WILD

Photo of the Week — 9.21.09

Our photo of the week was taken by James Balog, iLCP member and our photographer of the month. This photo was taken in Disko Bay, located off the western coast of Greenland. It shows ice drifting in the North Atlantic Ocean that had broken off of the Greenland Ice Sheet. These ice pieces melt and contribute to the rise of sea level. Balog will be one of the many premier photographers presenting during the WILD9 plenary presentation and also participating in the many events planned by the iLCP for WILD9 (WiLDSpeak). WILD9, the 9th World Wilderness Congress, will convene from 6-13 November, ... Read More

Photo of the Week – 9.14.09

Our photo of the week was taken by James Balog (iLCP member and our photographer of the month). The image is of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The meltwater lakes and streams shown on the glacier, located east of Kangerlussuaq, are believed to be extremely important in understanding how large amounts of ice have disappeared in the past. One of the missions of Balog's current project, the Extreme Ice Survey, is to show the effects of melting glaciers on global sea level. This photo of the partially melted Greenland Ice Sheet is a great representation of the ice that is melting. Balog will be ... Read More

Photographer of the Month – James Balog

Our September photographer of the month is James Balog, who has been opening doors in the field of nature photography for almost 30 years. A member of the International League of Conservation Photographers, Balog is currently pursuing groundbreaking issues with his project the Extreme Ice Survey, a photo documentation of rapidly melting glaciers due to climate change. Traveling around the world to expose different glaciers, Balog is showing the truth in an innovative way. His images have been published in many magazines, including National Geographic, The New Yorker and Vanity Fair. Balog is also a contributing editor to National Geographic Adventure. ... Read More

Photo of the Week – 8.31.09

Our last photo for August, taken by Art Wolfe (iLCP member and our photographer of the month), is of a Mountain Gorilla at Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Mountain Gorillas are a subspecies of the Eastern Gorilla, and are found in four national parks in Central Africa (Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Volcanoes National Park and Virunga National Park) and East Africa (Bwindi Impenetrable National Park). Mountain Gorillas are currently on the IUCN's Red List, listed as "Endangered" (there are only about 700 left in the world). A few of the major threats the Mountain Gorillas face include disease, habitat loss and ... Read More

Psychedelic New Species Discovered!

There have been quite a few species discovered recently! Some of them include a new species of sting ray, an iron breathing microbial species, butterfly species and ten new amphibian species discovered in Colombia! The WILD Foundation's favorite new species is a fish: Histiophryne Psychedelica. Officially discovered off the coast of Indonesia about a year and a half ago, this is a new species of frogfish. Their faces resemble what you could see when looking into a kaleidoscope: white stripes and bright colors (very "psychedelic"!). Their coloring allows them to blend in with surrounding coral in order to hide from ... Read More

Take a “Journey to Planet Earth”

Further exciting news about the oceans! More and more focus in the media is being put towards the understanding and exploration of the ocean. In addition to the new feature allowing us to explore the oceans via Google Earth 5.0, the television program "Journey to Planet Earth" will be airing an episode dedicated to explaining the current conditions of Earth's oceans, entitled "The State of the Planet's Oceans". Featuring the oceans on this show is a great way to inform people about the dangers of pollution as well as ways to make sure the oceans stay clean for the future. Read More

New Hope for the Tasmanian Devil!

New measures are being discussed in order to save the Tasmanian devil from extinction. In an earlier blog, Emily wrote about the possibility of extinction due to a rapidly spreading facial cancer (transferred between devils during fights and/or mating). Fortunately, the devils that live in the northwest part of Tasmania are free of cancer, and scientists would like to keep it that way. The idea is to build a fence that will keep the healthy devils separate from the sick ones. In order for the fence to work, though, it will need to be completed within the next couple of ... Read More

Can an Elephant Text Message?

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a wildlife conservation sanctuary located in Kenya, has been experimenting with technology to help solve an ongoing issue. The elephants are leaving the conservancy, in search of food, and finding it in neighboring farms during the harvest season. The elephants are capable of devouring all of the crops as well as causing significant money loss for the famers. Rangers have been forced to shoot many elephants when they repeatedly raid crops - -not the best solution for the elephants or the farmers! Save the Elephants came up with the idea to use cell phone technology to track ... Read More

The IUCN World Conservation Congress

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is holding the fourth World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain from October 5, 2008 until October 14, 2008.  This conservation event is held every four years and seeks to improve how we, as a world community, manage our environment. There will be over 8,000 people attending the congress this year - representing governments, nonprofits, corporations and much more. The first four days is an international Forum which then leads into a four day Member’s Assembly, both run by IUCN members. The Forum consists of over 800 events, which are open to everyone in order to “discuss, ... Read More

Wildlife Gets An Unexpected Home In Cincinnati

During the Cold War era, the Fernald Preserve was a uranium processing plant. As of August 20, 2008, the site is a wildlife preserve and memorial. There is a visitor’s center at which guests are able to learn about the site’s history through different exhibits. The “green” center has energy saving tools such as light sensors, recycled materials in the building, and high efficiency plumbing. A section of the center is dedicated to the processing plant’s workers - remembering their involvement in the war. At the preserve, visitors are able to walk along nature trails and view different animals in their natural ... Read More