Nearly Wild

Nice footage of Marsh Tit foraging, including 'mossing', as they rip tufts of moss from trees to find invertebrates. When following them in the woods, little wisps of discarded moss float down from above. I describe this behaviour in the Poyser book: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/marsh-tit... #ukbirding

Interesting... I'm not far away from here. I'll check it out and think it over.

Thanks for the recommendations.

Awesome stuff, yes I'd like to work with them but I'm not in CA. Maybe I'll look for parallels in my neck of the woods.

and by "infrastructure", I mean ecologically beneficial infrastructure: Fence removal, waterway restoration, trash removal, water/earth works (ponds swales) forest enhancement, potential herbivore integration, inputs such as native plants / seeds / organic materials to aid restoration. And beavers.

I dream of having this responsibility... I'll take a few thousand acres. It's nice if the economics at least break even, or slightly positive to enable infrastructure improvements.

mouflons are roaming on the mountain: we see a whole family grazing on the grasses and grains we recently sowed. Their droppings will help spread seeds from distant areas. A beautiful collaboration with nature.”
#rewilding #permaculture #soilrestoration #mouflons #wildlife #biodiversity #ecology

Love this diagram. This is a good representation of how ecosystems should function. Not all ecosystems are the same, and the variables can change with the landscape and people, but this kind of inter-connectivity is the key to high level functionality. Very nice!

*This* diagram represents a functional ecosystem, including human influences. All of these variables are co-existing in dynamic flux. Each variable exists because of, and for the benefit of the others. Functionality happens within an integrated network of uniquely valuable elements.

It is all too easy to regard new monitoring tech as the solution to environmental problems

All they do is expose in greater detail our degradation of the Earth

We need to use on that information to spur action - don’t just observe, act

RETURN is shortlisted in the Smiley Charity Film Awards!

If the story of the White-tailed Eagle stayed with you, we’d be grateful for your vote.

And if you haven’t seen it yet, don’t miss this incredible story. 🦅

👉 smileycharityfilmawards.com/films/return

Cities are embracing nature for flood defence As losses owing to flooding rise, some urban centres are ditching the concrete and making space for natural wetlands.

De-paving Paradise: To prevent urban flooding, don't forget to look outside the city. That's the strategy I explored for Nature Outlook, featuring San Jose, Calif.'s, conservation of Coyote Valley and Milwaukee's Green Seams program to conserve wetlands. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Study Reveals How European Bison Survived While Other Ancient Relatives Vanished Scientists have gained new insights into the evolutionary history and palaeoecology of European bison and their extinct relatives, showing how only the European bison survived more than 50,000 years o...

scienceinpoland.pl/en/news/news...

If you have ever wondered how to go about breeding herds of herbivores to mimic natural selection and promote a strong genetic pool; this is the way.

Yes the situation for wildlife is dire. Quality habitat is uncommon, and fragmentation by fences and roads is detrimental. Most of the wildlife I see is smashed on the roads, and the remaining living animals are just managing to survive a precarious existence. There is vast room for improvement.

Bohlinia ; inhabited Eurasia 5-10mya. an ancestor of giraffes. 1.7m tall

Giraffes interacting with a temperate forest would be a sight to behold.

There was an ancestor in Europe 5-10 mya called Bohlinia. And a more recent; early Pleistocene giraffe in Greece called Palaeotragus inexspectatus that went extinct about a million ya.

I agree. A dire situation warrants a direct approach. Zoos are already involved in breeding endangered animals on a limited basis, but expert livestock breeders with sufficient infrastructure could amplify this significantly.

This is a controversial and yet likely effective strategy. The downside being the human influence or domestication of wild species, but the upside might enable their survival. Perhaps domestically bred endangered species could be used in rewilding projects, or even re-introduced into the wild.

Great day recently with @savebutterflies.bsky.social Lincolnshire branch, exploring the possibilities of habitat restoration for the now Red Listed Grizzled Skipper #butterfly. Very much looking forward to getting started on this project in the new year.

What makes these lines or grids of holes in our trees?

#bird #birds #birding #birder #birdwatcher #birdwatching #wildlife #animal #tree #trees #forest #ecology

This is some very positive news - there are thousands of river barriers on Irish rivers that serve little to no purpose. Removing them will open habitat to migratory fish and essential natural processes, like movement of silt.

www.gov.ie/en/departmen...

British megafauna.

Yes please

Native plants and habitat for nature need to be where we live, work and play.

#Sustainability #Conservation #Nature

The new issue of Oryx explores bear conservation across North America and Asia—from black bears in Hainan to brown bears in Nepal. With insights on habitat loss, local knowledge and policy reform, it highlights the urgent need for action in fragmented landscapes🐻

Wildcat bones found in Co Clare dated to 5,500 years ago The first directly dated wildcat bones found in Ireland have been identified, confirming that the species inhabited the island more than 5,500 years ago.

"This is the first time we can say with certainty that European wildcats lived in prehistoric Ireland"

A stunning discovery and more evidence that there's a lot left to discover about Ireland's ecology!

www.rte.ie/news/munster...

It is refreshing to see the measures being implemented in these places; including natural grazing, natural regeneration, leaving deadwood and carcasses, removing fences and dams, and connecting wild areas. I hope this trend progresses throughout Europe and beyond globally.

Wilder Parks | Rewilding Europe Protected areas lie at the heart of European conservation. The Wilder Parks initiative will build on the achievements of these areas, leveraging the power of rewilding to breathe new life into ecosyst...

Wilder Parks, a new initiative by Rewilding Europe to accelerate nature recovery across Europe. Ten frontrunner parks are already on board, including German Wadden Sea.
rewildingeurope.com/wilder-parks/

Trumpeter swans in a grassy field under a cloudy moody sky.

Trumpeter swans have arrived.

(Pacific Northwest)

"The Association for Natural Pasture Landscapes finally has a new and expandable website:

weidelandschaften.org

We will gradually fill it with content. There's also a membership form available for download.

weidelandschaften.org/wp-content/u...
Perhaps someone would like to join?"