Happy New Year my friends!

British bats 'showing signs of recovery'

Populations of 10 British bat species are stable or increasing following previous years of decline, a new report has suggested.

The Bat Conservation Trust said the study highlights the benefits of citizen science

The species included Daubenton's and Brandt's.

The Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) enlisted more than 3,500 volunteers to help with its National Bat Monitoring Programme.

The citizen science project collected data from 3,272 sites across Great Britain from 1997 to 2012.

In the report, the trust said the results revealed a "generally favourable picture" and "signs of recovery" for bats over the monitoring period.

From BBC News-Sci/Environment

Merry Christmas!

Thank you all for your visits and kind comments!

Millions of butterflies arrive in Mexican forest

Mexico has welcomed some guests just in time for Christmas - millions of monarch butterflies.

They've touched down in the Oyamel Fir forest in Mexico as part of their yearly migration from parts of the US and Canada.

The butterflies have been taking up lots of space, but the numbers making the trip has fallen in recent years.

Scientists from Mexico, the US and Canada have all been working to try and find ways to help, like introducing organic fertiliser in the forest.

From CBBC newsround

Prince William makes speech about illegal poaching

The Duke of Cambridge has made a speech in America, warning about the effect illegal poaching is having on elephants and rhinos.

Continents like Africa and Asia used to be home to hundreds of thousands of rhinos and elephants.

But today, three out of five rhino species are critically endangered, and in Africa last year there were more elephants killed by poachers than were born.

Poaching on the rise

If that continues, experts are warning that they could become extinct within 20 years.

Despite tough hunting laws, poaching is on the rise as horns and tusks can sell for high prices on the illegal wildlife market.

Poachers kill around 35,000 elephants and 1,000 rhinos every year.

Prince William hopes these talks will help to raise awareness around the world about how bad the situation is.

From CBBC newsround

Countries reach climate change agreement

Countries from all over the world have reached an agreement on how to limit the effects of climate change in the future.

Leaders from 195 countries have been meeting in Peru, in South America, for two weeks.

They were trying to agree on plans and targets that each country would have to meet to reduce the amount of harmful gases it produces, and the amount energy it uses.

There were disagreements between richer and poorer countries at the summit about whether all nations should have the same targets.

Negotiators have now come up with a plan for countries to make their own pledges, which will be submitted at another conference next year.

Environmental groups have criticised the deal saying it weakens international climate rules.

United Nations members have reached an agreement on how countries should tackle climate change.

Delegates have approved a framework for setting national pledges to be submitted to a summit next year.

Differences over the draft text caused the talks in Lima, Peru, to overrun by two days.

Environmental groups have criticised the deal as a weak and ineffectual compromise, saying it weakens international climate rules.

The talks proved difficult because of divisions between rich and poor countries over how to spread the burden of pledges to cut carbon emissions.

'Not perfect'

The BBC's Matt McGrath in Lima says none of the 194 countries attending the talks walked away with everything they wanted, but everybody got something.

There was a great sense of relief among delegates when the announcement came in the early hours of Sunday morning, he adds, following 48 hours of talks without a break.

Peru's environment minister, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, who chaired the summit, told reporters: "As a text it's not perfect, but it includes the positions of the parties."

The agreement was adopted hours after a previous draft was rejected by developing countries, who accused rich nations of shirking their responsibilities to fight global warming and pay for its impacts.

The final draft is said to have alleviated those concerns with by saying countries have "common but differentiated responsibilities".

The agreed document calls for:

• An "ambitious agreement" in 2015 that reflects "differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities" of each nation
• Developed countries to provide financial support to "vulnerable" developing nations
• National pledges to be submitted by the first quarter of 2015 by those states "ready to do so"
• Countries to set targets that go beyond their "current undertaking"
• The UN climate change body to report back on the national pledges in November 2015

Environmental groups were scathing in their response to the document, saying the proposals were nowhere need drastic enough.

Sam Smith, chief of climate policy for the environmental group WWF, said: "The text went from weak to weaker to weakest and it's very weak indeed."

Jagoda Munic, chairperson of Friends of the Earth International, said fears the talks would fail to deliver "a fair and ambitious outcome" had been proven "tragically accurate".

The talks followed last month's agreement on emissions targets between the US and China, but hopes it would encourage wider global agreement faded once talks began in Lima on 1 December.

On Saturday, US climate envoy Todd Stern had warned that the deadlock in the negotiations threatened the chances of a new global deal next year, saying it would be seen as "a major breakdown".

From CBBC newswround and BBC news

Bangladeshis tackle Sunderbans oil spill with sponges

Villagers in Bangladesh, South-East Asia, have used pots, pans and sponges to help clear thousands of litres of oil, three days after it spilled into a nature reserve.

The oil is threatening the Bangladeshi part of the world's largest mangrove forest

The oil spilled after a tanker carrying 350,000 litres collided with another vessel, spreading the oil across nearly 40 miles of waterways.Footage shows villagers scooping oil from rivers and birds covered in black liquid in the Sundarbans area.

Villagers have been asked to help the government clear the spill

The Sunderbans is a Unesco heritage site, which means it is an area of great importance.Its mangrove forest and rivers are home to a huge number of plant and animal life, much of it unique to the area.The oil leaked into the river at a sanctuary for rare dolphins.

A thick, black sheen spread in the days after the tanker crash, covering nearly 40 miles of waterways

Experts say the impact on wildlife could be devastating.But government officials say they still cannot give a prediction of how much damage has been caused.

From CBBC newsround

African penguins close to extinction in the wild

They're a favourite attraction at any zoo, but in the wild, African penguins are at risk of extinction

The population of African penguins fell 70% between 2001 and 2013 and is continuing to decline.

With less than 18,000 breeding pairs left in the wild in South Africa, African penguins are an endangered species.

Every winter, hundreds of African penguin chicks, that have been abandoned by their parents foraging for food, are rescued by a rehabilitation centre in South Africa.

It's part of a project led by Bristol Zoo.

This year, African penguin chicks are coming in early and in their hundreds from the colonies.

The rehabilitation centre is already helping to care for 430 and this number is growing.

From CBBC newsround

Peruvian experts say glaciers are 'melting at alarming rate'

Experts have warned that Peru's glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, threatening the survival of an estimated 30 million people.

The water from the glaciers is used to generate hydro power and for irrigation.

Scientists say the glaciers have lost more than one-fifth of their mass in just three decades due to global warming.

From BBC News

UK winter storms: Nursing sick orphaned seal pups back to sea

A year ago, the worst storm surges in more than 60 years left the UK's east coast severely battered.

The storms coincided with grey seal pupping season, which happens in early December. Dozens of the young animals were separated from their mothers in the strong seas.

In the space of three days, the number of seal pups admitted to the RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre more than doubled to over 100, as 58 greys joined the 50 juvenile common seals who had been there since the summer.

One year on, with winter approaching, workers and volunteers at the centre are bracing themselves in case of another influx.

But the problem is not just weather - the centre is seeing increasing numbers of sick common seals (all but three of the current residents) but cannot pinpoint the reason.

From BBC news

New threat to Canada's Pacific humpback whales?

They were once hunted near to extinction but now humpback whales off the Canadian coast are returning in large numbers.

As a result, the Canadian government has downgraded their status from a threatened species to one "of special concern".

However, not everyone sees the change as good news with some people saying that there's now less protection for them and that they face new risks from boat traffic and increased oil and gas exploration.

Listen to what Craig Murray, a local business owner, and Jackie Hildering from the Marine Education & Research Society have to say about this.

From CBBC newsround

Salmon return to UK rivers after conservation projects

Many rivers in the UK that were once famed for their salmon saw them disappear but now they are coming back as conservation projects prove to be a success.

At this time of year the fish are swimming upriver to breed and, if you are lucky, you may see them leaping out of the water to overcome obstacles.

John Maguire reports from the banks of the River Dove in Derbyshire - one area where salmon are making a comeback.

From BBC News- Sci / Environment

Poo-powered Bio-Bus hits road in Bath and Bristol

Check out this new form of poo-blic transport!

Britain's first bus powered entirely by poo and food waste has hit the road

The Bio-Bus is a shuttle service between Bath and Bristol Airport.

It runs on a gas called biomethane, which is generated through the treatment of sewage and food waste.

The bus has 40 seats, and can travel up to 186 miles on one tank of gas, which needs the annual waste of around five people to produce.

Engineers think the Bio-Bus could be a greener way of running public transport.

From CBBC newsround

Rare baby anoa calf born at zoo

Check out this cute baby anoa calf, which has been born at Chester Zoo in England.

The calf called Lasola has been busy exploring her new surroundings with her Mum.

Already standing up this little calf is bouncing around her surroundings, exploring the enclosure with her mum, a miniature version of the water buffalo this species is nicknamed the 'Demon' of the forest.

Labelled as an endangered species, an estimate total of around 2,500 of mature anoas are left in the wild, though little is known about this animal as they are shy and secretive, and only live in pairs instead of in herds like cattle do.

Anoa are the world's smallest species of wild cattle and are usually found in forests and swamps in Indonesia.

They've been listed as an endangered species with around two thousand estimated to be left.

From 

CBBC newsround- http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/30093128

Whizba-https://www.whizba.com/index.php/natural-world/animal-world/item/2032-chester-zoo-welcomes-rare-anoa-calf

Beavers on River Otter in Devon could stay free

Beavers living on the River Otter in Devon could be allowed to remain in the wild if free of disease.

A family of six beavers have been living on the River Otter

The government had intended to capture six beavers, test for disease and re-home them in captivity.

It is unclear where the beavers came from, but campaigners say they should be allowed to stay.

The government has now indicated that the beavers could be tested near the river and released if disease-free.

In October, environmental charity Friends of the Earth, launched a legal challenge over the government's claim that the beavers were non-native, could be diseased, and should be removed.

It is believed the group, including three juveniles born this year, are the only wild beavers in England.

'Positive steps'

A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "Our priority has been to ensure humane treatment for the beavers while safeguarding human health, so we'll be testing the beavers close to the River Otter which will be better for their welfare than moving them elsewhere.

There are clear signs of beaver activity on the River Otter

"We have a licence to capture the beavers, which we need to do to test them humanely for the disease EM (Echinococcus multilocularis) which has the potential to be very harmful to human health should it become established in the UK."

She said that the government agency Natural England was "expected to make a decision soon" on an application by Devon Wildlife Trust for the beavers to be released if clear of the disease.

FoE campaigner Alasdair Cameron said: "These are positive steps in the right direction, but until this issue is resolved, we will continue to make the case for these beavers to remain free."

A wild population of more than 150 animals has established itself on the River Tay in Perthshire, in the east of Scotland, while a smaller official trial reintroduction project has been taking place in west Scotland over the past few years.

From BBC Sci/Environment

Climate change 'will make lightning strike more'

Global warming will significantly increase the frequency of lightning strikes, according to US research.

The research, published in Science, was carried out with the help of data from a US network of lightning detectors.

The teams says they have calculated how much each extra degree in temperature will raise the frequency of lightning.

"For every two lightning strikes in 2000, there will be three lightning strikes in 2100," said David Romps, at the University of California, Berkeley.

As well as triggering more wild fires, he said, this would alter the chemistry of the atmosphere.

The team's work reveals a new method of working out the relationship between temperature and lightning storms, by estimating the heat energy available to "fuel" storm clouds.

"As the planet warms, there will be more of this fuel around, so when thunderstorms get triggered, they will be more energetic," said Prof Romps.

He and his colleagues calculated that every 1C rise in global temperature would lead to an increase in the frequency of lightning strikes by 12%.They validated their calculations against a year of data from the US National Lightning Detector Network, which detects an electromagnetic pulse every time lightning strikes in the US.

"The resulting data is exquisite," said Dr Romps. "The position and time of every lightning strike is very accurately recorded."

Changing the atmosphere

As well as triggering half of the wildfires in the US, each lightning strike - a powerful electrical discharge - sparks a chemical reaction that produces a "puff" of greenhouse gases called nitrogen oxides.

Continue reading the main story

"Lightning is the dominant source of nitrogen oxides in the middle and upper troposphere," said Prof Romps.

And by controlling this gas, it indirectly regulates other greenhouse gases including ozone and methane.

Prof Romps said that this was an example of a large response to "what sounds like only a few degrees of warming".

A scientist at the UK Met Office said it was important to understand future lightning patterns, but cautioned that there were still uncertainties in the researchers' model that needed to be tested further.

The Met Office added that the application of this forecast to other parts of the world could be limited by the fact that rainfall patterns were very uncertain in many regions.

Prof Romps said that if the Earth did warm by the expected 4C during the 21st Century, the change in lightning would be "the least of our worries".

"A big chunk of the [carbon dioxide] we put into the atmosphere during this century will persist [there] for 100,000 years; a long-lived legacy, indeed."

Changing the atmosphere

As well as triggering half of the wildfires in the US, each lightning strike - a powerful electrical discharge - sparks a chemical reaction that produces a "puff" of greenhouse gases called nitrogen oxides."Lightning is the dominant source of nitrogen oxides in the middle and upper troposphere," said Prof Romps.

And by controlling this gas, it indirectly regulates other greenhouse gases including ozone and methane.

Prof Romps said that this was an example of a large response to "what sounds like only a few degrees of warming".

A scientist at the UK Met Office said it was important to understand future lightning patterns, but cautioned that there were still uncertainties in the researchers' model that needed to be tested further.

The Met Office added that the application of this forecast to other parts of the world could be limited by the fact that rainfall patterns were very uncertain in many regions.

Prof Romps said that if the Earth did warm by the expected 4C during the 21st Century, the change in lightning would be "the least of our worries".

"A big chunk of the [carbon dioxide] we put into the atmosphere during this century will persist [there] for 100,000 years; a long-lived legacy, indeed."

How lightning strikes

It still is not entirely clear what triggers the process of "charging a storm cloud". But scientists do know that, to make lightning, water in all three phases - vapour, liquid, and ice - need to coexist.

Clouds then need to rise quickly enough to lift that liquid and ice and keep them suspended. As ice particles in the storm cloud collide with each other, they exchange charged particles called electrons. This eventually leads to a build-up of charge within the cloud, with negatively charged large ice falling to the bottom and positively charged small ice at the top.

The physical separation of that charge is crucial - the negative charge ultimately discharges downwards in a stream of electrons that is the bolt of lightning.

From BBC Sci/Environment

Jumbo-gardeners: How elephants affect weather

The tropical forests of Congo help create downpours many miles away. What’s a key element in this forest flourishing? 
The elephant!

The tropical rainforests of Africa and Asia play a crucial role in keeping our planet healthy. They moderate our climate, absorb the carbon we produce, and act as a major source of atmospheric moisture – which can fall as rain many miles away.

One of the biggest tropical forests in the world is in Congo. Its huge size and incredible biodiversity is partly thanks to an unlikely ally – the elephant.

In this film, The Nature Conservancy’s lead scientist Dr M Sanjayan, Dr Valerie Kapos of the UN Environment Programme, and tropical field biologist and conservationist Dr Ian Redmond reveal the crucial role that elephants play in keeping these forests strong and resilient, and how elephants are the most important player when it comes to the diversity of tree species in the rainforest. 

From BBC-Future

My other children, the orphan gorillas of Virunga

Park ranger Andre Bauma has been taking care of orphaned mountain gorillas at Virunga, Africa's oldest national park, for the past seven years, and he says he loves them as if they were his own children.

One gorilla, Ndakasi, is particularly close to Bauma. She sees him as her mother, and despite being a man - and a human to boot - he has taken on that role. "We shared the same bed, I played with her, I fed her… I can say I am her mother," he says.

They met in terrible circumstances. Ndakasi was a two-month-old infant when her mother was shot at close range through the back of the head - the park describes it as an "execution". Ndakasi was still clinging to her dead mother when they found her. "She was tiny, she only weighed a couple of kilos," says Bauma. Ever since he picked her up from the forest floor, he has dedicated his life to saving hers.

Kalonge another orphan gorilla rescued by the Virunda Park rangers

"Every single individual gorilla is crucial because it's an endangered species - so we had to take care of it, we took her in," he says.

Ndakasi was born into a renowned group of mountain gorillas called the Rugendo family, seven of whose members were slaughtered in the attack in 2007 that orphaned Ndakasi.

Illegal charcoal traders, engaged in a constant struggle with park rangers, are thought to have been behind the shootings.

The law says no human activity of any kind is allowed inside the park - located in the Democratic Republic of Congo - and the rangers are there to prevent it. It's a dangerous job - since 1996, more than 130 rangers have been killed. "We are constantly threatened, not only by the militias inside the park but also in general by the population," says Bauma. "There is a lot of poverty, so people try to survive. They will try to use the natural resources of the park, whether it be wood to make charcoal, fields for agriculture or illegal fishing."

Bauma now heads the gorilla orphanage, located at the park headquarters in Rumangabo. Ndakasi was the first to be housed there, but she was soon joined by Ndeze, another member of the Rugendo family. In 2010 the two females were joined by Maisha, another female, and Kaboko, a male - both had been seized by poachers, and Kaboko had lost his hand in a snare. Kaboko died in 2012, but since then another orphan has joined the gang - Matabishi, a young male found abandoned outside the park.

No-one believed Ndakasi would survive, but she has grown to be a healthy 65kg. She still behaves like a baby, though. "Whenever she sees me she climbs on my back like she would with her mother," says Bauma. "But she's a big and strong girl and I'm not capable of playing with her like I used to. When she climbs on my back, every time I'm worried that I'm going to hurt myself - in fact at the end of the day I have real backache."

READ MORE

From BBC News

Plan bee: New measures to protect pollinators

The British government has made an agreement with landowners including Network Rail and the Highways Agency to restore bee-friendly habitat throughout England.

Honeybees and other pollinating insects have been in decline for decades

It is part of a 10-year National Pollinator Strategy.

But some conservation groups say the plan does not go far enough.

It includes countryside stewardship schemes, worth a total of £900m, to provide financial incentives for farmers to plant pollinator-friendly crops and let meadows grow.

The plan is to be announced on Tuesday by Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss.

It will be the key policy announcement of her first major speech as environment secretary.

The coalition has been criticised for some of its actions on the natural environment, including the controversial badger cull and a plan to sell off forests, which was ultimately scrapped. So Ms Truss will look to move the debate forward.

She will say in her keynote speech that "our health, our jobs and our future prosperity and security depend on nature in this country".

Policy for pollinators

Ms Truss told BBC News that the new strategy was "all about helping our pollinators survive and thrive". Farmland, which covers most of England's land area, is the main focus.

"Pollinators are really important for food and farming - for our rural economy, which is worth £210bn per year," she told BBC News.

"The most important part of the strategy is the stewardship scheme, which has a specific pollinator element incentivising farmers to plant wild flowers, have pollinator friendly crops, and to carry out their activities in a pollinator-friendly way."

The charity Buglife and Friends of the Earth both broadly welcomed the plan, but said that it did not go far enough on the regulation of pesticides.

Referring to a 2013 decision by the European Commission to restrict the use of a group of neonicotinoid pesticides that were found to be harmful to honeybees, Buglife chief executive Matt Shardlow said it was time for the government to bring in new regulations to govern the testing of new chemicals.

"We're not against pesticides entirely," he told BBC News. "But we're keen that there's better testing, so the ones that are ultimately used aren't damaging to bees."

Public help sought

                                

Buglife's Matt Shardlow shows the BBC's Victoria Gill around a rooftop in the heart of Manchester that has been designed specifically to attract urban bees.

To make space across an increasingly urban landscape for insects, the government has secured commitments from landowners including Network Rail and the Highways Agency, which has agreed to undertake work to "enhance the grassland" on its verges.

Mr Shardlow pointed out that these pollinator-friendly urban spaces were vital and he encouraged the public to help.

"It is time now for everyone to come together around this national strategy; for government to deliver tens of thousands of hectares of restored wildflower habitats in the countryside, creating a network of B-Lines so that pollinators can move across the landscape effectively.

"And for local authorities to transform roadside verges and public spaces into buzzing, colourful wildlife havens; and for the public to find space in their lawns to let the flowers bloom."

From BBC Sci/Environment

App that can recognise bird sounds set for launch

Are you a fan of birdwatching?

This is the right app for you!

Is it a swallow, a lark or a dove?

A new app that can automatically recognise bird sounds is to be launched in spring.

Warblr has been developed by two scientists.

The app works by identifying a recorded sound and then returns a list of the most likely results.

Dan Stowell, who helped developed the technology said the app was similar to the music-recognition service Shazam.

But there are still problems that need to be solved.

In three separate attempts, as part of a BBC test, the app was unable to correctly identify the bird.

Warblr struggled to distinguish between a canada goose and screaming child

"It is not perfect... this is obviously very new technology, so we have a bit of work to do still," said Warblr's co-founder Florence Wilkinson.

She demonstrated the app to the BBC by recording a Canada goose.

But she said that interference from a "screaming child" caused the app to mis-identify the calls as being a crow.

The correct answer appeared in second place.

From CBBC nerwsround

In test two, she tried to identify a moor hen and some coots.

"I don't know if we can count that as a victory because the coot came up as the last result on the list although they are all pretty close," she said.

Warblr also had trouble identifying the moor hen

"We've got a few that are clearly wrong there, we've got the black-tailed godwit, a fieldfare, for example.

Although other apps, such as Bird Song ID, which can recognise and identify bird calls exist, Warblr's developers claim its database is significantly larger.

Oyster fishing set to flourish again in Swansea Bay

It was a booming industry that died out a century ago - but experts now believe oyster fishing in Wales could make a comeback.

A year ago marine biologists re-introduced 40,000 oysters into the waters of Swansea Bay to see if they could survive and reproduce.

The results are in and, against all the odds, the species is thriving.

Oyster Song

Oyster Blues – a song about reviving the oyster fishery:

Swansea based singer-songwriter Patrick Ellis penned a song calling for the revival of the oyster fishery in Swansea Bay back in 1997. Maybe it’s all his idea anyway, inspiring us at a drunken gig 10 years ago.

New viruses 'killing amphibians' in Spain

A deadly new disease has emerged that is wiping out amphibians, scientists report.

The common midwife toad is one of several species that have been hit by the new strains of Ranavirus

A number of viruses have been found in northern Spain that are killing frog, toad and newt species. Infected animals can suffer from ulcers on their skin and die from internal bleeding.

Researchers fear the strains, which belong to the Ranavirus group, have already spread to other countries.

The study is published in the journal Current Biology.

Lead author Dr Stephen Price, from University College London, said: "Until the outbreaks, we didn't really know about this lineage of virus.

"But since these die-offs began, we've started to see them elsewhere - in China in giant salamanders, and it looks like they are emerging in places like France and the Netherlands as well."

The viruses cause internal haemorrhaging and some animals have large open sores on their skin

Dead amphibians were first spotted in the Picos de Europa National Park, in Spain, in 2005.

An investigation by a team of researchers found that a range of new viruses were the cause.

Two of the viruses, called CMTV-like Ranaviruses, were infecting large numbers of animals.

What is unusual is that they can jump between a range of species, killing off frogs, toads and newts.

Dr Price said: "In the Picos de Europa National Park, we've seen major population collapses in three species: the common midwife toad, the common toad and the alpine newt. But we also found all the common amphibian species in the park were highly susceptible and experiencing disease and mortality.

"It is a pretty graphic disease with a high kill-rate. We've shown these viruses have caused simultaneous declines in several species of host."

Alpine newts have also been killed by the viruses in Spain

The researchers believe the virus can even spread to reptiles.

"We recorded a snake that had been feeding on amphibians infected with disease, and it showed signs of the virus," said Dr Price.

Conservationists are especially worried about these new viruses because 41% of all amphibians already face extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Another disease, called the chytrid fungus, has spread around the world, killing off many populations.

Scientists fear that if the new viruses spread, they could have a devastating effect on these already vulnerable animals.

The research was carried out by scientists at UCL, the Zoological Society of London, Queen Mary University of London, the Museum of Natural Science in Madrid, and the Picos de Europa National Park.

From BBC News