CONSERVATION: World population of world’s rarest duck increases to 60

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Eighteen Madagascar pochard ducklings (Aythya innotata) have been hatched at a breeding center in Antsohihy, Madagascar. The pochard, which is found only in Madagascar and was once thought to be extinct, had its population decimated due to fishing practicies, habitat destruction, hunting, and the introduction of invasive species. It’s hoped that a suitable lake will be discovered in order to release some of these spectacular ducks on to. More on the breeding program can be found at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.

Video: BBC News: World’s rarest ducklings hatch in Madagascar

Video: Voalonany (which means “the first one” in Malagasy) the duckling was the first Madagascar pochard hatched through breeding project

Images: Madagascar pochards and their successful breeding center

Images via the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

NATURE: Photos from the James

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Today, I went on a hike around the James River. It was a beautiful day with just enough clouds in the sky to appreciate the sunshine. The water was warm, and wildflowers are starting to carpet the forest floor along the James. Here are some of my favorite shots:

Cut-Leaf Toothwort (Dentaria sp.) ?

Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasco)

Some flowers from a pawpaw tree (Asimina triloba). The pawpaw is a native tree that produces an edible fruit. Although the pawpaw is a temperate species, the fruit looks and tastes tropical. Pawpaws grow as understory amongst hardwood trees. I noticed that these flowers were being visited by ants, which are probably their pollinators. Pawpaw trees thrive along the James River and Richmond, Virginia.

Video: Tiny Desk Kitchen: What The Heck Is A Pawpaw?

Virginia Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)

CRITICALLY-ENDANGERED SPECIES: Extremely rare Guam Rails hatch at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

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The Guam rail (Gallirallus owstoni) is a flightless species of rail that was once found on the island of Guam. However, due to the accidental introduction of the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis), the rail, in addition to many other species, have been extirpated from Guam. Some species went extinct.

The Guam rail was saved from extinction due to the efforts of Bob Beck. Today, the rail is kept in zoos such as the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, and it has been released on the island of Rota. The rail has also been released back on to Guam in an area known as Area 50, which “is a 24-hectare plot of mixed forest on Anderson Air Force Base” where environmental recovery activities, like the removal of invasive species, are taking place. Nonetheless, ”due to predatory feral cats, it is believed that no Guam rails exist on Guam at this time.” Apparently, monitor lizards are a problem for Area 50 as well. More via the National Zoo:

As Washington, D.C.’s unseasonably warm winter turns into spring, a baby boom is underway at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Two Guam rail (Gallirallus owstoni) chicks hatched March 3 and 4; they join six others in the Zoo’s collection—three of which live at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va. This brings the total population of these small, flightless birds to 162 individuals. Each hatching is significant—the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists these birds as extinct in the wild.

In about six weeks, keepers will separate the chicks from their parents, and Zoo veterinarians will perform a routine medical exam and take feather samples to determine their sexes.

To date, 82 chicks have hatched at the Zoo and SCBI, and each provides scientists with the opportunity to learn about the growth, reproduction, health and behavior of the species. The Zoo sent 29 Guam rails to the government of Guam for release and breeding, and an additional 25 birds have gone to other institutions to breed.

Via GrrlScientist on Twitter

All images are via the Smithsonian’s National Zoo on Flickr

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CLIMATE CHANGE: General Electric rejects GOP climate-change skepticism

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Image via net_efekt on Flickr


Corporations, like people, will be affected by climate change. As a result, corporations such as General Electric are accepting climate change as fact and are responding prudently by implementing policies that address concerns over energy availability and carbon emissions. More via Pilita Clark for the Financial Times:

“We found enough data there to have a company like GE respond and we have responded,” said Mark Vachon, head of the “ecomagination” sustainable business initiative GE launched in that year. He said revenues generated by operations in his portfolio now totalled $100bn and were growing at more than twice the rate of those in the rest of the company.

GE’s environmental strategy had also helped it shave $140m from its own energy bill and meant “we’re viewed as relevant in the world”, he said.

Mr Vachon was responding to questions about how GE, a company that has positioned itself as a champion of climate-friendly technologies, views the prospect of voters electing a president reluctant to accept the scientific consensus that carbon emissions from fossil fuels such as coal and oil are warming the earth’s climate.

Continue reading this article at the Financial Times.

ENERGY: Michigan Public Service Commission: Renewables cheaper than coal

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Image: Wind turbine, Pigeon, Michigan. Image via ~Jetta Girl~ on Flickr

The Michigan Public Service Commission, which is a public utilities commission that regulates entities such as natural gas companies and electric utilities, “has released its annual checkup [PDF] on the implementation of the state’s Renewable Energy Standard and its cost effectiveness.”

According to the Commission, renewables are cheaper than coal per megawatt hour, and Michigan “is on track to meet its RES of 10 percent by 2015.” However, the Commission warns that, although Michigan will meet its renewable energy standard targets by 2015, the state will lag behind other states that have set higher renewable targets. More via Midwest Energy News:

The PSC has released its annual checkup [PDF] on the implementation of the state’s Renewable Energy Standard and its cost effectiveness. The highlights include:

  • More than $100 million in investments on advanced energy projects from 2008-2011, with job creation as an additional benefit;
  • An average cost for renewables of $91.19 per megawatt hour, compared to $133 per megawatt hour for a new coal plant.

That’s almost 42 bucks less per megawatt hour for cleaner energy sources like wind and solar, without nasty downsides like respiratory illness and mercury pollution.

Continue reading this article at Midwest Energy News.