Conservation

What do Internet memes and Icelandic moss have in common? More than you might think!

In September 2016, Canadian pop star Justin Bieber played two shows in Kópavogur, then shot a video for the song “Cold Water,” a collaboration with American electronic band Major Lazer and Danish musician MØ.

The video shows four dancers jumping and dancing on top of moss-covered boulders in Iceland’s Eldhraun lava field; it provoked widespread controversy in Iceland.

Landvernd, the Icelandic Environment Association, criticized the pop star and his team’s behavior. Snorri Baldursson, head of the association, told Vísir, “This is probably the worst treatment you can imagine for the moss, to jump on it. This type of moss that we have in the Eldhraun lava field is… one of the country’s most sensitive ecosystems.”

It is also strikingly beautiful. The video is gorgeous, and it’s one of a long list of popular films and music videos shot on location in Iceland. Shooting the music video reportedly took around four days and twenty people. The number of Iceland adventure tours it’s inspired? Countless.

A tourist wanders off the designated path to take photos in the moss.

Iceland’s moss and lichen, though, are both fragile essential ecosystems and cultural treasures.

Eldhraun is the largest lava field in Iceland. It formed between 1783 and 1784 when the Laki fissure and the adjoining Grímsvötn volcano erupted. It can be seen from Ring Road 1 before reaching the turning to Fjadrargljufur.

And that’s where Bieber’s Icelandic moss problems started.

“I’ll Show You” in Fjadrargljufur Canyon

The Environment Agency of Iceland closed all public paths to Fjadrargljufur Canyon in 2019 for all but five weeks out of the year after it became clear the fragile canyon was struggling under the strain of its popularity.

Fjadrargljufur Canyon

The primary reason cited for the closure was environmental damage caused by an ever-increasing number of visitors. Visitor numbers to the canyon increased from 150,000 to 282,000 between 2017 and 2018.

While Iceland has many gorgeous natural formations, Fjadrargljufur has become especially popular for multiple reasons:

Its tall, slender canyon walls are sheer, creating beautiful lighting and effects photographers love. Photos were going viral on social media.

The other reason Fjadrargljufur has become so popular? Another Justin Bieber music video,“I’ll Show You,” was filmed there in 2015.

Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, then Iceland’s Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources, confirmed to The Guardian it was “a bit too simplistic to blame the entire situation on Justin Bieber” but urged visitors, especially famous or otherwise influential ones, to consider the consequences of their actions.

“In Justin Bieber’s defense,” Guðbrandsson added, “the canyon did not—at the time he visited—have rope fences and designated paths to show what was allowed and what was not.”

The nature conservation areas Fjadrargljufur Canyon and Skógaheiði at Skógafoss reopened on June 1 with more infrastructure in place to guide visitors and protect the moss.

Skógaheiði at Skógafoss, Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Eddy Savage

Visit South Iceland shared that the Environment Agency of Iceland reopened the sites, requesting all guests to walk only on designed paths and not to step over fences or go into restricted areas with sensitive vegetation or wildlife. The reopening statement included:

“It has been difficult for our rangers to hold the areas closed, and sadly, many people ignore the closures. The areas are very damaged because of too much traffic, too much pressure on nature and a lack of infrastructure to protect the vegetation. Help us protect nature and follow the rules in the nature conservation areas.”

On Nat Hab’s Iceland & Greenland: A Nordic Discovery, you can enjoy an early hike up on the rim of Fjadrargljufur Canyon, a narrow, serpentine gorge contained by 328-foot-high vertical walls covered in bright green moss. Walking along the rim, you can look down into its shadowy depths where the twisting, silver Fjadra River flows and see exactly what drew Bieber to the area.

Icelandic turf sustainable houses

Sustainable Travel Infrastructure to Protect Iceland’s Spectacular Sensitive Ecosystems

Inga Hlin Palsdottir, director of the national tourism agency Visit Iceland, told CNN Travel that it’s not fair to blame overtourism—or music videos, or individual pop stars—for Fjadrargljufur’s closure:

“It’s just a natural wonder that wasn’t meant to be that popular. We need to build a better infrastructure there so we can invite people all year-round. We need paths that can be discovered all year-round. It’s not only because of nature; it’s a safety issue.”

Given Iceland’s spectacular landscapes, it’s a wonder more people haven’t always visited.

Iceland is a geologically young island on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge tectonic plate, which separates the Eurasian and the North American plates. This results in Iceland’s volcanic activity – and fantastic snorkeling and diving in the fissure between the tectonic plates at Silfra.

Large glaciers and gushing glacial rivers and waterfalls sculpt the country, bubbling geothermal pools and spouting geysers entertain visitors. Adding to the mixture there are vast fields of moss, black sand, lava fields, numerous waterfalls, lush wetlands, as well as birch forests and mineral rich springs.

The Icelandic government is committed to protect and secure sustainable use of these spectacular natural assets. Around 25% of the country is under protection in either national parks or protected areas, including Vatnajökull National Park, Surtsey and Thingvellir National park; both are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Thingvellir National park

The Mývatn-Laxá area is a Ramsar wetland of international importance, home to one of the world’s richest populations of breeding aquatic birds. One hundred fifteen species of birds have been recorded in the area, including 28 species of ducks.

Many of Iceland’s natural wonders are only just being discovered – visitor numbers are expected to increase in the coming years.

Nat Hab spoke with Professor Brack Hale, academic director of the Master´s in Coastal and Marine Management at the University Center of the Westfjords in Ísafjörður. He shared a similar perspective on infrastructure development:

“When I first started coming to Iceland in 2010, there were somewhere around 500,000 visitors annually. In 2018, it was 2.2 million, which is a very rapid increase. We’ve nearly exceeded pre-COVID numbers now. And most official foreign visitor numbers do not include cruise ship passengers, which has grown exponentially.

Atlantic puffins nest in colonies on small islands covered in turf. They rely on healthy moss and grass to thrive. Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Anthony Amsel

The speed and scale of the increase in tourism means we do not have the infrastructure to support the number of visitors.

That’s true across the country. It’s what’s going on with the moss, too. The moss is extremely sensitive to people walking on it. A footprint might take 100 years to disappear.”

In early June 2024, Iceland’s population is 377,483 according to the World Population Review. After a dip during the pandemic, visitor numbers returned to 2.2 annually, entering through Keflavík airport alone; that number is expected to reach 2.5 million annual visitors through Iceland’s main airport in the next few years.

When well over six times the number of inhabitants visit an island country to witness its majestic scenery, natural phenomena like Icelandic geysers and hot springs, and its rich local culture, how do we do so responsibly? What’s important to know or do, especially around Iceland’s beautiful and widespread moss?

Discover Icelandic Moss: A Lichen Thriving in the Arctic

First of all, Icelandic moss (Cetraria islandica) is not actually moss but a lichen, which is a symbiotic relationship between fungus and algae. This lichen is characterized by its brown to grayish-white color and its upright, leaf-like thallus that can grow up to 2.75 inches tall. The branches are trough-shaped and fork into flattened lobes with fringed edges. Icelandic moss is found in the mountainous regions of northern countries, including the lava slopes and plains of Iceland, which is how it got its name.

The prevalence of the lichen we call Icelandic moss reflects various environmental factors, such as the climate and the repeated formation of new substrates, particularly lava fields.

In the harsh climates of Iceland, this lichen thrives by clinging to rocks and soil, absorbing moisture and nutrients directly through its surface. It reproduces both sexually, through the formation of spores that are dispersed by the wind, and asexually, by fragmentation, where a piece of the lichen breaks off and grows into a new organism.

Remarkably resilient, Icelandic moss can endure long periods of dryness, rehydrating rapidly with the return of moisture. Its growth is extremely slow, reflecting the challenging conditions it endures.

When the moss is crushed or torn, it loses its ability to photosynthesize efficiently, which is critical for its survival and growth. Additionally, the structure of the moss is delicate, and the pressure from footsteps can compress the soil, reducing aeration and making it harder for the moss to re-establish itself.

Öxarárfoss Waterfall in Thingvellier National Park

Iceland’s Green Mantle: How Moss Shapes the Land of Fire and Ice

Icelandic moss contributes to the ecosystem in several ways:

• Soil Formation and Stability: It helps in the formation of soil from volcanic rock and stabilizes the soil, preventing erosion.
• Water Retention: Mosses retain water and humidity, which is crucial in the harsh Icelandic environment.
• Biodiversity Support: They provide habitat for a variety of microorganisms and invertebrates.
• Food Source: It serves as an important food source for grazing animals like reindeer and caribou.
• Carbon Sequestration: By absorbing carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, mosses help reduce atmospheric CO2 levels.
• Nutrient Cycling: They play a role in nutrient cycling by breaking down organic material and returning nutrients to the soil.
• Indicator Species: Mosses can indicate the health of an ecosystem, as they are sensitive to environmental changes.
• Climate Regulation: Through their water retention and carbon sequestration abilities, mosses contribute to climate regulation.

These contributions are essential for maintaining the delicate balance of Iceland’s ecosystems, and they underscore the importance of preserving these unique organisms. Visitors should be mindful of the moss’s role and ensure their activities do not disrupt this balance.

© Andrew Ackerman

Watch Where You Walk: How to Preserve Iceland’s Mossy Terrain

How will we preserve and respect the fragile wetland, woodland and mossy ecosystems of Iceland? Specific guidelines for hiking near Icelandic moss to ensure its protection on your Iceland Nature Adventure:

• Stay on Designated Paths: Always hike on marked trails to avoid damaging the moss, which is very fragile and slow to recover.
• Do Not Touch or Walk on the Moss: Moss is incredibly sensitive and can be easily damaged by human touch. Look and take photos, but do not touch.
• Respect Closures: Adhere to any specific rules or closures in the area you are hiking. These are in place to protect the moss and other natural features. Areas may be temporarily closed to restore the natural landscape.
• Educate Yourself: Before hiking, learn about the local ecosystem, conservation measures and land management practices to better understand, appreciate and help preserve it.
• Leave No Trace: Practice Leave No Trace principles to minimize your impact on the environment.
• Make Sure You’re Properly Equipped, Professor Hale added:

“In some parts of Iceland, you can’t expect any services, and the weather can change very quickly. It could be a sunny day and feel like it’s 55°F degrees outside, then all of a sudden, it’s snowing, and you can’t see anything. Be prepared for all conditions. Assume you need a backpack with layers and food and water.”

By following these guidelines, hikers can enjoy Iceland’s stunning landscapes while also contributing to the conservation of its delicate and crucial uniquely mossy ecosystems and culture.

The Icelandic Institute for Natural History compiles Red Lists for species threatened or at risk of extinction.  Those lists include 67 species of lichen, 74 moss species, and 56 vascular plants. Assessment of lichens on the Red List has not been revised since 1996, as data on the distribution of most species is lacking. Icelandic authorities note that it is forbidden to break offshoots, leaves, flowers, or roots of these protected species, to step on them, to dig them up, or to otherwise compromise these plants.

Efforts to protect Icelandic moss are crucial, not only for the preservation of natural ecosystems but also for the cultural and economic value they represent. Education on the importance of this lichen and the establishment of guidelines for responsible tourism are key to ensuring that Icelandic moss continues to thrive for generations to come.

The post Icelandic Moss & Internet Memes: How to Protect Iceland’s Fragile Ecosystem first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

A new study co-authored by World Wildlife Fund, Ecoexist, and Elephant Connection, reveals the largest ever GPS tracking database of elephant movement across Southern Africa.

Published September 9, 2024, in the Journal of Applied Ecology, the analysis is based on approximately 4 million GPS locations logged from nearly 300 tagged elephants and their associated herds traveling throughout the world’s largest land-based transboundary conservation area, the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), between 2009 and 2023.

What is KAZA?

In 2011, Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe committed to collectively manage a valuable and biodiverse 106 million-acre, or 200,000 square mile region, nearly the size of France, allowing the movement of wildlife across international boundaries between protected areas, to improve dispersal opportunities and increase their chance of survival.

The Zambezi, Kwando, and Okavango rivers flow through the region. Woodlands, wetlands and grasslands provide critical habitat for lions, wild dogs, and the planet’s largest population of savanna elephants.

At the heart of the KAZA vision is the premise that conservation of the region’s rich natural resources can be the economic driver of a region, resulting in thriving landscapes where wildlife and communities coexist.

These countries converge in the Kavango and Zambezi river basins, creating a vast conservation and ecotourism destination. KAZA includes several national parks and natural wonders like the Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls.

Chobe River, Chobe National Park, Botswana

What are the benefits of large-scale transboundary collaboration?

Transboundary collaboration and the creation of wildlife corridors like KAZA offer numerous conservation benefits:

• Enhanced Biodiversity Conservation: By pooling resources and coordinating efforts, countries can more effectively protect and manage biodiversity. KAZA is dedicated to conserving a wide range of species, including the world’s largest population of savanna elephants and significant populations of lions, wild dogs, and cheetahs. This is particularly important for migratory species that move across national borders.
• Landscape Connectivity: Wildlife corridors facilitate the movement of species, crucial for maintaining genetic diversity, enabling seasonal migrations, and allowing animals to adapt to climate change by moving to more suitable habitats.
  KAZA provides critical habitat that allows wildlife to move across borders and between protected areas, which is essential for maintaining genetic diversity and ecosystem health.
  On this topic, I always think of Jane Goodall’s film, The Hope. In the period where she’s describing her transition from researcher in the bush to activist and public advocate for chimpanzees, she says, “One of the biggest problems today in conservation is the fragmentation of habitat. Populations isolated from other populations need to be genetically viable. Corridors allow connectivity. Local communities see value of it to their own future (water, education, etc.)”
• Ecosystem Functioning: Transboundary conservation areas (TBCAs) support ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling, water flow, and species dispersal, which are essential for the health of the environment.
• Political and Social Cooperation: Establishing TBCAs can strengthen relationships between neighboring countries and communities, fostering peace and cooperation through a shared commitment to conservation.
• Expanded Protected Areas: Transboundary conservation can lead to the expansion of protected areas, which is vital for the long-term survival of many species and the reduction of habitat fragmentation.
• Sustainable Development: These initiatives often promote sustainable economic development by integrating conservation with other land uses, such as ecotourism, which can provide income for local communities while preserving natural resources.
  KAZA’s woodlands, wetlands, rivers, and grasslands support not only wildlife but also the local communities that depend on these ecosystems for their livelihoods.
• Research Opportunities: Scientists benefit from the larger, more diverse landscapes of TBCAs, which provide greater opportunities for research and monitoring of ecological processes and wildlife populations. That’s exactly what’s happened in the case of this WWF study.
• Climate Resilience: By maintaining larger, connected ecosystems, TBCAs can enhance the resilience of natural systems to withstand and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Transboundary collaboration in conservation leads to more effective environmental stewardship, promotes peace and cooperation, and supports sustainable development, all while providing critical habitats for a wide range of species.

Why map wildlife movement?

WWF author Callie Cho explains, “Mapping current migration patterns is a crucial first step toward creating effective conservation strategies and protecting these critical animal movements.”

In the same week that the KAZA elephant study was released, WWF shared a new global digital atlas of Earth’s zebra and other ungulate populations—The Global Initiative for Ungulate Migration (GIUM). The maps showcase the movements of various species, including Tibetan antelope, reindeer, and guanaco.

From wildebeest in the Serengeti to caribou in the Arctic tundra and zebra in Namibia, ungulates across the globe complete some of the animal kingdom’s most impressive land-based migrations.

Ungulate migrations play a crucial role in shaping ecosystems:

• supporting large, healthy herds
• providing essential prey for predators and scavengers,
• helping to sustain biodiversity on land, and
• creating unique conditions that support diverse plants and animals.

For thousands of years, these migrations have been vital to human survival, creating deep cultural connections with Indigenous and local communities. But ungulate migrations are disappearing rapidly.

Despite their importance, ungulate migrations are in peril due to human activity. Poorly planned infrastructure (roads, fences), agriculture, and settlements fragment landscapes and create deadly obstacles for migrating herds.

Limited mapping of migrations has hampered ungulate migration management and conservation. By combining animal tracking data, historical records, and the knowledge of local and Indigenous communities, scientists are building a global migration atlas—a powerful tool for driving conservation efforts and informing policy at all levels.

The Global Initiative for Ungulate Migration (GIUM) was launched in 2020, uniting over 80 scientists worldwide to map and analyze ungulate movements. Their efforts culminated in this interactive atlas which highlights high, medium, and low-use migration corridors for a diverse range of species.

Crucially, the map pinpoints where these routes intersect with human-made barriers like roads and railways to guide conservation efforts, infrastructure planning, and policy decisions with cutting-edge data on ungulate travel patterns.

Where did the KAZA elephants go?

Extensive elephant GPS data can provide much the same guidance in and around KAZA. It turns out elephants rely on multiple methods to move around the region.

The data showed that in KAZA elephants use:

• micro-corridors,
• protected area pathways and
• macro-corridors to move across the transborder landscape.

These corridors and pathways are essential for elephants and other species to access water and avoid direct contact with human settlements. Now we have a map for them.

The main breakthrough of the study, though, may be in the new way—or scale—of seeing and mapping movement.

WWF Lead Wildlife Scientist and primary author Robin Naidoo said:

Our study has provided a first of its kind movement-based conservation blueprint for elephants in KAZA. A key aspect of conservation is understanding and securing landscape connectivity. However, small sample sizes have prevented researchers and policymakers from developing comprehensive connectivity conservation plans based on animal movements in the KAZA region, until now.

The Scale is Unprecedented – New Ways of Seeing

What both the elephant GPS data and GIUM database have in common—in addition to a lead author—is the use of new data measurement and management tools to envision wildlife movements on a an unprecedented scale.

Recently at the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, on a couple different panels, conservationists, explorers and filmmakers boldly proclaimed that we are living in a Great Age of Discovery and Exploration.

It might seem counterintuitive in this day and age. I’ll confess: I was skeptical.

They were referring, though, to the transformative impact new technologies, (especially advances in visual imaging, but also DNA sequencing, machine learning and artificial intelligence) are having on exploration and conservation. New technologies are revolutionizing the ways we see, understand and share the world.

These two studies mapping migrations exemplify this new age of discovery. New ways of seeing, tracking, and managing data allow us to “see” wildlife migrations—and collaborate and share the results with others in a way that makes a positive difference.

Photographed on Nat Hab’s Secluded Botswana Safari © Joey Sudmeier

Want to see KAZA for yourself?

Whether you’re planning a family safari, a custom safari for your own group, looking for a photo expedition, we’ve got you covered in the KAZA! Nat Hab offers river cruises as well as overland safaris in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Check out all of our African safaris here.

Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Richard de Gouveia

The post 4 Million GPS Data Points: WWF Study Reveals Elephant Migration Corridors first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

Forests are vital to all life on Earth. They filter the water we drink and the air we breathe. They provide essential medicines, food, and fuel for billions of people, including Indigenous peoples who call forests home. They also provide habitat for most of the world’s life on land. And forests provide the materials for products we use every day—such as paper in schools and offices; furniture and flooring in houses; musical instruments; rayon fabric in clothes; and even natural rubber in car tires.

But many people don’t realize the choices they make about which forest products to buy matter. In fact, these decisions can make a real difference in keeping some of the world’s most important forests thriving—at home and abroad—for nature, local communities, and our global climate.

Importance of Forest Products 

The forest sector contributed more than US$1.52 trillion to the world’s national economies in 2015, generating significant revenues for countries and companies—as well as communities. The global pulp and paper industry is one of the largest industrial sectors in the world. This sector accounts for 13%–15% of total wood consumption and uses between 33%–40% of all industrial wood traded globally. Some common pulp and paper products include office and catalog paper, glossy paper, tissue, and paper-based packaging. The United States is the second-largest paper producer and consumer country in the world after China.

© Theodore Kaye / WWF-China

Other key forest products sectors include wood products used for construction lumber, furniture, flooring, and decking; products that come from trees, like natural rubber; and other uses of wood such as pellets for bioenergy.

Unfortunately, some forest products operations have had devastating impacts on the world’s most ecologically important places and species. Illegal and unsustainable logging and conversion of forests for fast-growing timber plantations have destroyed high conservation value forests around the globe, impacting water quantity and quality and causing significant human rights violations and social conflicts. These issues are particularly severe in regions with a history of poor forest governance, including the Congo Basin, the Amazon, the Greater Mekong, Borneo and Sumatra, and the Russian Far East.

Deforestation and forest degradation contribute up to 15% of carbon emissions globally, and their climate impacts can be particularly serious in regions with deep peatlands, such as Sumatra. Peat soils store tremendous amounts of carbon that are released into the atmosphere when natural forests are converted for commodities like pulp and rubber.

© Andre Dib / WWF-Brazil

Given the global nature of the forest products trade, illegal and unsustainably sourced forest products from these regions can reach markets—and unsuspecting customers—all over the world. Even in countries with relatively better forest laws and law enforcement, there are still instances of timber theft and unsustainable practices that make forests more vulnerable to stresses like wildfires, disease, and invasive species.

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The good news is that when forests are managed in a socially and environmentally responsible way, it can bring many benefits to local economies while safeguarding biodiversity and natural resources like water; mitigating the effects of climate change; and promoting social values. An increasing number of forest managers and forest products companies recognize the business and brand value of employing responsible forestry and plantation management practices by implementing the rigorous standards of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®). 

US consumers can also play a key role in supporting responsible forestry by choosing products that are recycled or made with virgin fiber that is FSC certified. (You can find products certified to the FSC standard here). 

© Isaac VEGA / WWF-Spain

What WWF Is Doing to Support Forests 

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) works through its Forests Forward program to engage with companies and other stakeholders around the globe to deliver effective nature-based strategies for forests that help achieve their business and sustainability goals. 

Forests Forward combines the successes and learnings of WWF’s decades of engagement with companies through its Global Forest & Trade Network while harnessing business interest in advancing nature-based solutions to deliver meaningful, long-term benefits for nature, climate, and people.  

These efforts demonstrate the immense need for us all to think about how our everyday actions have consequences for the environment and the species (including humans) that call our planet home. The results are clear: Market demand in the US for responsibly sourced forest products can influence and improve forest management practices all over the world. Working together, we can all be part of the solution and make a positive impact on communities and habitats—around the corner and the globe.

What Can You Do? 

In addition to buying FSC-certified and recycled products, there are lots of ways consumers can help protect forests. This includes recycling paper and paper-based packaging, printing double-sided, shopping for used furniture, and getting involved with organizations working to protect forests around the globe. And if you live in the US, you can ask your congressional representatives to support the FOREST Act by going to our website worldwildlife.org and clicking “Take Action” at the bottom of the page. By doing so, you can help prevent illegally deforested products from entering US markets.

By Linda Walker, senior director of corporate engagement for forests at World Wildlife Fund

The post How Consumers Can Keep Forests Thriving first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

Andrea Norgren, Senior Manager of Communications, at the WWF Global Arctic Programme, traveled to Greenland, with Natural Habitat Adventures at the beginning of August 2024.  

© Jeff Lawrence / Nat Hab

My trip in August to southeastern Greenland was an eye-opening experience, filled with stark contrasts that showcased the beauty and fragility of this remote region.  

Southeastern Greenland, including the Sermilik Fjord where we were for many days, is a dramatic testament to the Earth’s past. The mountains that rise sharply from the ocean are primarily composed of Precambrian gneiss and granite, some of the oldest rocks on the planet, dating back over three billion years. It was humbling to stand among these ancient formations, shaped by tectonic forces and carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age. 

© Malene Lynge / WWF-Denmark

The banded gneiss and solidified granite reveal a history shaped by immense pressure and time. Both are rocks that had once been molten, now solid and unmoving, set against the ever-changing ice and water that surrounded them. 

Finding serenity amidst the wilderness 

Each morning at Nat Hab’s Base Camp Greenland, an expedition lodge with tent cabins located on the east side of Sermilik Fjord, our small group would gather on the rocks, following the lead of a fellow traveler and new friend who guided us through yoga poses. The setting was surreal—and I was calm and focused, breathing in one of the planet’s most remote and untouched landscapes.  

Over the five days while we were at the Base Camp, we hiked in the mountains surrounding the Sermilik Fjord many times. We were rewarded with sweeping views of the fjord, where jagged mountains and vast expanses of ice stretch as far as the eye could see. We also kayaked among towering icebergs that felt almost alive, groaning and shifting as they interacted with the water and wind.  

© Malene Lynge / WWF-Denmark

Amidst it all, there was always laughter—a sense of connection and warmth between this incredible group of fellow travelers witnessing together the magic of this remote area of the Arctic. 

Taking in the natural beauty 

At first glance, this part of southeastern Greenland appears almost devoid of life. The vast expanses of ice and rock seem inhospitable, and wildlife sightings were rare. But as I spent more time in this stark environment, I began to notice the subtle signs of a rich biodiversity. The ground beneath my feet was often cushioned by lichen and moss, resilient organisms that thrive in the harshest conditions. Wildflowers, small but vibrant, dotted the landscape, adding unexpected splashes of color. 

© Anthony Amsel / Nat Hab

There were also more birds than I initially realized. Gulls, ravens, and snow buntings brought sound and movement to the otherwise quiet backdrop. But the true stars of the show, for me, were the whales. On our boat trip from Tasiilaq to our camp near Sermilik Fjord, we were treated to the sight of many humpbacks. Watching these majestic creatures surface and feed, often near the towering icebergs, was a reminder of the interconnectedness of all life in this fragile ecosystem. 

One of the most surprising aspects of southeastern Greenland was the sound. Despite its remoteness, the region is far from silent. The ice, which dominates the landscape, has a life—and a voice—of its own. Although we didn’t see any dramatic ice-calving events, the icebergs were constantly cracking, shifting, and even flipping over, creating sounds that echoed across the fjord.  

Facing an uncertain future  

Our visit to local towns, such as Tasiilaq and the tiny village of Tinit gave us a glimpse into the lives of the communities that have lived and survived in this harsh environment for generations. Their way of life is closely tied to the natural world, but that is changing. Traditional hunting and fishing practices are being disrupted as the people who call Greenland home must adapt to an increasingly unpredictable climate.  

© Anthony Amsel / Nat Hab

Despite the hardships, there was a warmth and friendliness among the people we met—a resilience that has developed through generations of living in one of the most challenging environments on Earth. Yet, there was also a palpable sense of uncertainty about the future. 

The Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average and the effects are visible everywhere. Summer sea ice is shrinking rapidly and the icebergs we saw are calving at an unprecedented rate. The Greenland ice sheet is losing mass at an alarming pace, which is contributing to global sea level rise.  

My journey to southeastern Greenland was one of profound contrasts.  The beauty of this remote and rugged land is undeniable, but so is its fragility. The choices we make now will determine the future of places like southeastern Greenland—and the people and wildlife who depend on it. And while the contrasts I experienced on this journey will stay with me forever, so will the urgent need to protect the Arctic from the devastating effects of climate change.  

© Anthony Amsel / Nat Hab

The post Southeastern Greenland: A Land of Contrasts first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

According to World Wildlife Fund, Asian elephants are the largest land mammals on the Asian continent. They inhabit forests and grasslands in 13 countries across Southeast Asia. While they have preferred foods, the animals have adapted to surviving on resources that vary based on their environments.

There are many types of intelligence in the animal kingdom, and it seems that almost every day, we learn something more about them. Of course, it’s hard to separate what we call “intelligence” from our own, human bias, but we do now know that many animals have beliefs, can count, are able to use tools, and hold funerals and mourn their dead.

Now, a new study has documented the abilities of wild Asian elephants to access food by solving puzzles that unlock storage boxes. It’s the first scientific investigation to show that individual, wild elephants have different skills and levels of enthusiasm for using problem-solving to get food.

Such alacrity in wild animals is going to be needed, because the human impacts leading to reductions in the habitat ranges of several land-based mammal species have been well documented in the recent past. Climate change has only accelerated this decline. Assessing the effects of such changes on wildlife over the long term, however, has been difficult due to the lack of historical records. Recently, though, a new study examining habitats across centuries—using data on Asian elephants—has shed light on the urgent need for sustainable conservation and land-use strategies to avoid dangers for both human and wildlife communities.

More than two-thirds of an Asian elephant’s day may be spent feeding on grasses, tree bark, leaves, roots and small stems. But cultivated crops, such as bananas, rice and sugarcane, are favorites. A new study even shows some elephants accessing food by solving puzzles that unlock storage boxes.

The unparalleled puzzle-solving skills of wild Asian elephants

Individual innovation is considered one sign of intelligence within species, and elephants are among the animals that researchers have long taken an interest in because of their sophisticated approach to problem-solving. That was demonstrated recently in a first-of-its-kind study that shows that individual wild elephants have different gradients of acumen when presented with a food-access challenge. The study’s findings were published in the scientific journal Animal Behaviour in November 2023.

Conducted at the Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, the six-month-long study used motion-activated cameras to observe 77 wild Asian elephants who approached and then decided whether to attempt to open puzzle boxes with three differently configured compartments that contained highly aromatic jackfruit. Depending on the compartment with which the elephant interacted, the jackfruit could be accessed by pulling on a chain so that the door opened toward the elephant, pushing the door so that it swung open into the box, or sliding the door open to the right. The elephants had to independently engage with the puzzle boxes to discover how the compartments could be opened.

Over time, 44 of the elephants who approached the puzzle boxes inspected them, but there were individual differences in how innovative the elephants were. The researchers found that elephants who interacted with the puzzle boxes more frequently and with greater persistence were more successful in retrieving food from all three differently configured compartments.

The biggest threat to Asian elephants is habitat loss and fragmentation. Asia is the most populous continent on Earth, and development and economic growth have led to encroachment into elephant habitats. World Wildlife Fund says about 70% of Asian elephants now live outside of protected areas.

Overall, 11 elephants solved one compartment type, and eight solved two compartment types. Five elephants solved all three types, making them what we would regard as the most innovative.

With human-elephant conflict increasing due to loss of natural habitats and agricultural encroachment into what is left of them, exploring innovation and problem-solving in elephants could help us further understand wild elephant cognitive flexibility and its potential impact on conservation management and conflict mitigation. This is important knowledge, because how animals think and innovate may influence their ability to survive in environments that are rapidly changing due to our presence.

The drastic decline of wild Asian elephant ecosystems

Not only are Asian elephants’ environments in flux, but they’re also indicators of how land uses have changed over hundreds of years.

Growing human settlements, farming, industry and linear infrastructure (irrigation canals, railway lines and roads) have squeezed elephant populations into smaller pockets of forest and blocked traditional migratory routes. Suitable elephant habitats have been cut by two-thirds in the past 300 years.

The largest living land animal in Asia, endangered Asian elephants once inhabited grasslands and rainforests that spanned the breadth of the continent. But by analyzing land-use data from the years 850 to 2015, an international scientific team led by University of California San Diego researchers estimates that more than 64% of historic suitable elephant habitat across Asia has been lost. While elephant habitats remained relatively stable prior to the 1700s, colonial-era land-use practices in Asia—including agriculture, farming and timber extraction—cut the average elephant habitat patch size more than 80%, from 38,224 to 6,177 square miles.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports in April 2023, also suggests that the remaining elephant populations today may not have adequate habitat space. While 100% of the area within 62 miles of the current elephant range was considered suitable habitat in 1700, by 2015 the proportion had declined to less than 50%. This sets up a high potential for conflicts with people living in those locales as elephant populations alter their behavior and adjust to more human-dominated areas.

Using information from the Land-Use Harmonization (LUH) dataset, produced by researchers at the University of Maryland, the researchers created historical reconstructions of various types of land uses—including crops, forests and pastures—that reach back to the ninth century. Pairing present-day locations where elephants are known to live with the corresponding environmental features based on the LUH datasets, they were able to infer where similar habitats existed in the past.

More than 1,158,306 square miles of the Asian elephant’s historic habitat range has been lost in just three centuries. They included lands under traditional systems of management that were altered within the past three centuries, and the loss of these traditional practices may be a major reason behind the loss of elephant habitat. The authors argue that whatever the reasons, this dramatic decline may underlie present-day conflicts between elephants and people.

Important cultural icons in Asia, elephants have had close associations with humans over many centuries. In one Hindu myth, gods and demons churned the oceans in a search for the elixir of life that would make them immortal. As they did so, nine jewels surfaced, one of which was the elephant.

The scientists chose Asian elephant environments for their study because they are a good gauge for looking at the impact of land-use changes on diverse ecosystems over a long timescale. But beyond the immediate impact on the elephants, the results offer a mechanism to assess land-use practices and much-needed conservation strategies for all the area’s inhabitants as we head into the future. They add that any attempts at Asian elephant habitat restoration should be guided by a reckoning of environmental and social justice for historically marginalized communities.

The compelling communications of wild Asian elephants

Elephants communicate over long distances using low-pitched sounds that are barely audible to humans. These powerful, infrasonic rumbles contain specific messages that can be heard and understood by other elephants more than two miles away. In fact, it’s been found that African elephants can detect rumbling in the ground with sensory cells in their feet. The vibrations travel through their bodies to their inner ears. It’s speculated that elephants use these vibrations to converse with each other over even longer distances. Scientists believe such abilities are essential for elephant survival.

I think it’s also imperative that we “hear” the elephants, that we use our intelligence to comprehend their call for adequate living space, and that we recognize the earthshaking truths that are rumbling right under our feet.

Here’s to finding your true places and natural habitats,

Candy

See Asian elephants in the wild on Nat Hab’s Grand India Wildlife Adventure! 

The post Intelligent Asian Elephants and Their Ebbing Environments first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

Roaring back may be an overstatement, but the number of tigers living in the wild is on the rise, and that is cause for optimism.

The largest of all the big cats, nine tiger subspecies once roamed throughout central, eastern and southern Asia. In the past one hundred years, tigers have lost around 94% of their historical range and now live in scattered populations in 13 countries, from India to Southeast Asia, in Sumatra, China and the Russian Far East. Caspian, Javan and Bali Tigers are extinct; of the remaining six subspecies, the South China Tiger has not been observed for many years.

Feline Factcheck: Current State of Tiger Conservation

Tigers are currently listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. In 2010, the wild tiger population was at an all-time low of about 3,200 individuals worldwide. However, by 2022, the population estimate from the Global Tiger Forum was about 5,574 wild tigers—a 74% increase driven by a multilateral conservation agreement by tiger range countries and partners like WWF.

This is a stark contrast to the 100,000 tigers that roamed the Earth at the start of the 20th century. The drastic decline in tiger numbers is primarily due to habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict.

Recovery has been remarkably uneven, with South Asia accounting for the vast majority of the increase. That’s especially impressive given that it is one of the most densely populated regions in the world.

India, Nepal, and Bhutan have seen significant successes in stabilizing and even increasing their tiger populations through rigorous conservation efforts. These efforts include anti-poaching patrols, habitat restoration, and the establishment of protected areas and wildlife corridors.

Photographed by Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Surya Ramachandran

Community-led Tiger Conservation

In its 2022 Living with Tigers: How to Manage Coexistence for the Benefit of Tigers and People report, WWF emphasizes the importance of involving local communities in conservation efforts. It’s a complex interplay of economic, demographic and environmental factors that shape tiger conservation. Agriculture, transport and urbanization are treacherous for tigers; tigers can be treacherous to people and their livestock and livelihoods.

In 2020 nearly 47 million people lived within the boundaries of the tiger range, and an additional 85 million people within 10km of those landscapes. These human populations are also shown to be on the rise; up 7.5 percent in tiger landscapes since 2015 alone and projected to continue growing into the foreseeable future.

The survival of tigers in the wild depends to a large extent on the degree to which people living in the area will tolerate their presence. In areas where tigers are found, community-based initiatives have proven to be effective, especially when they help to increase the general level of education and economic opportunity. Community initiatives often include education programs about the importance and value of tigers, compensation schemes for livestock losses, and the development of sustainable livelihoods that do not rely on forest resources, including ecotourism or tiger-related conservation travel.

By 2050, three of the top four economies in the world are likely to be countries with tigers. China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh’s economies are all projected to continue growing rapidly. The impacts of this growth on tiger conservation are hard to predict; rural depopulation could result in increased tiger habitat.

If conservation and development are sustainable and equitable, there could be opportunities to both expand habitat and fund development that could support local communities, including a focus on wildlife corridors to ensure viable wild tiger populations.

Nepal and India’s Khata Corridor (Khata Forest Conservation Area) is a study in addressing habitat fragmentation and destruction. Expanding and connecting protected areas, including Bardia National Park in Nepal and the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in India, ensuring they are effectively managed and working with local communities living in and around tiger habitats, are critical to protecting the species.

In Nepal, increasing numbers of people are adapting by earning conservation-related degrees or working in wildlife and conservation travel. Nepal’s is a tiger success story, with numbers nearly tripling from 121 in 2009 to 355 in 2022.

Tech Tools in Tiger Conservation

2022 was the Year of the Tiger, and an IUCN tiger population assessment offered some hope for the critically endangered species – up 40% from 2015, but much of the reported increase is actually due to improvements in monitoring.

“A fairly significant chunk of that 40% increase is explained by the fact that we’re better at counting them, that many governments in particular have really sort of moved heaven and Earth to do massive scale surveys,” Luke Hunter, executive director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) big cat program, told NPR in a 2022 interview.

• Camera Traps

The use of camera traps equipped with motion sensors has become a common method for capturing images or videos of tigers in their natural habitats1. These devices are strategically placed in tiger habitats, and when an animal passes by, the camera is triggered and captures images or videos. Researchers can identify individual tigers from these based on their unique stripe patterns.

• Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture

Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture (SECR), a statistical modeling approach, is used to estimate population density more accurately. This approach combines camera trap data with spatial information, considering the spatial distribution of individual tigers within the study area. SECR studies in India demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology in providing more accurate estimates of tiger populations, contributing to better informed conservation efforts.

• Satellite Mapping

Satellite technology is being used to track and map tiger habitats, offering new insights for tiger conservation organizations. Using Google Earth Engine and NASA Earth observations to monitor changes in tiger habitat, scientists aid conservation efforts in near-real time. Data from the VIIRS and MODIS sensors and on Landsat satellites maps “empty forests” near where tigers are known to have lived recently as well as habitat potentially suitable but where tiger residence is unknown. These areas are potential landscapes for tiger restoration and targets for further protection and wildlife corridor development to prevent further fragmentation of tiger populations.

• AI

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has also been a game-changer in wildlife conservation. For instance, AI-powered cryptic cameras have been used to detect wild tigers and their prey, transmitting images to the cell phones and computers of park managers in real time. This advancement represents a significant step forward in real-time monitoring and conservation efforts for rangers.

These and other new technologies play a significant role in developing tiger conservation strategies, providing critical data that helps conservationists at local, national and international levels make informed decisions about habitat management and wildlife conservation.

Photographed by Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Aditya Panda

Thrilling Tiger Encounters: Tiger Conservation Travel

Conservation travel has emerged as a powerful tool in the fight to save tigers. By creating economic incentives for conservation, ecotourism helps ensure that local communities see the value in protecting these majestic animals.

One of the most remarkable stories of tiger conservation success comes from India, home to approximately 70% of the world’s wild tigers. Today, the country boasts numerous tiger reserves where these big cats thrive.

If witnessing a tiger in its natural habitat is on your bucket list, do we have the trip for you…our most tiger-intensive itinerary is the India Tiger Quest, specially designed to maximize your odds of witnessing Bengal tigers in their natural habitat.

Ranthambore National Park in southeast Rajasthan is India’s premier tiger safari destination. It’s warmer, but that means tigers head out of the dry underbrush to quench their thirst at least twice a day—and that is when we go in search of them!

These trips are strategically timed for early summer when visitors are fewer and tigers less elusive. With just two travelers per open safari vehicle, our presence is understated, and the views unimpeded.

Ranthambore is home to more than its famous tigers, too: it’s a veritable Jungle Book of creatures, with chances to spy sloth bears, caracals, jackals, striped hyenas, desert foxes, mongoose and more.

For photographers seeking coveted tiger shots and plenty more wildlife, Nat Hab’s India Tiger Photo Expedition is designed to facilitate the best, most in-depth opportunities to photograph tigers and other wildlife at an excellent time of year for sightings.

Finally, The Grand India Wildlife Adventure is a more comprehensive India itinerary that offers excellent opportunities to spot Bengal tigers, plus a host of other wildlife, on visits to three different national parks. Two of the parks—Bandhavgarh National Park and Kanha National Park – are home to some of India’s most concentrated tiger populations and are more remote, with fewer tourists than some of the country’s other tiger destinations. The wide-ranging itinerary also includes a visit to Kaziranga National Park for rhinoceros viewing.

Tiger Trials: Challenges in Tiger Conservation

Despite the successes, the road to secure a future for tigers is fraught with challenges. Habitat fragmentation remains a significant threat, as does human-wildlife conflict. WWF’s Living with Tigers report outlines several key strategies that are essential for the continued recovery of tiger populations:

• Strengthening Protected Areas: Ensuring that tiger reserves are adequately protected and managed.
• Expanding Wildlife Habitat Corridors: Connecting fragmented habitats to allow tigers to move freely and safely.
• Enhancing Anti-Poaching Efforts: Increasing the resources and technology available to combat poaching.
• Promoting Sustainable Development: Encouraging practices that reduce human impact on tiger habitats.

Dale Miquelle, WCS Tiger Program Coordinator, has said:

“We recognize that this progress is fragile – we are still losing tigers from many areas while they are increasing in others. Poaching is still a huge issue, trade and demand are huge issues, and habitat loss continues to be a problem. We also know that saving tigers goes a long way to addressing many of the environmental problems of Asia, from buffering the impacts of climate change to reducing the potential for zoonotic outbreaks. Not just the wildlife, but the people of Asia will be better off when we are protecting large blocks of forests, as those habitats provide a host of ecosystem services to the people surrounding them as well.”

The commitment and concerted action of international conservation organizations, national governments, and local communities is crucial in implementing these strategies.

Tiger population recovery shows us that solving complex conservation challenges is possible and within our reach. Many tiger populations appear to be stable or increasing.

“We need to learn from these conservation successes, share them with the public, and increase our investment in evidence-based conservation action,” said Dr. Jon Paul Rodríguez, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission.

Photographed by Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Vedant Thite

The post Roaring Back: Triumphs and Challenges in Tiger Conservation first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

FortWhyte Alive is a 660-acre reclaimed urban green space situated on a former industrial site. It is a vibrant hub for nature exploration and environmental education in southwest Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The organization’s rich history of conservation and science education is a testament to its commitment to reconnecting people with the natural world.

This commitment is exemplified through their Arctic Science Day programming—a unique learning experience for grade 7-12 students to increase their understanding of the impacts of climate change in the Arctic and learn about careers in Arctic climate change research from environmental scientists themselves.

© FortWhyte Alive

In 2024, Nat Hab Philanthropy was proud to support FortWhyte Alive and the University of Manitoba Center for Earth Observation Science’s two Arctic Science Day events:

• A virtual Arctic science experience reached over 300 students and their teachers, including a number of participating classrooms in remote Northern Manitoba and
• The 16th Annual Arctic Science Day at FortWhyte Alive.

For the in-person event, nearly 140 students and their teachers learned about Arctic research, including:

• marine mammals
• ocean acidification
• contaminants such as mercury and oil spills
• sediment coring
• Arctic microbiology 
• snow science

Arctic Science Day 2024 © FortWhyte Alive

FortWhyte Alive Arctic Science Day Activities

Arctic Science Day at FortWhyte Alive was brimming with educational adventures designed to immerse students in the study of polar science and environmental stewardship. The event featured a series of interactive activities that brought the Arctic’s unique ecosystems into focus through hands-on learning experiences.

Students had the opportunity to engage in simulated field research akin to that conducted by scientists in the Arctic. They participated in ice core drilling exercises, where they extracted samples from ice blocks and analyzed them to understand the historical climate data stored within them.

Another highlight was the wildlife tracking station, where students learned to identify animal tracks and understand the behaviors of Arctic fauna.

The climate change simulation booth uses augmented reality technology to allow students to witness the effects of global warming on polar ice caps. Traditional Inuit games provided a cultural perspective, teaching students about the indigenous peoples of the Arctic and their survival skills.

Arctic Science Day 2024 © FortWhyte Alive

One teacher reported, “Students have been talking about the impacts of climate change on the animals and Inuit communities ever since we’ve returned to school.”

Arctic Science Day activities were not only educational but also aimed to inspire a sense of wonder and responsibility. Hands-on learning opportunities offered a tangible connection to the science curriculum, making the concepts of climate change and conservation more relatable and impactful for students.

FortWhyte Alive’s Arctic Science Day was a testament to the power of experiential learning in nurturing the next generation of climate scientists and conservationists.

Another teacher shared: “The most valuable parts for my students included meeting scientists, seeing artifacts, participating in learning games and hands-on activities.”

Students said:

“I learned that marine mammals use echolocation and different calls to communicate.”

“I learned about taking sediment cores and the impact of pH on ocean life.”

“I learned that cold water absorbs carbon and warm water releases it. The more carbon in the water, the more acidic it gets. Ocean acidification has an impact on ocean animals.”

Arctic Science Day 2024 © FortWhyte Alive

Arctic Conservation Education

FortWhyte Alive’s educational goals emphasize hands-on learning and fostering a lifelong relationship with nature. After Arctic Science Day 2024, 92% of students stated they had a better understanding of the impact of climate change in the Arctic after the program, and the majority stated that learning about the impact was the most valuable part of the day.

The event’s success will be measured by inspiring future careers in science and environmental studies and encouraging students to consider their role in reducing human impact on our shared environment.

Thirty graduate students, faculty and researchers from the University of Manitoba, along with FortWhyte Alive Education Team staff, supported the program delivery for the day.

© FortWhyte Alive

Meeting graduate students and scientists seemed to have a particularly strong impact on younger students. They reported afterward:

“I learned how people recognize individual sea mammals and how they estimate the size of their populations.”

“I learned that there are lots of jobs you can do that involve Arctic science.”

“There are many technologies involved in studying marine mammals, like drones, planes and satellites.”

“There’s a bunch of jobs and careers related to Arctic science, and it is a very meaningful career for this generation.”

By bringing the mysteries of the Arctic closer to home, FortWhyte Alive not only educates but also inspires action toward preserving these critical habitats for generations to come.

© FortWhyte Alive

Conservation Education & The Future of the Arctic

Arctic Science Day serves as a platform for raising awareness about the importance of polar regions in our global ecosystem, engaging young minds through interactive science-based activities. 

FortWhyte Alive offers other Arctic climate change-themed programs as a part of our offerings of School Programs:

• Due North: The Changing Arctic is targeted at Grade 4-5 students
• Arctic Experience is geared toward Grade 7-9 students

© FortWhyte Alive

During the programs, students learn about the impact of climate change on snow and ice, the Arctic Ocean food chain, and Inuit communities through grade-appropriate, engaging, hands-on activities. Students get to participate in a traditional blanket toss game as a group. We discuss ways that students can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.

Teacher feedback includes:

• The program increased students’ awareness of actions to reduce pollution.
• The students say that the most fun was the blanket toss—they enjoyed learning about its cultural purpose for the Inuit, as well as enjoying that they were all working together.

In 2024, FortWhyte Alive hosted two schools for Due North programs for a total of 80 students. We hosted three schools for Arctic Experience, with an overall total of 115 students.

© FortWhyte Alive

Visit FortWhyte Alive

Would you like to visit FortWhyte Alive yourself?  The urban reclaimed wildlife preserve, recreation area, and environmental education center in southwest Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, represents 20% of Winnipeg’s urban green space.

Nat Hab travelers on our polar bear adventures have a special opportunity to visit FortWhyte Alive and learn more about their educational initiatives when they opt to spend an Extra Day in Winnipeg.

© Nat Hab Expedition Leader Judy Wilson

Nat Hab Philanthropy is proud to partner with and sponsor FortWhyte Alive’s other conservation and nature-based educational programming, too. Over 100,000 visitors enjoy FortWhyte Alive’s many programs, trails and exhibits annually. FortWhyte offers curriculum-based educational programs in both French and English to around 30,000 K-12 school children each year. The FortWhyte Farms initiative introduces disadvantaged youth to urban agriculture-based, social and vocational skills training.

© FortWhyte Alive

About FortWhyte Alive

In 1888, the area was dubbed Fort Whyte after a top Canadian Pacific Railway official who battled to take control of the site from a rival railway.

Starting in 1907, The Canada Cement Company (now Lafarge) used much of what is now FortWhyte Alive to mine clay and gravel to make cement. By the 1950s, floods and other sources of clay made the Fort Whyte site obsolete.

The Wildlife Foundation of Manitoba saw the industrial site as a potential habitat and started reclamation work.

© FortWhyte Alive

By the 1980s, FortWhyte Alive’s focus shifted from wildlife conservation exclusively to include environmental education, with the establishment of the Fort Whyte Foundation and the opening of trails and an Interpretive Center.

Over the last 30 years, FortWhyte Alive has grown tremendously, adding prairie grassland to forest and wetland habitats and expanding volunteer opportunities, staff and environmental education programs.

Located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Ininiwak, Anisininewak, Dakota, and Dene peoples, as well as the National Homeland of the Red River Métis, today FortWhyte Alive serves as a prime example of how we can manage urban landscapes for sustainable development.

© FortWhyte Alive

Explore the Arctic Wilderness & WWF Arctic Program

If you are passionate about Arctic science, explore the Arctic wilderness with Nat Hab. Nothing compares to East Greenland for an epic Arctic expedition—and there’s no better way to experience it than from our wilderness Base Camp.

For more on Arctic conservation, WWF maintains a library of Arctic resources and news at WWF Global Arctic Program hub.

Photographed by Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Colby Brokvist

The post FortWhyte Alive Fosters Connection with Nature on Arctic Science Day first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

Animals have long been present on banknotes. The U.S. features a bald eagle on its $1 bill. China uses a dragon and a peacock, Ethiopia depicts an elephant, many Middle Eastern nations have falcons, Russia shows a bear and South Africa spotlights a springbok.

If you look at a U.S. $1 bill today, you’ll find an image of an eagle holding arrows in one talon and an olive branch in the other. On a U.S. buffalo nickel (minted between 1913 and 1938), an American bison—modeled on Black Diamond, a bison who, at the time, lived in New York’s Central Park Zoo—stands on a patch of ground. The nickel marked the first time that an animal that wasn’t an eagle appeared on a circulating American coin. The American bison kept its status as the only non-eagle animal on U.S. currency until the 50 State Quarters Program introduced more animals (and more bison) in 1999.

That makes me wonder: how many other nations have depicted wildlife on their currencies, and does such representation present a conservation opportunity? Recently, researchers investigated these very questions.

Today, as the story goes, we find ourselves having to conserve wildlife because our kind hasn’t traditionally done a very good job of respecting other species. Usually, we hear about how humans have harmed animals over the course of our tenure on Earth. But a new study shows that through the ages, the presence of humans has increased the complexity and heterogeneity of ecosystems and has often had a positive effect on their biodiversity. In fact, human cultural diversity is likely to have had an overall positive effect on ecosystem biodiversity. The relatively recent homogenization of human cultures may, therefore, be regarded as an important driver of the major extinction events going on in the Anthropocene.

Some scientists disagree with the notion that people negatively intervened in their ecosystems more than 10,000 years ago. They say that cultural diversity is likely to have had an overall positive effect on ecosystem biodiversity.

But what if despite our best efforts, a catastrophe occurs, and all our current conservation efforts fail? Here’s a really wild idea: store genetic samples of all the Earth’s current life-forms in a biorepository on the moon. Could it work?

Cash conservation

For many around the world, using cash is a part of every day, despite the increasing trend towards digital transactions. But do we pay any attention to the artwork and images that are used on our currencies?

To get a sense of the “value” that countries around the world might place on their native wildlife, a team of researchers from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, explored what types of fauna nations around the globe choose to use on their currencies and the opportunities that doing so presents for conservation awareness and efforts.

A proposed plan aims to safeguard Earth’s imperiled biodiversity by cryogenically preserving biological material on the moon. It’s a fascinating—and futuristic—idea.

In a study published in the science journal People and Nature in July 2024, the researchers investigated the representation of native fauna on 4,541 banknotes from 207 countries between 1980 and 2017 to identify taxonomic patterns and determine whether endemic and threatened species were more present. They found that:

• native fauna was depicted on 15.2% of banknotes reviewed;
• 352 unique species—with a strong bias towards terrestrial species (89%)—were shown;
• bird and mammal species (83% combined) dominated;
• African banknotes had the highest numbers of mammal likenesses;
• birds were favored in South America; and
• worldwide, threatened species were commonly depicted on banknotes, with 30% of all imagery containing these species.

Given the global biodiversity crisis, this could denote a trend to showcase threatened species to highlight their plight and raise national awareness. The researchers believe that their study underscores the role that wildlife imagery on banknotes could play in shaping public perception and national identity of a nation’s biodiversity. By highlighting both celebrated and threatened species, currencies around the world can serve as a unique platform for promoting conservation awareness.

Researchers recently investigated how often wildlife—specifically, native animals—were depicted on different nations’ currencies. By highlighting both celebrated and threatened species, currencies around the world could serve as a unique platform to promote conservation awareness.

The Griffith University researchers recommended several avenues for further investigation to explore the relationships between wildlife representation and perceived value, including studies of how representation changes over time, the inclusion of images of flora and examining the decision-making processes governing wildlife imagery on banknotes.

Biodiversity boosters

In an article published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B in April 2024, archeologists from two German universities, the University of Cologne and the University of Tubingen, examined the role of humans in the control and evolution of biodiversity on our planet. They argue that the idea that humans had lived harmoniously with nature as hunter-gatherers mischaracterizes the history of human interactions with ecosystems.

The archeologists suggest that the relationship between humans and habitats has always been much more complex and complicated, and that—in addition to the negative effects—people have had positive effects on biodiversity through time. They state that although biodiversity loss occurs locally due to human activity, it is often strongly promoted elsewhere. This dynamic must, therefore, be placed in a wider context.

In the wild, ravens are opportunistic feeders, and their diets vary based on habitat and available food sources. Even in the last Ice Age, ravens benefited from their human neighbors, especially from the food options that hunter-gatherers provided.

The scientists’ research combines various case studies from the Late Pleistocene (approximately 129,000 to 11,700 years ago) and recent studies on Ice Age ravens, which show that the birds benefited from their human neighbors about 30,000 years ago—especially from the food options that hunter-gatherers provided.

Results of zooarchaeological and stable isotope analyses applied in the case of the ravens show that such processes can lead to an increase in biodiversity on a local level. This is because certain animals benefit from human influence and others that are excluded locally by humans, such as large predators, move to other areas. Overall, this increases the complexity and heterogeneity of such ecosystems, thereby often resulting in a positive effect on overall biodiversity.

Ultimately, say the archaeologists, biodiversity regimes cannot be separated from human influences and not all of these influences are negative. It also follows that increased diversity in humans probably has an overall positive effect on biodiversity as a whole and that a decisive driver of the biodiversity crisis in the Anthropocene is, in part, the homogenization of human cultures.

Cryopreservation is a process that preserves cells, organelles, tissues or any other biological constructs for a long time by cooling the samples to very low temperatures.

Lunar lockbox

Still, we can’t deny that today, biodiversity loss on Earth is rampant. To safeguard it, why don’t we cryogenically preserve biological material on the moon? It just so happens that the moon’s permanently shadowed craters are cold enough for cryogenic preservation without the need for electricity or liquid nitrogen.

That’s the idea proposed by scientists at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, and others in a paper published in the journal BioScience in July 2024. It outlines a road map for creating a lunar biorepository, with ideas for the types of biological material to be stored, governance and a plan for experiments to understand and address challenges, such as microgravity and radiation. The study also demonstrates the successful cryopreservation of skin samples from a fish, which are now stored at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

Initially, the lunar biorepository would target the most at-risk species on Earth today, but the ultimate goal would be to cryopreserve most species on Earth.

The moon’s permanently shadowed craters are cold enough for cryopreservation without the need for electricity or liquid nitrogen.

The proposal takes inspiration from the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway, which contains more than 1 million frozen seed varieties and functions as a backup for the world’s crop biodiversity in case of a global disaster. By virtue of its location in the Arctic nearly 400 feet underground, the vault was intended to be capable of keeping its seed collection frozen without electricity. However, in 2017, thawing permafrost threatened the collection with a flood of meltwater. The seed vault has since been waterproofed, but the incident showed that even in the Arctic, a subterranean bunker could be vulnerable to climate change.

Unlike seeds, animal cells require much lower storage temperatures for preservation (-320 degrees Fahrenheit). On Earth, cryopreservation of animal cells requires electricity, human staff and a supply of liquid nitrogen. Each of these three elements are potentially vulnerable to disruptions that could destroy an entire collection. To reduce these vulnerabilities, scientists needed a way to passively maintain cryopreservation storage temperatures. Since such cold temperatures do not naturally exist on Earth, the scientists looked to the moon.

The moon’s polar regions feature numerous craters that never receive sunlight due to their depth and orientation. These permanently shadowed regions can be -410 degrees Fahrenheit—more than cold enough for passive cryopreservation storage. To block out the DNA-damaging radiation present in space, samples could be stored underground or inside a structure with thick walls made of moon rocks.

The starry goby boasts a beautiful, star-spangled appearance with iridescent, blue spots that adorn a dusky, mottled body. In the wild, the fish is found from the Red Sea to Hawaii and from northern Japan to western Australia, where it inhabits shallow bays, coral reefs, lagoons and tidal estuaries.

At the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, the Smithsonian research team cryopreserved skin samples from a reef fish called the starry goby. The fins contain a type of skin cell called “fibroblasts,” the primary material stored in the National Museum of Natural History’s biorepository. When it comes to cryopreservation, fibroblasts have several advantages over other types of commonly cryopreserved cells, such as eggs, embryos and sperm. We still don’t have the scientific knowledge that’s required to reliably preserve the eggs, embryos and sperm of most wildlife species. However, for many species, fibroblasts can be cryopreserved easily. In addition, fibroblasts can be collected from an animal’s skin, which is simpler than harvesting eggs or sperm. For species that do not have skin, such as invertebrates, scientists could use a diversity of sample types, such as larvae and other reproductive materials.

The next steps are to begin a series of radiation exposure tests for the cryopreserved fibroblasts on Earth to help design packaging that could safely deliver samples to the moon. The team is actively seeking partners and support to conduct additional experiments on Earth and aboard the International Space Station. Such experiments would provide robust testing for the prototype packaging’s ability to withstand the microgravity and radiation associated with space travel and storage on the moon.

If this idea becomes a reality, the researchers envision the lunar biorepository as a public entity that will include private and public funders, scientific partners, countries and public representatives with mechanisms for cooperative governance akin to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

As wild as it sounds, some day in the future, there could be a place in the stars that remembers all of the rich life that once roamed Earth.

The scientists are quick to point out that the biorepository isn’t meant for a time when the Earth fails (after all, if the Earth is destroyed, the biorepository won’t matter), it’s intended to help offset natural disasters and, potentially, to augment space travel. Life, as far as we know, is rare in the universe. The lunar biorepository would provide another, parallel approach to conserving Earth’s precious biodiversity.

Warehouse of what-was

Cash and cultures; conservation and the cosmos. Perhaps, at times and in small ways, we did respect the rest of the beings who share the Earth with us by calling attention to their lives—through our depictions, our human habits and our scientific efforts to preserve their possibilities.

But should we reach that point where the unimaginable happens, it would be good to know that there’s a place in the stars that still remembers.

Here’s to finding your true places and natural habitats,

Candy

The post Wild Conservation Ideas: Currency Images and a Moon Vault first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

Wetlands can cool city air by 4.7 degrees Celsius during heatwaves, according to the most comprehensive review of its kind. In a list of various city features, such waterways ranked second for their cooling abilities.

Water is the driving force of all nature. And it seems to take on an added significance in summer when heatwaves roll across the nation. Water cools us and sustains us, but we are abusing it.

Water in the form of wetlands can cool city air by almost 5 degrees Celsius during heatwaves, according to a new review and the most comprehensive of its kind. But a recent analysis shows that human pressures—such as dam construction, global warming and large-scale irrigation—have altered freshwater resources to such an extent that their capacity to regulate vital climatic and ecological processes is at risk.

One of the first steps we can take to better safeguard our waters is to make sure that they have legal rights and that they are not being violated. Luckily, machine learning can now be used to more accurately predict which wetlands and waterways are protected by the Clean Water Act of 1972. Unfortunately, though, a recent analysis found that a 2020 Trump administration rule removed Clean Water Act protection for one-fourth of U.S. wetlands and one-fifth of U.S. streams, and it also deregulated 30% of watersheds that supply drinking water to household taps.

Hopefully, a better understanding of freshwater dynamics will help guide the creation of new policies to help mitigate the harms we’ve caused to our waterways and wetlands.

As an urban cooling agent, botanical gardens ranked first, causing temperatures to be 5 degrees Celsius cooler than they would be without the gardens.

Cooling cities during heatwaves: botanical gardens, parks and wetlands

In February 2024, researchers from the University of Surrey Global Center for Clean Air Research in Guildford, England, looked at green spaces and waterways in cities and towns and analyzed if having such features cooled the air.

Among the key findings of the analysis, which was published in the journal The Innovation, were the following landscape features and how much each of them lowered the surrounding temperatures:

• Botanical gardens: -5 C average (variation: -2.2 C to -10 C)
• Wetlands: -4.7 C average (variation: -1.2 C to -12 C)
• Rain gardens: -4.5 C average (variation: -1.3 C to -7 C)
• Green walls: -4.1 C average (variation: -0.1 C to -18 C)
• Street trees: -3.8 C average (variation: -0.5 C to -12 C)
• City farms: -3.5 C average (variation: -3 C to -3.9 C)
• Parks: -3.2 C average (variation: -0.8 C to -10 C)
• Reservoirs: -2.9 C average (variation: -1.8 C to 5 C)
• Playgrounds: -2.9 C average (variation: -2.8 C to -3 C)

For the past century, humans have been pushing the Earth’s freshwater system far beyond the stable conditions that prevailed before industrialization. Exceptional conditions are now much more frequent and widespread than before.

While it has been known for some time that green spaces and water can cool down cities, this study provides the most comprehensive picture yet. What’s more, it explains why: from trees providing shade to evaporating water cooling the air.

The scientists say they hope their work will help city and town planners around the world confront the challenges of global heating.

Relieving pressure on freshwater systems: returning them to a stable state

It’s clear that wetlands and waterways are becoming more and more important as the Earth continues to warm. Sadly, however, they are in trouble.

Human pressures, such as dam construction, have altered freshwater resources to such an extent that their capacity to regulate essential ecological processes is no longer guaranteed.

In a study that was published in the science journal Nature Water in March 2024, scientists state that human activity has pushed variation in the planet’s freshwater cycle well outside of its preindustrial range, and its capacity to regulate vital climatic and ecological processes is no longer assured.

This is the first time that the global water cycle change has been assessed over such a long timescale with an appropriate reference baseline. Using data from hydrological models that combine all major human impacts on the freshwater cycle, an international research team calculated monthly streamflow and soil moisture at a spatial resolution of roughly 31 by 31 miles. As a baseline, they determined the conditions during the preindustrial period (1661–1860). They then compared the industrial period (1861–2005) against this baseline. Their analysis revealed an increase in the frequency of exceptionally dry or wet conditions, with deviations in soil moisture and streamflow.

Dry and wet deviations have consistently occurred over substantially larger areas since the early 20th century than during the preindustrial period. Overall, the global land area experiencing deviations has nearly doubled compared with preindustrial conditions.

In many regions with a long history of human occupation and agriculture, such as along the Nile River, irrigation has caused exceptionally dry streamflows and wet soil-moisture conditions.

Exceptionally dry streamflow and soil-moisture conditions became more frequent in many tropical and subtropical regions, while many boreal and temperate regions saw an increase in exceptionally wet conditions, especially in terms of soil moisture. These patterns match changes seen in water availability due to climate change.

There were more complex patterns in many regions with a long history of human agriculture and land use. For example, the Indus, Mississippi and Nile River Basins have experienced exceptionally dry streamflow and wet soil-moisture conditions, indicating changes driven by irrigation.

With this comprehensive view of the changes in soil moisture and streamflow, researchers are better equipped to investigate the causes and consequences of the changes in the freshwater cycle. Understanding these dynamics in greater detail could help guide policies to mitigate the resulting harm, although the immediate priority is decreasing human-driven pressures on freshwater systems, which are vital to life on Earth, conclude the researchers.

The 1972 Clean Water Act protects the “waters of the United States,” but it does not precisely define which streams and wetlands this phrase covers, leaving it to courts, presidential administrations and regulators to decide.

Predicting coverage of the Clean Water Act: deregulating drinking water, streams and wetlands

Just when we need to augment, protect and value our wetlands and waters, we are doing the opposite, concludes a recent study led by a team at the University of California, Berkeley.

The 1972 Clean Water Act protects the “waters of the United States,” but it does not precisely define which streams and wetlands this phrase covers, leaving it to courts, presidential administrations and regulators to decide. As a result, the exact coverage of Clean Water Act rules is difficult to estimate. So, the University of California, Berkeley, team used machine learning to more accurately predict which waterways are protected by the act.

The machine-learning model predicted regulation across the U.S. under a 2020 Trump administration rule and its predecessor, the Supreme Court’s Rapanos ruling, which had previously guided decisions. It was found that the 2020 Trump administration rule removed Clean Water Act protections from one-fourth of U.S. wetlands and one-fifth of U.S. streams—690,000 stream miles, more than every stream in California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas combined—and it deregulated 30% of watersheds that supply drinking water to household taps. The wetlands deregulated under the 2020 rule provided more than $250 billion in flood prevention benefits to nearby buildings, say the study’s authors.

A 2020 rule deregulated 690,000 stream miles, more than every stream in California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas combined.

Prior analyses assumed that streams and wetlands sharing certain geophysical characteristics were regulated, without scrutinizing data on what was truly regulated, an approach the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers called “highly unreliable.”

It’s believed that the machine-learning model’s predictions could save more than $1 billion annually in permitting costs for developers and regulators by providing immediate calculations of the probability that a site is regulated, rather than waiting months through the uncertain process for obtaining permits.

In 2023, a President Biden White House rule expanded the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction. The Supreme Court’s 2023 Sackett decision then contracted it. Once Sackett is fully implemented, this machine-learning methodology can clarify its scope.

Unaltered waterways support biodiversity, help control floods and provide clean drinking water. Rivers, such as the Colorado, are also vital to our food supply. The Colorado River irrigates almost 90% of our nation’s winter vegetable crops. We need to take our waters far more seriously.

Valuing water: wells and their worth

This recent game of regulatory ping-pong certainly has had staggering effects on environmental protections. In this era of ever-lengthening heatwaves, we need to take our cooling waters far more seriously.

In his very folksy way, Benjamin Franklin once said, “When the well is dry, we’ll know the worth of water.”

That “well”—whether it’s situated in our neighborhoods or on a global level—may be very close to parched.

Here’s to finding your true places and natural habitats,

Candy

The post Water, Wetlands and Wells first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

According to World Wildlife Fund, the huge, frozen landmass at the bottom of our planet is more than just spectacular icing on the globe. It could be vital for our survival, too. Antarctic ice deflects some of the sun’s rays away from the Earth, keeping temperatures livable.

American environmentalist, historian and novelist Wallace Stegner called our national parks “the best idea we ever had.” In 1983, he wrote: “National parks are … absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.”

I wholeheartedly agree, but I think there’s another stellar notion that stands alongside that one for reminding us of the importance of conserving and protecting precious and unique places. And this one’s not only on the national level but, on the global one, as well: the Antarctic Treaty.

The Antarctic Treaty was signed on December 1, 1959. It set aside Antarctica—which represents 10% of the planet— “forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord.”

The treaty recognizes the White Continent as a preserve for peace and scientific study, and it went into effect with 12 original signatories: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and the U.S.S.R. Today, more than 50 nations recognize the treaty. It is the foundation upon which decades of scientific achievements and advancements rest.

The ocean surrounding the Antarctic continent supports masses of sea life, including five species of dolphins, five species of penguins, nine species of whales and six species of seals. The nutrient-rich waters encourage blooms of tiny plankton, the basis of the ocean food chain.

Nature travelers also flock to Antarctica. But are all those tourists—about 74,000 prepandemic, far more than the annual number of scientific staff—going there to appreciate, learn about and become ambassadors for the White Continent? Or is there another, more compelling reason?

In answer to that question, researchers think they’ve found a new trend—and it may not be what you’d expect.

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The beginnings of Antarctica Day

Among its many groundbreaking provisions, the Antarctic Treaty froze territorial claims to the continent, banned nuclear weapons and waste there, and preserved the entire region south of 60 degrees latitude for peaceful purposes. The prohibition of military activities makes it effectively the first nuclear-arms-control agreement in history.

Scientific research conducted in Antarctica has three goals: (1) to understand the region and its ecosystems, (2) to understand Antarctica’s effects on and responses to global processes, such as climate change, and (3) to use the region as a platform to study the upper atmosphere and space.

For those reasons and more, the Antarctic Treaty is worthy of celebration and honor. Antarctica Day was established by the Foundation for Good Governance of International Spaces in 2010 to commemorate the continuation of the treaty. Along with Midwinter Day—an annual jubilee held on the day of the southern winter solstice (June 20 or 21)—Antarctica Day is one of the continent’s two principal holidays. It is a celebration for personnel overwintering at Antarctic research stations, although some people off the continent observe it, as well.

The importance of climate research

For the United States, the National Science Foundation (NSF) provides the oversight for scientific endeavors in the region, including logistical and programmatic support to thousands of scientists who travel to the continent each year to conduct research in fields ranging from astronomy to meteorology to paleontology. Some of the most important work there involves climate change studies.

Scientists say that Antarctica is ground zero for understanding global climate change and its effects on society. The continent, its ice sheets and surrounding oceans play a crucial role in the distribution of heat over our planet and the extent of sea-level rise. They also show how Earth-system processes affect the marine resources that humans depend on.

Antarctica has a profound effect on the Earth’s climate and ocean systems. Locked in its two-and-a-half-mile-thick ice sheet is a unique record of what our planet’s climate was like over the past 1 million years.

For example, over the past 30 years, the amount of ice flowing out of Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier has nearly doubled. Warm ocean water from the Amundsen Sea circulates under the ice, creating melt, which loosens the ice from the bedrock below. This hastens flow and glacial retreat and contributes to rising sea levels.

The International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, supported jointly by the United States Antarctic Program and the British Antarctic Survey, is exploring marine sediments and the ocean, measuring currents flowing toward the deep ice and examining the bending, grinding and stretching of the glacier over the landscape below. The stakes here are worldwide: should the Thwaites Glacier collapse, the ice released could raise sea levels by as much as 11 feet. Scientists are still trying to determine how long this will take: centuries or just decades.

Another aspect of climate change studied in Antarctica by NSF researchers is the impact of warming temperatures on Antarctic ecosystems. Over the last two decades, demographic studies of Adelie penguins in the Ross Sea explored several potential mechanisms for the birds’ population changes. This research is helping us to better understand population dynamics and how penguin colonies might respond to future environmental changes.

In a recent study, people in the “social bonding” group didn’t mention anything about seeing wildlife as a principal reason for traveling to Antarctica. Rather, the place was chosen as a backdrop for a special occasion.

In the Antarctic Peninsula region, which is experiencing the most rapid climate warming on the planet, scientists involved in the Palmer Station Long-Term Ecological Research Study are determining how the rapid reduction of sea ice is affecting all levels of the food chain. Studies include many organisms in the food web, including bacteria, krill, penguins, phytoplankton, marine mammals, seabirds, viruses and zooplankton.

Antarctic researchers are literally at the tip of the iceberg, exploring new frontiers and seeking answers to some of the planet’s most important questions. None of this would be possible without the Antarctic Treaty.

The reasons for Antarctica travels

Some people travel to Antarctica for the experience and for learning, many go to fulfill a lifelong dream, others visit for the adventure, and there are those who go to socialize—such as to mark an anniversary, go on a honeymoon or to spend time with family for a holiday. It’s the social bonding group’s motivations that researchers find particularly interesting: people in that group didn’t mention anything about seeing penguins or other wildlife as the principal stimulus; rather, Antarctica was chosen as a backdrop for a celebration or event.

While Antarctic tourists are purported to have meaningful interactions with the unique environment, not much is known about how the journey shapes their later pro-environmental behaviors.

The researchers, whose findings were published in the Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism in March 2022, launched their prepandemic study on tourism to Antarctica because travel to the continent has diversified and grown. In the 2019–2020 tourist season, more than 74,000 travelers went to Antarctica, which is double the number of tourists seen five years prior. While tourism can be a tool to inspire people to become ambassadors for the conservation of Antarctica—a fragile ecosystem facing crumbling glaciers, invasive species and wildlife diseases—it also can create challenges.

During the last two decades, a lot of new, different activities have been introduced to Antarctica, and there are also novel ways of traveling there. This is diversifying how you can access Antarctica—and the profiles of the tourists who visit.

To understand these new tourists’ motivations, researchers surveyed people before and after they traveled by airplane or ship to Antarctica during the 2019–2020 season. They found four main reasons tourists gave for traveling there: experience and learning (31%), social bonding (28%), adventure (23%) or to take a trip of a lifetime (17.5%).

Tourism in Antarctica has been diversifying and growing. During the past 20 years, a lot of new activities have been introduced, and there are novel ways of traveling there, including by sailboat.

Many in the “social bonding” and “trip of a lifetime” groups saw Antarctica as a last-chance destination; a finding that researchers have also documented with other sites endangered by climate change, such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Arctic.

Now that we have more people traveling to Antarctica for social bonding, communicating with these tourists may require different strategies than those used in the past. For example, this kind of tourist may not want to attend lectures, and tour providers will have to better deliver conservation messages so that any changes they hope to make in people’s environmental concerns or behaviors will last in the long term.

When the scientists analyzed whether tourists in the various groups were more or less likely to have learned something from the trip—or perceived that they had learned something—they found that tourists in the “trip of a lifetime” group were more likely to have higher perceptions of learning. Tourists in the “experience and learning” group had the highest overall average score for actual learning.

Tourists who go to Antarctica primarily for social bonding reasons may not want to attend lectures. Tour providers will have to deliver conservation and environmental messages in new ways. ©Colby J. Brokvist

Surprisingly, the researchers also found there was a relationship between tourists’ perceptions of how much they learned about Antarctica and its ecosystem and their intentions to change their environmental behaviors. If they felt they got something from the learning experience, then they were more likely to change what they did after the trip. That has important implications for communicators, educators and tour operators and suggests that perception means a lot to people; it’s part of the experience.

The researchers say they want to study actual behavioral changes in future work, as well as look at Antarctic tourism after the pandemic closures and slowdowns. COVID may have caused people to see the world a little bit differently, they postulate.

The wisdom of those who have been there

“You can’t protect what you don’t know,” Lars-Eric Lindblad, leader of the first commercial Antarctica cruise in 1966, once said. And “we should have the sense to leave just one place alone,” stated Sir Peter Scott, founder of World Wildlife Fund and son of Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott.

I think the reality—and the idea—of Antarctica reflects us at our best.

There is a lot of wisdom in both these quotes. Sir Peter Scott is right; there are certainly environmental implications of tourism to Antarctica. But, as Lars-Eric Lindblad implied, if done responsibly, visiting Antarctica can teach people a lot about this unique continent’s environment.

I, however, keep going back to the thoughts of Wallace Stegner. I think that, more than anything, Antarctica reflects us at our best rather than our worst.

Here’s to finding your true places and natural habitats,

Candy

Explore the White Continent on one of our Antarctica Sailing expeditions!

The post The New, Surprising Reasons Travelers Visit Antarctica first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.