Nature in the News

OpenYourEyes

Another piece about the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan:

http://www.thejournal.ie/plan-to-save-irelands-bees-2334929-Sep2015/?utm_source=twitter_self

Interslice

Jayzesake wrote: »

The councils may be reacting to a mania for 'tidiness' on the part of large sections of the public. Many people have the idea that if grass and hedges aren't constantly mown, clipped, strimmed etc., that the area will look 'messy' and 'unkempt'. (And, god forbid, that could bring down local property prices.)

They have never developed the ability to see that there is far more beauty (never mind diversity) in a piece of land that has been let 'go back to nature'.

Tidiness makes sense. Seems obvious now, I think the tidy towns and the council are in cahoots over there. It's all yellow now from weedkiller , along with every other edge in the place.
Mow the wildflowers out of it and spray it all with weedkiller and leave it to rot. A 2x200m stretch of yellow. Beautiful.

Jayzesake

Interslice wrote: »

Tidiness makes sense. Seems obvious now, I think the tidy towns and the council are in cahoots over there. It's all yellow now from weedkiller , along with every other edge in the place.
Mow the wildflowers out of it and spray it all with weedkiller and leave it to rot. A 2x200m stretch of yellow. Beautiful.

You could well be right; the crazy thing is that promoting biodiversity is supposed to be an important component of the criteria taken into account when judging the tidy towns competition, which is of course to be welcomed. The problem is that until the real meaning of the word begins to really sink into peoples' consciousness, the chances are that it is being taken in a pretty superficial way - putting up a few nesting boxes or whatever, and business as usual in every other way.

Or perhaps that's too cynical?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The Tidy Towns are the most destructive of the bodies around here. Cutting verges and hedges all Summer. Cutting wildflowers to make room for a bed of ornate annuals.

Capercaillie

Moses Faithful Slime wrote: »

The Tidy Towns are the most destructive of the bodies around here. Cutting verges and hedges all Summer. Cutting wildflowers to make room for a bed of ornate annuals.

x2 Tidy towns once hacked my hedge, because it looked untidy.

OpenYourEyes

An article in the Sun about wildlife crime and animal cruelty

http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepage/news/6650618/Farmer-in-plea-to-tackle-sick-poachers.html



And 'New wind farm guidelines iminent'
http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0920/729100-windfarms/

baaba maal

Folks, talk to your local Tidy Towns committees if they are doing inappropriate cutting/spraying etc. They are for the most part enthusiastic amateurs, some of whom have a very basic understanding of the "big picture". In my experience, they are open to a bit of constructive advice and they are beginning to understand from the adjudicators feedback in the competition. You could even offer your services as "wildlife advisor" if you don't want to join the committee.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

baaba maal wrote: »

Folks, talk to your local Tidy Towns committees if they are doing inappropriate cutting/spraying etc. They are for the most part enthusiastic amateurs, some of whom have a very basic understanding of the "big picture". In my experience, they are open to a bit of constructive advice and they are beginning to understand from the adjudicators feedback in the competition. You could even offer your services as "wildlife advisor" if you don't want to join the committee.

Ah look, I was asked to advise and when it got to the issue of points for environmental efforts I said they could start by not cutting verges and hedgerows in Summer and was told they could not do that and still have the place "neat and tidy". They couldn't care less about anything but gaining points and felt neat hedges outweighed wildlife friendly (and legal) hedgerows.

baaba maal

Moses Faithful Slime wrote: »

Ah look, I was asked to advise and when it got to the issue of points for environmental efforts I said they could start by not cutting verges and hedgerows in Summer and was told they could not do that and still have the place "neat and tidy". They couldn't care less about anything but gaining points and felt neat hedges outweighed wildlife friendly (and legal) hedgerows.

That's fair enough. I can only say that I have worked with a number of groups and have found them, in the main, to be open to wildlife-friendly practices.

OpenYourEyes

Three men fined for disturbing badger set with dog ‘bred to kill’

https://www.sundayworld.com/news/courts/three-men-fined-for-disturbing-badger-set-with-dog-bred-to-kill

OpenYourEyes

Irish lives: Guarding the red grouse on Boleybrack mountain

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/irish-lives-guarding-the-red-grouse-on-boleybrack-mountain-1.2367267


When farming meets conservation

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/when-farming-meets-conservation-1.2366633#.VgaRgOLEsLU.twitter

Jayzesake

Pine Martens reintroduced in Wales

"Quietly, with no fuss, a major corner has been turned in the restoration of Britain’s dreadfully impoverished biodiversity: pine martens are being reintroduced to Wales, and may eventually be restored to England, too. "

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/natures-studies-my-joy-at-witnessing-the-return-of-a-beautiful-carnivore-a6670861.html

OpenYourEyes

An article (with a fantastic pic) about a 'silver' fox seen in the UK

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/rural/farming/unexpected-phone-call-leads-yorkshire-artist-to-rare-fox-footage-1-7479493

Jayzesake

The battle to stop Cyprus's songbird massacre

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/cyprus/11885489/The-battle-to-stop-Cypruss-songbird-massacre.html

OpenYourEyes

Major Coillte Wetland Restoration Project Boosts Threatened Irish Birds

http://www.coillte.ie/aboutcoillte/news/article/view/major-coillte-wetland-restoration-project-boosts-threatened-irish-birds/

OpenYourEyes

'IFI report recommends no further dredging of Asian Clam infestations at Lanesborough'

http://www.shannonside.ie/news/ifi-report-recommends-no-further-dredging-of-asian-clam-infestation-at-lanesborough/


The article mentions that the area just down from the power station used to be a thriving angling site - I think its worth noting that it hasn't been a thriving angling site for 10-15 years, lest anyone think the Asian Clam was the cause.

recedite

Is there any evidence that asian clams are harmful to fish life at all?
If they are anything like the zebra mussels they will actually improve water quality by filter feeding. Eutrophication due to effluent run-off is the real problem for fish.
It seems that these clams are known to like the warm water around power stations, and can cause a problem by clogging up the pipes. I doubt that they will thrive in colder water further away from Lanesborough. Its something for the power station to control if they need to, out of their own budget.

OpenYourEyes

recedite wrote: »

Is there any evidence that asian clams are harmful to fish life at all?
If they are anything like the zebra mussels they will actually improve water quality by filter feeding. Eutrophication due to effluent run-off is the real problem for fish.
It seems that these clams are known to like the warm water around power stations, and can cause a problem by clogging up the pipes. I doubt that they will thrive in colder water further away from Lanesborough. Its something for the power station to control if they need to, out of their own budget.

Here's the Fisheries Ireland page about i anyway:
http://www.fisheriesireland.ie/Invasive-species-list/asian-clam.html

I think with the Zebra Mussels the fear was essentially 'over-filtration', as well as outcompeting some native species. It doesn't seem to have had the impact feared originally, but with invasive species its worth taking a precautionary approach in my opinion.

recedite

According to the link, they would cover the gravel spawning beds of salmon and trout.
Seems like BS to me; the cold, clear mountain streams which salmonids seek out for spawning would be very unlikely to sustain them.

Jayzesake

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

with invasive species its worth taking a precautionary approach in my opinion.

Couldn't agree more.

An invasive species becomes invasive for the precise reason that it has been released from the ecological constraints pertaining in its original ecosystem. An invasive species is inevitably going to push native species out (that's what 'invade', 'invader', 'invasive' means), bringing further decline to native ecosystems. Not for nothing are invasive species categorised as the second biggest driver of biodiversity loss globally, after habitat destruction.

Some invasive species will prove to be more damaging than others, but by the time the evidence becomes clear just how damaging a particular species is, the chances are it will be too late to do much about it. (Other than expend massive amounts of time, effort, and money trying to limit its worst effects.)

Jayzesake

Indonesian forest fires on track to emit more CO2 than UK

Greenpeace warns fires raging across forest and peatlands will match the worst year ever and exceed the total annual carbon output of the UK

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/07/indonesian-forest-fires-on-track-to-emit-more-co2-than-uk


Watch Eerie Drone Footage of Indonesia’s Vast Forest Fires

http://time.com/4065829/indonesia-haze-forest-fires/


If you watch carefully, you can spot the drainage ditches full of water that have been dug to dry the land out for clearing and palm oil plantation, and which are responsible for these fires.

Capercaillie

Jayzesake wrote: »

Indonesian forest fires on track to emit more CO2 than UK

Greenpeace warns fires raging across forest and peatlands will match the worst year ever and exceed the total annual carbon output of the UK

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/07/indonesian-forest-fires-on-track-to-emit-more-co2-than-uk


Watch Eerie Drone Footage of Indonesia’s Vast Forest Fires

http://time.com/4065829/indonesia-haze-forest-fires/


If you watch carefully, you can spot the drainage ditches full of water that have been dug to dry the land out for clearing and palm oil plantation, and which are responsible for these fires.

Shamefull, no different though to the widespread burning of land this year in Ireland.

Jayzesake

Capercaillie wrote: »

Shamefull, no different though to the widespread burning of land this year in Ireland.

Good point, although the scale is in another league altogether, and the ecosystems being destroyed would be a gazillion (picked up that term from the kids!) times richer in biodiversity.

Capercaillie

Jayzesake wrote: »

Good point, although the scale is in another league altogether, and the ecosystems being destroyed would be a gazillion (picked up that term from the kids!) times richer in biodiversity.

More biodiverse for sure. But Irish people would destroy it for 2 euros! Government would encourage it, farmers would demand it and the conservation groups would be too useless to do anything!

Jayzesake

Capercaillie wrote: »

More biodiverse for sure. But Irish people would destroy it for 2 euros! Government would encourage it, farmers would demand it and the conservation groups would be too useless to do anything!

Totally agree that the mindset behind both is pretty much the same, as well as most other types of habitat destruction: people seeing the land as nothing more than a commodity, a "natural resource", to be exploited to the full, regardless of the consequences for all the organisms that live there. And with national governments either encouraging them to do so, or else turning a blind eye.

But to be fair, the IWT have been fairly vociferous on the issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHry6wIMYcw

Capercaillie

Jayzesake wrote: »

Totally agree that the mindset behind both is pretty much the same, as well as most other types of habitat destruction: people seeing the land as nothing more than a commodity, a "natural resource", to be exploited to the full, regardless of the consequences for all the organisms that live there. And with national governments either encouraging them to do so, or else turning a blind eye.

But to be fair, the IWT have been fairly vociferous on the issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHry6wIMYcw

I don't know a huge amount about the IWT so I'm probably being too harsh. From my personal dealings with eNGO's I found them to be next to useless. Some good lads out there doing their best, but I know many dead-weights in conservation. I love to see lot of the wasters got rid of. Then give the young lads with the drive and eagerness to work hard a chance. Need people who are pragmatic, willing to make difficult decisions and not just toe the party line.

Jayzesake

Capercaillie wrote: »

I don't know a huge amount about the IWT so I'm probably being too harsh. From my personal dealings with eNGO's I found them to be next to useless. Some good lads out there doing their best, but I know many dead-weights in conservation. I love to see lot of the wasters got rid of. Then give the young lads with the drive and eagerness to work hard a chance. Need people who are pragmatic, willing to make difficult decisions and not just toe the party line.

Despite being a member of the IWT, I wouldn't be too familiar with the actual organisers either. Having said that, my impression is that they are genuine and energetic in fighting for wildlife, though they may be limited in what they achieve by a lack of overt public support.

I do think it's essential to have national organisations devoted to the wildlife cause, as they have the potential to mobilise support in a way that individuals never can.

Zoo4m8

Capercaillie wrote: »

More biodiverse for sure. But Irish people would destroy it for 2 euros! Government would encourage it, farmers would demand it and the conservation groups would be too useless to do anything!

Wow! Lots of sweeping generalisations in there...

recedite

Jayzesake wrote: »

Watch Eerie Drone Footage of Indonesia’s Vast Forest Fires

http://time.com/4065829/indonesia-haze-forest-fires/


If you watch carefully, you can spot the drainage ditches full of water that have been dug to dry the land out for clearing and palm oil plantation, and which are responsible for these fires.

If you look even more carefully, you can see these are eucalyptus trees. Although there are "a few" eucalyptus native to Indonesia, I'd say this footage was actually of a commercial timber plantation. As in.
That's not to say other fires elsewhere are not destroying valuable rainforest.
And then there is the other issue of hardwood timber being harvested in Sulawesi and other virgin forests that is being re-labelled as "sustainable timber" by corrupt officials. Unfortunately you just can't trust any of them.

The moral of the story; if you're buying a new front door or wooden windows, Ask for pine instead of teak or other tropical hardwoods. Its not quite as good, and you might even be charged more, but at least you're not making some orang utan homeless.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

recedite wrote: »

If you look even more carefully, you can see these are eucalyptus trees. Although there are "a few" eucalyptus native to Indonesia, I'd say this footage was actually of a commercial timber plantation. As in.
That's not to say other fires elsewhere are not destroying valuable rainforest.
And then there is the other issue of hardwood timber being harvested in Sulawesi and other virgin forests that is being re-labelled as "sustainable timber" by corrupt officials. Unfortunately you just can't trust any of them.

The moral of the story; if you're buying a new front door or wooden windows, Ask for pine instead of teak or other tropical hardwoods. Its not quite as good, and you might even be charged more, but at least you're not making some orang utan homeless.

Eucalyptus cover huge areas in Indonesia with 4 fully native indigenous species and, I think, others introduced pre 1800. The native Eucalyptus forest are, if I recall correctly, in the east of the country.