Nature
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Record-Breaking Sea Turlte Nesting Season on Florida’s Gulf Coast
It’s only the half-way point of sea turtle nesting season in Florida, and some beaches are already breaking records.
Mote’s Sea Turtle Patrol, a group of volunteers and scientists that monitor nests on Florida beaches between May 1 and Oct. 31, report this year has already seen 2,638 nests, some of which are beginning to hatch. This year’s number has surpassed the previous record—the total number of nests for 2015—by 163 nests, according to Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.
India Plants a Record 50 Million Trees In a Day
Hundreds of thousands of people in India’s most populous state jostled for space Monday as they attempted to plant 50 million trees over 24 hours in hopes of shattering the world record. Officials in Uttar Pradesh distributed millions of saplings to be planted across the state to help India’s efforts to increase its forest cover, and to get into Guinness World Records for the most trees planted in a day. The current record is 847,275, set in Pakistan in 2013.
Norway Becomes World’s First Country to Ban Deforestation
Norway has become the first country to ban deforestation. The Norwegian Parliament pledged May 26 that the government’s public procurement policy will be deforestation-free.
Wolves Reshape Ecosystem
In 1995, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, along with Canadian biologists, captured 14 wolves in Canada and placed them in Yellowstone National Park, where they had been extinct since 1926. Over the next few years, the number of wolves rose, but that was the least of the changes that took place in Yellowstone.
The First State to Ban Bee-Killing Pesticides
In an effort to curb its plummeting honeybee population, Maryland is about to become the first state in the nation to pass strict restrictions on neonicotinoids for consumer use.
Neonicotinoids are a potent class of pesticides used on many crops in the U.S. that have been linked to the widespread decline of pollinator species. As EcoWatch mentioned previously, 29 independent scientists conducted a global review of 1,121 independent studies and found overwhelming evidence of pesticides linked to bee declines.
A Way to Help Save the Bees
“Bee hotels are making a huge impact for the better. Easy to build, they keep wild bees safe and warm all winter and provide a safe refuge away from pets and kids. Build one near your garden and keep your own pollinators nearby.”
