Archive for the ‘Conservation’ Category

The New Year is fast approaching, and we all have ideas about what we want to change, start, or stop. New Year’s resolutions abound during this time of renewal and general cleaning of slates. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has sponsored an initiative called Countdown2010 – Save Biodiversity. The problem of dwindling biodiversity was identified years ago, and 2010 was set as the future date by which to attain the Target. And now…2010 is here!

I will be talking much more about this Initiative in the coming months of 2010. Countdown2010 has provided a list of Actions that individuals can take to contribute to this worldwide effort:

1. Take public transportation, bike, walk, or carpool to work at least one day a week. Avoid air travel where possible.
2. Buy food, preferably organic food—vegetables, fruits, dairy, eggs, and meat—from a farmer’s market at least one day a week.
3. Eat sustainably harvested seafood and farmed fish that is herbivorous, like catfish, tilapia, and shellfish. Avoid farmed carnivorous fish like salmon and shrimp.
4. Install at least one compact fluorescent light bulb in your home—it will save roughly 30 EUR in electricity and replacement bulb costs each year, and reduce carbon emissions by a ton every three years.
5. Turn off lights in empty rooms.
6. Lower the thermostat by at least 1 degree ° C in winter.
7. Stop using herbicides and pesticides on your lawn.
8. Only drink wines with natural cork stoppers.
9. Tell everyone what you are doing to conserve biodiversity and ask them to join you. Support representatives who act for biodiversity.
10. Above all, do not waste—reduce your consumption, buy only what you really need, and re-use and re-cycle whatever and whenever you can.

About a year ago, I was inspired by Julie at Coffee and Conservation, to keep track of the coffee I purchased for a year. I purchase only shade-grown (no slashing forests), organic (no synthetic pesticides), and fair-trade (honest wage for honest work)- certified coffee beans from the fantastic roaster, Grounds for Change. For 2009, this is what we purchased:

I popped over to Julie’s post that has a nifty little worksheet that calculates our cost per 6 oz cup of coffee at $0.40/cup. Use filtered tap water, and you’ve got a great cup of coffee for a reasonable price, plus your purchase will help send a message that consumers demand coffee with a conscience!

Dawn has been sponsoring a program where they donate $1 for every specially-marked bottle of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid that is purchased and the donation code entered at their website. (http://www.dawnsaveswildlife.com)

Donations are split between the Birder’s Lounge charity, International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) and the Marine Mammal Center. If you are going to purchase dishwashing liquid anyway – buy Dawn! And please don’t forget to enter the code online – it’s easy.

And now for the really great news – Dawn has just announced that they are tripling their donation from $1 to 3$ for every bottled sold and donation code entered. Awesome!!

**From 11/25/09 through 1/4/2010 only. Up to $500,000. Must activate donation online.

Update: Visit Dawn’s Everyday Wildlife Champions Facebook page to learn about wildlife rescues, what others are doing to help, and to get in on the conversation!

I have to follow up my last post because a few days after I wrote it, I looked really close at the plant where the Green Lynx (Peucetia viridans) placed her egg sac. Spiderlings!

Green Lynx spiderlings

…and here’s a close-up: Read the rest of this entry »

I have compiled the data from several small cleanups, and have it ready to send off to the Ocean Conservancy. I have learned that there is an awful lot of planning involved in organizing these cleanups, and now isn’t too soon to start for 2010!

Here are the results I was able to assemble from some wonderful volunteers:

Read the rest of this entry »

Friday’s Rowlett Creek Cleanup was unfortunate in that it was scheduled on a Friday afternoon when most people were working, and at a time when thunderstorms delivered on their promise to release torrents of rain over the area. I was there – all setup with my little table – and accompanied by my friend Andy, who works for the City of Plano.

Read the rest of this entry »

I think this may be the first time I have photographed fish in a creek.  To be honest, I was surprised to see these catfish–and so many! This is a section of Rowlett Creek in Plano, TX, and is the location of a creek cleanup scheduled for Friday, September 11, 2009. This is the first in a series of inland and coastal waterway cleanups that I will be attending in conjunction with the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Day. Read the rest of this entry »

I just learned about this and was so excited, I had to post this brief notice. Anyone interested in birds, wildlife, or conservation will want to follow this story!

Quest launched to find ‘lost’ birds

21-08-2009

BirdLife International is launching a global bid to try to confirm the continued existence of 47 species of bird that have not been seen for up to 184 years.

The Texas Inland Waterway Cleanup, part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, is gaining momentum. The Texas Master Naturalist Program Coordinator sent out a notice to the TMN listserv to help spread the word about the opportunity.

Trash travels. A plastic bag carried from a store in Memphis, Tennessee, blows from a picnic table, washes down a storm drain to the river, and winds up being eaten by a sea turtle in the Gulf of Mexico. That’s why the International Coastal Cleanup takes place on lakes and inland waterways as well as the ocean’s shores.

—Ocean Conservancy

For TMN members, Audubon Society members, college students, and anyone else who would like to help – here are some guidelines to get you started: Read the rest of this entry »