Latest news with #Blanding
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
56 Threatened Turtles Born at Iowa Zoo Released Into the Wild
Dozens of Blanding's turtles were released back into their natural wetland habitat on June 4 Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Blank Park Zoo, and Iowa State University joined forces to raise the turtles that are considered a threatened species The year-old turtles were released with tiny transmitters allowing their movements to be tracked for the next two monthsA group of year-old Blanding's turtles were released from the Blank Park Zoo and placed in their natural habitat. Blanding's turtles are a threatened species, and as part of a partnering project between the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Blank Park Zoo, and Iowa State University, the agencies worked together to help the population. "Blanding's turtles are so cool, they've got this bright yellow chin, and they kind of look like an army helmet with this dome shape of their shell," Dr. Karen Kinkead, wildlife diversity program coordinator for the Iowa DNR, told WHO Des Moines. The turtles' parents are native to the Iowa wetlands. Now that their babies are one year old, they were released into a marsh in Guthrie County with tiny transmitters to track their movements and gather data. 'You definitely want to be putting them into a good Blanding's turtle habitat where they're gonna be able to thrive, so that's pretty much made up of wetlands,' Elizabeth Lang, a research associate at Iowa State University, told Iowa Local 5 News. WHO Des Moines reports that Lang will spend her summer in the marsh tracking the turtles and monitoring their whereabouts. Over the winter, the baby turtles made the Blank Park Zoo their home. "The zoo's kept them over the winter for us, and they've kept them awake instead of allowing them to go to sleep for the winter," Kinkead told KCCI News. "So they've grown bigger than they would in the wild. Because they're bigger, it will be harder for some of their natural predators to swallow them whole." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Kinead said she has concerns about the Blanding's turtle release: "I'm definitely a bit nervous. I hope that they do really well out there." "To my knowledge, this is the first opportunity we've had to track the juveniles," Kinkead told WHO Des Moines. "And we suspect that the juveniles are not using the habitat the same way as the adults do because we just don't find them the way we do adults." Kinkead said she believes the young turtles spend more time in the water than the adults. The turtle's transmitters will last two months, allowing Lang and partnering technicians to track how the turtles spend their summer. WHO Des Moines reports that the Blanding's turtle was placed on a threatened species list due to complications in successful nesting and habitat loss. DNR is working to rebuild the Blanding's turtle population following a late winter storm that devastated the species 10 years ago. Read the original article on People
Hamilton Spectator
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Toronto Zoo warns of extinctions if Ontario mining bill becomes law
TORONTO - Species could go extinct if Ontario passes a controversial mining bill that is set to transform its approach to endangered species and the environment, the Toronto Zoo warned the province. Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, would strike a blow to the recovery of several species the institution has been trying to save, said Dolf DeJong, the zoo's CEO, at a committee hearing at Queen's Park on Thursday. If and when the bill becomes law, DeJong wants the province to step up with funding so it can dramatically increase its biobank with Ontario species that could die off as a result of the legislation. 'We're concerned this act will result in the erosion of biodiversity and the loss of species at risk,' DeJong said. 'This bill, if passed, could undo decades of conservation efforts and threaten some of Ontario's most vulnerable species, species your Toronto Zoo works directly for.' The zoo is concerned that this bill, combined with the rollback of environmental protections under U.S. President Donald Trump, further threaten endangered species. 'I think we all understand that endangered species don't recognize political boundaries, and these policy changes makes their survival on both sides of the border more questionable,' DeJong said. The zoo has an ongoing program to help the recovery of the Blanding's turtle with the help of Parks Canada. The animal is considered threatened in Ontario and, by the province's own definition, is 'likely to become endangered if steps are not taken to address factors threatening it.' 'Together with Parks Canada, your Toronto Zoo has helped release more than 700 individuals into Rouge National Urban Park,' DeJong said. 'And while they may not move quickly, these turtles travel up to six kilometres a year around the watershed as they move between nesting, feeding and hibernation sites.' Anything that would disrupt that habitat would be catastrophic for the Blanding's turtle, he said. The province's omnibus bill seeks to speed up the approval of mining projects through a variety of measures. It includes eventually repealing the Endangered Species Act, removing significant habitat protections and doing away with requirements to create recovery strategies for at-risk species. The definition of habitat would change from the entire area needed for a species to survive, to just its nest or den and the area immediately surrounding it. The province is also giving itself greater power over an independent, science-based committee to add and remove species from a protected list. And the bill also proposes to give the government power to create so-called 'special economic zones' where it can suspend provincial and municipal laws, including environmental laws, on certain projects. Premier Doug Ford said the province will designate the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario as the first such zone, a move that has sparked anger and protest from First Nations living there. They would also allow companies to start developing a project that could destroy habitat or kill at-risk species without first getting a permit. Instead, the government is proposing to move to a not-yet-defined 'registration-first approach' for all projects But Ford also mused non-mining projects such as his idea of a massive transit and traffic tunnel under Highway 401 could also receive the designation along with other major infrastructure projects. 'If the government decides to move forward as written, we have one ask, establish an insurance policy for these species and their well-being,' DeJong said. 'This government needs to commit to funding to create an Ontario wildlife biobank at your Toronto Zoo, our reproductive science team can play a critical role, working with partners across all walks of life to ensure we have a backup plan for future generations.' The zoo currently has about 100 animal species in its biobank, largely from animals in its own collection and other accredited zoos across the country. A few years ago the zoo began working with non-governmental organizations and scientists to explore the idea of collecting samples from the wild for its growing repository, said Gabriela Mastromonaco, the institution's chief science officer. The zoo has worked with Parks Canada and the University of Saskatchewan over the past 10 years on its wood bison conservation program. The zoo's biobank is a collection of living cells, not DNA, that can be used to procreate the species, Mastromonaco said. The zoo collected sperm and eggs from wood bison populations, which are susceptible to disease, across the province 'We can disinfect them, we can make the embryos, we can store them as clean material, and then we can use surrogate herds like Toronto Zoo's and the one at the University of Saskatchewan to make the calves clean — disinfected calves — to repopulate the wild with the right genetics,' Mastromonaco said. From that technique, the zoo was able to help create 15 bison that now live there. They are still working on reintroduction programs for the bison, but they've had success with other animals like the dusky gopher frog, which they artificially inseminated before releasing the resulting tadpoles back into the wild. But the zoo is worried the new law, when passed, will ramp up the loss of species. 'We have to protect against outright genetic loss and the potential for genetic erosion where the populations are getting smaller and smaller,' Mastromonaco said. The province maintains the proposed law will balance environmental concerns with economic ones. 'We're always going to be very conscious of making sure that we take care of the environment,' Ford said Friday when asked about the blowback on the bill. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Toronto Zoo warns of extinctions if Ontario mining bill becomes law
TORONTO – Species could go extinct if Ontario passes a controversial mining bill that is set to transform its approach to endangered species and the environment, the Toronto Zoo warned the province. Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, would strike a blow to the recovery of several species the institution has been trying to save, said Dolf DeJong, the zoo's CEO, at a committee hearing at Queen's Park on Thursday. If and when the bill becomes law, DeJong wants the province to step up with funding so it can dramatically increase its biobank with Ontario species that could die off as a result of the legislation. 'We're concerned this act will result in the erosion of biodiversity and the loss of species at risk,' DeJong said. 'This bill, if passed, could undo decades of conservation efforts and threaten some of Ontario's most vulnerable species, species your Toronto Zoo works directly for.' The zoo is concerned that this bill, combined with the rollback of environmental protections under U.S. President Donald Trump, further threaten endangered species. 'I think we all understand that endangered species don't recognize political boundaries, and these policy changes makes their survival on both sides of the border more questionable,' DeJong said. The zoo has an ongoing program to help the recovery of the Blanding's turtle with the help of Parks Canada. The animal is considered threatened in Ontario and, by the province's own definition, is 'likely to become endangered if steps are not taken to address factors threatening it.' 'Together with Parks Canada, your Toronto Zoo has helped release more than 700 individuals into Rouge National Urban Park,' DeJong said. 'And while they may not move quickly, these turtles travel up to six kilometres a year around the watershed as they move between nesting, feeding and hibernation sites.' Anything that would disrupt that habitat would be catastrophic for the Blanding's turtle, he said. The province's omnibus bill seeks to speed up the approval of mining projects through a variety of measures. It includes eventually repealing the Endangered Species Act, removing significant habitat protections and doing away with requirements to create recovery strategies for at-risk species. The definition of habitat would change from the entire area needed for a species to survive, to just its nest or den and the area immediately surrounding it. The province is also giving itself greater power over an independent, science-based committee to add and remove species from a protected list. And the bill also proposes to give the government power to create so-called 'special economic zones' where it can suspend provincial and municipal laws, including environmental laws, on certain projects. Premier Doug Ford said the province will designate the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario as the first such zone, a move that has sparked anger and protest from First Nations living there. They would also allow companies to start developing a project that could destroy habitat or kill at-risk species without first getting a permit. Instead, the government is proposing to move to a not-yet-defined 'registration-first approach' for all projects But Ford also mused non-mining projects such as his idea of a massive transit and traffic tunnel under Highway 401 could also receive the designation along with other major infrastructure projects. 'If the government decides to move forward as written, we have one ask, establish an insurance policy for these species and their well-being,' DeJong said. 'This government needs to commit to funding to create an Ontario wildlife biobank at your Toronto Zoo, our reproductive science team can play a critical role, working with partners across all walks of life to ensure we have a backup plan for future generations.' The zoo currently has about 100 animal specimens in its biobank, largely from animals in its own collection and other accredited zoos across the country. A few years ago the zoo began working with non-governmental organizations and scientists to explore the idea of collecting samples from the wild for its growing repository, said Gabriela Mastromonaco, the institution's chief science officer. The zoo has worked with Parks Canada and the University of Saskatchewan over the past 10 years on its wood bison conservation program. The zoo's biobank is a collection of living cells, not DNA, that can be used to procreate the species, Mastromonaco said. The zoo collected sperm and eggs from wood bison populations, which are susceptible to disease, across the province 'We can disinfect them, we can make the embryos, we can store them as clean material, and then we can use surrogate herds like Toronto Zoo's and the one at the University of Saskatchewan to make the calves clean — disinfected calves — to repopulate the wild with the right genetics,' Mastromonaco said. From that technique, the zoo was able to help create 15 bison that now live there. They are still working on reintroduction programs for the bison, but they've had success with other animals like the dusky gopher frog, which they artificially inseminated before releasing the resulting tadpoles back into the wild. Wednesdays A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future. But the zoo is worried the new law, when passed, will ramp up the loss of species. 'We have to protect against outright genetic loss and the potential for genetic erosion where the populations are getting smaller and smaller,' Mastromonaco said. The province maintains the proposed law will balance environmental concerns with economic ones. 'We're always going to be very conscious of making sure that we take care of the environment,' Ford said Friday when asked about the blowback on the bill. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Toronto Zoo warns of extinctions if Ontario mining bill becomes law
TORONTO — Species could go extinct if Ontario passes a controversial mining bill that is set to transform its approach to endangered species and the environment, the Toronto Zoo warned the province. Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, would strike a blow to the recovery of several species the institution has been trying to save, said Dolf DeJong, the zoo's CEO, at a committee hearing at Queen's Park on Thursday. If and when the bill becomes law, DeJong wants the province to step up with funding so it can dramatically increase its biobank with Ontario species that could die off as a result of the legislation. "We're concerned this act will result in the erosion of biodiversity and the loss of species at risk," DeJong said. "This bill, if passed, could undo decades of conservation efforts and threaten some of Ontario's most vulnerable species, species your Toronto Zoo works directly for." The zoo is concerned that this bill, combined with the rollback of environmental protections under U.S. President Donald Trump, further threaten endangered species. "I think we all understand that endangered species don't recognize political boundaries, and these policy changes makes their survival on both sides of the border more questionable," DeJong said. The zoo has an ongoing program to help the recovery of the Blanding's turtle with the help of Parks Canada. The animal is considered threatened in Ontario and, by the province's own definition, is "likely to become endangered if steps are not taken to address factors threatening it." "Together with Parks Canada, your Toronto Zoo has helped release more than 700 individuals into Rouge National Urban Park," DeJong said. "And while they may not move quickly, these turtles travel up to six kilometres a year around the watershed as they move between nesting, feeding and hibernation sites." Anything that would disrupt that habitat would be catastrophic for the Blanding's turtle, he said. The province's omnibus bill seeks to speed up the approval of mining projects through a variety of measures. It includes eventually repealing the Endangered Species Act, removing significant habitat protections and doing away with requirements to create recovery strategies for at-risk species. The definition of habitat would change from the entire area needed for a species to survive, to just its nest or den and the area immediately surrounding it. The province is also giving itself greater power over an independent, science-based committee to add and remove species from a protected list. And the bill also proposes to give the government power to create so-called "special economic zones" where it can suspend provincial and municipal laws, including environmental laws, on certain projects. Premier Doug Ford said the province will designate the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario as the first such zone, a move that has sparked anger and protest from First Nations living there. They would also allow companies to start developing a project that could destroy habitat or kill at-risk species without first getting a permit. Instead, the government is proposing to move to a not-yet-defined 'registration-first approach' for all projects But Ford also mused non-mining projects such as his idea of a massive transit and traffic tunnel under Highway 401 could also receive the designation along with other major infrastructure projects. "If the government decides to move forward as written, we have one ask, establish an insurance policy for these species and their well-being," DeJong said. "This government needs to commit to funding to create an Ontario wildlife biobank at your Toronto Zoo, our reproductive science team can play a critical role, working with partners across all walks of life to ensure we have a backup plan for future generations." The zoo currently has about 100 animal specimens in its biobank, largely from animals in its own collection and other accredited zoos across the country. A few years ago the zoo began working with non-governmental organizations and scientists to explore the idea of collecting samples from the wild for its growing repository, said Gabriela Mastromonaco, the institution's chief science officer. The zoo has worked with Parks Canada and the University of Saskatchewan over the past 10 years on its wood bison conservation program. The zoo's biobank is a collection of living cells, not DNA, that can be used to procreate the species, Mastromonaco said. The zoo collected sperm and eggs from wood bison populations, which are susceptible to disease, across the province "We can disinfect them, we can make the embryos, we can store them as clean material, and then we can use surrogate herds like Toronto Zoo's and the one at the University of Saskatchewan to make the calves clean -- disinfected calves -- to repopulate the wild with the right genetics," Mastromonaco said. From that technique, the zoo was able to help create 15 bison that now live there. They are still working on reintroduction programs for the bison, but they've had success with other animals like the dusky gopher frog, which they artificially inseminated before releasing the resulting tadpoles back into the wild. But the zoo is worried the new law, when passed, will ramp up the loss of species. "We have to protect against outright genetic loss and the potential for genetic erosion where the populations are getting smaller and smaller," Mastromonaco said. The province maintains the proposed law will balance environmental concerns with economic ones. "We're always going to be very conscious of making sure that we take care of the environment," Ford said Friday when asked about the blowback on the bill. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025. Liam Casey, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Disney legend loses Altadena home in Eaton Fire: ‘It hurts a lot, but we're going to make it'
Martha Blanding is the first Black American to achieve a half-century-long career with the Walt Disney Company, and she was inducted into the Hall of Fame in August of 2024. 'I'm just an ordinary Black girl from South Central Los Angeles who had an amazing job at the Walt Disney Company and I would do it all over again,' she said in her acceptance speech at the ceremony. Can a bathroom divorce save a marriage? However, back in the 1970s her career didn't start so smoothy. 'I drove over to Disneyland, went to the employment office, went up to the counter and the castmember came up and asked 'Can I help you?' I said 'Yes, I would like to apply for a job.' He looked at me and said, 'We don't have any jobs here for you.'' That didn't stop her. Blanding applied and got hired on as a tour guide and worked her way up to a senior manager. Fast forward 50 years, and even though she's retired, she's never far from her Disney family, as she still mentors those looking to follow in her footsteps. About once a month, or once a quarter, she and three others she's dubbed 'the elders' meet with a group of young Disney employees and help guide them with career advice and more. 'That's why I feel like this is my home forever,' she told KTLA 5's Annie Rose Ramos. After each day at Disney, she looked forward to coming home to her family in Altadena; however, the house she once shared with her twin Mary is now it's a pile of rubble. Tragically in January, the Disney legend was one of the many Southern California residents who lost her home in the Eaton Fire. UMG skewers Drake while filing motion to dismiss lawsuit, says he 'lost a rap battle that he provoked' 'It hurts so bad the way that it was taken away from us and I'm sure that there are others who feel the same way,' she said holding back tears. 'It was something that, [there] was nothing that we could do about it. You couldn't do anything but get out of the way so that you don't get hurt or get killed.' Many black families moved to Altadena to build generational wealth. About 40 years ago, the Blanding sisters moved there from Compton to make the same dream become a reality for their family. And while they lost their home, they are grateful they survived the Eaton Fire. 'I want to be in my own home. I want to be in my kitchen, in my bedroom and in my study,' Blanding said through her tears. 'Who wants to be in somebody else's home? I want to be here.' On the night of the fires, the sisters frantically evacuated and had to leave many things behind, including Blandin's Disney Legends Award. 'My award, it was heavy, so I couldn't pick it up and bring it to the car. I said, 'We'll be back, so I'm not going to worry about it.' We really thought that we were going to be able to come back home. And then the wind changed.' Blanding had an emotional return to where her home once stood in Altadena. 'You work hard for what you had or what you got, now it's all gone,' she said. While the days seem dark, Blanding is finding strength through her home away from home. 'Annie, people at Disney have reached out to me and my family, and they've been amazing. It's like it's coming back from them,' she said getting emotional. 'You know, that happy place, it's coming back, helping one of their cast members. To get through this part of the process, you're going to cry, and you're going to cry a lot, and it hurts a lot, but we're going to make it. We're going to be fine.' Disney said they are going to make her a new award to replace the one that burned down. In the meantime, Blanding has come out with a book that chronicles her life story as a cast member at Disney. It's called 'Groundbreaking Magic: A Black Woman's Journey Through The Happiest Place on Earth.' and is available everywhere. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
