WATERAX’s Post

Backyard Wildlife: How to Invite, Control, and Remove When Necessary

Wildfires in California have had a devastating impact on the state's wildlife. In 2020 and 2021 alone, approximately 58% of the area affected by wildfires since 2012 occurred, making the fire activity "unprecedented." Researchers assessed the impact by comparing maps of habitats for 508 vertebrate species with indices of fire coverage and severity. The data shows that fires spanned up to 30% of ranges for 50 species, while another 100 species had at least 10% of their habitats burned. Five to 14% of these species’ ranges burned at high severity. These findings highlight the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect California's wildlife from the effects of wildfires. Let's work together to protect our natural world.

Still celebrating this big win for wildlife and human safety from early December. Wildlife crossings are proven to work and serve as solutions to lessen wildlife vehicle collisions and promote wildlife movement, as well as save countless dollars from such collisions. My hope is that such crossings become the norm across roadways, are prioritized, and are not implemented as an afterthought. "These highways have long been prioritized for wildlife connectivity projects in the Yellowstone to Yukon region, as they are major barriers to wildlife movement. Research and monitoring have shown where the crossing hotspots are for solutions to be put into place. This funding is part of $110 million in grants for 19 wildlife crossing projects in 17 states, including four Indian Tribes." New U.S. Federal funding boosts wildlife crossings in the West: https://lnkd.in/ddEaQCSw

National Wildlife Day serves as a crucial reminder of our collective responsibility to safeguard the diverse species that share our planet. The urgency of this task becomes evident with the plight of the Mountain Bongo, a critically endangered antelope that has been on the precipice of extinction for far too long. Over the past two decades, working with the dedicated team at Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC) and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), we have begun the journey towards the rewilding of the Mountain Bongo. Together, we are diligently working to reintroduce the Bongo into its natural habitat within the Mount Kenya Forest as there are fewer than 100 Bongos left in the wild. The challenges facing wildlife extend beyond the Mountain Bongo. Threats such as habitat destruction, disease, and poaching jeopardize not only individual species but also the delicate balance of our ecosystems. Today, on National Wildlife Day, we are reminded of our profound responsibility to protect and preserve wildlife. It is imperative that we act decisively to ensure the survival of these species and the preservation of our planet’s biodiversity for future generations. #NationalWildlifeDay #SaveTheMountainBongo #EndangeredSpecies #Conservation #MKWC #OurRemarkableJourney #LegacyOfConservation

This breaks my heart for the family & the mountain lion because these kinds of incidents are occurring far more frequently than they should . We discuss rewilding as a part of conservation efforts when wildlife habitat is lost due to fires ,pollution etc But what we don't discuss is habitat loss due human population growth . We will continue to clash with nature as their habitats & food sources are depleted by human activity . More humanity & respect for the world around us that keeps us alive , the circle of life crumbles so do we. https://lnkd.in/dP3Z-Mp2

#wildlife #humanecroachment #humanpopulation #urbanization #halfearth #anthropocentrism #life #love #reverenceforlife #loveofJesus The Situation: "One of the largest wildlife crossings in the world is being built right now in Los Angeles, California. The goal is to help wildlife live and navigate a huge urban area. It will be layered with soil and native foliage to entice animals to use it so they can safely cross over 10 lanes of highway and protect them from death." The Hoped-for Outcome: "This huge project will allow animals to resume traveling between various habitats they need to reach – habitats that are currently cut off by human roadways." The Ostensible Problem: "Living near urban areas is extremely dangerous for wild animals. It can lead to them dead on highways, and cut off from prime feeding, mating, and migration areas." Ah, but the Real Problem Hatches Out: "Wildlife didn’t ask for humans to come tear into their backyards, cut up their territory, and build houses and highways. These animals didn’t do anything wrong! But they’re still suffering as the result of our actions." Only Tenable Amelioration: A reverence for life is a life affirming ethos mandating, inter alia, that mankind protects, assists, and enhances life, all life. For wildlife this sacred duty is best discharged by setting aside large swaths of acreage wherein wildlife may exist as God and nature intended, free from human depredation and encroachment. This is the half-earth solution of Professor E.O. Wilson. Rather than stop-gap measures that allow us to expiate our guilt at the harm we have inflicted upon the biosphere, let us go all in to remedy that harm and allow the biosphere the best possible actuality: one liberated from human destruction. That is bestowing the love of Jesus universally. That is a reverence for life!

🦇 Flying foxes are nature's gardeners, serving as essential pollinators for many native plants. Their long-distance flights facilitate the cross-pollination of various flowers, contributing to the reproduction of plant species and are critical in ensuring the survival of our great Australian Eucalypt forests. 🌿 These fruit bats are remarkable seed dispersers, they can spread up to 60,000 seeds across a 50 kilometre stretch of land in one night. The health of our ecosystems relies on the ecological services provided by these incredible aerial gardeners. ❤️🩹 Flying foxes face a number of threats and with a wide scale starvation event currently affecting these vulnerable species, the unsung heroes at bat rescue shelters are struggling to care for the number of sick and orphaned bat coming through their doors. Their tireless efforts not only save individual lives but also aid their conservation. ⚠️ In Victoria, the Grey-headed Flying-Fox is listed as a threatened species. ⚠️ 📢 If you can, please support and raise awareness for bat rescue shelters / wildlife groups near you. Our rescuers and carers really need all the support they can get, and our incredible flying foxes (and microbat species) need all the help. 🙏 #BatConservation #FlyingFoxes #WildlifeRescue https://lnkd.in/gVVhTJiz

We're really excited that this special wildlife trundl will support two important Wildlife Trusts in the UK: Sussex Wildlife Trust and Cheshire Wildlife Trust ⁠ ⁠ 🦋 🍃While they cover vastly different geographies, they inevitably share common challenges to the wildlife and environments they are both on a mission to nurture and protect. ⁠ 🐝 🐾 According to the 2023 State of Nature Study, Great Britain is already classified as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries. Nearly one in six of the more than ten thousand species assessed (16%) are at risk of being lost from Great Britain. 🌿 But, there is always room for a fight back and whether they are chalk-land meadows on the South Coast or heath and riverside meadow in Cheshire, meadows are invaluable habitats for plants, pollinators and animals that are vital to rebuild our bio-diversity.⁠ ⁠ 💚 This is a cause that Cheshire Wildlife Trust and Sussex Wildlife Trust are passionate about as the UK has lost at least 97% of our wild meadows since the 1930s.⁠ 🦔 Sussex and Cheshire Wildlife Trusts have ambitious targets for restoring or creating meadows and we're delighted that our trundl will support their work ⁠ 🌳 trundl will share more in the coming weeks about the similarities and differences, but BIG thanks to Sykes Holiday Cottages for supporting this trundl. Truly living up to their B Corp status and taking environmental responsibilities seriously.⁠ #wildlife #nature #environment #charitywalk #purposedrivenbusiness

New report! 📣 County Wildlife Sites are wildlife-rich places which have been recognised for their special nature value. However, unlike statutory designations, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, County Wildlife Sites provide the land and wildlife they contain with no legal protection. A newly published Devon's County Wildlife Sites Report highlights the value to nature and people of 2,191 County Wildlife Sites which together cover 5% of Devon’s land area. However, it concludes that, while many are being carefully looked after by landowners, half are not being managed well or are in ‘unfavourable condition’, while a further 14% are in a poor condition which threatens their value to local wildlife. Read on and find out how you could help us identify, monitor and protect these special places. 👇 https://buff.ly/3K6fJKA Devon's County Wildlife Sites Report was created by Devon Wildlife Trust, Devon Biodiversity Records Centre and @DevonCountyCouncil.

Leaping YOU into #ScienceFriday facts: Did you know the U.S. wildlife refuge system is the world’s largest and most diverse network of conservation lands. These lands are home to many iconic carnivore species — from wolves and bears to mountain lions, bobcats and foxes — who depend on wildlife refuges to survive. Think of each predator species being a major muscle or artery in your body. When they are impacted so is the entire body of a ecosystem. It’s no surprise that carnivores are vital for healthy and balanced ecosystems. And yet, each year across the national wildlife refuge system, thousands of carnivores are cruelly killed at the behest of the livestock industry and hunters. We can’t let carnivores continue to be killed in a place that’s meant to give them refuge. Please help us #RelistWolves in the Rocky Mountain states of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Wolves and other native predator species are being killed by state wildlife mandates that also have collateral damage on other wildlife species and their shared habitats. It’s your kids and grandchildren’s habitat heritage too! You can help: 👉 https://biodiv.us/3T1Lg4j or sign the petition to demand action from Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland leap into keeping campaign promises! 🐾www.RelistWolves.org 🙏 Thanks to Robert Martinez And ReWilding #wildlifeaddicts Team for some leapin field shots National Geographic Society Misk Global #insidenatgeoexplorer #wildliferescue #sanctuarylife #leagueofconservationpikots #natgeo