#613: Merlin app helping conservation efforts

I've mentioned the Merlin ID app before on the blog. It will be a very useful resource for all those teaching the GCSE Natural History.

The Guardian had an article this weekend on the value of the app for identifying species which are threatened.

#110: The State of Nature? Not good...

Cross posting from my LivingGeography blog.

Earlier this week, a report on the state of the UK's nature was released. It makes for grim reading... 

This is the latest in a series of reports exploring the steady decline in the UK's biodiversity, and the likely risks to other species as food chains and webs begin to break down. The decline in insects is vital, for example.

State of Nature Data is also available from the same website.

Here we present the data underpinning the State of Nature report. For the first time we are excited to include an interactive app (below) where you can explore the data in more detail, at a UK and country scale. We also include the metadata file with the full references and a guide to interpretation of the data and data files to download.

Some headline figures:

Download the infographic from here.

Humanity has now impacted every part of the Earth System

Atmospheric carbon dioxide ⏫ >50% and methane ⏫ >150% since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution

We have warmed the planet by 1.2˚C

All due to capitalism, colonialism and global consumer culture.#Anthropocene pic.twitter.com/vDxBWLdE0d

— Professor Mark Maslin 𝕏 🙄 (@ProfMarkMaslin) September 28, 2023

#68: WWF: Risky Seafood Business Report

'The ocean is the blue heart of our planet and we ignore its health at our peril. Protecting this precious resource should be the top priority of every single fishery around the world, yet for too long unsustainable practices have gone unchecked, draining the ocean of life.' 

Kate Norgrove, Executive Director of Advocacy and Campaigns at WWF 

My favourite meal is fish and chips (with mushy peas), from a decent chippy, of which there are several close to where I live in Norfolk.

We like fish and chips as a nation too.

A fairly recent WWF Risky Seafood Business report says that a total of 887,000 tonnes of seafood was eaten by people in 2019 - the equivalent to 5.2 billion portions of fish and chips. The report can be downloaded from this link (PDF)

It goes into detail on the impacts of seafood extraction on other aspects of marine ecosystems, including the impact on endangered species.

Image: Alan Parkinson, shared under CC license

There is also a good range of useful images that would find their way into lessons on the oceans, food production, fisheries and sustainability.

Image source: WWF Risky Seafood Business Report

#49: You're invited to a different kind of 'Stag Do'

One of the resources that I am putting together is something on oppoertunities to get involved in Citizen Science. There are quite a few of these spread through the year, and teachers could perhaps create a 'loyalty card' which allows students to earn points through engagement with them.

Wildlife charity, the People’s Trust for Endangered Species’ (PTES) is looking for volunteers across Britain for its annual ‘Great Stag Hunt’ survey, to discover where endangered stag beetles are living and where they most need help.

Stag beetles were once widespread but due to habitat loss they’re now declining and have even become extinct in some parts of Britain and Western Europe. To prevent that from further happening PTES is calling for nature lovers, families, and individuals to help this summer by recording all sightings of male and female stag beetles, and their larvae (large, white grubs), online at:

  www.ptes.org/gsh

Stag beetles are easy to spot – they’re the UK’s largest land beetles and the males are instantly recognisable with their antler like jaws. From late May into July these iconic insects emerge from the ground in search of mates, and are usually spotted flying around gardens, parks and allotments on warm summer evenings. They can also be seen on walls and warm tarmac surfaces in urban areas, and in other green spaces too such as woodland edges, hedgerows and traditional orchards.

Laura Bower, Conservation Officer at PTES says: “Last year almost 10,000 sightings were recorded by thousands of volunteers, giving us a real insight into where their range is, which is crucial for the species’ long-term survival. More help is always needed though, so whether you’re out in the garden, dog walking in a local park, on the school run or even walking to the pub, keep your eyes peeled for these beautiful beetles and tell us about any you see. You don’t need to be a beetle expert or have taken part before, as PTES has a free ‘beetle ID’ guide to help anyone new to the survey to help them tell the differences between stag beetles and other insects.”

To take part in the Great Stag Hunt 2023, for top tips on creating the perfect log pile, or to find out more about stag beetles, please visit: stagbeetles.ptes.org