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Golden oyster mushrooms, known for their bright yellow caps and earthy flavors, are native to Asia. However, these prized edible mushrooms have gained popularity throughout North America, where they’re spreading across forests and displacing native fungal species, a recent study has found. Aishwarya Veerabahu, lead author and a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S., told Mongabay by email that the study was prompted by a growing number of wild golden oyster observations in North America across citizen science biodiversity databases. “[T]he public, mushroom enthusiasts, and community scientists were logging their observations of this non-native mushroom on online biodiversity databases like iNaturalist and MushroomObserver,” Veerabahu said. “Local mycologists (Drs. Anne Pringle and Todd Osmundson) were also increasingly noticing this mushroom that they knew to be introduced to the region and were alarmed at how rapidly it was multiplying and spreading.” By Dec. 31, 2023, observations of the mushroom had been reported from 23 states in the U.S. and Ontario, Canada. To find out how the golden oyster’s spread could be affecting native fungal species, Veerabahu and her colleagues examined 78 samples of wood from 26 dead elm trees near Madison. Half of the trees had golden oysters growing on them. The team then used DNA analysis to identify the different fungi that grew on each sample. They found that trees with golden oysters hosted about half as many native fungal species as those that didn’t have them. “Though we have yet to study downstream impacts, we suspect changes to…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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The tiger, once wide-ranging across Asia, has disappeared from much of its historic range. But thanks to concerted conservation efforts and communities willing to coexist with them, the majestic predator is making a comeback in some parts of the continent despite threats including habitat loss and poaching. South Asia continues to be a stronghold for tigers (Panthera tigris), but some other regions are also showing promise. On International Tiger Day, July 29, Mongabay presents three stories from the past year that offer hope for the big cat. Thailand’s tiger recovery Tiger numbers are rising in western Thailand’s Huai Kha Khaeng and Thung Yai (HKK-TY) wildlife reserves, which make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since camera-trap surveys began there in 2007, the tiger population has more than doubled, Mongabay’s Carolyn Cowan reported in July 2024. There could now be up to 140 Indochinese tigers in HKK-TY. Thailand is now the last stronghold of the Indochinese tiger (P. t. corbetti). Researchers attribute the increase in tiger numbers in HKK-TY to long-term conservation actions like strengthening ranger patrols to control poaching and efforts to boost prey populations. “Tiger recoveries in Southeast Asia are few, and examples such as these highlight that recoveries can be supported outside of South Asia, where most of the good news [about tigers] appears to come from,” Abishek Harihar, tiger program director for the NGO Panthera, told Mongabay. Sumatran tigers surviving in unprotected forests In Indonesia’s Aceh province, researchers installed camera traps across the massive unprotected forests of…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Environmental activist Hipólito Quispe Huamán was shot and killed Saturday night in the Madre de Dios region of southeastern Peru, in what authorities suspect was a targeted attack linked to his work defending the Amazon rainforest, AFP reports. Quispe Huamán was driving along the Interoceanic Highway when he was gunned down, according to local prosecutors. Karen Torres, a regional prosecutor, told reporters that investigators are considering his environmental advocacy as the likely motive. “This is a murder with a firearm of yet another defender of the Madre de Dios region,” she was quoted as saying by AFP. Quispe Huamán had served as an active member of the Tambopata National Reserve Management Committee and was a vocal opponent of deforestation and illegal land use in the Peruvian Amazon. His killing has sparked outrage from human rights and environmental organizations, which say the attack reflects a growing pattern of violence against Indigenous leaders and environmental defenders in the region. “We condemn the murder of environmental defender Hipólito Quispe Huamán in Madre de Dios, another victim of the growing violence against those who protect our territories and ecosystems,” said the National Coordinator for Human Rights (CNDDHH) in a statement posted on social media. “Not one more death!” Hipólito Quispe Huamán. Photo courtesy of CNDDHH (on X). Quispe Huamán’s brother, Ángel, called for accountability. “I demand justice for my brother’s death. This kind of thing cannot happen,” he told local media. The Ministry of Justice has pledged to support the legal defense of Quispe…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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When BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2011, it led to the largest oil spill in U.S. history, severely damaging marine ecosystems. Part of the settlement money that BP agreed to pay has since been used for a deep-sea restoration project that has achieved significant milestones in spawning corals through new innovative methods, Mongabay’s Liz Kimbrough reported in May. The eight-year, deep-sea Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC) restoration projects, led by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and partner institutions, involve propagating coral, as well as mapping, assessing, protecting and managing deep ocean habitats across the Gulf of Mexico. The teams first use autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to map and scan the seafloor. Their camera footage helps researchers identify locations with the most damaged coral species, allowing them to focus on areas where they can make the greatest impact. “We are mapping the Gulf to a level that is practically unprecedented,” Andrew Davies, a professor of marine biology from the University of Rhode Island, told Kimbrough. Since 2022, they’ve mapped 19,400 square kilometers (7,500 square miles) of the seafloor, nearly the size of the country of Wales. Once the maps are ready, the researchers use the ROVs’ mechanical arms to carefully collect small cuttings of healthy corals, avoiding damage the rest. Researchers then further cut these clippings into smaller pieces and mount them on a concrete rack. After just a few days, or sometimes hours, the racks…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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A climate change-induced surge in brief but intense thunderstorms poses a growing but underrecognized threat to trees in tropical forests, a finding that could have major implications for carbon storage and tropical biodiversity under future global warming scenarios. That’s according to a recently published paper, which determines that short-lived but powerful convective storms — combining high winds with lightning — have become a major driver of tree mortality in Panama and elsewhere in the tropics. Researchers estimate storm activity may already cause 30 to 60% of tree mortality in tropical forests globally. Concerningly, that percentage is likely to rise, with data showing tropical storm activity increasing 5-25% every decade, according to study lead author Evan Gora, a forest ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. “If storms are [already] this major driver of mortality as a baseline, and storm activity is [also] increasing, then that would suggest that storms are killing a lot more trees,” Gora says. But, as the paper notes, there are still limited data from around the tropics with most work on storm impacts concentrated in Panama, Brazil and Borneo. Yet for Gora, his team’s findings coincide with observations that tree mortality has been increasing over the past several decades in the Amazon and Australia, suggesting storms may be playing a role. Research suggests that tree mortality due to lightning may be lower in Central African forests compared with other tropical regions, says Bianca Zoletto. There are still high levels of uncertainty as to how intensifying…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Despite being the world’s most heavily trafficked mammal — more than elephants, rhinos and tigers combined — pangolins remain virtually unknown to the public. These shy, scaly creatures are primarily hunted for their scales, which are frequently used in traditional Asian medicines. Despite international protections, illegal trafficking of these animals continues, and with it, the quiet collapse of wild pangolin populations across Asia and Africa. Part of conservationists’ challenge is increasing the visibility of the threats these species face. Pangolins don’t have the public profile of elephants or lions and aren’t instantly recognizable to the general public. They’re not often visible to safari tourists, rarely show up in children’s books or blockbuster nature documentaries, and, until recently, they rarely made headlines. In a media environment that often elevates the largest or most brightly colored animals, pangolins have been left out of the conservation spotlight. But that’s starting to change, and one reason for that is storytelling. The new Netflix documentary Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey is a powerful example of what can happen when the media shines a light on a lesser-known species. Promotional images of the new Netflix documentary Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey. Through the lens of a rescued pangolin and the conservationists working to protect him, the film gives audiences a window into a crisis that has long flown under the radar, and highlights the intelligence of these often-forgotten creatures. Perhaps more importantly, it shows that these animals are worth knowing, worth protecting, and still have a chance to thrive in…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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NEW YORK (AP) — This year’s United Nations climate conference in November is in Belem, Brazil, a city facing high poverty and infrastructure challenges. It’s a location chosen in part to highlight the urgent need for climate action. COP30 President-designate André Corrêa do Lago said in an interview with The Associated Press that it’s important to address inequalities and sustainability in these talks and that Brazil wants negotiators to see the uncomfortable consequences. It’s already potentially uncomfortable because Brazil is working to accommodate a large number of attendees, with high lodging prices a concern. This year, countries must update their climate plans to align with goals set by the Paris agreement to limit atmospheric warming. By Seth Borenstein, Associated PressThis article was originally published on Mongabay

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Drought, irregular rainfall, deforestation, and the legacy of unsustainable human activities have left vast areas across the arid and semiarid regions of sub-Saharan Africa degraded, causing major challenges for the human population. According to environmentalists, one solution to this problem might be forest gardens. These “gardens” use regenerative agroforestry to revive patches of degraded agricultural land. In 2024, the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) selected a project led by Trees for the Future (TREES), a U.S.-based NGO, as one of seven world restoration flagships for its “forest garden approach” used in five countries in sub-Saharan Africa. These flagships promote restoration projects around the world that show potential to tackle challenges at scale and provide financial support. “Forest gardens promote healthy soil and diverse crops, leading to increased income and access to healthier food,” Enoch Makobi, country director for TREES in Uganda, told Mongabay. “Farmers are fighting climate change and can overcome poverty and hunger.” While NGO leaders say they’re optimistic about the outcomes of the project so far and their plans for expansion, some other conservationists have expressed skepticism, pointing to a lack of scientific evidence on impacts and the difficulty international NGOs face in tackling local problems and needs. A forest garden is a modern term for an ancient agroforestry model that mixes shrubs, herbs, vines, fruit and nut trees, and perennial vegetables, with the aim of supplying communities with food, medicine and animal feed. According to scientists, forest gardens can have significant…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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JAKARTA — Indonesian civil society groups are challenging a controversial law they say enables forced evictions, weakens environmental protections, and encourages elite-driven megaprojects at the expense of ordinary citizens. Two major coalitions of NGOs and affected individuals have filed separate lawsuits with the Constitutional Court. Both suits, known as judicial reviews, tale aim at Indonesia’s sweeping 2020 “omnibus law,” which critics say facilitates environmentally harmful and socially unjust megaprojects across the country. The omnibus law, formally the Job Creation Law, was introduced by then-President Joko Widodo as a deregulation package intended to attract investment. Passed in October 2020, it amended more than 70 existing laws covering sectors such as labor, environment, and business licensing. Despite near-universal opposition from environmental groups, labor unions, academics and students, the government pushed the law through parliament in just 167 days, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Critics warn it rolled back protections for workers and the environment in favor or business interests. In 2021, the Constitutional Court ruled the law “procedurally unconstitutional” because of the way it was rushed through, citing a lack transparency and public consultation. Instead of scrapping the law, however, Widodo issued a regulation to reintroduce it. Parliament ratified this version in March 2023 — effectively relegitimizing a law previously deemed unconstitutional, and reigniting legal and civil society opposition, including the two new judicial reviews. Former Indonesian President Joko Widodo started his second day of visit in the Nusantara capital city by directly reviewing the Presidential Palace area, on Monday morning,…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. In the mid-1990s, the kākāpō seemed destined for extinction. Only 51 individuals of the flightless, nocturnal parrot remained, all of them descended from a shrinking gene pool and spread across remote corners of New Zealand. A victim of its own evolutionary success, the kākāpō had once flourished in a predator-free island ecosystem. But its defenses—freezing when threatened, nesting on the ground, and producing a strong scent—proved fatal once humans introduced cats, rats, and stoats. Against these odds, the kākāpō recovery has become one of conservation’s most carefully managed comebacks. The entire population is now named, monitored, and fitted with smart transmitters. Breeding, which occurs only during occasional mast years when native trees fruit heavily, is bolstered by artificial insemination and precision feeding. Drones ferry sperm across island sanctuaries in minutes, shortening a journey that once took hours on foot. Data loggers track every movement, weight change, and mating. The results are cautiously encouraging. As of 2024, the known population stands at 244 individuals. All reside on predator-free islands, with a few reintroduced to the New Zealand mainland under close surveillance. Scientists have even sequenced the genome of every adult kākāpō, using genetic data to manage breeding pairs and reduce the risks of inbreeding. Success remains fragile. The species is still critically endangered, and low genetic diversity continues to affect fertility. Yet the recovery offers valuable lessons for other conservation efforts. The kākāpō’s survival…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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The winners of the 11th annual Mangrove Photography Awards (MPA) have been announced. The contest, hosted by the U.S.-based Mangrove Action Project, showcases powerful photographic narratives highlighting the importance of one of the planet’s most vital ecosystems. This year, a record-breaking 3,300 entries from 78 countries entered to win in one of six categories: wildlife, people, landscapes and threats, as well as underwater and conservation stories. The 2025 overall winner features an aerial view of a roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) flock flying above a lemon shark hunting mullet in Florida Bay’s shallow waters. “Birds’ eye view of the hunt.” Image courtesy of Mark Ian Cook/MPA. About the photo, contest judge Shin Arunrugstichai said in a statement: “What a scene! I love the convergence of all the elements in that exact moment. It clearly shows the diversity of life that … depends on the mangrove ecosystem.” The “wildlife” category features images of crocodiles and crabs that one might expect, but also more elusive animals including tigers (Panthera tigris) in India’s Sundarbans, a proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) in Indonesia and fireflies in the Philippines. One of the most heart-warming photos features a mother jungle cat (Felis chaus) snuggling her cub in the Indian Sundarbans. “Mother’s protection.” Image courtesy of Satyaki Naha/MPA. The winning image in the “threats” category by photographer Tom Quinney shows an enormous pile of waste hovering behind a struggling mangrove forest in Bali. “In the past, a major fire burned through the rubbish here, and to this day the…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Indonesia’s marine ministry has approved one of Java’s largest coal plants to use vast amounts of seawater for cooling, prompting concerns from marine experts over the impact of heated discharge on coastal ecosystems and fisheries. The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries on July 22 issued a permit for the utilization of seawater for non-energy purposes (ALSE) to PT Bhimasena Power Indonesia (BPI), the operator of the Batang coal-fired power plant in Central Java. The permit makes the Batang facility the first power plant in Java and the second in Indonesia to be legally authorized to manage seawater for industrial activities, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry said the Batang plant utilized approximately 3 billion cubic meters (106 billion cubic feet) of seawater annually, primarily for cooling purposes, and such large-scale seawater use requires accountable management in accordance with government regulations. The ALSE permit regulates the use of seawater for non-energy industrial purposes, such as cooling, potable water production or other uses, according to the ministry. “This effort also supports transparency and accountability in sustainable marine industries,” Frista Yorhanita, the ministry’s director of marine resources, said in the statement. Unfavorable coastal conditions in Batang, Central Java, have made it increasingly difficult for fishers to operate. Image by Wulan Yanuarwati/Mongabay Indonesia. The Batang thermal coal plant began full operations in 2022 with a 2,000-megawatt capacity. As one of Java’s main power sources, it was built to boost Indonesia’s energy supply and support local economic growth. However, instead of improving…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. The eastern reaches of the Democratic Republic of Congo are no strangers to tragedy. Yet the loss of two Virunga National Park rangers in a surveillance plane crash near Ishango on July 23 underscores once again the mortal risks faced by those charged with defending one of the world’s most biologically rich landscapes. Pilot Claude Nguo and ranger Daniel Kakule were on an aerial mission to protect ground teams during an operation near Lake Edward when their Bat Hawk reconnaissance aircraft went down. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. “The craft went down as the two men sought to ensure the safety of [ICCN] agents operating in the park,” the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) said in a statement. Both men leave behind young families. Their deaths add to a long and grim toll. More than 220 rangers have died in Virunga over the past two decades—an attrition rate that makes it one of the most dangerous conservation jobs on Earth. The park’s location in a conflict zone, where armed groups such as the Rwandan-backed M23 control swathes of territory, renders even routine tasks perilous. Founded in 1925 by royal decree during Belgium’s colonial rule, Virunga—then known as Parc National Albert—was Africa’s first national park, created to protect mountain gorillas and other rare wildlife from human encroachment. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site spanning nearly 2 million acres,…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Scientists have measured the amount of nanoplastics in the open ocean for the first time and found they make up the vast majority of marine plastic pollution. Plastic debris in the ocean can be of varying sizes. Nanoplastics are the tiniest, about 1,000 times smaller than the smallest microplastics — small enough to go through cell membranes, including the barriers of the human brain. The new study estimates that the North Atlantic Ocean holds approximately 27 million metric tons of nanoplastics, around nine times the amount of larger plastic debris in all of the world’s oceans. “The pollution is quite advanced,” co-author Dušan Materić, a researcher at the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, told Mongabay in a video interview. “Just 10 years ago, there was speculation about whether nanoplastics existed, and that brought concern because if they existed in the environment, they would be much more toxicologically potent than their microplastics counterpart.” The researchers found nanoplastics at all three depths they sampled — right from the sea surface to the ocean floor — across 12 stations located across the North Atlantic, indicating widespread contamination. Previously, nanoplastics were missing from calculations of how much total plastic is in the ocean. The millions of tons of nanoplastics found in the recent study, Materić said, fills that gap. “To me, [the amount of nanoplastics we found] is a bit more than I expected,” Materić said. “We are closing that budget with nanoplastics. So, in a sense, we discovered the missing pollutant.”…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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MOCOA, Colombia — From the air, the forests in Putumayo, Colombia’s southwestern Amazonian department, look scarred. Light brown lines snake through the canopy. In the eastern part of Putumayo’s Puerto Guzmán municipality, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) of irregular roads, mostly dirt tracks, cut through the forests, according to the report. Many of them are flanked by bare land where trees once stood. From October 2024 to March 2025, more than 11,000 hectares (about 27,000 acres) of forest have been lost in Putumayo. Colombia’s southwestern department is one of the seven areas featured in a new report documenting recent expansion of deforestation in biodiversity hotspots, driven especially by illicit crops and illegal roads. The areas chosen have higher historical levels of deforestation than other regions in the Colombian Amazon. According to Colombia’s Inspector General’s Office, between October 2024 and March 2025, 88,808 hectares (about 219,400 acres) were deforested across Río Naya, Meta-Mapiripán, Vista Hermosa-Puerto Rico, Triple Frontera (Guaviare), Llanos del Yarí – northern Chiribiquete, Caquetá and Putumayo. The Inspector General’s Office monitored an area of about 3.3 million hectares (8.1 million acres), roughly the size of Belgium. The report, supported by data from the Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable Development (FCDS), a Colombian environmental conservation nonprofit, also highlights 1,107 km (688 mi) of irregular roads associated with forest loss: 782 km (486 mi) were identified by the General Inspector’s Office between March 2024 and March 2025 and are subject to verification by local authorities; the remaining were identified by FCDS…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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A few years ago, Maria Suryanti Jun had idea little idea of what an environmental defender was. Nor did she have any intention of becoming one. But since December 2022, when a geothermal project was approved for her community in Poco Leok — which sits on an active volcano in the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara — Maria, now 46 years old, stepped up to advocate for her hometown. In a series of demonstrations against the project, funded by German development bank KfW, Maria and other Indigenous residents have protested what they feel is a lack of transparency from the project developers. This includes scant consultation with the community about the project and its environmental and cultural impacts. Today, Maria is one of the most prominent faces of the Poco Leok movement. But, as a woman and an Indigenous person, she has encountered numerous obstacles in her journey as an activist. Indigenous communities face disproportionately high levels of poverty and are also likely to be disproportionately affected by extractive projects, due to poverty, social marginalization and cultural and economic links to nature. In Southeast Asia, the rights and status of Indigenous communities are often not fully recognized by national governments. Women, meanwhile, are often doubly disadvantaged within and outside of their communities, due to traditional gender roles and limited opportunities for education or self-development. Maria and other women from Poco Leoka are at the forefront of opposing is an expansion of the controversial Ulumbu geothermal plant. Image courtesy of…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Mangroves are an important lifeline for biodiversity, climate and coastal communities. Yet they are disappearing 3-5 times faster than total global forest losses, according to UNESCO. On July 26, celebrated as the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, we present recent stories by Mongabay’s journalists on emerging threats to these critical ecosystems and the women who are leading mangrove restoration efforts across the world. Risks from tropical cyclones A recent study found that mangrove forests globally could face severe risk from climate change-intensified tropical cyclones and rising sea levels, Mongabay contributor Elizabeth Fitt reported in June. Mangroves, which typically grow in the tropics and subtropics, have evolved to be resilient against tropical cyclones. They even serve as buffers for coastlines against the resulting storm surges and strong winds. In the process, they may suffer damage, but they tend to bounce back when the storms don’t occur frequently. The study estimates that with climate change, tropical cyclones are likely to occur so frequently that mangroves won’t have enough time to recover. Mangroves are already being cleared or degraded due to pollution, agriculture and infrastructure. The added risk from climate change is a problem because the ecosystem is responsible for an estimated $65 billion worth of annual flood protection across the world while 775 million people are considered “highly dependent” on such coastal ecosystems, the study says. “The mangrove ecosystems providing the highest levels of benefits to people … are also at the highest levels of risk,” study lead researcher…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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The world’s top court has issued a landmark advisory opinion saying that countries are legally obligated to protect the environment and present and future generations from the impacts of climate change. This obligation, the U.N.’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) said on July 23, is grounded in existing environmental and human rights treaties. It also said states that fail to prevent climate harm and continue to support the use of fossil fuels may open themselves to future legal cases for reparations by vulnerable nations. “If states have legal duties to prevent climate harm, then victims of that harm have a right to redress,” Sebastien Duyck, senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), said in an emailed statement. “In this way, the ICJ advisory opinion does not only clarify existing rules, it creates legal momentum. It reshapes what is now considered legally possible, actionable, and ultimately enforceable.” The ICJ’s opinion was prompted by a historic hearing in December 2024, when representatives from more than 100 countries and organizations argued before a 15-judge panel on what legal obligations major greenhouse gas-emitting nations have under international law to address climate change, and how they can be held accountable for the harms they’ve caused. Small island nations like Vanuatu, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu emphasized that climate change threatens their very existence. They pointed out that a handful of industrialized nations have caused the climate crisis while expanding their fossil fuel extraction and use. Major emitters like the U.S., U.K., Germany, Saudi Arabia…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Peruvian customs officials have seized a record-breaking shipment of illegal mercury, exposing a cross-border smuggling network fueling illicit gold mining in the Amazon. The 4-ton haul, discovered in June at the port of Callao, was hidden in gravel bags and bound for Bolivia, officials said on Thursday. Experts say it could have produced over $170 million in illicit gold. The seizure highlights the growing role of mercury trafficking in environmental crime across Latin America and comes amid calls for tighter international controls and the closure of mercury mines in Mexico.This article was originally published on Mongabay

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When Abebayehu Aticho first visited the flat terrains and floodplains in the Gambella region for his Ph.D. research in 2014, he was captivated by the rich biodiversity and bird varieties that inhabited the region. Tucked in western Ethiopia, bordering South Sudan, the Gambella region is home to various bird species like the colorful kingfisher that locals trail to find fish and the black-crowned crane whose calls signal seasonal changes. For the traditional pastoralist Nuer people, who seasonally migrate within Ethiopia’s plains and Africa’s largest wetland in South Sudan, the Sudd, these birds are gaatkuoth, “sacred children of God.” In a recent study co-authored by Aticho and published in People and Nature, researchers dived deep into this human-bird interaction in western Ethiopia and explored the cultural and spiritual connection between the birds and the tribe. They identified 71 culturally important bird species that the community utilizes in several ways, including in traditional medicine, indication of fish abundance for fishers and of coming seasons, and bushmeat. They also use them to make amulets for protection against danger and as omens and messages, besides appreciating their scenic beauty. “The connection between these birds and people is not just spiritual. The Nuer people depend on them to forecast weather and follow birds to find fish stocks and species in the wetlands,” says Aticho. Birds in wetlands, Gambella, Ethiopia. Image courtesy of Abebayehu Aticho. According to the locals, certain species are seen as messengers bringing them blessings, omens or bad luck. They commonly name children,…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria’s assault on the Caribbean island of Dominica in 2017, researchers made a heartbreaking discovery: dead and dying hummingbirds scattered across the forest floor. Among them were purple-throated caribs (Eulampis jugularis), the specialized pollinators of the island’s Heliconia plants. This single storm threatened an evolutionary partnership millions of years in the making, killing three-quarters of the hummingbird population and leaving their flowering partners without their primary pollinators. The disaster on Dominica exemplifies a threat that scientists are only beginning to understand: how natural disasters can drive vulnerable species toward extinction. A study identified 2,001 species (834 reptiles, 617 amphibians, 302 birds and 248 mammals) that have at least 25% of their habitat in areas experiencing high impact from hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. Hurricane Maria makes landfall in 2017. Animal populations weakened by human activities are at greater risk from storms and other natural hazards. MODIS/Terra Satellite image posted by Antti Lipponen (CC BY 2.0) “This is the first attempt to provide a global map of species at risk of extinction due to natural hazards,” lead author Fernando Gonçalves, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Zurich, told Mongabay. The study analyzed approximately 50 years of historical data on these four kinds of natural hazards. Hurricanes pose the greatest threat, affecting 983 of the high-risk species, followed by earthquakes (868 species), tsunamis (272 species) and volcanic eruptions (171 species). The highest concentrations of at-risk species were found along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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When it comes to sleeping, few animals are as fastidious as orangutans. Each evening, as twilight approaches, the tree-dwelling great apes meticulously weave a cup-shaped nest out of branches, twigs and leaves, line it with comfortable soft foliage, and bed down for the night. The nest secures them high in the forest canopy and allows them to grab up to 12 or 13 hours of shut-eye per night. For more than a decade, researchers studying a group of Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii) in the forests of Indonesia’s Aceh province had observed individuals also taking daytime naps in more makeshift nests. They wondered whether the napping orangutans were catching up on poor sleep the previous night, in much the same way humans might flop down in an armchair or sofa for a quick power nap. In a new study published in Current Biology, the researchers show that the orangutans do indeed compensate for a poor night’s sleep by napping more the following day. They found the shorter an individual’s sleep period overnight, the longer its cumulative nap period the next day. “We were always wondering over many years, is this really what is happening? Are they really napping more when they had a shorter night’s sleep?” Caroline Schuppli, study co-author and group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior at the University of Konstanz in Germany, told Mongabay in an interview. “To see it materialize in the data was really nice.” The findings are based on 14 years of…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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The government of Chad has signed a 10-year deal with the U.S.-based NGO Sahara Conservation to manage the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve (OROAFR), the group announced July 11. The OROAFR is the largest protected area in Chad, at nearly 80,000 square kilometers (almost 31,000 square miles), around three times the size of Rwanda.  “It’s obviously very big, and its value is not only in its biological value, but in its cultural value as well with the human dimensions of the reserve,” Tim Woodfine, CEO of Sahara Conservation, told Mongabay by phone.  The deal adds to a growing list of public-private partnerships managing protected areas in Africa. The South Africa-based NGO African Parks has agreements to run nearby Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve in northeastern Chad and Zakouma National Park in the southern part of the country. The OROAFR is a mix of grasslands and desert ecosystems and hosts several endangered species, including the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) and scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah). Drought and settlement expansion are some challenges it’s faced in recent years. Founded in 2004, Sahara Conservation largely focuses on Chad and neighboring Niger. The group was the driving force behind the reintroduction of scimitar-horned oryx into the OROAFR, which had previously been poached to local extinction. Starting in 2016, the NGO worked with zoos and private owners in the United Arab Emirates to bring 300 oryx into the reserve, a population that’s since grown to 600. In 2023, the IUCN, the global conservation authority, changed…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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JAKARTA — Two of Indonesia’s most prominent environmental experts are facing a lawsuit that activists say is part of a wider trend of silencing scientists who testify against environmental violators. Bambang Hero Saharjo and Basuki Wasis, both veteran forensics experts whose testimonies have helped convict major polluters, are being sued by PT Kalimantan Lestari Mandiri (KLM), a palm oil company they helped hold accountable for massive fires in Central Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo. Their expert testimony and damage assessments have proved crucial in securing rulings against environmental offenders. By calculating the cost of ecological destruction, they help judges assign real value to environmental losses — evidence often used to prove corporate liability or even corruption. Bambang has testified as an expert in more than 500 environmental destruction cases, and is currently assisting in more than 15 cases — from fires that spew toxic haze, to mining-caused floods and landslides. The KLM case stems from 2018, when the Indonesian government sued the company for fires that burned 511 hectares (1,263 acres) of its concession in Central Kalimantan. Those fires contributed to the toxic haze crisis that routinely blankets parts of Indonesia and neighboring countries during the dry season, causing widespread respiratory illness, school closures and flight cancellations. Peatland fires in particular release massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, making them a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions and regional air pollution. A court found KLM liable for the fires and ordered it to pay 89 billion…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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The energy landscape is a shifting terrain, full of twists and turns, according to statistics in the latest report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). While some countries are backtracking on phasing out fossil fuels, others are leaning in. While investment in renewables is surging beyond investment in fossil fuels, companies are repeatedly pulling out of climate commitments. Questions of energy security, stability, inflation, war and domestic politics are all influencing these trends, economists say. Amid this volatile landscape is Colombia, a major oil-producing country where government officials say they will stay the course on their fossil fuel pledges. Since 2023, the government has halted all new oil and gas exploration contracts. And during a U.N. forum on Indigenous issues, the ministry of environment announced it will submit a resolution for a binding global agreement on due diligence of critical minerals, elements used to power renewable technologies. The country’s goal is to progressively move away from oil and gas while strengthening local renewable energy and storage capacity. Lena Yanina Estrada, the new environment minister and first Indigenous person to hold the position, argues that it’s a model that helps bring long-term stability in a turbulent world. “Colombia, like other Andean-Amazonian countries, is highly vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis. Persisting in the expansion of the fossil frontier will not help to diminish these impacts; instead, it will deepen dependence on volatile economies,” Estrada says. “Dynamics in the international market show that dependence on the volatility of oil prices…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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