Conservation Chronicles

Jonah closes out the podcast finale with some news and reflections about the show.

Grand Teton National Park mountain goat cull:

Feral horse removal in Nevada:

Sage-grouse management in need of a revamp:

New federal budget threatens conservation efforts:

https://wildlife.org/administration-budget-would-cut-wildlife-funding/

Migratory Bird Treaty Act further weakened by administration’s proposal:

Comment on the regulation here:

Lawsuit against Total oil development in Uganda:

Road collisions and giant anteaters:

Gorillas officially recorded in a region of Equatorial Guinea for the first in a decade:

New laws to protect rays:

Stay tuned for an upcoming podcast called Nature's Archive:

Jonah and Camden attempt to provide a crash course in the field of biogeography, a synthetic field that describes and analyzes patterns of biodiversity as we see them today.

A brief overview of this huge topic:

Check out the Journal of Biogeography to get an idea of the (technical) questions this field address:

We’d love to hear from you! Send any questions or comments to [email protected], and find us on Facebook & Instagram @ Conservation Chronicles. Lastly, our show’s webpage can be found at conservationchronicles.podbean.com.

Theme Song: Epic Cinematic by Scott Holmes / https://scottholmesmusic.com

Jonah and Camden talk about dead things and things that eat things.

Read about the recent changes to the Clean Water Act (they're not good!):

Learn about the Indonesian expedition that discovered 5 new bird species and 5 new subspecies:

https://news.mongabay.com/2020/01/one-six-week-expedition-discovered-ten-new-songbird-species-and-subspecies-in-indonesia/

India plans to reintroduced cheetahs:

Roadkill statistics :

https://patch.com/us/across-america/deer-collisions-across-u-s-odds-hitting-animals

Two studies demonstrating the role of pumas in an ecosystem:

http://wyominguntrapped.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Vertebrate-diversity-benefiting-from-carrion-provided-by-pumas-and-other-Mark-Elbroch.pdf

Why large herbivores matter in ecosystem food webs:

Scavenger study in the UK:

The human-scavenger relationship throughout history :

Worldwide vulture declines:

http://www.globalraptors.org/grin/researchers/uploads/580/2011_dropping_dead.pdf

How humans benefit from vultures:

Rewilding Europe’s Circle of Life:

Polar bears in Chukotka:

Ethiopia's urban hyenas:

Listener Patrick's blog about restoring prairie Iowa:

We’d love to hear from you! Send any questions or comments to [email protected], and find us on Facebook & Instagram @ Conservation Chronicles. Lastly, our show’s webpage can be found at conservationchronicles.podbean.com.

Theme Song: Epic Cinematic by Scott Holmes / https://scottholmesmusic.com

In part 2 of their two-part series on wetland ecosystems, Jonah and Camden delve into some of the most degraded wetlands in the world, as well as efforts to restore critical wetland ecosystems.

Sources & Links:

Read today’s news article on the Chinese Paddlefish extinction 

And follow these links to learn more about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, wetland issues, and the sites mentioned in today’s episode:

https://www.wetlands.org/wetlands/ 

https://www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.358.aspx.pdf 

https://www.ramsar.org 

Aral Sea:

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/world-of-change/AralSea 

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/77193/the-aral-sea-before-the-streams-ran-dry 

Iraqi Marshes: 

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/world-of-change/Iraq 

https://www.wetlands.org/casestudy/conserving-and-restoring-the-iconic-marshes-of-southern-iraq/ 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/07/150709-iraq-marsh-arabs-middle-east-water-environment-world/ 

Prairie Potholes:

https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/documents/Status-and-Trends-of-Prairie-Wetlands-in-the-United-States-1997-to-2009.pdf 

Inner Niger Delta & other African wetlands:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286443601_Zwarts_L_Bijlsma_RG_van_der_Kamp_J_Wymenga_E_2009_Living_on_the_edge_Wetlands_and_birds_in_a_changing_Sahel_KNNV_publishing_Zeist_The_Netherlands 

https://www.water-energy-food.org/resources/resources-detail/the-inner-niger-delta-nexus-dynamics-at-the-heart-of-the-sahel/ 

Colorado River Delta:

https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/colorado-river-delta-proof-natures-resiliency 

https://raisetheriver.org 

Danube River Delta:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/27/it-is-amazing-how-quickly-mother-nature-can-recover-restoring-ukraines-rich-wetlands-aoe?fbclid=IwAR0NhikZB24lzz8A2FJFPsvXgGtxlpBtGPrr5vSzPAnTsTQm_LjL5LtJ0k4

The Salton Sea:

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2015/11/the-airborne-toxic-lake-event/414888/ 

A recent paper on stork breeding success in a mosaic landscape in Nepal:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336207835_First_assessment_of_factors_affecting_the_breeding_success_of_two_stork_species_in_lowland_Nepal_using_Bayesian_Network_models 

AND some good literature on wetlands worldwide:

Darwall, W.R.T, R.A. Holland, K.G. Smith, et al. 2011. Implications of bias in conservation research and investment for freshwater species. Conservation Letters 4: 474-482.

Junk, W.J., S. An, C.M. Finlayson, et al. 2013. Current state of knowledge regarding the world’s wetlands and their future under global climate change: a synthesis. Aquatic Sciences 75: 151-167.

Strayer, D.L. and D. Dudgeon. 2010. Freshwater biodiversity conservation: recent progress and future challenges. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 29: 344-358.

Thanks for listening! We’d love to hear from you. Send any questions or comments to [email protected], and find us on Facebook & Instagram @ Conservation Chronicles. Lastly, our show’s webpage can be found at conservationchronicles.podbean.com.

Theme Song: Epic Cinematic by Scott Holmes / https://scottholmesmusic.com

In Part 1 of a two-part series, guest host Camden joins Jonah for a discussion on a personal favorite for both of them: the critically essential wetland ecosystem!

Sources & Links:

Read the articles featured in today’s news: Okinawa and the Military Base / A Restored Wetland in Chennai

Learn more about wetlands: https://www.wetlands.org/wetlands/ / https://www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.358.aspx.pdf

And some relevant literature we recommend:

Junk, W.J., S. An, C.M. Finlayson, et al. 2013. Current state of knowledge regarding the world’s wetlands and their future under global climate change: a synthesis. Aquatic Sciences 75: 151-167.

Strayer, D.L. and D. Dudgeon. 2010. Freshwater biodiversity conservation: recent progress and future challenges. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 29: 344-358.

Thanks for listening! We’d love to hear from you. Send any questions or comments to [email protected], and find us on Facebook & Instagram @ Conservation Chronicles. Lastly, our show’s webpage can be found at conservationchronicles.podbean.com.

Theme Song: Epic Cinematic by Scott Holmes / https://scottholmesmusic.com

As the spring/summer job season is upon us, Jonah shares some thoughts and advice for listeners looking for new positions, as well as for those considering graduate school. 

Jonah and guest host Camden sit down to talk about some of the latest news in conservation, including some updates on news pieces from previous episodes.

Sources & Links:

All About Plastic

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/05/shipping-plastic-waste-to-poor-countires-just-got-harder/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/10/nearly-all-the-worlds-countries-sign-plastic-waste-deal-except-us

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/28/europe/eu-single-use-plastics-ban-intl-scli/index.html

https://time.com/5560105/european-union-plastic-ban/

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/22/uk/uk-straw-ban-scli-intl-gbr/index.html

Bei Bei the Panda

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2019/11/18/bei-bei-showered-with-attention-national-zoo-prepares-send-him-china-tuesday/

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/brief-history-giant-pandas-zoo

Rancho Guimbalete

https://www.rainforesttrust.org/new-desert-refuge-in-mexico-to-provide-critical-habitat-for-wildlife/

The Silver-backed Chevrotain

https://news.mongabay.com/2019/11/scientists-rediscover-mammalian-oddity-in-remote-vietnam/?fbclid=IwAR2n41e8rSfXjWmpY-WXpwcCErrufVVKrKb1rK08sHv30muzRlPYLD9lAuU

Russia's Whale Jail

https://news.mongabay.com/2019/11/whale-jail-russia-beluga-orca-freed-released/?__hstc=117075033.325b3190eb8a8def920e9720b3d4f732.1574005541225.1574005541225.1574005541225.1&__hssc=117075033.1.1574005541225&__hsfp=1830832727 

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/06/14/russian-whale-jail-company-slapped-900k-fine-over-orca-captures-a66005

Malaysia's Last Sumatran Rhino

https://news.mongabay.com/2019/11/malaysias-last-sumatran-rhino-dies-leaving-indonesia-as-the-final-refuge/

Documentary on European Bison Reintroduction in Romania

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1ml2M9kO2U

Blue Whale Heart Rate

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/27/science/blue-whale-hearts.html?emc=rss&partner=rss

Recovering America's Wildlife Act

https://www.nwf.org/Our-Work/Wildlife-Conservation/Policy/Recovering-Americas-Wildlife-Act

https://wildlife.org/policy/recovering-americas-wildlife-act/

https://wildlife.org/recovering-americas-wildlife-act-legislation-reintroduced/

Thanks for listening! We’d love to hear from you. Send any questions or comments to [email protected], and find us on Facebook & Instagram @ Conservation Chronicles. Lastly, our show’s webpage can be found at conservationchronicles.podbean.com.

Theme Song: Epic Cinematic by Scott Holmes / https://scottholmesmusic.com

Our endangered species for this episode is the gharial, a unique and critically endangered crocodilian found in the rivers of Southeast Asia. Conflict over waterways and habitat encroachment are two of many threats the gharial faces today.

Sources & Links:

Read Nepal's gharial conservation plan: http://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/downloads/gcap_report_2018.pdf

And a bit about India's gharial conservation history: https://www.ircf.org/portfolio-view/gharial/ 

The gharial on IUCN: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/8966/149227430

Thanks for listening! We’d love to hear from you. Send any questions or comments to [email protected], and find us on Facebook & Instagram @ Conservation Chronicles. Lastly, our show’s webpage can be found at conservationchronicles.podbean.com.

Theme Song: Epic Cinematic by Scott Holmes / https://scottholmesmusic.com

For this week's episode, Mariana and Jonah sat down with their first guest to have a conversation about land ethics. Eric Freyfogle has dedicated his career to studying and writing about our relationships with nature and land, and how the Aldo Leopold land ethic can bring culture and conservation together. Thank you so much to Eric for a great discussion!

Sources & Links:

Learn more about Eric Freyfogle and his writings: https://law.illinois.edu/faculty-research/faculty-profiles/eric-t-freyfogle/#about

And read Guy McPherson's essay Going Back to the Land in the Age of Entitlement

Thanks for listening! We’d love to hear from you. Send any questions or comments to [email protected], and find us on Facebook & Instagram @ Conservation Chronicles. Lastly, our show’s webpage can be found at conservationchronicles.podbean.com.

Music: Epic Cinematic by Scott Holmes / https://scottholmesmusic.com; and Island Coconuts by Aaron Kenny

In this week’s episode, Jonah and Mariana discuss the institutional systems that oversee animal welfare in field research, how they work, how they sometimes don’t work, and how we might even improve them. They also share their own experiences witnessing ethical violations in wildlife research.

Sources & Links

For today’s news: 1 in 4 Birds Gone Since 1970; Winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year; Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer Contest

For further reading: McMahon et al. (2012) on the Bateson’s Decision Cube; and Paul et al. (2015) on Animal Welfare Policy

Thanks for listening! We’d love to hear from you. Send any questions or comments to [email protected], and find us on Facebook & Instagram @ Conservation Chronicles. Lastly, our show’s webpage can be found at conservationchronicles.podbean.com.

Theme Song: Epic Cinematic by Scott Holmes / https://scottholmesmusic.com