Sun, 25 May 2025 03:34:06 +1000
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/how-is-conservation-preparing-for-a-much-hotter-world-experts-share/>
"About 90 kilometers (56 miles) southeast of Cape Town lies the
tranquilly-named town of Betty’s Bay in South Africa, home to less than 2,000
people. But it’s not the people that draw Nik Sekhran’s eye.
“I enjoy watching the African oystercatchers,” says Sekhran, chief conservation
officer at World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Big black birds with stunning red beaks, African oystercatchers (Haematopus
moquini) are only found in South Africa and Namibia — and they only nest on
beaches near cold sea water, Sekhran says.
Rising sea levels are pushing these birds to nest further inland, where, he
says, they are running into people and dogs.
“I think a lot about these birds, who have so far managed to adapt and find
protected enclaves to lay their eggs. But as tides continue to erode the dunes
toward our house, the birds will be hard-pressed,” Sekhran says.
In 50 years, will the African oystercatchers still nest at Betty’s Bay? Will
they have anywhere to nest? The plight of these little-known birds may soon
become the plight of species everywhere.
“In 50 years, it’s entirely possible that climate change will have become the
largest threat to many species in the world — and thus to ecosystems in
general,” says James Deutsch, the CEO of Rainforest Trust. Today, the biggest
threat remains habitat loss, but climate change is climbing among the perils
for nature.
What will the world look like in 2075 when temperatures could be 3-5° Celsius
(4.5 to 9° Fahrenheit) higher than the pre-industrial average? And what should
conservationists be doing now to better prepare nature for the changes to come?
Mongabay interviewed eight conservationists to better understand how we can
aid the natural world to build greater climate resilience."
Via Reasons to be Cheerful:
<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/conservationists-climate-change-future-biodiversity/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
"About 90 kilometers (56 miles) southeast of Cape Town lies the
tranquilly-named town of Betty’s Bay in South Africa, home to less than 2,000
people. But it’s not the people that draw Nik Sekhran’s eye.
“I enjoy watching the African oystercatchers,” says Sekhran, chief conservation
officer at World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Big black birds with stunning red beaks, African oystercatchers (Haematopus
moquini) are only found in South Africa and Namibia — and they only nest on
beaches near cold sea water, Sekhran says.
Rising sea levels are pushing these birds to nest further inland, where, he
says, they are running into people and dogs.
“I think a lot about these birds, who have so far managed to adapt and find
protected enclaves to lay their eggs. But as tides continue to erode the dunes
toward our house, the birds will be hard-pressed,” Sekhran says.
In 50 years, will the African oystercatchers still nest at Betty’s Bay? Will
they have anywhere to nest? The plight of these little-known birds may soon
become the plight of species everywhere.
“In 50 years, it’s entirely possible that climate change will have become the
largest threat to many species in the world — and thus to ecosystems in
general,” says James Deutsch, the CEO of Rainforest Trust. Today, the biggest
threat remains habitat loss, but climate change is climbing among the perils
for nature.
What will the world look like in 2075 when temperatures could be 3-5° Celsius
(4.5 to 9° Fahrenheit) higher than the pre-industrial average? And what should
conservationists be doing now to better prepare nature for the changes to come?
Mongabay interviewed eight conservationists to better understand how we can
aid the natural world to build greater climate resilience."
Via Reasons to be Cheerful:
<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/conservationists-climate-change-future-biodiversity/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
