Conservation

Conservation

IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES

The unsung hero of the environment turns 60

Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species provides a vital service to us all. It is the world’s most far-reaching information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species, watching over them with the care of a doting parent. It has an enormous and beneficial impact on the ecosystems of our planet.

“Every morning,” says Dr Craig Hilton-Taylor, head of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, “I come into work thinking, ‘Okay, what am I going to do to make a difference today?’”

And, I can assure you, every single day he does make a difference – and a massive one at that.

The IUCN Red List is a crucial indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. Much more than a mere list of species and their status, it is a potent tool to provide information and galvanise people into taking action, effecting conservation measures and bringing about policy change. It is absolutely pivotal in preserving the natural resources we require to survive. It plays a…

Conservation

Birdwatching in St Lucia

The search for the elusive Jacquot, the emerald island’s national bird

A few months ago I went birdwatching to St Lucia in search of the elusive Jacquot, the island’s national bird, and learnt about biodiversity, endangered species and the power of environmental activism. My wife and I are nearing the end of an eight-hour hike up a vertiginous mountain trail. We are in the heart of […]

Conservation

Nature, wildlife and climate change

A story of peacock spiders, seabirds and koalas

The collective actions of animals over millions of years have shaped the planet’s climate to make it habitable for all. Our addiction to fossil fuels has become a smoke screen for this facet of reality. It’s true that humans are the major cause of climate change. However, the solutions aren’t simply about humans engineering new […]

Conservation

David De Rothschild

Once upon a time in a spaceship called Earth

Although nowadays it has become very fashionable among the rich and famous to be a conservationist and “do things” to help the planet (including flying in private jets to talk about it while sipping bottled water from Fidji), very few people (rich, famous or otherwise) were in the game 20 years ago. One of those […]

Conservation

The World We Are
About To Lose

by Julia Pasarón

I am sure it will not come as news to you that human activities are threatening life in the world’s oceans. More than 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based activities: oil spills, agricultural pesticides, industrial sewage, even air pollution…All of which contribute to poison the water and deplete oxygen levels, resulting in the death […]

Conservation

Arctic Whale

by Hugh Francis Anderson

An expedition to investigate the threat of plastic in our oceans From my lookout on the bow of the expedition yacht Barba, the immensity of Iceland’s vivid and undulating northern coastline floats endlessly on the horizon. The sun lies low in the sky, proffering only a faint light through the snow-filled clouds. Amid the repetitive rise […]

Conservation

Amazon Burning

I’m confident that by now you’ll have seen, read or at least heard about the fires that engulfed the Amazon rainforest earlier this year, thanks to the power of social media. Without the pictures of black smoke enveloping São Paulo trending with #PrayforAmazonia on Instagram, I wonder if the media would ever have peeled itself […]

Conservation

A View From The Snow Line

by Dr Charudutt Mishra and Matthias Fiechter

We are pleased to present a new series of articles by Dr Charudutt Mishra and Matthias Fiechter which will focus on the wonders of the natural world, the needs and challenges of biodiversity conservation, and the advancements in conservation science. I stopped once again to admire and soak up the magnificent chough’s eye view of […]

Conservation

Teach a man to fish…

by Marga Hoek

Teach a man to fish sustainably, and you feed the planet beyond his lifetime. The market value of marine and coastal resources and industries is estimated at US $3 trillion per year, or about 5% of global GDP. Yet, as much as 40% of the oceans are suffering negative effects from human activities, including pollution, […]

Business, Conservation, Lifestyle

FASHION REVOLT

by Christina Carty

Why wear meaningless when you can wear meaningful? This morning, I threw on a long army green cotton dress that I bought two years ago from Primark. I picked it from a rail where 49 of the exact same dresses hung. I look at it in the mirror, the bobbled cotton, the dark stain that […]

Conservation

LAURENT BALLESTA

The Gombessa Expeditions The Gombessa Scientific Expeditions aim at exploring specific phenomena occurring underwater all around the globe. A naturalistic objective first guides the choice of the mission that will generally offer three major challenges: A scientific enigma at the core of the expedition; a diving challenge, as Laurent Ballesta – leading organizer of these […]

Conservation

NAUSICAÁ and the island of MALPELO

Article shortlisted for the French Travel Media Awards 2019

Named after the Greek mythical heroine, Nausicaá is much more than just an aquarium; it is a centre where the unique marine environment can be explored in a fun, educational and scientific way, with a primary focus on the relationship between man and the sea. In 25 years, Nausicaá has welcomed over 16 million visitors […]