nature news Archives - Favorite World Press

The FWP weekly digest of wondrous wildlife happenings
and other interesting items from the natural world

Creatures to meet | Things to learn
Things to do

Lisa S. French

2-minute read

With feelings of awe and maybe a little envy, we marvel at our avian friends’ ability to take to the skies without a plane ticket. For one hundred years, scientists have studied the origins of bird flight to determine how feathered creatures evolved to achieve the capacity for lift-off. We now have a pretty good idea that the reptilian animals that ultimately developed into what we recognize as birds started on Earth 160 million years ago as ground-up, running flappers rather than tree-down gliders. What the aerial wonders didn’t anticipate when they successfully tested their wings was the eventual addition of flight path impediments otherwise known as buildings.

According to the Smithsonian Institution and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, every year, between 365 and 988 million birds are killed because of building collisions. It seems only fair, now that birds have done the evolutionary heavy lifting of learning to fly, we do what we can to keep them in the air. While we can’t eliminate built structures, we can make them safer for our favorite fliers thanks to innovative solutions pioneered by conservationists at the Audubon.

Creating Bird-Friendly Skies
To help the billions of birds that migrate every spring and fall steer clear of the artificial light and skyglow from buildings that lead to collisions, Audubon has initiated Lights Out, a national effort to turn off unnecessary lights during hours they are likely to attract night travelers. Working with building owners, managers, and residents—people like you—the Lights Out program aims to reduce avian mortality rates by preventing birds from becoming confused by artificial light sources and colliding with windows and walls in the path of flyways.

Keeping it dark by implementing Audubon’s simple, inexpensive solutions can enable migrating and nocturnal species to safely make their way to wintering and breeding grounds, with the cost-cutting, planet-cooling bonus of reducing energy use. Find out what you can do to help create bird-friendly skies right here.

ICYMI Nature News

Awe-Inspiring Avian Beauty
If you need a striking visual reminder of avian beauty, wildlife photographer Rachel Bigsby captures the beautiful essence of bird life in her award-winning photographs. See her work here.

Blue Whales Are Back
Good news for the recovery of the world’s largest animal—the blue whale. According to Antarctic researchers, after two decades of monitoring the Southern Ocean for the majestic mammals’ distinctive songs, there are encouraging signs that blue whales are making a comeback after centuries of industrial whaling.

What’s a Kowari, Anyway?
Odds are are you’ve never seen a kowari, but Australian conservationists are hoping to save the endangered, brush-tailed cousin of the Tasmanian Devil from extinction, so you’ll get your chance. Meet the mini marsupial.

Orangutan Heal Thyself
For the first time in the wild, an oh-so-clever orangutan has been observed treating a facial wound with a medicinal plant after a dust-up with another male. No urgi-care for this smart fellow.

Just How Noisy Are Cicadas?
You might imagine that millions of cicadas would be pretty darn noisy. But how noisy? Noisy enough to report them to the police apparently. Officer, what in the heckin’ heck is that racket?

Blue Rock Thrush Makes an Unprecedented Pit Stop in the U.S.
In what may be the first-ever sighting in the U.S., a very rare, very pretty, little blue rock thrush has been captured on film by an amateur photographer in Oregon—peak birdwatcher’s envy.

Aquatic Bumblebees
Scientists have learned that the queens of a common species of North American bumblebee can survive up to a week underwater during hibernation. Super adaptable scuba bees!

Natural Magic
And finally, if you love poetry and you love science, have we got a book for you. Natural Magic—Emily Dickinson, Charles Darwin, and the Dawn of Modern Science by Renée Bergland, illuminates the parallels in the thinking of the two keenly original observers of the natural world.

…

Lisa S. French May 7, 2024

How Does the Earth Love Thee?

2-minute read

There are countless ways our home planet shows us tender loving care. In addition to providing everyday essentials like food, water, and oxygen, exposure to Earth’s natural finery—trees, forests, parks, green spaces, wilderness areas, and wildlife has been scientifically proven to help enhance physical and psychological well-being. Depending on how much time you spend taking in the splendor of the great out there, you may reap health benefits that promote longevity, prevent disease, lower stress, and improve overall mood. That’s a whole lot of love.

Exposure to nature requires access. Now, thanks to two innovative tracking tools created by scientists at NatureQuant™, a new research and technology institution, you’ll be able to monitor the quantity and the quality of the planetary TLC you’re getting from your outdoor environment to help optimize well-being. That’s good news for adults in high-income countries like the United States, who spend 80 to 90% of their lives inactive and indoors.

Wondering how the nature in your neighborhood ranks health-wise? The NatureScore™ tool estimates the amount and quality of nature and environmental conditions across the United States and Canada. The NatureDose™ smartphone app uses GPS coordinates and NatureScore™ datasets to determine your location and how much time you spend in nearby nature to help you progress toward physical and psychological health goals. The NatureQuant™ tools can also be used to guide the allocation and creation of quality green spaces to improve nature equity in deprived neighborhoods.

You can download the NatureDose™ app here to start tracking your daily exposure to Earthly delights. Then, all you have to do to feel the love is step outside.

ICYMI Nature News

An Increased Dose of Nature
If you are lucky enough to live near the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument or the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in California, you will soon have access to an increased dose of nature. Both monuments will be expanded this month to give visitors more roaming room.

Cliff-Diving Emperor Penguin Chicks
Award-winning cinematographer Bertie Gregory has captured amazing, unprecedented footage of emperor penguin chicks launching themselves into the sea by diving from a 50-foot Antarctic cliff. You can watch the never-before-filmed behavior from National Geographic here.

A Trillion Cicadas, Anyone?
Starting in late April, two broods of periodical cicadas will emerge from the ground in an event that only occurs every 221 years. Entomologists are expecting about 1 trillion of the winged creatures across 16 states. If you enjoy the smell of rotting nuts, you will be in bug heaven.

In the Natural World, Nice Guys Finish First
According to a new book by evolutionary biologist Jonathan Silvertown, Selfish Genes to Social Beings: A Cooperative History of Life, in the natural world, cooperation is more common than competition. So, nice guys do finish first… Or, at least, nice humpback whales.

They’re Just Dancing in the Dark
Have you ever wondered what deep sea creatures get up to down there? Apparently, these worms dance like nobody’s watching. Except for you.

Bold, Brilliant, Beautiful, Breathtaking Nature
The 2024 World Nature Photography Awards have been announced, and the winners are all the “B” words. Have a look!

Citizen Scientists are Helping Seahorses
Eagle-eyed citizen scientists around the globe are helping researchers develop conservation strategies to protect seahorses by providing new information on sightings of the charismatic creatures in the wild. Do you have something to contribute to seahorse science? Go to Project Seahorse to add your very valuable two cents.

Animals Reenact the Solar Eclipse
And finally, you’ve probably seen the stunning images and videos of this week’s solar eclipse, but what about footage of the puppy eclipse? No? How about the kitten eclipse? Video of these rare cosmic phenomena is an oldie, but a goody—no special solar specs needed. Watch!

…

Lisa S. French April 13, 2024

Otters are Here to Help

2-minute read

Just when we thought sea otters couldn’t possibly be more lovable, researchers at Sonoma State University have discovered that the bewhiskered marine mammals, aka kelp keepers, are also helping to save Monterey Bay’s coastal salt marsh, the Elkhorn Slough—one tasty crab dinner at a time.

The Elkhorn Slough, a seven-mile stretch between Santa Cruz and Monterey, is home to an amazing variety of wildlife, including 340 bird species, 550 invertebrates, and 60 mammals. Salt marshes like the Slough are among the most threatened ecosystems on Earth. And why is saving salt marshes important? Well, they are invaluable ecosystems that help protect shorelines, store carbon, and promote healthy fisheries, in addition to supporting thousands of species of plant and animal life.

According to the Sonoma State researchers, striped shore crabs, left unchecked by natural predators, have been disrupting the soil and eating the roots of marsh plants that hold the shoreline of the Slough together, contributing to almost a foot of erosion every year.

Enter the hungry, hungry sea otters, enthusiastic consumers of the burrowing crustaceans. In areas of the salt marsh where the once plentiful native otters were reintroduced, erosion was reduced by 2/3, helping to maintain this critical habitat for all wildlife.

By protecting the sea otters that keep runaway grazers like striped crabs from disrupting coastlines, we can reduce erosion, protect marine habitat that supports native wildlife and help cool the planet—that’s a conservation triple win—otterly amazing!

ICYMI Nature News

It’s Beautiful Out There
If you need to rest your eyes on something restorative amid bleak mid-winter, the Nature Photo Contest winners have been announced, and you can see their work right here.

When Whales Walked the Earth
Did you know that seal-like whales used to walk the shores of North America? Find out how they moved from land to sea from the Smithsonian Magazine.

Flaco’s Year of Freedom
It’s been a year since Flaco the owl escaped from the confines of the Central Park Zoo and took up residence on NYC’s Upper West Side. How is the feathery fellow, and what’s he been doing? NPR has thoughts on his free-bird-a-versary here.

The World’s Oldest Forest Two Hours From NYC
Would you like to visit a forest that existed when dinosaurs roamed the Earth? You don’t have to travel to the heart of the Amazon because the world’s oldest forest was recently discovered just two hours north of NYC.

Silk Spinning Crustaceans
If you thought that spiders were the only creatures capable of spinning silk, scientists at the University of California would like you to meet these crafty crustaceans.

Big Bear Valley Eagle Nest Cam
Looking for some animal cam comfort? Magnificent bald eagles Jackie and Shadow are back on the roost, protecting their eggs from the elements. You can keep tabs on the dedicated parents and future hatchling happenings here.

…

Lisa S. French February 10, 2024

Humpback Whale Play: Water Toys, and Spa Treatments

2-minute read

Have you ever wondered what baleen whales get up to in their spare time? Do they even have spare time? Sure, whales work from home, make their own schedules, and come and go as they please, but nature can be a harsh taskmaster, and the business of surviving in the wild is a 24/7 endeavor. To fulfill basic physiological needs, the giant marine mammals spend most of their waking hours migrating, foraging for food, caring for young, and, more recently, ship dodging. But according to a new study, humpback whales also make room for fun—engaging in seaweed-centric play known as kelping.

Water Toys and Spa Treatments
Thanks to video and photo contributions from keen-eyed citizen scientists and whale watchers in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and French Polynesia, researchers from Griffin University have reported that humpbacks intentionally seek out and interact with kelp beds and floating seaweed. They swim through it, drag it, and roll in it. They throw it in the air and rub it on their pectoral fins. They kelp alone, and they kelp with other whales.

And what is the purpose of kelping? The whales aren’t talking, but marine scientists have proposed several possibilities: it’s fun—the playful interaction stimulates the giant mammals’ senses and enhances their motor abilities; it’s soothing—they enjoy the sensation of seaweed on their head and jaws; it’s medicinal—they use it to remove parasites and dead skin; it’s a communications tool—they use it to signal other whales.

Humpbacks aren’t the only marine animals known to use random floating objects to engage in what could be interpreted as fun-seeking behavior. Innovative object-oriented activity has been documented in a variety of species, including otters, dolphins, orcas, grey whales, and walruses. Some biologists believe that participating in behaviors outside of the essential tasks of daily living may help animals acquire knowledge, adapt to a changing environment, or build life-sustaining relationships.

Continuing to study how various whale species spend their time in the wild can contribute to conservation efforts by increasing our understanding of how to maintain the ecosystems they depend upon for survival. We may come to learn exactly how important a bit of clean, green, exfoliating whale fun is to their existence.

ICYMI Nature News

This She-Bear Chomps Salmon Like a Boss
Well, it’s official. The really big winner of Katmai National Park’s annual Fat Bear Week contest is the formidable female feaster, Grazer. She out-chomped our pick, second runner-up, Chunk, by a salmon-scarfing mile to be crowned Queen of Katmai. And long may she reign.

Humans Make the Scariest Sounds of All
Apparently, human voices are more frightening to South African wildlife than the roar of lions. Now, researchers are conjuring ways to use recordings of human chitter-chatter to deter animals from entering high poaching areas. So, we’re a good kind of scary, then. Sort of.

Kangaroo Moms Form Clubs to Deter Predators
According to a new study in Animal Behavior, kangaroo moms form neighborhood watch networks to keep their joeys safe from foxes and dingoes. Don’t mess with the socially savvy sisterhood of marsupials.

Even More Glow-In-the-Dark Mammals
It seems a whole lot more mammals have fluorescent fur than previously believed. New research found that 107 of 125 species evaluated had fur that glowed under UV light, including bats, zebras, and polar bears. Solar-powered, we presume?

As If You Need an Expert to Tell You, Cats Are Perfect
A biologist from the Natural History Museum in London has determined that felines have achieved evolutionary perfection. Here’s why. Also, a few thoughts on the matter from FWP resident catnip curator Stella: “Who am I to argue with the scientific community? Now, how about a treat?”

And How Does Your Hammer Grow?
If you’ve ever wondered how a hammerhead shark develops its tool-shaped snout, for the first time ever, you can watch it grow.

Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
Dancing bears, scolding birds, or lazy lions? You have until November 23rd to cast a vote for your favorite Comedy Wildlife Photograph for 2023. Check out the 41 funniest finalists here.

…

Lisa S. French October 11, 2023

Re-Habitat That

2.5-minute read

Loss of habitat resulting from deforestation is one of the greatest threats to wildlife on the planet. In tropical forests alone, home to red pandas, lemurs, and pangolins—Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, and orangutans, researchers estimate that some 75,000 species have already been wiped out or doomed to extinction.

According to a study by the United Nations, we are losing approximately 10 million hectares of forest per year to land use change, and since 2001, an additional 3 million annually and counting to wildfires. The same forests that benefit humanity by cooling the atmosphere, capturing carbon pollution, filtering water, and supporting livelihoods provide habitat for 68 percent of the world’s mammals, 75 percent of bird species, and 80 percent of amphibians.

Beyond the lovely-to-look-at value of iconic creatures, each of the one million species now at risk represents a thread in the web of life that helps to keep ecosystems that we depend on functioning as nature intended. Half of the 85% of at-risk species threatened by loss of habitat live in rainforests, and that’s why restoring and protecting tropical landscapes is critical to their survival and to the health of the planet.

We Plant Trees Where the Wild Things Are
Through our partnership with Tree-Nation, we’re grateful to have the opportunity to support forest conservation with organizations like the Eden Restoration Project, planting trees in some of the world’s most remote locations that not only restore habitat for endangered wildlife but help to improve the living conditions of local communities. Places like Madagascar, home to nine species of lemurs, with only 10% of native forests remaining, and Nepal, where Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, and red pandas roam and forests have been diminished by 70%.

By educating rural populations on the benefits of maintaining the environment they live in, Eden is helping to preserve wildlife habitat through community-based tree-planting projects that generate long-term, social, economic, and biodiversity benefits. Empowering people to care for nature by restoring and protecting forests will help to ensure that the last places on Earth where the wild things are will continue to exist. Thank you for helping us help them re-habitat.

ICYMI Nature News

Jellyfish Learn Without Brains
According to new research, jellyfish don’t need grey matter to acquire knowledge. The gelatinous sea creatures can learn from past experiences through neurons in their eye structures. Read about it here.

Silkworms Can Out-Spider Spiders
Through the process of gene editing, scientists have enabled silkworms to replicate the bulletproof silk of spiders. No copyrights for spiders, apparently.

Rhinos are on the Rebound
On the conservation yay front, finally, some good news for rhinos. According to the IUCN, global numbers of the critically endangered animals have reached 27,000. More work to be done to reach the 20th-century pinnacle of 500,000, but it’s an encouraging milestone.

Maui Banyan Tree Keeps on Treeing
After the devastating August wildfires, the iconic 150-year-old Maui Banyan tree is sprouting new leaves—a hopeful testament to the resilience of nature.

Thank an Earthworm for Your Loaf
Never underestimate the importance of earthworms. A new study has revealed that the little wrigglers going about their earthworm business significantly boost wheat yields, adding one slice to every loaf—that’s 140 million tons a year to the global food supply.

Behold the Dumbo Octopus
The rare ghostly deep-sea creature was spotted in an expedition off the coast of Hawaii, and you can see it here. Beautiful!

Who’s the Fattest Bear of All?
Fire up your chooser, Fat Bear Week is from October 4 through October 10. You can cast your vote for the most proficient salmon scarfer in Katmai National Park right here. We’re liking the looks of Chunk—now that’s a power eater if ever we’ve seen one.

Dolphin Drones in NYC
Climate Week NYC may be over, but you can still see 1,000 drones light up the skyline in support of the Amazon rainforest, courtesy of Avaaz.

FWP Carbon Capture Report
For people and for wildlife, here’s the Favorite World Press carbon capture update from April 2022 through August 2023. From April 2022 through September 2023, the trees that we’ve planted across 13 projects in 12 countries bring our carbon capture to 4076 tons of CO2. That’s the equivalent of 4,566,261 pounds of coal burned, 10,450,204 miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle, and 458,699 gallons of gasoline consumed.

…

Lisa S. French September 27, 2023

Dolphins: They Care a Lot

3-minute read

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we’ll see
No, I won’t be afraid, oh, I won’t be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me.

Ben E. King

Marvels of complex intelligence, dolphins are widely acknowledged as one of the brainiest animal species on the planet. Scientists studying how the clever communicators and determined problem-solvers apply their cetacean smarts to assisting other dolphins in distress have concluded that the marine mammals also have a remarkable capacity for caregiving.

Active assistance aimed at relieving another’s suffering can take many forms, but the most important is the simple willingness to answer a call for help—and that’s a trait our finned friends share with humans. According to researchers documenting caregiving behaviors in animals, dolphins will respond to the distress calls of an injured or dying member of their pod and attempt to provide aid.

Leave No Dolphin Behind
And what does dolphin aid look like? It starts with a whistle. Individual dolphins establish contact with one another and communicate through signature whistles. An increase in the intensity and frequency of a whistle accompanied by a stream of bubbles can signal a cry for help from a dolphin in trouble. Dolphins typically swim to the rescue by staying close, rapidly circling, showing aggression toward a threat, or offering direct help by lifting a suffering pod member to the surface to breathe.

You might imagine that the resourceful animals learn triage from trainers, but both captive and wild dolphins have been observed attempting to provide caregiving. In a recent report, a group of 20 wild bottlenose dolphins filmed in the Red Sea instinctually formed teams to offer support to a struggling female. Responding to distress whistles, one team pushed and lifted her to the surface for air while another swam below, supporting her lower body. For as long as she whistled for help, the caregiving cetaceans stayed with her, pushing and lifting, listening for the distress cries to stop.

Scientists have yet to determine exactly what motivates helping behaviors in dolphins. Could the ability to recognize and try to alleviate the suffering of a fellow creature be a “scratch my fin, I’ll scratch yours” survival strategy or perhaps a demonstration of animal altruism? Advances in AI aimed at decoding animal communications could hold the key to understanding what drives their actions. Until we know for certain, we’d like to believe these whip-smart cetaceans show caring out of the goodness of their dolphin hearts.

ICYMI Nature News

Innovative Strategies to Save Corals
As rapidly warming waters continue to devastate corals globally, scientists are racing to develop strategies to help them survive. You can read how shade, fog, supplemental feeding and cool water mixing might help here.

A Beaver on Every Block
Could New York City parks benefit from the introduction of beavers? A proposal to bring the industrious rodents to city ponds aims to increase biodiversity in urban areas. We think it’s a dam good idea!

Extinct Prehistoric Bird is Back
In a welcome conservation victory, a big, blue ball of a flightless bird long extinct in the wild is getting a second chance to roam free in the Alpine slopes of New Zealand. You can watch the handsome fellows strut their feathery stuff here.

The Real Reason Why Cats Love Tuna
If you share your space with a house cat, you know that tuna is the holy grail of feline feasting. So, why does a creature that evolved in the desert crave a particular type of seafood? Scientists believe it’s all about umami.

The Key to Bringing Back Bugs
Major environmental indicators point to the fact that beneficial insects are in serious trouble. The good news is that no matter how small your patch, you can pitch in and provide habitat to help reverse their decline. Read all about it here.

Time to Tidy the Planet
World Cleanup Day is September 16th. If you’d like to help make the planet a little more pristine, you can find a local tidying crew here.

Bird Photographer of the Year 2023
We’ll leave you with a hit of beauty from the natural world: the winning photos from the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year. Enjoy!

…

Lisa S. French September 11, 2023

Murmurations: Starling Sound Shapes

2-minute read

Whirring, thrumming waves and swirls. Pulsing, whooshing twists and twirls.

Murmurations, the mesmerizing sound shapes of hundreds to hundreds of thousands of common starlings, are one of the most spectacular displays of collective animal movement in nature. How and why these feathery shapeshifters gather to perform their synchronized aerial maneuvers has long captured the imagination of both scientists and curious casual observers of evening skies.

From late fall to early spring, these birds of a feather flock together at dusk in continuously morphing configurations before descending in one fell swoop to roost. Are the massive gatherings a safety-in-numbers strategy to confuse predators or a signal to attract more birds to create warmer roosts?

To determine what drives the ebb and flow of these spontaneous avian zoomies, scientists analyzed videos of starlings flying in formation and reconstructed the movements of individual birds, looking for patterns in behavior. The analysis revealed that starlings navigating in a murmuration at up to 20 m.p.h. have an amazing ability to rapidly maneuver in sync with fellow fliers, reacting to changes in direction in under 100 milliseconds. Each bird follows the behavior of the six or seven closest neighbors, and the wave of perpetual movement ripples through the flock forming fluttering sound shapes in the evening sky.

Researchers studying details of over 3,000 murmurations gathered by citizen scientists across 23 European countries believe that starlings form giant catch me if you can bird clouds and descend en masse to roosting sites to avoid being singled out and picked off by aerial predators.

Interestingly, the dynamic rotating shapes formed by the safer together survival strategy seem to follow patterns of collective motion found in other groups of animals, including wildebeests, fish, and ants.

Whirring, thrumming waves and swirls. Pulsing, whooshing twists and twirls. The hypnotizing movements of a gathering of birds at dusk—a reminder of nature’s eternal rhythms.

ICYMI Nature News

Rare Maui Birds Rescued
Out of the heartbreaking tragedy of the Maui wildfires comes a story of nature-sparing heroism. The staff of the Maui Bird Conservation Center, home to some of the world’s rarest birds, rushed in to save the critically endangered animals from the rapidly advancing flames. You can read about the avian heroes here and help support Maui Forest birds here.

Meet the Antarctic Strawberry Feather Star
The multi-limbed beasty discovered in the depths of the Antarctic’s Southern Ocean might look like it’s straight out of Alien central casting, but it’s a brand-new Earthly species. Hello there!

Fruit Flies Just Want to Have Fun
Apparently, fruit flies like playing as much as any vertebrate. Scientists have discovered that given the opportunity to go round and round on a simulated carousal, the insects jump at the chance. Whee!

The Creatures Below Your Feet
Did you know that more than half of the Earth’s species live in the soil below your feet? That’s right—ninety percent of fungi, 80% of plants, and 50% of bacteria. Tread carefully out there!

This Kākāpō’s a Trier
If you’re in need of a bit of inspiration in the keep-on-keeping-on department, Steve the kākāpō has some thoughts to share on living your dreams. Because for New Zealand’s earthbound owl parrot, flying is believing.

Little Brown Bat: America’s Next Top Model?
Should a furry little night flyer be America’s Next Top Model? We think it’s about time. You can watch the little brown bat’s audition tape here.

And Bless the Rains Down in Africa
Since this week’s climate news has been, yeah, well, not okay—at all, we’re going to leave you with 18,000 strangers singing a Toto song because that might help you feel a little better between headlines. Hear it here.

FWP Carbon Capture Report
As always, thanks to our lovely readers, we’ve planted another batch of carbon-capturing trees with our pals at Tree-Nation to help give people and the planet a little more breathing space. From April 2022 through July 2023, the trees that we’ve planted across 13 projects in 12 countries bring our carbon capture to 3980 tons of CO2. That’s the equivalent of 4,458,726 pounds of coal burned, 10,204,103 miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle, and 447,897 gallons of gasoline consumed.

…

Lisa S. French August 19, 2023

Darwin’s Bark Spider: Ultimate Webmaster

2-minute read

We still do not know one-thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us.

Albert Einstein

If you spent 400 million years practicing a skill, chances are you would become pretty good at it. So, it’s not surprising that many of the 44,000 species of spiders on Earth have perfected the craft of silk spinning over the course of a few hundred thousand millennia. Now, scientists are working to unravel how and why one hairy little arachnid in Madagascar has evolved to spin the toughest threads on the planet—silks that outperform fibers produced by both eight-legged and human competition.

Just one-fifth to three-quarters of an inch long, Darwin’s bark spider can spool out silk threads up to 82 feet long and ten times tougher than Kevlar. The industrious orb weavers anchor these exceptionally strong bridge lines across rivers, lakes, and streams from which they suspend massive, super-sticky, ten-by-ten wheel-shaped webs to capture prey.

Researchers studying the spider’s weaving techniques believe the ability to spin such remarkably sturdy and stretchy silk developed as a gene-level adaptation to the animal’s habitat. Constructing giant webs that hang in flyways over water traveled by insects, birds, and bats expanded the bark spider’s menu options. The bigger, stronger, and stickier the web, the greater the catch.

The discovery of this little African webmaster is inspiring material scientists around the world, hoping to replicate fiber with the strength and flexibility of the bark spider’s silk in applications ranging from artificial tendons and ligaments to structural materials for bridges and vehicles.

Even if you’re a card-carrying arachnophobe and can’t imagine cozying up to these multi-legged creepy crawlies, there is no doubt they have much to teach us. That’s why protecting wild places and the creatures that inhabit them is critically important. Beyond contributing to the amazing diversity of life on Earth, newly and yet-to-be-discovered animal species may hold the key to addressing some of our greatest challenges.

ICYMI Nature News

Remember the Earth Angels
It’s been a heartrending couple of weeks for the good people struggling to save the world’s third-largest coral reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Extremely high ocean temperatures are bleaching and killing off newly transplanted corals before they have a chance to get established. How to lend your support? Here are ten actions you can take to help cool the planet—take a look. Because to quote the IPCC, “Every action matters. Every bit of warming matters. Every year matters. Every choice matters.” Remember the Earth angels.

Bearers of Bad News Birds
For two decades, the seasonal migration patterns of the veery thrush have helped scientists predict the intensity of the Atlantic hurricane season. What do these little fliers know that we don’t know? You can find out here.

Eavesdropping on Dolphins with AI
Scientists are using artificial intelligence to identify the unique clicks and whistles of two endangered species of pink dolphins in the Amazon River. The AI application was designed to help track the movements of the rare animals to aid in conservation. Can you hear us now?

Wild Horse Fire Brigade
Could grazing wild horses hold the key to managing the overgrowth of dried vegetation that provides fuel for wildfires in the Western United States? Read about one man’s mission to find out here.

A Brand-New Batch of Octo-babies
Researchers have discovered a rare deep-sea octopus nursery 10,000 feet down in the Pacific. You can find a video of the octo-moms and their adorable babies here.

Bees Leave No Pollen Behind
To expand their floral menu options, honeybees can turn their tongues into spoons or straws to accommodate the varying shapes and structures of flowers. See how the tiny tongue twisters do it here.

…

Lisa S. French August 5, 2023

And That’s Why We Hug Trees

2-minute read

Trees love to toss
and sway; they
make such happy
noises.

Emily Carr

Happy high summer!

As you prepare to hit the highways and flyways be sure to include a little quality tree time in your travels. Here’s a repost explaining why making friends with a forest is good for your head and good for your heart.

Before you go, a gentle reminder that it’s Plastic-Free July, your month-long challenge to double, triple, and quadruple your efforts to reduce your use of the indestructible stuff and keep things pristine when you’re out and about. You can learn how to help combat plastic pollution right here.

We’ll be back next week with more featured creatures and nature news. In the meantime, how about some happy noises?

FWP High-Summer playlist.

As the world turns, if you find yourself in need of a mood boost this summer, we’ve got just the thing—make friends with a local forest. According to public health researchers at the University of Parma, inhaling a forest atmosphere swirling with naturally occurring, mood-elevating aerosols can influence the release of dopamine and GABA, the feel-good neurotransmitters that improve cognitive function, increase feelings of well-being and relaxation, and improve quality of sleep.

Any type of forest in particular? Cone-producing pine, fir, and cypress trees release the highest concentration of beneficial aerosols limonene and pinene, so forests where conifers are king are your best bet to brighten your spirits. Hitting the trail two hours after dawn through to early afternoon is the optimum time for a one-hour forest wander when well-being-enhancing phytochemicals are at peak release.

In addition to tree aerosol inhalation being good for your headspace, regular visits to a forest can improve your overall health. On average, we spend about 90% of our daily lives indoors, under artificial light, which keeps our minds and bodies in a constant state of low-level stress. Exposure to the green scenery, fresh air, clean water, and soothing sounds and scents of nature reduces excess cortisol and adrenaline, stress hormones that can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.

The International Society of Nature and Forest Medicine recommends forest therapy as an effective, evidence-based, low-cost public health treatment for stress-related symptoms—not to mention doomscrolling-induced brain wobble. So, if you’re looking for a free and easy way to crush the cortisol, head out to a forest near you—the conifers are calling.

Lovely, trusty trees—releasing healing aerosols and absorbing greenhouse gas—providing nature-based solutions to everyday stress and climate change. So worth hugging.

FWP Monthly Carbon Capture Report
You keep reading and we keep planting. For every print or e-book book sold, we plant one native tree with the help of our fantastic planting partners at Tree-Nation. From April 2022 through June 2023, the trees that we’ve planted across 13 projects in 12 countries bring our carbon capture to 3787 tons of CO2. That’s the equivalent of 4,241,864 pounds of coal burned, 163,917 trash bags of waste recycled instead of landfilled, and 426,112 gallons of gasoline consumed.

…

Lisa S. French July 13, 2023

Pining for Clean Air in Cities

2-minute read

Something unusual happened in New York City last week—the skyline disappeared. Plumes of smoke emanating from the hundreds of wildfires blazing across Canada’s boreal forest descended over the Eastern seaboard, and in just a few hours, Manhattan’s skyscrapers faded out, obscured by an eerie orange haze. As visibility plummeted, so did air quality, topping out at a hazardous to everyone 352 on the U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI). The particle pollution generated from wildfires that made it hard to see also made it difficult and dangerous to breathe.

While the air quality in NYC and other East Coast urban areas returned to a healthier range this week, city residents learned firsthand that you don’t have to be a forest inhabitant to experience the life-disrupting impacts of extreme wildfires. As the planet heats up and the number and intensity of wildfires continue to increase, scientists are exploring options to remove particulate matter and other pollutants from the air in high-population areas. One nature-based solution that both cleans and cools the air in cities and improves overall health and well-being: more green space.

If Orange is the New Blue, is Green the New Black?
Environmental scientists have concluded that planting trees is one of the most effective ways to remove heat-trapping CO2 from the atmosphere. New research has shown that leafy green sky vacuums are also absolute champs at filtering particle pollution that accumulates in high-density urban areas and is hazardous to human health. Researchers studying the absorption capacity of diverse types of trees found that while many species are effective air purifiers, one type, in particular, is good at absorbing particulates—pines.

Studies comparing the needles of evergreen pine trees to the leaves of seasonally shedding trees, including birch, poplar, beech, and ash trees, show that pine needles have the greatest year-round and longer-term potential to absorb particulate matter pollution. Air quality models created by scientists at the University of Graz factoring in leaf shape, texture, and wind patterns found that one square kilometer of pine forest planted throughout a city of 300,000 reduced the number of days that particle pollution registered over the healthy limit from 54 to 25. Increasing overall pine-age helped dial back the dust by almost fifty percent.

Trees Absorb Pollutants So You Don’t Have To
Although environmental researchers may not yet be able to provide an exact urban tree-planting protocol to help turn orange skies blue again in the case of extreme wildfire events, under relatively normal conditions, designating more green space in urban areas and planting tree species that absorb particulate pollution can help city dwellers breathe a whole lot easier.

Increasing the capacity of forest ecosystems to function as nature intended by reducing heat-trapping emissions that contribute to the drought conditions that intensify wildfires should be a top priority. As residents of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. learned last week, on a rapidly warming planet, what happens in the forest doesn’t stay in the forest—even if the forest is one thousand miles away.

ICYMI Nature News

The Tallest Sky Vacuum Ever—Ever
After a multi-year quest in search of the tallest tree in the Amazon rainforest, intrepid trekkers have finally captured exclusive drone footage of the ancient giant—in a grove of giants. Follow along on their journey here.

Roadtripping Wildlife
When humans stayed in, animals stepped out. Scientists studying the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns on the movement patterns of wildlife have discovered that curious critters took advantage of low-traffic highways and byways to get around. Learn how they made use of the roaming room here.

Hornless Rhinos Are Homebodies
Removing rhino horns to help protect the critically endangered species from poachers is turning the animals into apprehensive homebodies. Without an intact horn to protect themselves and their territory, scientists believe the modified rhinos are playing it safe by reducing their range. No horn, no go, no way.

Meet the Carpenter Squirrels
Flying squirrels in China gnaw grooves in nuts to wedge them in trees, keeping them high and dry and ready for snacking. Crafty!

A Turtle’s Eye View of the Great Barrier Reef
If you’ve ever wondered what sea turtles get up to underwater, scientists at the World Wildlife Fund have captured some amazing turtle cam footage so you can see what the reptiles see—in the sea. Have a look!

What’s the Big, Beautiful Picture?
The winners and finalists of the 2023 Natural World Photography Contest have been announced, and you can explore the amazing images of the world’s wonders here.

FWP Carbon Capture Report
Trees for cooling, trees for purifying the air, trees for habitat, trees for income. We plant them all over the world with the help of our tree-planting partners at Tree-Nation. From April 2022 through May 2023 the trees we’ve planted across 12 projects bring our carbon capture total to 3,787 tons of CO2. That’s equivalent to 371,990 gallons of diesel consumed, 4,241,864 pounds of coal burned, or 460,643,616 smartphones charged.

…

Lisa S. French June 17, 2023