#wetlands — Public Fediverse posts

Pleased to see #bristol looking good in this video on floating wetlands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddmuALsSEfQ

#wetlands

Masza exploring what is left of our wetlands. Generally we have a drought, but that doesn't mean our bedsheets will be clean after she gets back home.

#IdąPsięta #Polesia #wetlands

Feral pig problem raises bird flu fears in famous wetlands
By Zaarkacha Marlan and Kim Goldsmith

Landholders fear the Macquarie Marshes feral pig problem could make a bird flu outbreak harder to contain as concerns grow about the potential impact on the internationally recognised wetlands.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-14/macquarie-marshes-landholders-prepare-bird-flu/107133908

#AvianInfluenza #Birds #Wetlands #NatureReserves #Environment #WildlifeDiseases #RuralandRemoteCommunities #ZaarkachaMarlan #KimGoldsmith

Feral pig problem raises bird flu fears in famous wetlands
By Zaarkacha Marlan and Kim Goldsmith

Landholders fear the Macquarie Marshes feral pig problem could make a bird flu outbreak harder to contain as concerns grow about the potential impact on the internationally recognised wetlands.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-14/macquarie-marshes-landholders-prepare-bird-flu/107133908

#AvianInfluenza #Birds #Wetlands #NatureReserves #Environment #WildlifeDiseases #RuralandRemoteCommunities #ZaarkachaMarlan #KimGoldsmith

Feral pig problem raises bird flu fears in famous wetlands
By Zaarkacha Marlan and Kim Goldsmith

Landholders fear the Macquarie Marshes feral pig problem could make a bird flu outbreak harder to contain as concerns grow about the potential impact on the internationally recognised wetlands.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-14/macquarie-marshes-landholders-prepare-bird-flu/107133908

#AvianInfluenza #Birds #Wetlands #NatureReserves #Environment #WildlifeDiseases #RuralandRemoteCommunities #ZaarkachaMarlan #KimGoldsmith

Feral pig problem raises bird flu fears in famous wetlands
By Zaarkacha Marlan and Kim Goldsmith

Landholders fear the Macquarie Marshes feral pig problem could make a bird flu outbreak harder to contain as concerns grow about the potential impact on the internationally recognised wetlands.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-14/macquarie-marshes-landholders-prepare-bird-flu/107133908

#AvianInfluenza #Birds #Wetlands #NatureReserves #Environment #WildlifeDiseases #RuralandRemoteCommunities #ZaarkachaMarlan #KimGoldsmith

Feral pig problem raises bird flu fears in famous wetlands
By Zaarkacha Marlan and Kim Goldsmith

Landholders fear the Macquarie Marshes feral pig problem could make a bird flu outbreak harder to contain as concerns grow about the potential impact on the internationally recognised wetlands.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-14/macquarie-marshes-landholders-prepare-bird-flu/107133908

#AvianInfluenza #Birds #Wetlands #NatureReserves #Environment #WildlifeDiseases #RuralandRemoteCommunities #ZaarkachaMarlan #KimGoldsmith

Polesian wolves have extremely long tails so their caretakers can easily pull them out of bogs.

#IdąPsięta #DogsOfMastodon #Polesia #wetlands #forest

HELP!
Finland’s first licence to #mine a #Natura2000 site would set a deadly precedent for #EU #nature #protection
#wetlands #conservation #Viiankiaapa
Please share.

Finland’s first licence to min...

None of them are edible (I think), but they're all beautiful and useful.

#fungi #Polesia #wetlands

None of them are edible (I think), but they're all beautiful and useful.

#fungi #Polesia #wetlands

None of them are edible (I think), but they're all beautiful and useful.

#fungi #Polesia #wetlands

None of them are edible (I think), but they're all beautiful and useful.

#fungi #Polesia #wetlands

None of them are edible (I think), but they're all beautiful and useful.

#fungi #Polesia #wetlands

"Continued use and access to the peat swamp forest is therefore essential for people's well-being. Formalizing the customary tenure of communities that use the peatlands could contribute to their long-term protection."

Dummett et al. (2026). "How people use the peat swamp forests of the central Congo Basin" https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0489

#wetlands #peatland #peatlands #swamps #bogs #carbon #conservation #landUse #LULUCF #land #landscape #Congo #DRC #forests #fishing

#wetlands #peatland #peatlands #swamps #bogs #carbon #conservation #landUse #LULUCF #land #landscape #forests #fishing 🧵

#norge #Norway #wetlands #innsjø #nature #naturephotography #naturelovers #båt #boat #skaugubbe

Two new pages of the #carnivorousPlant #zine are up! Click the link for the whole thing :)

Edited to replace the second page where I somehow managed to line up the text around the image without realizing I had duplicated an entire paragraph, because I'm sooo professional.

https://tippitiwichet.wordpress.com/bog-monsters-how-carnivorous-plants-do-the-things-they-do/

#sciArt #tardigrade #wetlands #frogs #goblincore #bogwitch #illustration #humanMadeArt #art #wetlands #ecology #nature

Ez egy kicsit hosszabb sorozat, aminek szintén a ma tizenhét éves képéből választottam egyet.

#Danube #DanubeRiver #RiverDanube #DanubeNature #RiverBranch #Riverside #RiverLandscape #RiverLife #Waterscape #NaturePhotography #LandscapePhotography #NatureLovers #NaturePerfection #WildNature #GreenNature #RiparianForest #FloodplainForest #Wetlands #WaterReflections #TreeReflections #TranquilNature #PeacefulPlaces #SereneLandscape #HiddenNature #NatureEscape #SummerNature #EuropeanNature #CentralEurope #BeautifulDestinations #ExploreNature #travel #trip #nature #photo #photooftheday

💁🏻‍♀️ ICYMI: 🔬🌸 Japanese #nature photographer Pendora (ぺんどら) captures tiny globular #springtails measuring around 0.3 mm in length.

These wetland micro-arthropods display face-to-face courtship interactions and use a spring-loaded tail organ called a furcula to execute high-speed jumps that look like #teleportation.

👉 Learn more: https://seethis.tv/post/odoriko-tobimushi-sminthurides-springtails-video

#animals #arthropods #biology #cute #hexapod #macro #mating #microscopy #physics #science #wetlands #insects #macrophotography #japan #microbiology #wildlife #entomology #photography #zoology #tksst #video

💁🏻‍♀️ ICYMI: 🔬🌸 Japanese #nature photographer Pendora (ぺんどら) captures tiny globular #springtails measuring around 0.3 mm in length.

These wetland micro-arthropods display face-to-face courtship interactions and use a spring-loaded tail organ called a furcula to execute high-speed jumps that look like #teleportation.

👉 Learn more: https://seethis.tv/post/odoriko-tobimushi-sminthurides-springtails-video

#animals #arthropods #biology #cute #hexapod #macro #mating #microscopy #physics #science #wetlands #insects #macrophotography #japan #microbiology #wildlife #entomology #photography #zoology #tksst #video

💁🏻‍♀️ ICYMI: 🔬🌸 Japanese #nature photographer Pendora (ぺんどら) captures tiny globular #springtails measuring around 0.3 mm in length.

These wetland micro-arthropods display face-to-face courtship interactions and use a spring-loaded tail organ called a furcula to execute high-speed jumps that look like #teleportation.

👉 Learn more: https://seethis.tv/post/odoriko-tobimushi-sminthurides-springtails-video

#animals #arthropods #biology #cute #hexapod #macro #mating #microscopy #physics #science #wetlands #insects #macrophotography #japan #microbiology #wildlife #entomology #photography #zoology #tksst #video

💁🏻‍♀️ NEW: 🔬🌸 Japanese #nature photographer Pendora (ぺんどら) captures tiny globular #springtails measuring around 0.3 mm in length.

These wetland micro-arthropods display face-to-face courtship interactions and use a spring-loaded tail organ called a furcula to execute high-speed jumps that look like #teleportation.

👉 Learn more: https://seethis.tv/post/odoriko-tobimushi-sminthurides-springtails-video

#animals #arthropods #biology #cute #hexapod #macro #mating #microscopy #physics #science #wetlands #insects #macrophotography #japan #microbiology #wildlife #entomology #photography #zoology #tksst #video

Busy Beavers - The Turbidity Signature Of Ecosystem Engineers At Work
--
https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70661 <-- shared paper
--
H/T @alan Puttock
“Beavers are the quintessential ecosystem engineers. In slow-flowing streams, they create complex wetlands with ponds by building dams and canals that can positively impact biodiversity, hydrology and water quality. These activities can interchangeably capture or release sediment along the watercourse. To date this has not been quantified at the resolution of rainfall events or beaver activity. This study used 15-min frequency, sustained monitoring upstream and downstream of a newly establishing beaver wetland to measure episodic changes in water turbidity at an event resolution. Monitoring showed no significant differences between upstream and downstream turbidity over 160 days when the first pair of beavers, known not to be building dams or canals, were resident. Shortly after introduction of another beaver pair, however, dam building, burrows and canal excavations were quickly observed, resulting in the creation of a complex beaver wetland between 2021 and 2024. Monitoring over 375 days during this period showed significant differences. Downstream turbidity was significantly higher overall than upstream: 13.1 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) compared to 4.2 NTU. Stochastic spikes in downstream turbidity during the study period not recorded upstream were associated with dam building and burrowing. Overall, there was no significant difference in turbidity loads, which was at least partially explained by a reduction in discharge downstream, particularly in higher flows, during the dam building period. This demonstrates a complex system with the trapping of influent sediment, the storing of water and the periodic release of beaver wetland sediment leading to net balance in loads. These results help provide context for other studies which have used temporally discrete sampling campaigns rather than continuous high-frequency monitoring. They provide a unique insight into the downstream impacts of a rapidly developing beaver wetland over its first three and a half years in a landscape that hasn't had beavers for over 400 years…"
#hydromorphic #water #hydrology #dam #beaverdam #waterquality #biodiversity #ecology #benefits #NatureBasedSolutions #Wetlands #Ecology #Biodiversity #EnvironmentalScience #Wildlife #Ecosystem #bioviversity #conservation #restoration #landscaperecovery #floodmanagement #FloodMitigation #flooding #energy #floodrisk #sustainability #wetlands #hydrography #dams #impoundment #deadwood #waterresources #landscapeengineer #benefits #vegetation #ecology #ecosystem #riversystemsstabilisation #naturalwaterregulation #resilience #valleysreborn #fisheries #invertebrates #extremeweather #floodflows #sediment #baseflow #drought #landmanagement #naturalsystems #landuse #monitoring #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal

Eager Beavers - Rodents Engineer Czech Wetland Project After Years Of Human Delay [ecosystem engineers]
--
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/11/beavers-save-czech-taxpayers-by-flooding-ex-army-training-site <-- shared technical media article
--
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver-engineered_dam_in_the_Czech_Republic <-- shared wiki technical page
--
https://phys.org/news/2025-02-fine-beavers-czech-treasury-million.html <-- shared technical article
--
https://youtu.be/GSTw8qmBP4Y?si=XK2Iy2pAltW91flj <-- shared video (Czech)
--
H/T @ScienceGirl
"We don't expect any conflict with the beaver in the next 10 years," ~ Bohumil Fiser from the Czech Nature Conservation Agency
--
“For seven years, planners struggled to complete a $1.2 million wetland restoration project in the Brdy region of the Czech Republic. The goal was to build a dam that would improve water management and bring back valuable wetland habitat, but the project remained trapped in a maze of permits and approvals.
Then a family of eight Eurasian beavers did what engineers had planned… without permits, machinery, or a budget.
The beavers built a network of dams in almost the exact area chosen for the proposed project, naturally restoring the wetland system officials had spent years trying to create. After seeing the results, authorities decided there was little point continuing with the original human-built dam.
Although some reports suggested the beavers completed the work overnight, experts say their construction likely took several weeks. The reason it seemed sudden is that the animals quietly worked away until their finished dams became impossible to miss.
Beavers are known as “ecosystem engineers” because their behaviour can reshape entire environments. By cutting trees and blocking streams, they create ponds and wetlands that support countless species, including fish, amphibians, insects, birds, and mammals.
Their wetlands also act as natural water reservoirs, helping during droughts, reducing flood risks, filtering water, storing carbon, and keeping landscapes wetter during wildfires…
Once heavily hunted across Europe, beaver populations have been recovering thanks to conservation efforts, proving that sometimes nature can solve problems humans spend years trying to fix…"
#water #hydrology #KlabavaRiver #Czech #BrdyRegion #protected #CzechRepublic #armytraining #military #beaver #Eurasianbeavers #dam #beaverdam #waterquality #restoration #biodiversity #crayfish #wetland #ecology #benefits #Beavers #NatureBasedSolutions #Wetlands #Ecology #Biodiversity #Agroforestry #EnvironmentalScience #Conservation #Wildlife #Ecosystem #bioviversity #conservation #restoration #landscaperecovery #EcosystemEngineers #nature #floodmanagement #FloodMitigation #flood #flooding #energy #floodrisk #sustainability #wetlands #hydrography #dams #impoundment #deadwood #waterresources #landscapeengineer #agriculture #benefits #vegetation #ecology #ecosystem #riversystemsstabilisation #naturalwaterregulation #resilience #drought #wildfire #valleysreborn #slowdetermination #fisheries #invertebrates #extremeweather #floodflows #sediment #baseflow #drought #landmanagement #naturalsystems #landuse #ecosystemengineers #watermanagement

#nature #naturephotography #naturephoto #ducks #duckphoto #wildlife #wildlifephotography #wildlifephoto #wetland #wetlands #wetlandphotography #pond #pondlife #outdoors #outdoorphotography #outdoorphoto #photo #photography #photooftheday #pic #picoftheday #foto #day #daytime

••⋅☾#和歌 ☽⋅••

Ancient Farm
Grass, water, blue sky
Calf n cow

Dreams of yore
Febrile apple remain

••⋅☾#WakaPoetry/ #Tanka☽⋅••

#Photography #マストドン写真部 #写真 #NMPhoto #Seattle #PNW #Wetlands
#DailyHaikuPrompt #Pasture #桜 #poetry #詩 #Haiga #俳画 #NMPoetry

🦫 Could Beavers Help Tackle One Of Climate Change’s Fastest-Growing Challenges? [UK] 🦫
--
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/climate-change-beavers-hidden-battle-against-britains-rome-cook-frgve/ <-- shared technical article
--
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx26r1gz1x8o <-- shared media article, “Beavers have helped reduce flood risk…”
--
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/saving-species/beavers <-- shared overview, beavers in the UK
--
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/21/nx-s1-5738979/beavers-britain-climate-change-flooding <-- shared media article, “As floods get worse, Britain tries a new solution: beavers”
--
https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/why-rewild/reintroductions-key-species/key-species/eurasian-beaver <-- shared reintroduction overview
--
https://youtu.be/NXZjt1M6loY?si=pwjU0t1GXxGLfNnD <-- shared video, “Watch the moment wild beavers return to Cornwall” [UK]
--
https://youtu.be/65HBgO33GDo?si=2qfBAa2Qaz23I81g <-- shared video, “First Beavers in Bedfordshire in over 400 years” [UK]
--
https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/our-work/our-projects/scottish-beavers/ <-- shared overview, beaver reintroduction into Scotland
--
https://youtu.be/vCjvCQHX7mQ?si=fJS9E1wi0LyDq5Fw <-- shared video, “Scotland Released 11 Beavers Into a Dead River — What They Did With Mud and Sticks Was [amazing]”
--
H/T @RomeCook
“In [this] article, [the author] explore[s]:
🌿 How beaver-created wetlands support biodiversity
🦟 Their potential influence on mosquitoes and other insect pests
🕷️ The indirect role they may play in tick ecology
🦇 How dragonflies, bats, birds, amphibians and beneficial insects contribute to natural pest regulation
🚜 What this could mean for sustainable agriculture and agroforestry
🌍 Why this matters for biodiversity, farming, and human and animal health in a changing climate…
The beaver isn’t simply creating wetlands. It may be rebuilding the ecological balance that our landscapes have gradually lost….”
#Beavers #BeaverConference2026 #NatureBasedSolutions #Wetlands #Ecology #Biodiversity #Entomology #IntegratedPestManagement #BiologicalControl #Agroforestry #SustainableAgriculture #ClimateChange #OneHealth #EnvironmentalScience #Conservation #Research #ResearchCollaboration #Wildlife #EcosystemServices #bioviversity #conservation #restoration #landscaperecovery #trophiccascade #Rewilding #Nature #SpeciesReintroduction #Environment #EcosystemEngineers #nature #restoration #floodmanagement #FloodMitigation #flood #flooding #floodrisk #sustainability #wetlands #hydrography #hydrology #dams #impoundment #deadwood #waterresources #landscapeengineer # agriculture #benefits #agroforestry #vegetation #waterquality #ecology #ecosystem #restoration #riversystemsstabilisation #climatechange

Good Evening!
Pandanus sunset, Ngurrungurrudjba

Every sunset
someone else's rise, the light
will always return

Have a wonderful Sunday!

#Stunday #ColorADay #OrangeSun #ImageAndVerse
#photography #landscape #sunset #tropical #wetlands #Kakadu #gift #ECK

Which Place Is Best for a 4-Day Trip in India? Top Destinations for a Short Vacation in 2026-27

https://indiasafaristrends.wordpress.com/2026/06/20/which-place-is-best-for-a-4-day-trip-in-india-top-destinations-for-a-short-vacation-in-2026-27/

India Safari Tours: The Ultimate Guide to Wildlife Adventures in India for 2026-27

https://indiasafaristrends.wordpress.com/2026/06/17/india-safari-tours-the-ultimate-guide-to-wildlife-adventures-in-india-for-2026-27/

India Safari Tours: The Ultimate Guide to Wildlife Adventures in India for 2026-27

https://indiasafaristrends.wordpress.com/2026/06/17/india-safari-tours-the-ultimate-guide-to-wildlife-adventures-in-india-for-2026-27/

India Safari Tours: The Ultimate Guide to Wildlife Adventures in India for 2026-27

https://indiasafaristrends.wordpress.com/2026/06/17/india-safari-tours-the-ultimate-guide-to-wildlife-adventures-in-india-for-2026-27/

#SilentSunday

A small, relatively unknown, Saanich community park. I discovered it over a decade ago. Jada found it about 2 years ago. She was surprised that I'm very familiar with this park because no one else she knows has been there before. We both love it because we see no other humans while visiting & exploring trails. I was telling her that you can find native sundew plants by lakeside & it's a good place to harvest fiddleheads & look for mushrooms. Told her about the beaver history of this tiny lake/wetlands spot too. The older huge beaver lodge was decimated a few years ago, due to human impact/road construction near their wood harvesting areas. The beavers weren't seen for awhile after that. They returned sometime over past 2 years & built a new beaver lodge - it's currently about 1/3 size of the previous lodge. No photos of it because we didn't go close to lakeside on our hike. Neither of us were into getting super muddy yesterday.

This park space features:
- multiple hiking trails from relatively easy to moderate levels
- diversity of native plants/wildflowers
- native amphibians are present; many frogs & turtles live there
- healthy biodiversity of insects & invertebrates
- birds diversity
- beavers habitat
- trees diversity
- wetlands & marshes
- fish bearing habitat
- mix of sunny & shady rest spots; no benches or tables but some larger, open spaces that are good for resting at
- community stewardship

Super limited parking space. Only room for 2 cars on side of road, by the small park sign. Very easy to miss the sign if you're not paying close attention.

#nature #hiking #Saanich #CommunityPark #forest #trail #footpath #wetlands #ferns #ecosystems #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #Wsanec #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #ForestWalks #Cascadia #PNW #lake #ecological #stewardship #conservation #biodiversity #environment #TakeAHike #GetOutside #DisabledHiker #DisabledPhotographers #NaturalWorlds #SacredNature #WorldInMyEyes #photography #NatureLovers

‘We don’t hear the frogs, we don’t see the birds’:
government repeatedly delayed water to NSW wetlands, documents reveal

"The New South Wales government has routinely delayed environmental flows to critical wetlands in the state’s north-west in favour of farming, despite admitting it could harm the breeding cycles of frogs and endangered birds and damage local ecosystems."

“I was furious when I saw the impact that delaying the delivery of environmental water is having on the wetlands and the thousands of waterbirds and other animals that rely upon healthy wetland ecosystems to survive." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/02/nsw-government-delayed-water-wetlands-documents-reveal

#biodiversity #ecosystems #conservation #Ramsar #wetlands #GwydirWetlands #NSW #EnvironmentalFlows #birds #frogs #turtles #waterbirds #MassMortalities #irrigation #governance

#nature #naturephotography #naturephoto #wetlands #wetland #wetlandconservation #path #pathway #spring #narrow #curves #day #daytime #movementismedicine #lookslikeitlooked #outdoors #outdoor #outdooradventures #outdoorphoto #trail #trailadventures #adventure #outside #photo #photography #photooftheday #pic #picoftheday

How To Study Coastal Evolution
Researchers reviewed what’s known about how coastlines are changing and made recommendations for how to learn more
--
https://eos.org/research-spotlights/how-to-study-coastal-evolution <-- shared technical article
--
https://doi.org/10.1029/2024EF005833 <-- shared paper
--
#coast #coastal #coastline #change #prediction #spatiotemporal #spatialanalysis #USA #extremeweather #storm #stormsurge #sealevel #sealevelrise #SLR #risk #hazard #mitigation #shorelines #habitat #ecosystem #inlets #flood #flooding #wetlands #processes #ecosystems #community #planning #policy #coordinated #framework #management #decisionmaking #overview #naturalprocesses #innundation #damage #infrastructure #landforms #CoastalScience #ClimateChange #SeaLevelRise #EarthsFuture #AGU #CoastalResilience
@USGS @NOAA @NOAA Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Governments failed to deliver $160m of river improvements including for now-parched NSW wetlands, report finds

“Quite simply the environment is the loser along with the taxpayer...The failure to implement what was promised means that turtles, fish and wetlands die.”

The Greens environment spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young, said the report “makes it abundantly clear that despite millions of dollars being splashed around, it has not gone to protecting the river”. >>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/23/governments-failed-to-deliver-160m-of-river-improvements-including-for-now-parched-nsw-wetlands-report-finds
#water #wetlands #failure #MDB #biodiversity #wildlife #EnvironmentalFlows #ecosystems #rivers #NSW #RAMSAR #governance

‘Incomprehensible’: birds flee and hundreds of turtles left to die after government cuts water to NSW wetlands

"...The sudden cessation of flows by WaterNSW had resulted in the deaths of many native animals that relied on the wetlands to survive." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/18/incomprehensible-birds-flee-and-hundreds-of-turtles-left-to-die-after-government-cuts-water-to-nsw-wetlands

#Moree cotton >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/search?query=moree%20cotton

#water #wetlands #ecosystems #biodiversity #NSW #Ramsar #wildlife #turtles #birds #Moree #GwydirWetlands #governance #EnvironmentalFlows

#Texas quietly approves #Starbase launch site expansion

Brandon Lingle
Tue, March 24, 2026 at 4:48 PM EDT

"The permit allows SpaceX 'to fill over 17 acres of #wetlands and #TidalFlats,' the Corps said. The work 'includes building new infrastructure such as a new entrance road, test and staging pads, water and propellant storage, blast walls, equipment staging areas and internal roadways.' "

Read more:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/texas-quietly-approves-starbase-launch-204822474.html

#CarrizoComecrudo #BocaChicaBeach #SacredLand #ProtectTheSacred #Colonialism #CorporateColonialism #OccupySpaceX #TwoHeartedPeople #GarciaPasture #EndangeredSpecies #EnvironmentalRacism #AncestralLand #ElonSucks #StarbaseCity #BrownsvilleTX

#Patna #BirdSanctuary and #Gujarat’s #ChhariDhand get Ramsar tag, India’s #wetland count rises to 98

Patna Bird Sanctuary in #UttarPradesh and Chhari-Dhand in Gujarat have been added to India’s Ramsar Sites list, taking the country’s total wetlands of international importance to 98 ahead of #WorldWetlandsDay.

MC Travel Desk
February 02, 2026 / 10:36 IST

"India has added two more ecologically significant #wetlands to its #RamsarSites network, strengthening the country’s global conservation footprint just ahead of World Wetlands Day on February 2. Patna Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh’s Etah district and Chhari-Dhand in Gujarat’s Kutch district have been officially designated as Wetlands of International Importance under the #RamsarConvention.

"The announcement was made by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on social media platform X, where he underscored the importance of these wetlands as critical habitats for migratory birds, resident species, and rare wildlife."

Read more:
https://www.moneycontrol.com/travel/patna-bird-sanctuary-gujarat-s-chhari-dhand-get-ramsar-tag-india-s-wetland-count-rises-to-98-article-13804731.html

#SolarPunkSunday #WaterIsLife #Wildlife #WetlandPreservation #India

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable

Locations: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Taiwan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo, Java), The Philippines (Palawan)

Found in freshwater wetlands, peat swamps, mangroves, hill streams and rice fields across South and Southeast Asia, with a genetically distinct and critically impacted subspecies (Aonyx cinereus nirnai) in the Western Ghats of India.

The Asian Small-clawed #Otter, the world’s smallest otter species — is inquisitive, intelligent, and highly social. They are listed as #Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and are declining rapidly due to #palmoil #tea and #coffee #deforestation, #poaching, #pesticide #pollution, and the illegal pet trade. Their fragile habitat in the Western Ghats, India home to the subspecies Aonyx cinereus nirnai, is being destroyed at an alarming rate for palm oil monocultures, plantations, and hydropower development. Boycott #palmoil and demand protection for these sensitive and intelligent wetland sentinels. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

The Asian Small-Clawed Otter 🦦🩷 is the smallest #otter in the 🌎. A tenacious survivor in #Asia’s vast #rivers, #pesticide pollution and #palmoil #ecocide now pose grave threats. Help them when you #Boycottpalmoil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/03/22/asian-small-clawed-otter-aonyx-cinereus/

Communicating with chirps and whistles, endearing Asian Small-Clawed #Otters live in rowdy groups 🦦😘 They’re #vulnerable from the illegal #pet trade and #palmoil #deforestation. #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🩸❌ #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket! @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/03/22/asian-small-clawed-otter-aonyx-cinereus/

https://youtu.be/R9L-N1WgFig

Appearance and Behaviour

With silky chocolate-brown fur, pale undersides and a broad, flat face, the Asian Small-clawed Otter has a distinct charm. Their tiny claws don’t extend past their fingers — an adaptation that gives them remarkable dexterity for catching prey. They weigh only 2.7 to 3.5 kg and reach lengths of 73 to 96 cm, making them the smallest otter species in the world.

Highly vocal and playful, these otters live in tight-knit family groups of up to 15. They communicate with at least a dozen vocalisations — chirps, squeals and whistles — and use communal latrines to mark their territories. In the Western Ghats, they are more active at night and prefer rugged hill streams with dense grasses and rocky pools for cover and escape routes.

Threats

Palm oil deforestation and peat swamp destruction

Across Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia, vast areas of peat swamp forests and mangroves — critical habitats for Asian Small-clawed Otters — have been destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations. These plantations drain wetlands, replace diverse ecosystems with monocultures, and leave otters with no access to food or cover. In India, the expansion of palm oil into the Western Ghats under so-called ‘green development’ initiatives is now destroying the rocky hill stream habitats used by the Aonyx cinereus nirnai subspecies. This deforestation not only eliminates their shelter and food sources but also causes soil erosion and alters the hydrology of entire watersheds.

Conversion of forests to palm oil, tea and coffee plantations in the Western Ghats

In southern India, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, large-scale conversion of native forests to palm oil, tea and coffee plantations is reducing the range of Aonyx cinereus nirnai. These monocultures fragment stream habitats and introduce pesticides that poison aquatic life. Studies have found the otters avoiding plantation areas due to lack of vegetation cover and prey (Raha & Hussain, 2016). As a result, the Western Ghats population is now restricted to narrow, isolated pockets, surrounded by human-altered landscapes that are increasingly inhospitable to them.

Capture for the Illegal pet trade and cruel conditions in pet cafés

The Asian Small-clawed Otter is the most heavily trafficked otter species in Asia’s exotic pet trade. Between 2016 and 2017, over 700 individuals were recorded for sale online in countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam (Gomez & Bouhuys, 2018). Many are poached from the wild as pups, leading to the death of their parents and collapse of social groups. Captive conditions in pet cafés and private homes cause extreme stress and suffering — and demand is rising due to social media content that normalises otter ownership.

Poaching for pelts and traditional use

Poaching continues to be a severe threat in South Asia. In the Western Ghats, otters are hunted for their pelts and body parts, which are used in traditional medicine or sold on the black market. Reports from protected areas in India reveal organised trapping and trade routes extending across state lines (Prakash et al., 2012). These killings often go undocumented due to weak enforcement, and they rapidly deplete already fragile local populations.

Overfishing and prey depletion

In many parts of Asia, otters face competition from humans for aquatic prey. Overfishing in rivers, lakes, and mangroves has drastically reduced populations of crabs, mudskippers, and fish species that form the core of the otter’s diet. Pollution from fish farms and chemical runoff further weakens these food webs, making otter survival harder during dry or lean seasons. In some areas, otters are also deliberately killed by fishers who perceive them as pests competing for the same resources.

Pesticide run-off pollution from agriculture

Agricultural runoff from palm oil, tea and coffee plantations containing pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals has been shown to poison water sources throughout the otter’s range. In the Western Ghats of India and parts of Southeast Asia, such contaminants accumulate in the food chain and affect the physiology of aquatic mammals. Polluted waterways reduce prey availability and can lead to bioaccumulation of toxins in otters, weakening their immune systems and reproductive capacity. This is especially critical in closed or stagnant freshwater systems like rice paddies and irrigation channels, where contamination is concentrated.

Hydropower development and infrastructure fragmentation

Dams and hydroelectric projects throughout the Western Ghats and Southeast Asia have altered river flow, submerged natural habitats, and fragmented otter territories. These developments destroy riverine connectivity, which otters rely on to forage and disperse. For the nirnai subspecies, hill streams once connected across forest corridors are now interrupted by roads, canals, and dams — leading to isolated, unsustainable populations. Infrastructure development often proceeds without proper environmental assessments, disregarding the needs of aquatic species like otters.

Climate change and habitat drying

Shifts in monsoon patterns, increased droughts, and rising temperatures are affecting the wetlands and rivers that Asian Small-clawed Otters depend on. Reduced water flow in dry seasons can strand otter families and eliminate key feeding pools. In the Western Ghats, erratic rainfall is already altering seasonal resource use patterns for A. c. nirnai, increasing their vulnerability to disturbance (Narasimmarajan et al., 2024). Climate stress, combined with other threats, compounds the likelihood of local extinctions.

Geographic Range

Their range stretches across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia (including Borneo, Sumatra, Java), the Philippines (Palawan), China and Taiwan. In India, they are found in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. They are absent from large swathes of their historical range, including the Western Himalayas.

The genetically distinct subspecies Aonyx cinereus nirnai is restricted to the Western Ghats’ Moyar River and surrounding hill streams. This biodiverse stronghold is currently being cleared for palm oil plantations, hydropower projects, and invasive monocultures, putting this population in grave danger.

Diet

Asian Small-clawed Otters are primarily crustacean specialists. Their diet includes crabs, snails, molluscs, fish such as mudskippers and catfish, amphibians, insects, snakes, and even rodents. Scat analysis in Malaysia and Thailand revealed crabs to be the most frequent prey, often making up over 80% of their diet.

In rice fields and mangroves, they may leave molluscs out in the sun to soften the shells before eating — a sign of their intelligence and adaptability. Seasonal changes in water levels influence the availability of prey, leading to subtle shifts in their dietary habits throughout the year.

Mating and Reproduction

These otters are monogamous and breed year-round, with gestation lasting 62–86 days. Litters typically include 2–7 pups. In captivity, they start breeding at around 18 months of age, and may live up to 11 years. Parents build nests together before birth and both contribute to raising the young. Pups begin to open their eyes around five weeks old and start swimming with their mothers at around three months.

FAQs

How many Asian Small-clawed Otters are left in the wild?

There is no global population estimate, but their numbers are declining throughout their range. In China and Cambodia, they are now almost locally extinct, with only a few scattered sightings since 2006 (Li & Chan, 2017; Heng et al., 2016). Surveys in India confirm drastic reductions in range, especially from west to east, over the past 60 years (Hussain et al., 2011).

What is the lifespan of the Asian ?

In captivity, Asian Small-clawed Otters can live up to 11 years (Crandall, 1964). Their lifespan in the wild is likely shorter due to environmental pressures and poaching.

Why are Asian Small Clawed Otters endangered?

They are threatened by habitat loss from logging, plantations, palm oil, pollution, and construction of dams. In the Western Ghats, the genetically distinct nirnai subspecies is losing habitat to hydropower development and palm oil monocultures, which destroy the narrow, rocky streams they depend on (Narasimmarajan et al., 2024).

Do Asian Small-clawed Otters make good pets?

Absolutely not. Keeping them as pets is cruel and selfish. They are wild animals with complex social and environmental needs. The illegal pet trade is driving them towards extinction, causing immense suffering and ripping family groups apart (Gomez & Bouhuys, 2018). Buying a pet otter and also sharing pet otter content on social media fuels this horrific industry — if you love otters, protect them in the wild! Do not buy them as pets or support this cruel industry!

How is palm oil affecting their survival?

Palm oil plantations have destroyed vast tracts of mangroves, peat swamps, and wetlands in Malaysia, Indonesia, and now India. In the Western Ghats, forests are being cleared for palm oil under the guise of “afforestation” and “reforestation” using non-native species. This directly threatens the survival of A. c. nirnai (Narasimmarajan et al., 2024).

Take Action!

Raise your voice for the smallest otter in the world. Every time you shop, Boycott palm oil and reject products linked to deforestation and wetland destruction. Support indigenous-led conservation efforts in the Western Ghats and Southeast Asia.

Never buy otters or exotic animals — their capture fuels extinction. Adopt a plant-based lifestyle to protect wetlands, rivers and biodiversity. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support Asian Small-Clawed Otters by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Gomez, L., & Bouhuys, J. (2018). Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015). TRAFFIC. https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/2402/illegal-otter-trade-asia.pdf

Narasimmarajan, K., Mathai, M. T., Hayward, M. W., & Palanivel, S. (2024). Lesser-known sentinels: Role of environmental variables influencing the seasonal resource use patterns of Asian Small-clawed Otters (Aonyx cinereus nirnai) in the Western Ghats Moyar River Biodiversity Hotspots. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull., 41(5), 296–310. https://iucnosgbull.org/Volume41/Narasimmarajan_et_al_2024a.pdf

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Asian small-clawed otter. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_small-clawed_otter

Wright, L., de Silva, P.K., Chan, B.P.L., Reza Lubis, I. & Basak, S. 2021. Aonyx cinereus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44166A164580923. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T44166A164580923.en. Accessed on 17 April 2025.

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Observing The Tidal Pulse Of Rivers From Wide-Swath Satellite Altimetry
--
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10287-z <-- shared paper
--
https://dahiti.dgfi.tum.de/en/products/river-tides/map/ <-- shared interactive map, ‘River Tides from SWOT’
--
#SWOT #RemoteSensing #Hydrology #EarthObservation #ClimateScience #CoastalSystems #Rivers #OpenScience #opendata #tide #tidal #dynamics #exchange #estuary #estuarine #webmap #wetlands #ecosystems #habitat #elevation #marine #freshwater #water #hydrography #hydrology #river #GIS #spatial #mapping #satellite #altimetry #coast #coastal #GIS #spatial #mapping #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #SurfaceWaterandOceanTopography #global #coverage #monitoring #model #modeling #riverine #fluvial #carbonbudgets #nitrogencycle #sedimentation #sealevelrise #SLR #megadroughts #extraction #pumping #regulations #groundwater #intrusion #risk #hazard #naturalhazards #stormsurge #waterresources #tidalrange #rivermouth

#MOFGA - #PlantCorridors

By Heather McCargo, Photos by Jean English, Winter 2014-2015

"#NativePlant corridors attract #pollinators and #wildlife to your farm by stretching across your property to connect your piece of #NativeHabitat to nearby #meadows, #wetlands or #woodlands. This creates a much larger area for #NativePollinators to #forage, raise young and migrate. Corridors may run along a road, between fields, in a #swale or on the edge of a #forest, connecting habitats off the property and returning native plants to the parts of the farm not suitable for traditional crops.

This article describes two approaches to creating native habitat corridors: changing #mowing habits to favor native species, and planting woody and herbaceous combinations to increase native plant diversity on the farm.

Populations of all native species are in decline across the state. Our human footprint is taking its toll on wild creatures, including pollinators such as #bees and #butterflies that are so important on the farm for crop pollination. Native plant species each share an evolutionary history with indigenous insects, birds, reptiles, mammals, bacteria and fungi. When native plants are gone, many of these creatures go too, leading to a collapse of ecosystem function. Farmers benefit from the services provided by a healthy ecosystem, such as groundwater recharge; clean surface streams and ponds; pollination; a diversity of birds, spiders and amphibians to eat many insects including crop pests; and beneficial soil fungi and bacteria. Fortunately, when native plants are reintroduced into a landscape, many of these other creatures return.

As farmers and landowners, we can bring native plants, and the attendant diversity, back into the Maine landscape in a way that works with a farmer’s busy schedule. Many native plants thrive in dry, wet and shady areas that are poor sites for traditional farm crops."

Learn more:
https://www.mofga.org/resources/pollinators/plant-corridors/

#SolarPunkSunday #GardeningForPollinators #NativePlantCorridors #Gardening #Farming #Homesteading #Nature #NatureConservation #NatureRestoration #Maine

#Cluxewe #Estuary #marshes & #wetlands.
The #CluxeweRiver flows out from here & runs into Broughton Strait.

#Kwakiutl #PortMcNeill #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #WorldInMyEyes #DisabledPhotographers #photography #landscape #NaturePreserve #NatureConservation #IndigenousStewardship #WildlifeConservation #ProtectWetlands #ecosystems #ecological #environmental #BirdSanctuary #RoadTrips #Nature #wilderness #CoastalBC #WestCoast

#EPA Rule Would Drastically Curb Protections for #Wetlands

The proposal could strip federal protections from most U.S. wetlands, some of which feed drinking water systems.

Maxine Joselow
By Maxine Joselow
Reporting from the Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters in Washington
Nov. 17, 2025

"The Trump administration proposed on Monday to significantly limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to limit pollution in wetlands, rivers and other bodies of water across the country.

"The proposed rule could strip federal protections from millions of acres of wetlands and streams, potentially threatening sources of clean drinking water for millions of Americans. It was a victory for a range of business interests that have lobbied to scale back the #CleanWaterAct of 1972, including farmers, home builders, #RealEstateDevelopers, oil drillers and #petrochemical manufacturers."

Read more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/climate/epa-curbs-protections-for-wetlands.html

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/KEbdk

#WaterIsLife #USPol #SacrificeZone #SacrificeZones #CorporateColonialism #EPAFail #Industries #IndustrialUse
#Mining #PollutionSacrificeZones #GreedKills #CapitalismKills #CapitalismMustDie

#EPA Rule Would Drastically Curb Protections for #Wetlands

The proposal could strip federal protections from most U.S. wetlands, some of which feed drinking water systems.

Maxine Joselow
By Maxine Joselow
Reporting from the Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters in Washington
Nov. 17, 2025

"The Trump administration proposed on Monday to significantly limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to limit pollution in wetlands, rivers and other bodies of water across the country.

"The proposed rule could strip federal protections from millions of acres of wetlands and streams, potentially threatening sources of clean drinking water for millions of Americans. It was a victory for a range of business interests that have lobbied to scale back the #CleanWaterAct of 1972, including farmers, home builders, #RealEstateDevelopers, oil drillers and #petrochemical manufacturers."

Read more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/climate/epa-curbs-protections-for-wetlands.html

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/KEbdk

#WaterIsLife #USPol #SacrificeZone #SacrificeZones #CorporateColonialism #EPAFail #Industries #IndustrialUse
#Mining #PollutionSacrificeZones #GreedKills #CapitalismKills #CapitalismMustDie

#EPA Rule Would Drastically Curb Protections for #Wetlands

The proposal could strip federal protections from most U.S. wetlands, some of which feed drinking water systems.

Maxine Joselow
By Maxine Joselow
Reporting from the Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters in Washington
Nov. 17, 2025

"The Trump administration proposed on Monday to significantly limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to limit pollution in wetlands, rivers and other bodies of water across the country.

"The proposed rule could strip federal protections from millions of acres of wetlands and streams, potentially threatening sources of clean drinking water for millions of Americans. It was a victory for a range of business interests that have lobbied to scale back the #CleanWaterAct of 1972, including farmers, home builders, #RealEstateDevelopers, oil drillers and #petrochemical manufacturers."

Read more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/climate/epa-curbs-protections-for-wetlands.html

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/KEbdk

#WaterIsLife #USPol #SacrificeZone #SacrificeZones #CorporateColonialism #EPAFail #Industries #IndustrialUse
#Mining #PollutionSacrificeZones #GreedKills #CapitalismKills #CapitalismMustDie

#EPA Rule Would Drastically Curb Protections for #Wetlands

The proposal could strip federal protections from most U.S. wetlands, some of which feed drinking water systems.

Maxine Joselow
By Maxine Joselow
Reporting from the Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters in Washington
Nov. 17, 2025

"The Trump administration proposed on Monday to significantly limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to limit pollution in wetlands, rivers and other bodies of water across the country.

"The proposed rule could strip federal protections from millions of acres of wetlands and streams, potentially threatening sources of clean drinking water for millions of Americans. It was a victory for a range of business interests that have lobbied to scale back the #CleanWaterAct of 1972, including farmers, home builders, #RealEstateDevelopers, oil drillers and #petrochemical manufacturers."

Read more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/climate/epa-curbs-protections-for-wetlands.html

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/KEbdk

#WaterIsLife #USPol #SacrificeZone #SacrificeZones #CorporateColonialism #EPAFail #Industries #IndustrialUse
#Mining #PollutionSacrificeZones #GreedKills #CapitalismKills #CapitalismMustDie