| <div class="ck-content"><h3>Do you like fungi?</h3><p>I've been adding lots of features and content to the <a href="https://rewildearth.net">Rewild Earth website</a>, so if you haven't visited lately, check it out! One big area of improvement is showcasing images of plants, both invasives and natives. I also uploaded all the photos I've taken of fungi, from my walks in Brumley, Carolina North and other places. You can see them all <a href="https://rewildearth.net/ords/r/rewildearth/_rewild-earth/all-images-of-species?p49_species_id=2643">here</a>.</p><p>Over at Brumley, the day after a thunderstorm, fungi were busting out all over. Here are two of my favorites from that walk last week:</p><div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=1i3u27_BGmtH5xSlxHj4tqwXWaIy0bVPj&sz=w600-h400" alt="fungi"></div><div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=129_JvQ7M7rVwtqh-XPKnpIaFXpmV8mwV&sz=w600-h400" alt="fungi"></div><h3>Great news from California!</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">From <a href="https://earthjustice.org/press/2024/one-million-acres-in-california-protected-from-dangerous-neonic-insecticides">EarthJustice</a>:</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:center;"><strong>1.1 Million Acres in California Protected from Dangerous ‘Neonic’ Insecticides</strong></p><blockquote><p style="margin-left:0px;"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">After years of advocacy, the California Fish and Game Commission has finalized a </span><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=217936&inline"><u>rule</u></a><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"> in its “Department Lands” </span><a href="https://fgc.ca.gov/Regulations/2023-New-and-Proposed#540"><u>regulation package</u></a><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"> that prohibits the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) from using neonicotinoid pesticides — often called “neonics” — on state wildlife refuges and other land under its jurisdiction. The regulation comes in response to a 2017 petition submitted by </span><a href="http://www.abcbirds.org/"><u>American Bird Conservancy</u></a><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">, represented by </span><a href="https://earthjustice.org/article/california-s-wildlife-refuges-are-no-place-for-a-bee-killing-pesticide"><u>Earthjustice</u></a><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">, detailing the devastating impact of neonics on native bird species. The regulations apply to the over one million acres of fish and wildlife habitat, ecological reserves and wildlife areas spanning every major ecosystem, managed by the CDFW across the state. The rule takes effect July 1, 2024.</span></p></blockquote><h3>Outside > Inside</h3><p><span style="background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.03);color:rgb(15,20,25);">The more I am outside the more wonders I see and the more I can help our non-human friends. Today, I didn't answer "Why did the chicken cross the road?" Didn't answer "Why did the geese cross the road?" I answered: "How can I help those geese across the road?"</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;"><span style="background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);color:inherit;">After getting my morning coffee, walking back I saw 5 geese inexplicably at the edge of this very busy 4 lane "road", wanting to get across.</span></p><div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=1S4FH_R712GIyIFYkjo0zLkD65eJw7d3D&sz=w600-h400" alt="geese"></div><p><span style="background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.03);color:rgb(15,20,25);">As traffic ebbed on their side, the geese moved cautiously out into the road, but still lots of traffic coming the other way. the light refused to change. So, well, whatcha gonna do? I went out into the road, stopped traffic and shooed the birds across. They made it!</span></p><div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=118Gr4xEFGRfCOhEIhY2llDPTc2UAcZjQ&sz=w600-h400" alt="REPLACE"></div><h3>And some suggestions for eco-living….</h3><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jul/20/ten-effective-habits-to-adopt-if-youre-an-eco-enthusiast">https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jul/20/ten-effective-habits-to-adopt-if-youre-an-eco-enthusiast</a></p><h3>Backpack-wearing dogs enlisted to rewild urban nature reserve in Lewes</h3><p>Are you <i>still</i> not reading The Guardian? Then you are missing so many great articles. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/26/backpack-wearing-dogs-enlisted-rewild-urban-nature-reserve-lewes">This one</a> I especially loved.</p><blockquote><p>Backpack-wearing dogs are being enlisted to “act like wolves” to help rewild an urban nature reserve in the East Sussex town of Lewes.</p><p>Before wolves were persecuted to extinction in the UK in about 1760, they were known to roam large areas, typically covering 12 miles (20km) or more each night.</p><p>In doing so, wolves would inadvertently pick up wildflower and grass seeds in their fur, dispersing them many miles away and helping establish new colonies of plants, which is vital for biodiversity and for ecosystems to thrive.</p><p>The project by the Railway Land Wildlife Trust in Lewes, funded by Ouse Valley Climate Action, aims to recreate this ecological benefit by equipping local dogs with seed-filled backpacks to help reseed the landscape. The project is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.</p></blockquote></div><div class="ck-content"><h4>Receive all my reports on tree rescues!</h4><p>If you'd like to get some good news about restoring native habitats delivered straight to your brain upwards of a few times a week, sign in to <a href="https://rewildearth.net">Rewild Earth</a>, click on your name in top right, then My profile. Under Communication Preferences, switch “Send reports of all events” to ON. </p><div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=1BeynVqu8taOGrsvi56u0mmDKuNJko22h&sz=w600-h400" alt="REPLACE" width="358" height="138"></div><p>Resources you might find useful:</p><ul><li><a href="https://shop.naisma.org/collections/buckthorn-blaster">Buckthorn Blasters</a>: safe, easy herbicide delivery system from the North American Invasive Species Management Association. Don't start cutting without them!</li><li><a href="https://nc-ipc.weebly.com/nc-invasive-plants.html">NC Invasive Plants list</a>: recently updated by NC-IPC, the NC Invasives Plants Council.</li><li><a href="https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/AG259">Overview of different herbicides</a>: glyposphate, triclopyr and others - which should you use?</li><li>Volunteer for <a href="https://triangleland.org">Triangle Land Conservancy</a>: the biggest land conservancy group in our area. </li><li>Volunteer for <a href="https://ellerbecreek.org">Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association</a> (Durham): a wonderful group working hard to maintain contiguous natural areas along Ellerbe Creek.</li></ul></div> |