- There are many important conservation and environmental stories Mongabay isn’t able to cover.
- Here’s a digest of some of the significant developments from the week.
- If you think we’ve missed something, feel free to add it in the comments.
- Mongabay does not vet the news sources below, nor does the inclusion of a story on this list imply an endorsement of its content.
Tropical forests
The leaders of Ghana and Ivory Coast say the two West African nations will work together to stop deforestation for cocoa production (Confectionery News).
The search for sapphires in Madagascar is leveling critical wildlife habitat (National Geographic).
An investigation by BuzzFeed has revealed allegations that WWF funds and supports eco-guards accused of abuse and harassment of local communities (Part 1, Part 2).
Kew Gardens, a U.K.-based botanical research institution, is working with the Forest Stewardship Council to use DNA to identify timber from trees that may have been illegally harvested (The Ecologist).
Beekeepers in the Mexican state of Yucatán are working to save native bee species (Earth).
Scientists are trying a vaccination program to save Ethiopian wolves from extinction (bioGraphic).
Rainforests are quick to grow back, but without the breadth of species they once had (University of Connecticut).
Other news
Scientists have found antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Puget Sound’s seals and porpoises (Hakai Magazine).
Fish farming isn’t saving wild species; it’s likely just making us want more seafood, a new study shows (Hakai Magazine).
The U.S. EPA turned down an offer by NASA to monitor pollution levels from a jet after Hurricane Harvey in 2017 (Los Angeles Times).
Proteins made by squid could help scientists develop a more degradable plastic (New Scientist).
Activists say Europe’s forests could be on the edge of “biodiversity collapse” (The Guardian).
A new plan aims to bring Florida’s Everglades back from the brink of environmental disaster (The Guardian).
Gray wolf numbers continue to rise in the western U.S., prompting officials to suggest removing their protection as an endangered species (The New York Times).
Snow loss in warmer temperatures is changing the sport of sled dog racing in North America (The New York Times).
Spiking temperatures in parts of the ocean are killing fish, researchers say (The New York Times).
A border wall between the U.S. and Mexico in the Sonoran Desert would threaten its jaguars (Sierra Magazine).
The U.S. National Park Service has introduced four new wolves into Isle Royal National Park in Michigan to deal with the rising numbers of moose on the island (Pacific Standard).
A handful of “Lazarus” species still live around the world, despite being written off as extinct (National Geographic).
Climate change lowers marine oxygen to levels that are deadly for some species (Scientific American).
The last mountain caribou in the U.S. state of Idaho is now in captivity (Idaho Statesmen).
A month-long oil spill in the Solomon Islands is damaging a UNESCO World Heritage site (NPR).
Banner image of an Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis citernii) by Charles J Sharp via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0 ).
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