You learn to read between the lines after working for years on political issues in Ontario.
For example, when the government makes an announcement late Friday, it’s a clear signal that it hopes to avoid timely scrutiny and negative media coverage. And when the Department of Environment, Conservation and Parks claims it is “streamlining authorizations”, it is usually to allow industry and development to move faster or faster, to the detriment of that. which is seen as an obstacle.
A good example: the government’s announcement at the end of the afternoon on September 17 about the establishment a new “Species Conservation Action Agency” under the Endangered Species Act. While this looks promising, the agency is the first step in “streamlining authorizations” for activities that negatively affect species at risk.
This is all part of the implementation of the new “Endangered Species Conservation Fund,” another sounding euphemism for what conservation advocates have aptly dubbed “Pay to kill”. With the fund, those who propose harmful activities will be able to pay up front rather than taking action to more than compensate for the damage caused, as is currently required.
The Ontario ESA was designed with flexibility in mind. It allows harmful activities to continue, but only with adequate safeguards in place. Operators must take steps to ensure that the species will be doing better than before the damage occurred. If the habitat is damaged or destroyed, it must be restored or replaced.
The Comprehensive Benefit Standard was designed to facilitate species recovery, not just to mitigate the blows of habitat loss and degradation, the primary driver of species decline. But the fund guts out the norm, allowing operators to make a payment and then leave, without any additional liability.
With this new model, there will no longer be a direct link between the damage inflicted on a particular species and the remedy provided by the fund. Payments should be pooled and used for the benefit of any species in the fund, not necessarily the one that has been harmed. Depending on political priorities or the availability or convenience of compensation activities, populations of some species, or parts of their range, may be sacrificed while others benefit.
In addition, the activities supported by the fund should only be “reasonably likely” to benefit the affected cash. In other words, it provides certainty for promoters, but not for the plants and animals that ESA is supposed to protect. Nor for the affected communities.
There is no doubt that the fund will shorten approval times and increase certainty for developers, as the government claims. It will be cheaper and faster to obtain authorization for harmful activities. But it creates a perverse incentive for destruction.
In the midst of a man-made extinction crisis, it is tragic to see the government pursue such a backward policy. Biodiversity is declining at an accelerating rate “unprecedented in the history of mankindAnd yet in Ontario there does not appear to be an appetite for the transformative change needed to stem the loss.
You don’t have to read between the lines to understand that human well-being is inextricably linked with the health of the planet. This fact is inescapable. The loss of biodiversity is classified as a the top five risks for economies over the next decade, because of nature’s invaluable blessings. However, time and time again, we have seen the government choose to weaken environmental laws and policies.
Is it too much to ask the government to maintain and strengthen the protection of our most endangered plants and animals rather than looking after its business friends?
Rachel Plotkin is Boreal Project Manager at the David Suzuki Foundation. Anne Bell is Director of Conservation and Education at Ontario Nature.
In 1995, Susan Orleans, the New Yorker personal writer who would soon become a literary sensation for his book The orchid thief, has taken on an unusual challenge: writing the profile of Biff, a champion show dog approaching retirement. In the introduction to his new book, About animals, she explained what happened when she finally found herself alone with Biff, balancing with her notepad in hand. Of course, she realized that he couldn’t talk to her, and his usual housekeeping methods would have to go through the door.
“When you do a report on something, you think, ‘I don’t want your manager in the room, and I don’t want your agent in the room, and I don’t want all these people to be in the room. mediation between me and my subject. . ‘ I wanted to interact with this animal, just me and the animal, ”Orlean said in a recent interview. “It was really that moment of thinking, okay, I don’t know how to do that. It was really fun. I felt like I was so caught up in my journalistic protocol that I forgot this fundamental fact – that we interact with animals through a high profile relationship.
Orlean took on this challenge and emerged with a text that artfully captures Biff’s ways while meditating on the network of humans who manipulate and manage him. It’s one of 16 pieces brought together in the new book, which arose out of the fact that she often wrote stories with a specific animal or species at their center – and that doesn’t even count her 2011 biography of the famous canine actor, Rin Tin. Tin.
If you are familiar with Orleans’ work, you know there is no subject that she is not willing to imbue with wisdom – just think of her indelible profile of a ten year old boy – but in the work gathered in About animals, she writes about her personal affection for dogs, goats and chickens, and the farm she bought with her husband where she eventually acquired a menagerie. She also explains how being a self-identified animal lover influenced her decision to tell stories about how humans and nature interact, to some extent. “Until I collected these coins, I didn’t see this aspect of them,” she said. Vanity Show. “Each room has been made larger by being around the other rooms.”
In July 2020, a wider audience was exposed in Orleans when a series of his tweets documenting a drunken pandemic night went viral. By expressing some of the frustration and rage that overwhelms many of us (“WHO’S SICK AND TIRED OF EVERYTHING,” the most popular tweet of the evening read) and adding a few select details : the fennel seed candy she ate, the yogurt she forgot made, being briefly shunned by her family – the thread actually looked a bit like a formal story of Orleans in dramatic miniature. It’s only fitting that the fateful evening began when she visited a neighbor’s newborn foal while drinking a few glasses of wine. She woke up the next morning and, realizing exactly how far her ramblings had come, graciously tweeted a live hangover.
About a year ago, Orléans also found a slightly more sober way to connect with readers, starting a book club through Literati, a book subscription company that also connects club members through a social networking platform. So far, she has chosen a selection of fiction and non-fiction writers like Jesmyn district and Carmen Maria Machado, but this month she will guide her club members through About animals.
Orléans spoke to Vanity Show on why she got involved with the Literati Book Club, her experience revisiting her past work during the pandemic and why she is so drawn to animal stories.
Vanity Fair:How did you feel last year when you kind of became the mascot of what so many people were going through coming out of quarantine last summer? I feel like it was a really relatable moment.
Susan Orleans: Who knew! It was my unique experience that I had no idea was something that was widely felt. During the pandemic, I don’t know about you, but at five o’clock every night it was like, “Oh my god, pour me a glass of wine.” It was so stressful, and I’ve never done this before, checking my watch and thinking, is it time for a glass of wine so we can say, “Oh my god we’re living in a nightmare. “. Honestly, I never imagined in a billion years that it would explode in any way, not at all. It was my own little and crazy experience.
When I woke up the next day, besides having a hangover, I had a moment of thought, what did I do? Did I do something embarrassing? And then I thought no, I was really drunk, it happens! It was more a matter of thinking, okay I guess people now saw a side of me that I might not normally display, but the reaction was overwhelming, like, I can smell you, sister . I thought, Oh, okay. I guess it was good.
You also edited this collection during COVID. What was it like revisiting all those essays – especially since some of them were very personal – in this open space?
It was a real pleasure, and for me, a particular pleasure because I do not reread my work as a rule. I feel like once in the world, if I read it, I’m going to have reviews and things that I want to change. It was also very poignant because we were leaving our farm, and we ended up selling this house this year, so it was really very personal and touching to go back and read these plays. The patches were really interesting to review. Although some of the pieces that were very old didn’t seem dated to me, as the subjects are sort of eternal.
The black-footed ferret, the only species of ferret native to North America, is said to have become extinct in 1979. On September 26, 1981, a black-footed ferret was discovered in the prairie of Wyoming. From this unlikely event, an entire species began its return – one of the most remarkable conservation stories on Earth. In honor of the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the last black-footed ferret colony, here are five of the important milestones in the conservation of this miraculous species.
Discovery of a lost species In 1967, black-footed polecats were classified as endangered. By 1974 they had apparently disappeared from the wild, and by 1980 the last black-footed ferrets taken in by humans died, leaving the species extinct. In 1981, a ranch dog in Meeteetse, Wyoming named Shep brought home an animal that its owners, John and Lucille Hogg, did not recognize. On taking it to the local taxidermist, they discovered it was a black-footed ferret! Enthusiastic wildlife biologists searched the surrounding area for prairie dogs, the primary food source for ferrets in the wild, and found a black-footed ferret colony. The once presumed extinct species was back on the map.
Ferrets taken care of by humans For several years, biologists monitored the last wild colony of black-footed ferrets. In 1985, fleas carrying the deadly sylvatic plague – which in humans is bubonic plague – were discovered in the colony. Due to the plague and the risk of canine distemper, the number of the last colony began to decline. As a result of intensive studies and discussions between scientists and wildlife experts, all black-footed ferrets were taken in by humans to create a breeding program and attempt to prevent extinction. The last wild ferret was captured in 1987, when only 18 ferrets made up the breeding population of the entire species: seven males and 11 females. That same year, two litters of ferrets were born at the Sybille Wildlife Research Center in Wyoming – the first surviving ferret kits born under human care. Managed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department until 1996, the US Fish and Wildlife Service assumed oversight of operations in 1996 and established the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center.
Smithsonian joins the ferret force In 1988, there were a number of surviving black-footed ferrets. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., And the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska have joined the breeding program. The following year, six ferret kits were born at SCBI, the first ferrets born into human care outside of Wyoming. An ambitious black-footed ferret recovery plan was approved and adopted. The new plan called for strategic breeding and cryopreservation of black-footed ferret genetic material, including sperm, at the SCBI and the frozen zoo at the San Diego Zoo.
Born to be wild (again) From 1988 to 1993, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Louisville Zoological Gardens, Toronto Zoo, and Phoenix Zoo joined in black-footed ferret conservation and breeding efforts. As more kits were born, environmentalists began to think about reintroduction efforts. Environmentalists, veterinarians and scientists worked together to determine the best way to “precondition” ferrets born under human care to survive in the wild. Large enclosures were created to help ferrets learn to dig, trap and kill live prey – prairie dogs.
In 1991, 49 ferrets were released into the wild in the Shirley Basin, Wyoming. In 1998, more ferret kits were born in the wild than in human care, and black-footed ferret colonies were established in several locations throughout the American West. Since the blackfoot breeding program began in 1986, more than 10,500 ferret kittens have been born under human care, including more than 1,000 at SCBI. Of the ferrets born at the Smithsonian, more than 350 have been released into the wild.
Frozen Future: Scarface and Willa The last male black-footed ferret captured from the wild in 1987 was called Scarface. It has proven to be a lifeline for the species, spawning many healthy ferret kits. In 2009, Scarface made a big impact again. As the current black-footed ferret population is small, careful breeding is vital to maintaining healthy animals. Thanks to the foresight of the scientists who started the breeding program, including Dr JoGayle Howard and David Wildt of SCBI, frozen black-footed ferret semen has been set aside for the unknown future. In 2009, live and healthy kits were born as a result of an artificial semen from a female ferret using the frozen semen of 20-year-old Scarface. The ability to successfully artificially inseminate using frozen and thawed sperm has increased scientists’ ability to ensure a more diverse black-footed ferret population in human care and in reintroduced populations.
Last year, using biomaterials and ingenuity, scientists were able to clone a female named Willa, one of the original 18 ferrets discovered who has no living descendants. Her clone, Elizabeth Ann, was born on December 10, 2020. For the first time, new black-footed ferret genes have been reintroduced into the species. Conservation innovations, like cloning, and ongoing breeding and reintroduction efforts help ensure the black-footed ferret continues to roam the North American prairie.
Eleven caribou calves born in a secure maternity enclosure at Mont Rochfort, near Hudson’s Hope, were recently released into the wild alongside their mothers.
Eleven caribou calves born in a secure maternity enclosure at Mont Rochfort, near Hudson’s Hope, were recently released into the wild alongside their mothers. With these new additions, Klinse-Za’s at-risk caribou herd is now estimated at around 116 animals, up from 36 in 2013.
With the release of the cows and calves, the eighth year of the Caribou Maternity Enclosure project draws to a close. But the work to help this herd recover continues. Protecting young calves at risk from predators is only part of herd recovery.
Our Peace Region Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program Board of Trustees funds the Maternity Enclosure and ongoing efforts to restore caribou habitat through deactivating roads and restoring l ‘habitat. Both projects are led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society, a non-profit initiative between West Moberly First Nations and Saulteau First Nations in collaboration with Wildlife Infometrics which manages the projects.
On the side of the maternity pen, 13 cows were captured in early spring, tagged, sampled and brought into the 15 hectare pen. The pen is a familiar place for most cows, 12 had been there before and seven were born there. Guardians from Saulteau and West Moberly First Nations monitor the enclosure 24 hours a day from the time the caribou enter until they are released, along with their calves, in mid-August. The youngest calf was eight weeks old when released and was less susceptible to predators such as bears, wolves and wolverines.
Equally important is habitat restoration, and when the caribou leave the enclosure, the goal is to give them access to the best possible habitat to increase their chances of survival. Several years ago, the FWCP funded a project to deactivate 2.3 km of an old industrial road near the previous maternity facility, which reduced access to caribou habitat for caribou. humans and predators. This work has given exceptional results and has been extended.
Last year, restoration activities were carried out at four sites, resulting in the restoration of 3,183 ha of habitat within the range of the Klinse-Za herd. Since the start of the restoration work, more than 100,000 seedlings have been planted and 35 km of linear corridors restored. At the watershed scale, restoration efforts have restored 13% of previously disturbed habitat (26,906 ha). And it doesn’t stop there. This year, the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society has identified three new road networks and plans to deactivate and restore up to 23 km of roads.
Why is the FWCP funding caribou recovery? Well, we are a partnership between BC Hydro, the Province of British Columbia, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, First Nations and public stakeholders, and we fund projects that conserve and enhance fish and wildlife in watersheds. affected by BC Hydro.
dams. In our Peace Region, the caribou is one of our priority species – an important species for the indigenous nations of the region – and two of our priorities are to fund native-led maternal enclosure projects and to restore caribou habitat.
The woodland caribou is listed as endangered under the federal Species at Risk Act and is far from being out of the woods yet — and pardon the pun — but the efforts of the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society and many funding partners, including the FWCP, are showing signs of success with this particular herd.
Chelsea Coady is the Peace Region Manager for the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program. Have a question? Email him at [email protected]
In the streets of Brussels, Spanish artist Lula Goce sparks climate dialogue with his giant new artwork ‘The Alchemist’, created in collaboration with the United Nations and a non-profit organization Street art for humanity (SAT). The 40-meter-high work of art, painted on the side of a brick building on Avenue Louise in the Belgian capital, is the first in a series of 50 “Ecosystem Restoration” murals which will be created over the next 10 years in cities across the globe.
“This mural, this lady, is a metaphor for Mother Nature taking care of the environment and trying to preserve space for all the animals in the herd. She tries to protect him and looks at us because we have a responsibility to protect him, ” says Lula Goce in an interview with UNRIC.
With our planet’s ecosystems facing threats from climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, it has never been more urgent to revive them.
“Scientists tell us that we have only ten years to go from exploiting ecosystems to restoring them. It can be done – but #GenerationRestoration needs the support of all of society. Artists play a central role in spreading the message, ”says Veronika Hunt Safrankova, head of the UNEP office in Brussels.
Born in Galicia, Spain, Lula Goce grew up surrounded by “salty coastal air, barnacles, drizzle and beautiful beaches”, and she brings these natural influences to the urban spaces where she works.
“By living in cities, surrounded by cars and buildings, we lose this connection with the natural world,” says Lula Goce, who has created works of art across the world, including in Azerbaijan, Mexico and the States. -United. “We are part of nature, and it is up to us to be responsible with the planet.”
Art sparks dialogue
Painting such large works in public spaces triggers a direct interaction between the viewer and the mural from the moment Lula Goce begins painting.
“Art in the studio is for people who love art and are looking for art. Here, it’s for people who go to work, take out the trash; they don’t expect it.
Members of the public are also often surprised to see that she is female. “I am breaking their stereotypes, the bricks they have in their heads,” she adds.
Create positive change
Artists who paint such murals need to be both physically and mentally strong, especially since they often work in changing weather conditions. For Lula Goce, she must also struggle with vertigo, but says that her will to carry out her projects is greater than her fear.
When creating such murals, Lula Goce says that she feels a tremendous burden of responsibility, because the work of art will be constantly present in the lives of those who live around her.
“I want them to have a good relationship with art and I try to send a positive message. (In this mural) I present a flock that we must preserve. Change is possible, if we work together. ”
This fresco was produced with the support of the United Nations Regional Information Center in Brussels (UNRIC), the City of brussels and Street Art Route. It was made possible by Solvay, member of the United Nations Global Compact.
Balochistan’s Wildlife Department was taking concrete steps to protect endangered eagle species from poachers under the 2014 Wildlife Act, Chief Wildlife Conservator Sharif Baloch said on Friday.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – September 24, 2021): The Balochistan Wildlife Department was taking concrete action to protect endangered species of eagle from poachers under the 2014 Wildlife Act, said Friday Chief Wildlife Curator Sharif Baloch.
Speaking to APP, Sharif Baloch said the department has formed special teams to ensure wildlife preservation across the province, in addition to controlling poaching, illegal hunting and the trade in birds of prey.
“We are in coordination with the relevant departments to control the illegal trafficking of native birds abroad and zero tolerance has been adopted against poaching and the hunting of animals and birds in the province,” he said. he points out.
He said the ministry had ensured the preservation of wildlife in the province within the limits of limited available resources.
The government has functionalized the “Balochistan Council for Wildlife Conservation” to provide a research center dedicated to animal life, conservation and public recreation.
Baloch said the government was taking important steps to engage the community in saving wildlife and educating the masses about wildlife and nature conservation.
Baloch said the government had launched a community game reserve in Kharan to engage local people in an effort to conserve wildlife in the area.
He said a massive awareness campaign was underway to educate citizens about the importance of wildlife to the ecosystem.
The campaign was aimed at deterring poaching, a major threat to the province’s wildlife habitats, he added.
He said the government has also established the first GIS laboratory for mapping provincial forest resources and protecting wildlife across the province.
Balochistan has a rich biodiversity and natural heritage, especially wildlife which is unfortunately threatened mainly due to human activities and adverse weather conditions, he added.
Native eagle habitats are found in the Dalbandin, Zangi Nawar, Loralai and Zhob regions of the province.
“As long as you have not loved an animal, a part of its soul remains awake. ” -Anatole France.
Cancer is a kind of pandemic, which we have seen for ages. It is an epidemic that we have already accepted because of its deadly consequences.
Register for our upcoming Masterclass>>
Made: “Almost 20 million, including humans and animals, have died of cancer in the past two years. This is five times the number of people who have died from Covid-19 to date. “
The painful journey of cancer patients and their loved ones is appalling. Early detection is an essential characteristic in the case of the most complex epidemic diseases such as cancer. Therefore, early prognosis and selection of treatment protocols are key. There are some issues at the local level that actually require urgent attention (mentioned below in the mind map). Through the use of the latest technologies such as artificial intelligence, the healthcare industry could gain deeper insights from the data.
Integrating empathy with AI models and the latest technologies can expand one’s areas of knowledge and provide more advanced and advanced solutions to complex problems. Solving problems for all kinds of species, whether humans or animals, can in fact be seen as the contribution of technology to saving lives.
Looking for a job change? Let us help you.
We have seen the consequences of some epidemic diseases such as cancer, but it is now imperative to focus on them. The combination of cognitive skills and human expertise with new AI techniques can lead us to the most promising solutions for complex health problems and are adaptable to all species.
Need for AI in cancer prognosis
To explore the supporting role of AI technology in working on various aspects of cancer with medical experts, a mind map was designed to give a holistic view of the use of technology to save lives.
Mind map: The use of artificial intelligence in the field of oncology
Based on the current scenarios from the aforementioned mind map, cancer screening and diagnosis are the most crucial areas to work on. To develop an effective screening system and early diagnosis of cancer, especially for pets – since they cannot speak about symptoms or feelings verbally – observation or visual inspection plays a key role.
Generally, visual inspections can be classified into symptoms; physical appearance; and behavior change. Some of the acute symptoms which can give an early clue for a medical examination and therefore can be formulated to create an improved system for diagnostic, screening and clinical decision-making systems are: lumps (large or small); swollen lymph nodes (neck, armpits, under the thigh joints); dark colored tongue; recurrent blisters and sores; heavy panting; Extreme fatigue; increase in the number of white blood cells (laboratory variable); sudden high temperature; blood in the stool or unexpected bleeding; diarrhea; and slow healing of wounds. As for the physical appearance section,We can see red or brown rashes on the skin; dry nose; and sad or panicked facial expressions, and in behavior changes, one can keep a note on their pets being cranky, irritating, etc. (Warning: may be seen for other comorbidities)
Example of a problem statement
An AI-based solution to detect malignant or non-malignant tissue and their type in an animal’s body?
Why is an AI-based system necessary?
Manual process: According to oncologists and pathologists, the first step in the process of diagnosing cancer is to analyze the histopathological slides of the tissues, which is the most crucial and critical part of the diagnostic system. So, usually after visualizing some common symptoms, lab tests can be done. According to medical experts, one of the manual methods of diagnosing cancer is to perform FNAC at the first stage and a thorough histopathological analysis of the slides, that is, the study of tissues by microscopic view to detect the disease under the supervision of a medical expert.
During this histopathology process, the doctor uses certain patterns like the horizontal and vertical zigzag to analyze the tissues on the slides. However, by choosing certain designs on sample slides rather than the entire slide, some important information may be missing, contributing to polarity results. Therefore, the results or the results are less precise. And this is where automation comes in to eradicate human prejudice and error. Therefore, it can help in precision medicine and can lead to better selection of treatment protocols. Maybe an augmented or artificial intelligent model can deliver more accurate results in less time.
How to develop an AI-based self-diagnostic system to detect malignant or non-malignant tissue and their type in the body of an animal?
Automation: For an AI-based solution, the information on the histopathology slides must first be digitized. Sample slide images should be converted to a digital version and saved as an EHR (Electronic Health Record). This digital information (an image or a pattern) from histopathology slides will be analyzed using heuristics and biological parameters (collected from medical experts). The digital images of the EHR can be used as input for the self-diagnostic system and subsequently to classify malignant and non-malignant tissue. For critical cases, additional information such as ultrasound images and x-ray images may be taken into account.
A holistic approach for the development of an AI-based self-diagnostic system to detect malignant tissues and their type in the body of an animal has been proposed in the figure below:
Using a deep learning (DL) model, a corpus of benign / malignant tumor images are collected and provided as input to the model to detect genetic and molecular tumor cells and their alterations. Once an image of a patient’s histopathological slides is analyzed, its characteristics are extracted and classified. The morphological analysis of the tumor cells is observed and matched with the learning corpus. Vital biological statistics are combined with the knowledge base of all types of lymphoma (cancer type) to validate the results for additional or supportive information.
This is just a glimpse of one kind of AI-based solution to saving animals’ lives from deadly diseases like cancer (lymphoma). There are many ways and areas of using the latest technology to improve animal life with the right focus.
Research Perspective
Research carried out at the interface between AI and animal health requires strong interactions between the fields of animal biology, namely infectious diseases, immunology, clinical sciences, the study of genomes, epidemiology. and veterinary sciences, and data science fields such as data analysis, statistics, precision medicine. , drug discovery, predictive models and reasoning, in collaboration with highly efficient veterinary medical experts.
Research, training and support needs are crucial issues at national, European and international levels. In addition, a facilitated and reliable connection is required between researchers, medical experts and technology industry partners, who are often the holders or collectors of data of interest to resolve animal health research questions ( AH) via AI approaches.
Wrap
The time and money invested in research, development and clinical trials of cancer drugs has increased steadily over the past decades. Despite record rates of cancer research and drug approval, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death. The use of the latest technologies in the field of animal health (AS) is marginally low. Many animal lives can be saved by focusing on implementing life-saving technology solutions or by programming empathy for animals in veterinary health departments or hospitals.
With this article, I try to highlight the main areas that need urgent attention from the perception of technology to fight a deadly disease like cancer for all kinds of species.
The development of AI skills within the HA community is limited compared to the needs. The opportunities for collaboration with AI teams are limited because these teams are already in high demand. A training effort must be provided and generalized to ensure that HA researchers are well aware of the opportunities and limitations of AI and the limits and constraints of AI approaches. Finally, the current growth of AI now makes it possible to integrate the knowledge and points of view of the many players in the field of animal health and welfare more upstream.
However, this requires that AI and its actors accept to face the specificity and complexity of HA. The library of knowledge related to HA should not only be used for insight gains for the improvement of the human species and use this information to design and develop AI tools for animal health and improvement. animals.
* FNAC is a first diagnostic investigation which makes it possible to differentiate the malignant and benign nature of cancerous tissues.
Join our Discord server. Be part of an engaging online community. Join here.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Receive the latest updates and relevant offers by sharing your email.
Amarjeet Kaur
Amarjeet Kaur is currently working as Sr. Data Science Manager in the Digital Healthcare department, JIO. She holds a PhD in Computer Science and Technology with specialization in Artificial Intelligence from SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai, India, 2021. She also holds a Diploma and Masters in Computer Science and Engineering. Some of her accomplishments include the Young Researcher Award 2021, the Research Excellence Award 2021 from the Institute of Scholars, the Women in AI Leadership Award 2020: by Analytics India Magazine, the best research paper award at the IEEE international conference ‘ 17 in Computational Intelligence, awarded the Gold Medal for Outstanding Performance in Academics., Research Project Grant by Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. She has worked in various fields with over 11 years of research experience and excellent academic qualifications. She worked as a clinical research and development scientist at Tata Memorial Hospital, AI, in the health field. She also worked as Innovation Manager, Maker’s Lab, a unique Thin-q-Bator space, an R&D arm of Tech Mahindra Ltd., in Bengaluru, India. She was part of the WINnovate (Women in Innovation) group to motivate women to break the glass ceiling and explore growing possibilities. Expertise in experimentation, applied research and project management. She is currently focusing on artificial intelligence, natural language speech and text processing, machine learning, and predictive modeling.
You won’t find Beaver Creek in Sonoma County. Likewise, there is no beaver pond, beaver dam or Beaverton pond. No Beaver Glade or Beaver Falls either.
Walk north to the Mendocino Coast and you’ll find Beaver Point jutting out into the ocean. In Humboldt, although beavers prefer well-watered valleys, there is Beaver Ridge and Beaver Butte. Keep going and you will eventually reach Oregon, whose nickname is “The Beaver State”.
Here in Sonoma, there is a glaring beaver-shaped gap in our place names. Until recently, this would not have surprised most biologists. Around 1940, two zoological studies concluded that beavers were not native to the Bay Area. Consequently, few regulations protected them. In fact, beavers have often been considered “pests” because their dams and burrow construction can destroy trees, undermine dikes and cause flooding.
A 2013 study refuted the hypothesis that beavers are not native and “don’t belong” here. Research by Kate Lundquist and Brock Dolman of the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, in collaboration with partners from other organizations, has uncovered strong historical and physical evidence for the presence of beavers in the early 19th century and before. . In fact, the first California “rush” was not the gold rush, but a “fur rush”.
In 1809, a Russian-American Company ship visited Bodega Bay and returned to Sitka, the capital of Russian America, with beaver pelts. Three years later, “the abundance of seals, otters and beavers” led to the founding of Fort Ross. In the 1830s, a Hudson’s Bay Company scout called the area north of Bodega “rich in beavers.” Around the same time, Mariano Vallejo described the Laguna de Santa Rosa, which stretches from Cotati to Sevastopol and beyond, as “great tular lakes teaming up with the beaver.” George Simpson, administrator of the Hudson’s Bay Company, reported a beaver just half a mile from the Sonoma Mission in 1842.
The impression that beavers were common in Sonoma County is supported by the fact that all of our native languages - Coast Miwok, Wappo, and Pomo – have words for beaver.
But after 1850, the beaver archives became scarce. It seems that locally they have been hunted to extinction. It happened so early and so quickly in our history that beavers were literally “wiped off the map”. By the turn of the 20th century, the beavers of Sonoma had not only been trapped out of existence, but had passed away within living memory.
Surprisingly, this statement is no longer true. In the 1990s, beavers arrived in Sonoma Creek, recolonizing part of their former territory. From there, they expanded their population into the Santa Rosa Stream watershed. While beavers can cause damage, they can also provide benefits, especially during times of drought and climate change. Beaver dams slow down and retain runoff from winter storms, which helps replenish groundwater; pick up soil that might otherwise erode; and create habitat for many other creatures.
As “ecosystem engineers,” beavers once helped maintain vast wetlands here and elsewhere in California. Today, a century after their temporary disappearance, water has become more precious than fur. In many places, they are making a comeback as innovative solutions are designed to minimize the damage that “busy beavers” could cause.
There is no Beaver Creek in Sonoma County, but given their history, it looks like there should be. Maybe one day there will be.
Grizzly bears were listed as endangered in 1975, but in today’s world thousands of grizzly bears live in the bottom 48 years. Yet there are only significant populations in three states. Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho have grizzly bears that are increasing in numbers year on year as they thrive in this ecosystem without any natural predators. Grizzly bears affect the deer and elk population, our choice of hunting locations, and our backcountry experience in different ways. Here’s a breakdown of how these bears affect hunting and some changes you may need to make the next time you consider hunting in grizzly bear country.
Biology
Before we dive into the effects of grizzly bears on hunting, let’s briefly talk about their biology and behavior. The grizzly bear is a brown bear that inhabits North America from Alaska to Wyoming. They can weigh up to 700 pounds and eat rodents, insects, elk calves, fawns, cattle, trout, grasses, and anything in their path. Grizzly bears can run up to 40 mph and have a home range as large as 2,000 square miles. For a size comparison, grizzly bears are typically up to twice the size of a black bear. Grizzly bears are a real top predator that seems to fear nothing.
Effects of grizzly bears on animal populations
In general, a grizzly bear will not slaughter a healthy adult elk, deer, or other similar sized animal. Adult animals are wary of grizzly bears enough to keep their distance, and they can run as fast, if not faster, than a bear. However, it is essential to note that grizzly bears have a negative effect on ungulate populations. Grizzly bears attack the fawn population in the spring of each year. It is a typical sight to see bears following around a herd of elk, waiting for them to have their babies so they can eat the placenta as well as the newborn. It is a natural process; However, this can affect animal populations, especially as the number of grizzly bears continues to grow.
Hunting selection
When it comes to choosing an elk or deer hunt in Montana, Wyoming, or Idaho, the number one concern for many hunters is the grizzly bear. Some hunters even refuse to hunt in an area where grizzly bears live out of fear for their lives. Although bear attacks do occur, they are not that common. And they can be horrible when they happen. I understand why some hunters would not want to hunt in grizzly territory; however, that means there is less competition there which is why I still hunt in these areas. Most hunters have to decide whether they are ready to hunt in grizzly country or not. If the answer is no, then that’s fine, but you still have a few things to consider and understand if the answer is yes.
Appeal considerations
When I hunt in grizzly country, I always make sure to pay a little more attention to what I’m doing. For example, when I call, I always make sure I’m ready to welcome a moose while still looking for a bear. It’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared in this situation. On a related note, when stalking I always do my best to be calm and slow, but I’m also on the lookout for an unsuspecting bear. The last thing you want is to surprise a mother bear with cubs or an aggressive boar.
Hinterland considerations
When camping in the backcountry, it’s always important to stay away from aromas, meat, food, and even pots and pans. Bears have excellent noses and will come looking for new smells. I would rather they investigate my camping supplies hanging in a tree 100 yards away instead of exploring my tent. Carrying a gun and bear spray is also essential and it is important to take your tent with you.
When I think of grizzly bears, I am in awe of their abilities. After all, they are animals that can weigh up to 700 pounds while eating the plants, animals, and insects that cross their path. Then they hibernate for five to seven months a year to start again until they are 25 to 30 years old. Although I am impressed, I am also terribly respectful. Grizzly bears are dangerous predators that can really hurt you, so if you don’t give them the respect they deserve, you can pay the price. This fall, understand how bears can affect your hunt, and use your skills and know-how to be bear aware and kill an elk or deer in bear country.
Environmentalists who work to promote the recovery of endangered plants and animals are often faced with the challenge of how to best motivate the public. Should we describe the alarming decline of a beloved creature to spur action, or communicate a rare but inspiring success story to restore hope?
The best way to frame recovery efforts for species on the brink isn’t just about how we communicate with others; it’s also relevant to the way we approach our work. Efforts to reverse trends that threaten the survival of wildlife can be difficult to sustain. It is sometimes extremely difficult to remain energetic and positive in the face of the continuing and demoralizing decline of species.
Fortunately, a half-full glass approach to framing species at risk recovery has emerged. It wasn’t from a communications team or a public engagement think tank as one might imagine; rather, it was developed by people working around the world to stop extinction and advance recovery.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which assesses the global status of species using a “red list” to differentiate levels of danger, introduced the concept of “green list” to assess levels of danger. feasibility of recovery and successful conservation.
“Warnings of impending extinctions are not the only way to catalyze conservation efforts,” says IUCN. “We also need an optimistic view of species conservation that presents a roadmap for how to conserve a species and achieve its recovery. This is necessary to encourage positive conservation actions and programs. To achieve this, the Red List assessment process needs to be broadened to include conservation success classifiers. IUCN is currently creating a new set of measures to achieve this.
This framing gives conservation practitioners a much broader, often more encouraging, picture than just assessments of the status of species. Like the online magazine Yale Environment 360 describes, “While the low number of Sumatran rhinos may well keep them in the Critically Endangered category for decades to come, their assessment of green status places their long-term recovery potential at nearly 50%. which means that continued conservation efforts over the next century could take the species almost halfway to full recovery … for a species that has long been considered a bit more hardy than a museum exhibit , this is a radical change in his narrative, which may well lead to new commitments of money and effort.
The emerging framework can also play a vital role in changing business-as-usual practices. The popular Canadian approach to government-led recovery initiatives is “priority threat management”. It is detailed in the study “Prioritizing Recovery Funding to Maximize Conservation of Endangered Species,” which focuses on a region of southern Saskatchewan and uses a model to assess recovery options for species at risk based, among other things. factors, perceived profitability. remedial measures. As the report notes, “here we show that we can take limited resources for endangered species much further by prioritizing investments in management strategies that recover the greatest number of species at the lowest cost.
This approach may seem sensible, but the David Suzuki Foundation has expressed concerns about the cost-effectiveness of becoming the dominant filter in such settings, as it could exclude much-needed conservation approaches and result in the abandonment of some species. For example, the Saskatchewan report notes that habitat restoration was one of the “least profitable individual strategies” in its study area.
Habitat restoration can be an expensive endeavor. Yet in many, if not most, cases of endangered species in Canada, the main drivers have been industrial and development activities which, while fragmenting and degrading habitat, have generated significant economic gains. . They therefore have the responsibility to bear the costs.
Recovering species at risk is a difficult journey. The first step is to stop the main threats, to silence the knife, so to speak. But from there the company becomes more optimistic, based on the belief that humans have the imagination and the commitment to fix what we have damaged.
As the authors of Journal of Conservation Biology article upon which the Green List is based, write: “We believe that the development and implementation of this system will give the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species a positive conservation vision, encouraging optimism.
“Optimism” is not a word you find every day in scientific journal articles on vulnerable species. Here to find out more.
/https://www.thespec.com/content/dam/thespec/opinion/contributors/2021/09/24/ontarios-pay-to-slay-policy-threatens-species-and-habitat-protection/pel_feb13_lathrop.jpg)
