World Pangolin Day

To continue the non-insect theme, today is World Pangolin Day.

This annual event is intended to highlight the plight of these endangered mammals. they are apparently the most trafficked animals in the world and the Asian species are threatened with extinction.

More on:
https://www.facebook.com/WorldPangolinDay

Current reading matter

I know it is not insects, but I am currently reading a great book on frogs.
The book is 'In Search of Lost Frogs' by Robin Moore, published by Bloomsbury.

It tells the story of how the crisis in amphibian extinctions triggered a campaign to try to rediscover species that had not been seen for decades. It is fast paced, serious and reasonably optimistic. It is also full of exquisite photographs of frogs.

This has also inspired me to try to improve the garden and fields for amphibians. We regularly have newts but few toads and no frogs. So log piles are going in near the ponds and I am going to see what else I can do to tempt some frogs to breed.

The RSPB: Save the Sumatran rainforest: Million tree appeal

The RSPB’s Harapan Rainforest seems to be going from strength to strength. This is a very worthwhile cause to support.

The RSPB: Save the Sumatran rainforest: Million tree appeal

Click for the Forest

This is an interesting site I discovered while surfing.
http://ettklickforskogen.se/index.php?option=com_aclickfortheforest&Itemid=54

The aim is to save ancient 'old growth' Swedish forest.

They have already saved a site located opposite the village of Årrenjaka, close to the Arctic Circle.
They are now attempting to save Verles old growth forest - a 82 hectare site.


The idea is simple - you click on the site and the sponsor pays a donation! You can also buy trees for about £5-£15.

Species Champions - Birdlife Preventing Extinctions Programme

As there is not a lot of insect life around at the moment (a few ladybirds today), I thought I would mention the Blue Throated Macaw.

At last year's British Birdwatching Fair in Rutland, money was being raised for Birdlife International's Preventing Extinctions Programme. A frightening number of bird species are threatened with extinction.

Each stand at the Fair was asked to promote a species. Peregrine Production's species was the Blue-throated Macaw, Ara glaucogularis.

More information on this endangered parrot from South America can be found at http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=1548&m=0