In West Papua, a development plan that doesn’t require clearing forest
AYAPOKIAR, Indonesia — Mince and Atafia Momo make light work of the rocky terrain as they press toward higher ground deep in the Tambrauw forest. The pair move with a…
Environmental headlines
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Liberia’s community forestry becoming a front for deforestation: Report
When Liberia emerged from its civil war in 2003, one of the first major acts of its national legislature was to reform the laws that governed logging and forestry in…
Agribusiness harm to Gran Chaco genetic diversity: centuries to heal
Researchers find that the biome, under assault by soy agribusiness, may need 300 to 3,000 years of focused conservation to recover and maintain its genetic diversity.
Indigenous communities in post-FARC Colombia struggle to destigmatize sacred coca leaf
SIERRA NEVADA DE SANTA MARTA, Colombia — Asdrúbal Torres Torres places the thin, opaque leaf between his cheek and gums and begins to chew a sacred plant that has perhaps…
Audio: IUCN’s Inger Andersen: “Women represent 3.5 billion solutions”
On today’s episode, we talk with the Director General of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Inger Andersen. Listen here: Founded in 1948 and headquartered in…
Rhinos or roads? Nepal deals with a tricky balancing act
KUMROJ, Nepal — In March 2016, a team of experts from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) arrived in Nepal's Chitwan National Park. Dispatched at the request of…
New species of leaf-mimicking lizard could already be victim of pet trade
A leaf-tailed gecko can be incredibly tricky to find. These lizards in the genus Uroplatus, found only in the forests of Madagascar, can masterfully camouflage themselves among dried leaves, sometimes…
Saving the forests of the Congo Basin: Q&A with author Meindert Brouwer
It was an ambitious project from the start: to capture the Congo Basin rainforest in the pages of a book. Stretching across an area larger than Saudi Arabia, the world’s…
In Sumatra, a lone elephant leads rescuers on a cat-and-mouse chase
TABIR, Indonesia — Several hours into the search, Karina was still hiding, deep in the undergrowth, far from the road. The mission, led by a team of forest rangers, police…
In Borneo, dwindling forests face further fragmentation as roads spread
JAKARTA — Road projects throughout Indonesian Borneo threaten to fragment a third of the forest habitat currently accessible to the island’s wildlife, according to a new study. Completion of ongoing…
A ‘FitBit for squid’ could help track the ocean’s squishier species
Research on soft-bodied marine invertebrates such as squid and jellyfish has been slow in coming. Squid are keystone taxa and important food sources for myriad larger species, said T. Aran…
Ecuador’s artisans struggle to save wooden toy culture
QUITO, Ecuador – Tucked away in Quito’s historical center, along the narrow sidewalks and colonial architecture, is Jorge Rivadeneira Granda’s workshop. It is the only storefront on the street with…
Tanzania creates new reserve to protect rare colobus monkeys and trees
Tanzania has officially created a new protected area, the Magombera Nature Reserve, extending protection to numerous species of rare plants and animals, including the endangered Udzungwa red colobus monkey (Piliocolobus…
Solomon Islands province bans logging in bid to protect environment
Central Island province in the Solomon Islands has blocked new logging and mining operations in an apparent attempt to halt the degradation of the archipelago’s sensitive ecosystems. “With timber on…
Latam Eco Review: Pirate fishers in the Caribbean and many new reserves created
The recent top stories from Mongabay Latam, our Spanish-language service, include a 'pirate' fishing vessel being welcomed in Panama, news of forestry officials indicted for illegal logging in Peru’s Amazon,…
Madagascar’s next president to take office, bears suspect eco record
Andry Rajoelina is set to be sworn in as president of Madagascar on Jan. 19, following his victory over longtime rival Marc Ravalomanana in the final round of the country’s…
A sociological approach to global biodiversity loss (commentary)
Several years ago, my colleague Richard York and I were sitting outside on a Eugene, Oregon patio discussing Elizabeth Kolbert’s then-new book, The Sixth Extinction, and we came to an…
In other news: Environmental stories from around the web, January 18, 2018
Tropical forests Indonesia’s plans to build thousands of kilometers of roads in New Guinea could endanger the island’s rainforests (Yale e360). Deforestation is dimming the prospects for tourism in a…
New space lasers offer best 3D look at global forests yet
Researchers and forest managers working to record and reduce the rapid loss of forests are now armed with a new tool to monitor vegetation across the globe. In December 2018,…
Why are more female than male Magellanic penguins stranded in South America every year?
Thousands of Magellanic penguins become stranded every year along the coast of South America, from northern Argentina all the way down to southern Brazil, and are unable to make it…
Special series
Endangered environmentalists
- Arson attack in Indonesia leaves activist shaken
- For embattled environmental defenders, a reprieve of sorts in 2018
- 7 convicted of killing Honduran indigenous activist Berta Cáceres
Indonesias forest guardians
- Giant pines a tourist draw, cash cow for Yogyakarta farmers
- In West Papua, a development plan that doesn’t require clearing forest
- Smartphone app helps indigenous communities fight deforestation
Amazon infrastructure
- Bolsonaro government takes aim at Vatican over Amazon meeting
- Amazon at risk: Brazil plans rapid road and rail infrastructure expansion
- New appointments, new policies don’t bode well for Brazilian Amazon
Asian rhinos
- India-Nepal agreement to boost transborder conservation of rhinos, tigers
- Nepal court blocks road construction in rhino stronghold of Chitwan Park
- Conservation couture: Batik artisans make rhinos a fashion statement
