Based on our movement work, we know that vultures from the Mara spend about five percent of their time in the two Tsavo National Parks. For this reason, I decided that it might be worth exploring the area one more time to get a feel for this unique ecosystem during the dry season as well.

If the Mara is the land of plenty, then Tsavo is the world of giants. Huge red-dusted elephants walk silently upon the dry earth and dig incredible holes in their constant search for water. Beautiful baobabs are scattered around, their fuzzy fruits littering the ground as their impressive trunks and finger-like branches cover the landscape.

Hyraxes can be seen in the many rocky outcroppings and we were lucky to find one climbing a small branch reaching hopefully for some tiny green berries. Pale chanting goshawks were the bird of plenty here though we saw only a handful of vultures.

More from ecomii:

• Learn about the majestic Bald Eagle
• Tips for staying flu-free this winter
• Get the latest info on our favorite endangered fuzzy friends
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• Learn more about the Mountain Gorilla

“. . . on April 22, 1970, Earth Day was held, one of the most
remarkable happenings in the history of democracy. . . ”
-American Heritage Magazine, October 1993

What was the purpose of Earth Day? How did it start? These are the questions I am most frequently asked.

Actually, the idea for Earth Day evolved over a period of seven years starting in 1962. For several years, it had been troubling me that the state of our environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of the country. Finally, in November 1962, an idea occurred to me that was, I thought, a virtual cinch to put the environment into the political “limelight” once and for all. The idea was to persuade President Kennedy to give visibility to this issue by going on a national conservation tour.

I flew to Washington to discuss the proposal with Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who liked the idea. So did the President. The President began his five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in September 1963. For many reasons the tour did not succeed in putting the issue onto the national political agenda. However, it was the germ of the idea that ultimately flowered into Earth Day. …read more of The Origin of Earth Day here

photo: Omani Clownfish. Courtesy of Steve Simpson.

If you ever wanted ideas for a new soap opera, coral reefs would be the place to go.

These colonies of tiny living animals not only provide vital ecological services, such as protecting shorelines, but are also home to some of the most diverse-and strange-creatures on the planet.

Dive a few meters below the surface and you’ll meet a cast of characters that could rival those on Melrose Place. Similar to that fictional locale, the life of coral reef fish centers around sex, or, more accurately, tactics for successful reproduction necessary for the continuation of their species-referred to as “life history strategies.” For some, these strategies go as far as changing gender. …read more of Coral Reef Opera here

 
Paving paradise: Plans are in the works for at least four major highways to traverse the Water Forest. With no integrated strategy, the result is ‘anarchistic urban growth’. Photo Credit: JORGE NEYRA JÁUREGUI

YUCATAN, Mexico – Over 1,500 delegates from all over the world gathered for the 9th World Wilderness Congress held in Merida, Yucatan, in Nov. 2009.

Launched by the WILD Foundation in 1977, the World Wilderness Congress (WCC) is the world’s longest-running, public and international environmental forum.  The Congress meets every three to four years, having been held eight times on five different continents.

The central theme of this year’s WILD9 was Wilderness and Climate Change, which points to the critical role of wilderness as carbon sinks absorbing CO2 emissions.  Research has shown that protecting primary ecosystems such as forests, wetlands and peatlands keeps their carbon stocks intact and avoids carbon emissions from degradation. For instance, after the U.S. and China, the world’s third largest carbon polluter is Indonesia – not because of its energy consumption, but because of its peatland and forest destruction which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. …read more of Mexico’s Grand Water Forest here