Conservation
Travelling to China to discuss Begonia biodiversity
Thanks to the generous support of the Royal Society of Biology, I was able to attend the 19th International Botanical Congress (IBC) in Shenzhen, China, this July. Held every six years, the IBC is the largest regular gathering of plant scientists, and this year was no different, with a record 7,000 delegates in attendance.
Reversing the decline of the orangutan population
This month we celebrated International Organ-utan day. Organised by World Orang-utan Events, the day looks to promote orang-utan conservation and welfare, as well as inter organization cooperation. There are two species of orang-utan, the Bornean orang-utan, Pongo pygmaeus and the Sumatran orang-utan, Pongo abelii. Both species are critically endangered, their numbers having decreased by 60% … Continue reading
How will environmental policy change post-Brexit?
“To protect nature, we need targets, investment and accountability, not grand promises with zero detail,” said activist lawyer and ClientEarth chief executive James Thornton to BBC News last week. He expressed his disappointment with yet another delay of the publication of a 25 year plan for England’s nature, a draft of which has been seen … Continue reading
Insect invaders and problematic plants: the threats posed by invasive species
By Barney Slater AMRSB, BBSRC PhD student at University of Cambridge and policy intern at the Royal Society of Biology. March 27th – April 2nd was this year’s UK Non-Native Species Secretariat (UNNS) Invasive Species Week. During the week NNSS teamed up with Defra to spread awareness of what invasive species are, which pose a … Continue reading
Podcast: Indian tigers as flagships for conservation
By Rebecca Nesbit MRSB, ecologist and author Before I attended the Biology Week debate on ‘Should we save the panda?‘, I was conflicted. The loss of such an incredible species felt like a tragedy, yet ‘it’s cute and furry’ seemed no reason to allocate scarce conservation funds to its protection. I left the debate with my conflicts … Continue reading
How can we adapt to climate change?
By Barney Slater AMRSB, BBSRC PhD student at University of Cambridge and policy intern at the Royal Society of Biology. Global climate change is an increasing threat for the UK. Research shows an average temperature increase of almost 1⁰C over the last 50 years in the UK, and climate projections predict that this could climb … Continue reading
Seven surprising sunfish facts
By Natasha Phillips, PhD student at Queen’s University Belfast studying the diet & behaviour of ocean sunfish. Last summer Natasha spent two months studying ocean sunfish in Camogli, Italy, with the support of a Travel Grant from the Royal Society of Biology. Grants applications for 2017 are currently open. Over the last two years I have seen hundreds … Continue reading
Survey finds fewer than 300 Scottish wildcats remain in Highlands
By Vicky Burns, Scottish Wildcat Action Vicky previously blogged about Securing the future of Scottish Wildcats, here she updates us on SWA’s monitoring and protection work. Scottish wildcats are our only remaining native cat species, and they perform an important function in a healthy ecosystem. They are also part of our cultural heritage in Scotland, with some clan … Continue reading
What if you shared your food with others?
By Diane Fresquez, an American food science journalist living in Brussels, and the author of ‘A Taste of Molecules: In Search of the Secrets of Flavour’. Diane will be chairing the RSB’s event, Come Dine with the Future, in Cardiff on Wednesday 30th November. From food waste to expanding waistlines, we are experiencing a global food … Continue reading
The fantastic red fox
By Martin Hemmington, National Fox Welfare Society. Read blogs about the other mammals in the #UKMammalPoll and vote for your Favourite UK Mammal. A master of adaptability, survivor against the odds, and an animal that divides opinion across the UK: the red fox has now taken over from the gray wolf as being the most … Continue reading