ConservationOrg
5 Things The Rainforest Does For You
Nature Is Speaking — and The Rainforest is a bit of a wiseacre. “They do breathe air and I make air," it says. “Have they thought about that? Humans … so smart. They’ll figure it out. Humans, making air? That’ll be fun to watch.” Well, it has a point.
7 Wild Species That Help Put Food On The Table
Happy World Food Day! If you are unfamiliar, its an international observance dedicated to raising awareness about the challenges and opportunities of working to feed a people. With our global population growing fast, it will be one of the great challenges of this century. Domesticated plants and animals (or products derived from them) probably make up the majority of your diet, but everything you eat originates with wild species. That is a worrying fact, considering that human activities have elevated the extinction rate to 1,000 times its natural level. Here are just seven examples of wild species that help put food on our plates.
5 Facts The Ocean Wants You To Remember
In case you have not been listening, Nature Is Speaking and The Ocean, in particular, is kind of angry. Why? Everyone on Earth needs a healthy ocean. Even if you live thousands of miles from a coast, the ocean affects you every day. You can thank the ocean for every other breath you take, for food, medicine and protection against storms. But humans aren’t showing our thanks. Instead, we’re taking more than we need, and now overfishing, pollution and warming waters threaten the ocean’s health. Here are five things everybody should remember about the ocean.
6 Reasons We Need To Change How We Think About Nature
When it comes to prosperity, profit and peace, people are better off when we listen to nature, because nature does not need people – people need nature. We need it for food, water and air. We even look to nature for inspiration. As the world’s population grows from 7 billion to over 9 billion by 2050, global demand for food, water and energy will double, further testing nature’s ability to provide for people. The unprecedented drawdown of natural resources poses enormous challenges—not only for the United States, but across the globe. Here are a few reasons why we need to change how we think about Mother Nature.
How Do You Protect Sharks In The Biggest Shark Fishery In The World? Ask Shawn Heinrichs
Shawn Heinrichs is your average run-of-the-mill ocean conservationist rock-star. He is an Emmy Award winning cinematographer, photographer and marine conservationist. He has been working with communities across Indonesia, the world’s largest shark fishery, to document and educate about the importance and need people have for sharks. His most recent film ‘Guardians of Raja Ampat’, done in conjunction with Conservation International, will be released late this year to communities across Raja Ampat.
5 Facts That Prove Sharks Are Worth More Alive Than Dead
Sharks fascinate people. That is why they get their own week every summer. But most people don’t realize that people kill 100 million sharks a year. They also don’t recognize that sharks are worth more alive than dead, but that is changing — and here’s why.
9 Things You Need To Know About The Hidden Stars Of Shark Week
This Shark Week we will see plenty of the “big three”: the great white, tiger and bull sharks. As important as these are, they are just three members of the shark group, which includes over 400 species — and some of the most amazing sharks in our ocean don’t get as much notice. Tuesday at 9 p.m., “Alien Sharks: Return to the Abyss,” the sequel to “Alien Sharks of the Deep” will shed some light on the mysterious life of these lesser known sharks. This year, the show will Paul Clerkin as he investigates the ocean’s depths to better understand these mysterious fish. Here are just a few things you should know about these hidden stars of Shark Week.
5 Reasons You Need Sharks
Sharks have always struck a chord in the human psyche. In the 1975 movie “Jaws,” Steven Spielberg managed to capture the world’s imagination with his fictional monster shark and jumpstart both a collective fear and fascination with these boneless fish. Often, though, fear wins out over fascination — even if you are more likely to be killed by your toaster than a shark. If sharks were to disappear, it would be bad news for us because believe it or not sharks do a lot of things for you. Yes, YOU!
6 Incredible Things The Coral Triangle Gives The World
Did You know June 9th is Coral Triangle Day? We bet you didn’t. Its a day to celebrate and connect with the underwater Amazon of the world, a spectacularly diverse marine environment in the Asia-Pacific that covers an area half the size of the United States, passing through Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. This biological powerhouse touches the people of the Coral Triangle and people all around the globe!
Why Raja Ampat, Indonesia Is Winning At Ocean Conservation
Raja Ampat is an archipelago in Indonesia off the west coast of the Bird’s Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea. It is an area of unparalleled ocean life. And it’s also an example of how successful conservation depends on community involvement and action. Filmmakers and conservationists Shawn Heinrichs and John Weller traveled to Raja Ampat to produce, in conjunction with CI, the film “Guardians of Raja Ampat” and record the stories of communities reclaiming and protecting their marine treasures. They aim to use these stories to drive more conservation. But what has made these distant islands a good model for ocean conservation?
9 Amazing Reasons Why Islands Are Incredibly Important For Biodiversity
Who doesn’t dream of escaping the troubles of our world to some deserted tropical island on the sapphire blue sea? Today (May 22) is the U.N.'s International Day for Biological Diversity, and to keep with the UN International Year of Small Island Developing States, 2014 is celebrating Island Biodiversity. Take a look at why islands are important to supporting biodiversity.
11 Things Nature Does For You (Yes, You)
It’s Earth Day, and we humans should be darn thankful for all of the things nature provides us free of charge. Here are just a few of the things the planet does that benefit people.
Nine Things You Need to Know About the Rarest Otters on Earth for World Wildlife Day
Today is World Wildlife Day. The UN established this holiday to recognize the economic, ecological and cultural benefits people get from wildlife — and to raise awareness about the illegal wildlife trade, which harms people and species alike. One fella who is happy about this new holiday is this unnamed hairy-nosed otter, the rarest kind of otter on the planet.