19 h. ago Democratic senators press Trump administration on how it will protect endangered species

Three Democratic U.S. senators are asking the Trump administration to explain how it analyzed a proposed rule to eliminate habitat protections for endangered and threatened species — and whether industry had a hand in drafting it

Politics

1 week ago Lovesick Hornbill finally finds mate at Fife Zoo after search halted by Brexit

Zazu, a rare Von der Decken hornbill, arrived the Cupar zoo as part of an endangered species breeding programme before Brexit and a broken beak thwarted his quest for love.

Politics

2 w. ago UK national parks warn of ‘catastrophic’ risk from wildfires this Easter

Weeks of fires amid warm and dry spell have decimated ecosystems and threatened endangered species, say expertsWildfires expose ‘postcode lottery’ of firefighting resourcesBritain’s national parks have warned of a “catastrophic” risk from wildfires this Easter after one of the driest early spring seasons on record.Park rangers from the South Downs to the Highlands said the prolonged warm weather and breezy conditions had left large areas extremely dry despite recent rain. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Trump administration moves to narrow protections for endangered species

Environmentalists warn new proposal from US wildlife agencies could lead to habitat destruction and extinctionThe Trump administration is planning to narrow protections for endangered species, in a move that environmentalists say would accelerate extinction by opening up critical habitats for development, logging, mining and other uses.The proposal is the latest deregulatory effort by Donald Trump, who has made it a priority to dismantle endangered species protections as part of a broader quest to boost energy extraction and industrial access, even in the US’s most sensitive and vulnerable natural areas. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Trump plan leaves protected species a risk, environmentalists warn

At issue is a longstanding definition of ‘harm’

Events

2 w. ago Proposed rule change on endangered species triggers alarm for environmentalists

The Trump administration plans to rewrite part of the Endangered Species Act that prohibits harming the habitats of endangered and threatened species

Events

3 w. ago Go to town! The surprise feelgood effects of walking in the city

A stroll around historic buildings, cemeteries and winding back streets can lift your spirits just as effectively as communing with nature, according to author Annabel Streets. Let’s put that to the test When I arrange to meet Annabel Streets, the appropriately named author of a new book, The Walking Cure, I’m presented with a challenge. She wants me to choose a London location I am unfamiliar with, so I can experience her ideas about the upsides of urban landscapes. In the book, Streets contemplates the powerful impact walking can have on our mood, thoughts and emotions, and how this can differ according to where and how we walk. While most people are aware of the benefits of walking in nature, Streets makes the case for urban environments, known as “brown spaces” by developers. Surprisingly, churches, convents and cemeteries, all of which are found in cities, often offer a superabundance of wildlife. A study in one Berlin cemetery found 604 species, 10 of which were rare or endang...

Politics

3 w. ago ‘Cities trigger our imagination’: why a walk in town can be just as good for you as a stroll in the countryside

Wandering among historic buildings, cemeteries and winding back streets can lift your spirits as effectively as communing with nature, according to author Annabel Streets. Let’s put that to the test When I arrange to meet Annabel Streets, the appropriately named author of a new book, The Walking Cure, I’m presented with a challenge. She wants me to choose a London location I am unfamiliar with, so I can experience her ideas about the upsides of urban landscapes. In the book, Streets contemplates the powerful impact walking can have on our mood, thoughts and emotions, and how this can differ according to where and how we walk. While most people are aware of the benefits of walking in nature, Streets makes the case for urban environments, known as “brown spaces” by developers. Surprisingly, churches, convents and cemeteries, all of which are found in cities, often offer a superabundance of wildlife. A study in one Berlin cemetery found 604 species, 10 of which were rare or endangered....

Politics

3 w. ago Endangered koalas and the ecologist documenting their extinction – video

Maria Matthes, a lifelong koala conservationist, says loss of habitat and the climate crisis have threatened the endangered species in eastern New South Wales. Almost 2m hectares of forests suitable for koalas have been destroyed since 2011. They are one of more than 2,000 Australian species listed as under threat in what scientists are calling an extinction crisis Continue reading...

Culture

3 w. ago ‘Every year matters’: Queensland’s critically endangered ‘bum

Guardian Australia is highlighting the plight of our endangered native species during an election campaign that is ignoring broken environment laws and rapidly declining ecosystemsExplore the series – Last chance: the extinction crisis being ignored this electionGet Guardian Australia environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as an emailA rare “bum-breathing” turtle found in a single river system in Queensland has suffered one of its worst breeding seasons on record due to flooding last December. It has prompted volunteers to question how many more “bad years” the species can survive.A freshwater species that breathes by absorbing oxygen through gill-like structures in its tail, the Mary River turtle is endemic to south-east Queensland. Its population has fallen by more than 80% since the 1960s and its conservation status was upgraded from endangered to critically endangered last year.Get Guardian Australia environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as an email Contin...

Politics