The wildlife-friendly hedge: Country diary 100 years ago
Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 21 April 1917 Surrey, April 19The bush harrow has been at work in the meadows, and light rain, dewing the grass tops, glistens even under the clouds along broad green paths which extend from end to end of the field. The blackbirds have been very active these past […]
World watches as New York zoo streams birth of calf to April the giraffe
Adventure Park uses YouTube to stream eagerly awaited event 1.2 million people watch; calf will be named through a zoo competition A New York zoo’s livestream video of its pregnant giraffe showed her giving birth on Saturday. Related: April the pregnant giraffe: live stream attracts millions – and YouTube censors Continue reading… Source: Guardian Climate […]
Hanging on rather than flourishing … a rare flower
New Forest Clustered around two trees, and shaded by them, is a narrow-leaved lungwort, unreported in the area for nearly 20 years We head into the forest in search of a scarce plant. Nine years ago almost to the day, I chanced upon a single stem of narrow-leaved lungwort (Pulmonaria longifolia), and I want to […]
Three baby koalas stolen from carer's home in Brisbane
The joeys, which require supplemental feeding and medication, are unlikely to survive if released into the wild Police are calling for help from the public in hunting down three koala joeys that were stolen from a house near Brisbane. The three koalas, about 14 months old, were taken from a carer’s house at Ormiston between […]
Hunting the Ghost Fungus: glowing mushrooms in Australia’s forests
Standing in a dark pine forest surrounded by bioluminescent mushrooms is as magical and mysterious as it sounds – and worth the midnight trek into the mountains three hours out of Sydney It’s just before midnight and we’re in the middle of an eerie pine forest in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, dodging […]
Rare baby giraffe takes first steps outdoors – video report
A rare Rothschild’s giraffe, born last week, takes its first steps on Thursday. Narus is already over 6ft (1.8m) at only a week old, but remained under the watchful eyes of his parents Orla and Meru as he explored his enclosure at Chester Zoo. The Rothschild’s species are named after zoologist Lord Walter Rothschild, founder […]
New study shows worrisome signs for Greenland ice | John Abraham
Greenland ice is melting fast, and could potentially cause many meters of sea level rise As humans put more heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide, ice around the planet melts. This melting can be a problem, particularly if the melting ice starts its life on land. That’s because the melt water flows into […]
How the humble fly can help to solve our most gruesome crimes
Flies are often the first visitors to a murder scene. Studying their grisly dining habits can reveal vital clues to help catch the killer Flies are regarded by most people as a nuisance at best, a harbinger of death at worst. They elicit little more than feelings of disgust and many people are happy to […]
Toshiba's US nuclear problems could provide cautionary tale for UK
Experts say construction delays and cost problems at two plants are due to lack of experience and absence of supply chains The roots of Toshiba’s admission this week that it has serious doubts over its “ability to continue as a going concern” can be found near two small US towns. It is the four reactors […]
Firefighting foam spilled at Brisbane airport enters river and kills fish
Anglers warned to avoid area as authorities and Qantas investigate leak of chemicals classified as an ‘emerging contaminant’ A significant spill of firefighting foam at Brisbane airport has contaminated nearby waterways, killing fish and prompting warnings to recreational anglers. About 22,000 litres of the foam leaked in a Qantas hangar on Monday, the Queensland government […]