Latest news with #biodiversity
CTV News
an hour ago
- General
- CTV News
Saving endangered turtles and bats focus of new Toronto Zoo partnership
The Toronto Zoo announces a new partnership to preserve biodiversity in the province. CTV's Beth Macdonell reports. A new partnership at the Toronto Zoo is prioritizing nine Canadian endangered species with the aim of growing of their populations. A five-year, $3-million joint commitment between the zoo and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) will allow critical work to continue to save Blanding's turtles and eight bat species. The goal is to reverse biodiversity loss which is critical to healthy ecosystems. Toby Thorne, supervisor of species recovery at Toronto Zoo, compared the importance of preserving species to a well-functioning clock. 'If I start throwing cogs away, then it might work for a bit, but at some point, it's going to stop working,' said Thorne. 'We're talking about species today, but were talking about preserving biodiversity as a whole, which humans are a part of, and we need that as much as it needs us.' The funding will help continue a turtle raising program at the zoo that works to restore populations hurt by habitat loss, road deaths, and climate change. For the past 12 years, staff have been collecting Blanding's turtles eggs, caring for them while they grow for two years, and releasing them back into the wild. In the 1990s, Blanding's turtles were virtually extinct in the Greater Toronto Area spanning Rouge Valley, with zoo staff saying there were probably less than 10 left in area. But now, thanks to the program, the population is growing. 'They are known as the turtles with the sun under their chin,' explained Thorne. 'They are green overall like most turtles, but they have this bright piece underneath, and they are a nice, smiley turtle.' 'This commitment is a big deal,' added Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf DeJong. When it comes to bats, the partnership is allowing for more research on eight species in Ontario. Seven of those eight bat species are endangered. 'Bats play a critical ecological role, whether it's hunting insects at night,' DeJong said. '[They are] a key piece of the balance, and if you lose one piece, and you lose that balance, I think people only realize the impact of that balance when it's gone.' DeJong said diverse ecosystems are strong ecosystems, and the partnership will help Blanding's turtles and the eight bat species not only survive, but thrive.
CTV News
5 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Saving endangered turtles and bats focus of new Toronto Zoo partnership
A new partnership at the Toronto Zoo is prioritizing nine Canadian endangered species, including bats and turtles. (Toronto Zoo, left; CTV News Toronto, right) A new partnership at the Toronto Zoo is prioritizing nine Canadian endangered species with the aim of growing of their populations. A five-year, $3-million joint commitment between the zoo and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) will allow critical work to continue to save Blanding's turtles and eight bat species. The goal is to reverse biodiversity loss which is critical to healthy ecosystems. Toby Thorne, supervisor of species recovery at Toronto Zoo, compared the importance of preserving species to a well-functioning clock. 'If I start throwing cogs away, then it might work for a bit, but at some point, it's going to stop working,' said Thorne. 'We're talking about species today, but were talking about preserving biodiversity as a whole, which humans are a part of, and we need that as much as it needs us.' The funding will help continue a turtle raising program at the zoo that works to restore populations hurt by habitat loss, road deaths, and climate change. For the past 12 years, staff have been collecting Blanding's turtles eggs, caring for them while they grow for two years, and releasing them back into the wild. In the 1990s, Blanding's turtles were virtually extinct in the Greater Toronto Area spanning Rouge Valley, with zoo staff saying there were probably less than 10 left in area. But now, thanks to the program, the population is growing. 'They are known as the turtles with the sun under their chin,' explained Thorne. 'They are green overall like most turtles, but they have this bright piece underneath, and they are a nice, smiley turtle.' 'This commitment is a big deal,' added Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf DeJong. When it comes to bats, the partnership is allowing for more research on eight species in Ontario. Seven of those eight bat species are endangered. 'Bats play a critical ecological role, whether it's hunting insects at night,' DeJong said. '[They are] a key piece of the balance, and if you lose one piece, and you lose that balance, I think people only realize the impact of that balance when it's gone.' DeJong said diverse ecosystems are strong ecosystems, and the partnership will help Blanding's turtles and the eight bat species not only survive, but thrive.
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
Labour should make a swift U-turn on bricks that provide nesting places
As a Labour councillor who has campaigned for over a decade to get developers to fit 'swift bricks' to new buildings, I found the decision by my party's government to block this very upsetting (Labour blocks proposal for 'swift bricks' in all new homes, 23 May). As cabinet member for the environment and climate change, I was instrumental in the decision of Bury council last year to mandate that all new buildings be fitted with swift bricks. This year I've only seen four swifts over where I live in Prestwich. I used to see dozens, and was delighted to hear their screams as they flew over my garden. What is my party so afraid of? The £35 charge on each new house from the building lobby? Being seen as 'woke'? Myopic decisions like this one make a mockery of Labour's pledges on the environment. For thousands of years swifts have migrated from Africa to spend their summers with us, but gradually their traditional nesting places in the nooks and crannies of old buildings have gone. Their numbers have declined by more than 60% in the last few decades. The government should reverse this shortsighted decision as soon as possible to prevent further embarrassment and losing voters to the Greens and Liberal QuinnPrestwich, Greater Manchester Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
BBC News
15 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Rochester Cathedral's 'secret gardens' open for first time
A Kent cathedral is opening its three-acre (1.2 hectare) "secret gardens" to the public for the first time. The project was started by the Dean of Rochester Cathedral, the Very Reverend Philip Hesketh, during lockdown to enhance the gardens as well as improve biodiversity. He said the idea came to him when he learned about a former Dean of the cathedral, Samuel Reynolds Hole (1887 to 1904), who was a celebrated horticulturalist in Victorian Britain and founding president of the UK Rose Society. "Reverend Samuel was known as the 'king of the roses' at the time and I learned he once had a remarkable garden at the Deanery in Rochester," Dean Hesketh said. "I wanted to restore the former gardens and reinstate Reverend Samuel's rose garden, as well as the older varieties of flowers he introduced to the gardens."Other features include an infirmary herb garden which monks may have used to cure an array of ailments. A small vineyard has also been installed and this was inspired by references to the monks at the medieval cathedral producing fine wines."I absolutely love gardening. I enjoy the peace, serenity and satisfaction of watching things grow and flourish," Dean Hesketh said. The cathedral is also undertaking projects to improve the biodiversity of its open spaces. Beehives have been installed to increase pollinators in the grounds and a pond has been created in the fruit orchard to attract more wildlife, which includes dragonflies. A wildflower meadow and trees have been planted to provide space for wildlife to flourish. Dean Hesketh hopes the gardens will be become a space for wellbeing, prayer and spiritual growth."This is a very important initiative as open green space plays a vital role in improving mental health," he added."We believe there is a need to provide greater access to green spaces, especially post-Covid."The cathedral says the gardens are usually closed to the public but on 8 June, it will be opened to ticket holders."We hope to open the gardens on a more regular basis, but at the moment we are limited by resources," Dean Hesketh added.
BBC News
16 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Five years left to halt nature loss, Suffolk charity warns
A wildlife charity has warned there are only five years left to halt biodiversity Wildlife Trust is dedicated to protecting wildlife in the county and restoring its natural Tuesday it launched the Mission 2030 campaign to tackle climate change and restore habitats, aiming to raise £1m over three executive Christine Luxton said the charity could not protect the county's nature without the help of the public, and that simple steps like changing how often lawns are mowed could help. At COP15, the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in 2022, nations agreed to protect a third of the planet for nature by 2030 in a landmark scientists last year warned not enough had been done towards this goal."We are now recognising we are halfway to 2030 and what we want to do is really try to ramp up our efforts as a county to try and get there," Ms Luxton said."It's something that's about everyone playing their part and that for me is the joy of being a local wildlife charity."Wildlife didn't disappear overnight all in one go, we lost it little by little, and actually, that's how we can bring it back by everyone playing their part and that is what Mission 2030 is about." Ms Luxton said the £1m fundraising goal would enable Suffolk Wildlife Trust to place nature advisors within communities as well as working with schools and added "every little helps" and urged individuals to look at things they "have control over" such as holding back on cutting the grass."We can't turn around the fortunes of nature by ourselves. What our role can be is to amplify nature's voice and help everyone play their part," Ms Luxton added."It's like ripples in a pond, if we throw the stone, we want those ripples to spread out across the county and everybody to do their bit."Then collectively we get the shift we need for nature." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
