NaturePlus: Nature Live : Tags : conservation

Biodiversity: The Next Step

Posted by Charlotte Oct 8, 2010

Phew, hot off the press, we've just released tickets for our October evening event.....Biodiversity: The Next Step

If you enjoyed the Big Nature Debate, or you're interested to know more about biodiversity, why it's important and what's being done to conserve it, then this is the event for you!

We've got some fantastic speakers and the event will be discussion based, so there'll be lots of opportunity for you to ask questions and discuss your ideas and concerns.

Details below or look on our website.

Biodiversity: The Next Step

Why is biodiversity important? In this, the International Year of Biodiversity, are we any more aware of its significance in our lives, and the fact that it is declining at an unprecedented rate?

This October, the United Nations is holding a global conference to discuss the continued decline in animal and plant species and set new targets to prevent a global disaster. But is it too late? We have already failed to meet the targets set in 2002. Will this time be any different?

Join us and hear from the following invited speakers:
Prof Geoff Boxshall (Merit Researcher, Zoology Department, Natural History Museum)
Peter Unwin (Director General for Environment and Rural, Defra)
Tony Juniper (Writer and environmentalist)
Prof Tom Burke (Environmentalist and Environmental Policy Adviser to Rio Tinto)

Take part in the discussions as we consider what needs to change, and how the goals set by the UN in Nagoya will influence both our own future and that of global biodiversity.

Part of Nature Live Nights.

Tickets £8 each (£7.20 members) plus £1.50 booking fee. Please book online, visit an information desk or phone 020 7942 5725.

1025 Views 1 Comments 0 References Permalink Tags: biodiversity, scientists, wildlife, natural_history_museum, discussion, nature_live, conservation, museum, ecology, species, sustainability, science, international_year_of_biodiversity, iyb, zoology

Time flies.....

Posted by Charlotte Jul 20, 2010

Are we half-way through the year already? How did that happen?!

It's been pretty busy in the Nature Live office recently, hence we've been a little slack on the blogging front, apologies. With one member of the team back in her home-land of Australia and another about to go on maternity leave, we've all been doing alot of juggling. But it's exciting juggling!

We've just finished hosting the 5th annual student summit here at the museum and I got to interview one of my wildlife presenting hero's.....Chris Packham. He was wearing a rather radical squirrel print skirt (for which I shall forgive him!) and we chatted about the International Year of Biodiversity and the importance of conserving biodiversity.

It gave me lots of ideas for our upcoming evening event in October, when I hope to challenge the politicians, media and public and ask whether we're doing enough to conserve biodiversity and if what we're doing is working. Well, that's the plan at the moment anyway! It's still in the brainstorm phase.....

Anyway, my half-year new-year's resolution is to try and blog more regularly. So if you don't hear from me, give me a nudge at naturelive@nhm.ac.uk or @NatureLive on twitter and spur me into action!

520 Views 0 Comments 0 References Permalink Tags: darwin_centre, biodiversity, wildlife, natural_history_museum, nature_live, conservation, species, student_summit, chris_packham

Speakers for this month's evening event

Posted by Charlotte Mar 17, 2010

For a sneak preview of what we'll be discussing on 25th March and the chance to see one of our speakers in action (Rob Parry-Jones from TRAFFIC Europe) have a look at - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX1ewcnlbDA

And to see our very own Richard Sabin in action (who will also be speaking on the 25th), have a look at this film all about the Thames Whale....remember that, it was a while ago now...! http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/nature-live/video-archive/videos/sperm-whale-skull/

777 Views 0 Comments 0 References Permalink Tags: darwin_centre, biodiversity, scientists, research, wildlife, natural_history_museum, discussion, nature_live, conservation, museum, event, attenborough_studio, species, sustainability, science, extinction, cites, march, evening_event, traffic, richard_sabin

The shark fin trade - on the agenda for this month's CITES meeting

Posted by Charlotte Mar 15, 2010

Richard Sabin from our Mammal Department uses microscopes to identify whether products siezed by HM Revenue & Customs have been made from protected species such as elephant and rhino. But scientists elsewhere use DNA to identify species - such as in this film which shows how shark fins can be tested and the species of shark identified.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHCzdQHre1U

1467 Views 0 Comments 0 References Permalink Tags: biodiversity, scientists, research, wildlife, natural_history_museum, dna, fish, nature_live, conservation, species, sustainability, science, animal, extinction, cites, shark, film

Illegal wildlife trade

Posted by Charlotte Mar 14, 2010

A couple of weeks ago I hosted an event with mammal curator Richard Sabin. Richard helps to look after the mammal collections here at the museum, but is also involved in helping HM Revenue & Customs crack down on the illegal trade in endangered animal species.

When customs find suspicious items being shipped or flown into the country, they turn to Richard to help them find out whether the bracelet/ornament/piece of furniture in question is made of a harmless material or whether it contains components of an endangered animal.

Richard specialises in hard materials, such as bone and horn. By studying items closely underneath microscopes, such as the bracelet above, he is able to spot the tell-tale signs that suggest what it has been made out of (ie plastic, bone or horn) but also what animal it may have come from. Incredibly, the tusks, horns and teeth of different species have different characteristics which, after years of training and experience, Richard is able to recognise.

The illegal trade in endangered species is an ongoing and international problem. Some say that it is worth more than the arms trade. It's an issue that is being tackled by governments and independent organisations around the world, but one that is far from black and white. There are many reasons for why people chose to kill and sell endangered animals, and many different demands for how these animals are used such as to make medicine, jewellery and food.

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments, which aims to ensure that the survival of plant and animal species is not threatened by trade. It influences legislation and laws that help protect threatened species. The 175 governments that have signed up to CITES are currently meeting in Qatar to discuss new measures and suggest changes to previous guidelines. At the top of the agenda are issues such as banning the trade of blue-fin tuna and legalising the sale of ivory stockpiles.

We'll be discussing the work of CITES and extent of the illegal trade at this months evening event, Crossing Borders: The Illegal Trade in Endangered Species on Thursday 25th March. Tickets are available on our website and by phone 020 7942 5555. Richard Sabin will be speaking about his involvement, as well as representatives from TRAFFIC (the wildlife trade monitoring network), Defra and a researcher from Oxford Brookes University who is involved in undercover work in South East Asia.

711 Views 0 Comments 0 References Permalink Tags: darwin_centre, biodiversity, scientists, research, wildlife, natural_history_museum, discussion, nature_live, conservation, attenborough_studio, ecology, species, sustainability, science, animal, extinction, cites, illegal_trade, traffic, ivory, tusks

The Name Game

Posted by Ivvet - Nature Live host Jan 16, 2010

Why do scientists insist on using long complicated scientific names?

Well one reason is that they are universal. Take the common grove snail (below). In English this creature is also known as the brown-lipped snail or the dark lipped banded snail. It becomes even more confusing if you go abroad; in Germany the same creature is called Hain-Baenderschnecke. So how do scientists make sure they’re all speaking the same language? They speak in science of course; usually a combo of Latin and Greek.

There are estimated to be 6809 different languages spoken around the world but wherever you go ‘Cepaea nemoralis’ will always mean the grove snail (or the brown-lipped snail or Hain-Baenderschnecke).

Some Latin names can be weird and wonderful; take Osedaz mucofloris, also known as the bone eating snot-flower. In today’s show we asked our visitors to pit their wits against a panel of scientists and guess which one was lying. Can you work it out? Which of these names is made up?

Abra cadabra or Megadoris russelensis or Rasta thiophila

Image: Cepaea nemoralis - or the common grove snail in England or the Hain-Baenderschnecke in Germany

1617 Views 0 Comments 0 References Permalink Tags: biodiversity, scientists, research, natural_history_museum, discussion, nature_live, conservation, museum, attenborough_studio, species, science, curation

Year of the Gorilla

Posted by Charlotte Dec 4, 2009

A

long with Darwin's 200th birthday celebrations, 150 years since the publication of On the Origin of Species and the International Year of Astronomy (marking 400 years since Galileo first looked up at the sky through a telescope).....2009 is also Year of the Gorilla.

To help celebrate Year of the Gorilla, we held an event with tropical biologist Ian Redmond last Tuesday. Ian is a well known figure in the world of gorilla and great ape conservation and speaks passionately about the plight of gorillas and the forests they live in. This year, he travelled to 8 of the 10 countries where gorillas are still found in the wild and wrote a blog as he went. He also filmed the people he met and recorded interviews with government officials, bushmeat traders and park wardens amongst others. To find out more, visit the Year of the Gorilla website

5822 Views 2 Comments 0 References Permalink Tags: research, natural_history_museum, nature_live, conservation, ecology, africa, deforestation, gorilla, bushmeat, ian_redmond, great_ape

Six-Legged Wonders

Posted by Charlotte Oct 17, 2009

Finally, Nature Live evening events are back! Due to planning and preparation for the opening of the Darwin Centre, we haven’t been able to run any for quite some time…but that’s all about to change. On the last Thursday of every month we hope to engage and enthuse with new vigour, starting this month. I have the unenviable task of hosting the first event! ‘Great’ I thought and ‘uh oh…’ a certain amount of responsibility forcing it’s way upon my shoulders. What if nobody comes? What should the event be about? How can I ensure it’s a success? Don’t get me wrong, I love hosting evening events. But they’re longer and more complicated than daytime events….which means we’re able to offer more but also have to put in more effort!

This month’s evening event is entitled Six-Legged Wonders….and is about, can you guess? Insects! Often misunderstood and commonly trodden upon (!), squashed and maligned, these animals are crucial to the well-being of our planet and have the most diverse and wonderful lifestyles imaginable. So, why not come along and join us for an evening of wine, nibbles and insect trivia. Test your creepy crawly knowledge, lay your preconceptions aside and be inspired by the smaller creatures in life. We’ll be in the brand new Attenborough Studio and will be joined by three museum entomologists (including Diptera blogger Erica McAlister). Come and ask them your questions, take a closer look at some of our specimens and get an insight into what goes on behind the scenes of the Entomology Department.
Tickets cost £6 each and can be booked in person at one of our museum information desks, by phone on 0207 942 5555 or click here to buy online. See you there

2244 Views 0 Comments 0 References Permalink Tags: biodiversity, scientists, natural_history_museum, entomology, nature_live, conservation, museum, attenborough_studio, diptera_blog, ecology, field_trip, bug, curation, insects

Batty about bats

Posted by vanessab77 Sep 15, 2009

My bordering-on-obsessive love for bats has grown since I started working at the Museum. I was already fascinated by the large, fruit-eating flying foxes but now appreciate just how diverse this group of mammals is, having seen the enormous collections of hundreds of different species, most of them smaller than a sparrow.

Horrible news today that the beautiful Christmas Island pipistrelle is almost certainly doomed to extinction. Recent attempts to capture some of these tiny bats for an Australian conservation breeding program, have sadly failed.

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/christmas-island-bat-months-from-extinction-1677667.html

Hopefully our batty Nature Live events will continue to show people how important these animals are and help prevent future losses to bat biodiversity