogorodnikithe movement is everywhere, I love it!
    • Leila Bee http://www.freshcongress.com/resources/documents/1271673375andriyyarmak.pdfSeems to pretty much agree with the previous statements, although production of domestic veg% is not as high. However this data may not be taking into account fruit and veg that never hits the market but goes from garden to table (dasha produce.)
    • GoodNews FortheEarth‎~ Thanks for the other sources! Now we all have some reading to do : ) It makes a lot of sense that people faced with economic hardship will start growing more of their own food, and wonderful that they are able to do so.
    • Leila Bee The dacha system in Russia is not a new one, it’s been in and out of vogue since Peter the Great. Growing one’s own food is part of Russian tradition:-) It just tricky finding solid facts when I don’t speak Russian, I’m working with translator programs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacha
    • Caron von Zeil likes this.
Aug 9, 2009 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals & Plants, Buy Local, Community Gardens, Economics, Farms & Gardens, Local Food, Organic Farming, Plants, Urban Agriculture

Man saves 375 lbs black bear from drowning

July 1, 2008, www.treehugger.com | “Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist Adam Warwick just couldn’t let the bear drown, so he took off his shirt and dove after it. The 375 lbs black bear had been spotted in a residential area, obviously looking for food, and was shot with a tranquilizer dart. Unfortunately, before it went under, it jumped in the water of the Gulf of Mexico. More photos and a video below.”

GreenEnergy Empathy shared a link.
Would you do that??
Man saves 375 lbs black bear from drowning (with photos and video)
www.treehugger.com
Rescuing a 375 lbs Male Black BearFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist Adam Warwick just couldn’t let the bear drown, so he took off his shirt and dive after it. The 375 lbs black bear had…
Jul 1, 2008 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals, Animals & Plants, Compassionate Actions

Olaus and Mardy Murie: Alaska’s Passionate Protectors

October 21, 2013, www.wilderness.net | “Margaret (Mardy) Murie is fondly called the Grandmother of the Conservation Movement, but her love of the land began at a young age. Born on August 18, 1902 in Seattle, Mardy moved to Fairbanks with her family when she was five years old. Her step-father was an assistant U.S. attorney. She attended Simons College in Boston but finished her degree in business administration at the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines, now the University of Alaska.”

GoodNews FortheEarth shared a link.
HISTORY – Olaus and Mardy Murie: Alaska’s Passionate Protectors
“I hope the United States of America is not so rich that she can afford to let these wildernesses pass by, or so poor she cannot afford to keep them.” – Mardy Murie – In congressional testimony about the Alaska Lands Act
Thanks to Dena Nickell for posting this.
Wilderness.net – Olaus and Mardy Murie, 1902 – 2003
www.wilderness.net
Olaus is rememberd as a biologist, Alaskan explorer and author. Mardy is often call the ‘grandmother of the conversation movement.’
  • Connie Ashby likes this.
Oct 21, 2003 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals, Animals & Plants, Compassionate Actions, Education, People, Profiles, Pollution