Latest news with #conservation
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
600kgs of 'hardcore weeding' done to save rare Aussie bird from invasive plant
An invasive plant is being torn out by hand in a desperate bid to remove the serial spreader from blocking vital nests of the country's rarest native seabird. Rangers have been on their hands and knees in Boondelbah Nature Reserve pulling out prickly pear plants along the Port Stephens coast in NSW, with the "pesky" grower impacting nesting sites of the seabird Gould's petrel, of which there are only 1,000 breeding pairs left in the wild. The nature reserve is only one of two breeding sites, and with such limited numbers of the birds left, rangers from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) made a trip to the island for some "hardcore weeding", with the plant bagged and removed for compost elsewhere. "If left unmanaged, prickly pear plants grow over nestbox entrances, either blocking birds from entering, or trapping them inside," a NPWS spokesperson explained to Yahoo News. Four members of staff hauled 600 kilograms of the plant out of the nature reserve, and authorities will continue to monitor the plant for spread, as it is well-adapted to harsh environments. Prickly pear has been declared a weed of national significance by authorities. The nature reserve has been identified as critical for the survival of the Gould's petrel, with 95 per cent of the species breeding there, so rangers have installed artificial nesting boxes on the island to support breeding of the birds. "The Gould's petrel is Australia's rarest endemic seabird," the spokesperson said. "Every bit of accessible breeding habitat is key to ensuring their survival." ☠️ Mass poisoning fears after 'horrendous' discovery at shopping centre 🍏 Footage captures 'nightmare' problem outside Aussie Apple store 😟 Shocking find inside bird highlights worrying beach trend The impact of prickly pear is infamous, with it first introduced to Australia on the First Fleet and quickly popularised in gardens. However, it spread so quickly and extensively that the Pricky-Pear Destruction Act in 1886 was introduced, with an advisory board, legislation and preventative measures implemented to try to stop its spread. Having such a prolific weed in the seabird's habitat has been problematic, and authorities have vowed to do all they can to prevent the weed from impacting their attempts to boost the seabird's population. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Controversial grizzly bear shot dead on Texada Island
B.C. Conservation officers say a grizzly bear that had caused problems in the past and had been relocated several times has been shot dead after making an appearance on B.C.'s largest Gulf Island. The five-year-old male showed up in late May on Texada Island, about 100 kilometres north of Vancouver near Powell River. CBC's Maryse Zeidler has more
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- General
- RNZ News
Midday Report Essentials for Wednesday 16th July 2025
conservation education 7 minutes ago In today's episode, the Waikato District Council is investigating a road that locals call the "rollercoaster" after a woman and two children were killed in a crash on Tuesday; New Zealanders are once again among TV's most famous, with two nominations in the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards - television's top honour; The government has put a stop to open plan classrooms - after more than a year of signalling it wasn't interested in this style of build; And A pair of Kiwi singing in the night led to confirmation the Kiwi pukupuku is living in the bush on the West Coast.
E&E News
2 hours ago
- Politics
- E&E News
Appeals court nixes BLM's Wyoming wild horse reduction plan
A federal appeals court has sided with conservation groups, overturning a Bureau of Land Management plan that would have substantially reduced wild horse populations in southern Wyoming as part of a legal settlement with ranchers. The ruling issued Tuesday by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reverses a district judge's decision last year that upheld a 2023 BLM plan to reduce wild horse populations in the region to comply with an April 2013 legal settlement with ranchers who demanded the bureau remove stray animals encroaching on their private property. The three-judge panel reversal of the decision from Judge Kelly Rankin of the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming once again throws the decadeslong case into turmoil. However, Judge Timothy Tymkovich, who was nominated by former President George W. Bush, implied in the ruling that BLM could eventually move forward with the plan if it revised it to address violations of the Administrative Procedure Act. Advertisement The bureau has struggled to keep populations of wild horses and burros on federal rangelands at sustainable levels. BLM estimates that as of March 1, the total rangewide wild horse and burro population was roughly 73,130 — down from a record 95,114 in 2020. But that's still tens of thousands of horses above levels that do not cause damage to vegetation and soils.
E&E News
2 hours ago
- Business
- E&E News
Audubon snags ex-Obama EPA official
Joel Beauvais, a veteran of the Obama EPA and Exelon, is joining the National Audubon Society to work on conservation and climate programs. Audubon hired Beauvais for a newly created position as its managing director for North America, Beauvais posted on LinkedIn this week. 'I'll be leading Audubon's conservation and climate programs in the United States and Canada, overseeing a staff of 500 including Audubon's state and regional offices across the country,' Beauvais wrote. 'I'm excited to join this great team working with communities and stakeholders across the hemisphere to protect birds and the places they need and mitigate climate change.' Advertisement Beauvais joins the conservation group after a stint at the utility Exelon, where he has worked for more than six years in roles including senior vice president and deputy general counsel. He was a partner at Latham & Watkins from 2017 until 2019.
