Flora & Fauna: Stealthy Eastern hellbenders; eavesdropping on forests; off-bottom oysters; what do wasps do?

Spotting an Eastern hellbender takes time, luck and 
snorkeling. (Adobe Stock photo) 

Taking a swim in an Appalachian river is the only way to get a glimpse of this stealthy animal that looks like it's part salamander and part alligator: the Eastern hellbender. "These rare salamanders, which can grow to over two feet long, lurk in the wild rivers of Appalachia. To spot one, you’ll need a snorkel, and some luck," reports Mihir Zaveri of The New York Times. "Hellbenders, which can live for 30 years or more, vaguely resemble large underwater lizards. . . . I heard a muffled yell from [my guide] who was floating upstream. I popped out of the water. 'Hellbender!' he shouted. 'Hellbender!'" Zavari's adventure with hellbender-in-action photos is here.

Researchers who want to know more about what's happening in Wisconsin forests have launched an eavesdropping system designed to record the sounds of birds, animals, people, weather and leaves 24/7. "Once a month, researchers hike through the woods in the Baraboo Hills to check on small boxes strapped to tree trunks. The boxes hold microphones that are running 24 hours a day, capturing the soundscape of the forest," reports Bridgit Bowden of Wisconsin Public Radio. "Bioacoustics enable researchers to get a fuller picture of the forest, the species that inhabit it and how they change over time."

Scientists seek ways for bees to spread pesticides that 
are safe for pollinators. (Offrange graphic)

To help crops stay safe from pests and molds, scientists suggest letting pollen-gathering bees do what they do best: The work. "A bumblebee prepares to leave its hive. But first, it passes through a dispenser and picks up a dusting of biofungicide, a pesticide made of mycelium, that it will soon pass on to every strawberry flower it visits," reports Leah Borts-Kuperman for Offrange. "The pest-control formula will then be transmitted from flower to flower by pollinators who will hopefully prevent the farm’s strawberries from developing the gray mold no one wants." Read more about "bee vectoring" here.

An off-bottom oyster harvesters pulls his crop from floating cages. (Photo by E. Plunk, Louisiana Illuminator)

Beset by changes in climate and natural disasters, some of Louisiana's oyster industry is delving into the off-bottom oyster business. "On-bottom culture, where oysters attach to reefs or substrate on the water’s bottom, is and has been the most popular method of oyster harvesting in Louisiana’s waters," reports Elise Plunk for New Orleans Public Radio. "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lists the state’s strong interest in off-bottom oyster cultivation as a way to help build resiliency into an industry under threat from sediment diversions. . . . Whether this technique can beat back worsening hurricanes, climate change and the impact of sediment diversions is still undetermined."

When I grow up, I want to be a garlic nerd. A stinky, vampire-busting garlic nerd who grows garlic from garlic seeds, which isn't common. Most garlic doesn't grow from seeds. "Ever since people began cultivating garlic — six millennia ago by some estimates. . . scarcely a single plant was coaxed to produce one solitary seed. And so it forgot how," writes Katherine Cusumano for Offrange. "About 15 years ago, a Missouri farmer named Mark Brown began trying to coax true seeds from his garlic — an attempt, essentially, to undo thousands of years of domestication." Brown's example has been followed by many garlic-obsessed planters working on their own seeds and ideas for improving the spice plant. 

The common wasp is an insect hunter.
(Adobe Stock photo)

Besides building nearly indestructible mud or paper nests and terrifying adults and children alike with the threat of their searingly painful stings, do wasps have a purpose? Ecology researcher and wasp expert Seirian Sumner wants people to know that in the world of insects, wasps are an apex predator. She told CNN News, "Wasps are nature’s pest controllers. Without wasps. . .we would be inclined to use more chemicals to control the populations of the other insects and creepy crawlies that we don’t like: caterpillars, aphids, spiders, beetles – you name it – there is a wasp that hunts it. So wasps are really important top predators in regulating all of those insect populations within the ecosystem.” 

Flora & Fauna: Axolotl is the 'comeback king;' corn seed miracle; big snake haul; two-note song; tracking butterflies

Known for their regenerative powers, scientists are learning
from the 'adorable' axolotl. (Photo by TK, Unsplash)

Limb regeneration may sound like an 'X-Files' episode, but U.S. scientists are working on it. "With a silly smile and frilly gills, the axolotl has wriggled its way into the hearts of millions," reports Dino Grandoni of The Washington Post. "But this adorable species of salamander is also helping researchers investigate a serious medical mystery: Could the human body be coaxed to regrow a severed arm or leg? Scientists are turning to the axolotl because it is an expert at regeneration. . . .The species is also a comeback king, able to regrow not only lost limbs but also tissue in the heart, lungs and even the brain."

It's hot and humid, and corn tasseling season is almost here. "If someone writes a book about the 'seven great wonders of agriculture,' tasseling and pollination must be on the list," reports Tom J. Bechman of Farm Progress. "The process of producing hundreds of new corn kernels per plant, all from one original seed, is simple yet complex at the same time." Read how the miracle of corn happens here.

135lb female Burmese python found while radio-tracking 
a male scout snake. (Conservancy of Southwest Florida photo)

'Snakes on a Plane' might be a good summer movie fun, but in Florida, hundreds of people drop the film drama and eradicate snakes on land. "It was a milestone moment in Florida’s 25-year war on invasive Burmese pythons: an eye-popping announcement that biologists had removed 20 tons of the slithering invaders from waters in and around the Everglades in little more than a decade, as well as shattering their previous record for a single-season haul," reports Richard Luscombe of The Guardian. "The successes of the team at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida showcase the progress that has been made in efforts to reverse the snakes’ takeover of the state’s natural wilderness."

The only thing sharks can regenerate is their teeth.
That's probably enough. (Photo by Wai Siew, Unsplash)

Two notes + Razor-sharp teeth = One summer blockbuster. “Da, duh. E and F have become synonymous with tension, fear and sharks, representing the primal dread of being stalked by a predator," writes media history scholar Jared Bahir Browsh for The Conversation. "Fifty years ago, Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster film – along with its spooky score composed by John Williams – convinced generations of swimmers to think twice before going in the water. . . . I decided to take a deeper dive into the staying power of these two notes. . . "

Pollen is a way to track butterflies.
(Jozsef Szabo photo, Unsplash)

If you want to help the world be a better place for all creatures, then do one small thing to help insects: Provide an insect-friendly habitat. "This includes supporting a variety of native plants that can provide both nectar and leaves, which are food for many herbivorous insects throughout their lives. A good habitat also provides places for insects to nest, such as bare ground or leaf litter. Bigger patches are better, but even small gardens can be helpful," write Christopher Halsch and Eliza Grames for The Conversation. "At the same time, limiting exposure to other threats is important. Actions such as dimming artificial lights at night and reducing the use of pesticides can help."

How can the fluttering trails and migrations of butterflies be traced and mapped? With pollen. "Those tiny pollen grains are helping researchers study a process that until now has been largely inscrutable: the migratory patterns of insects as they move around the globe," reports Saugat Bolakhe for Knowable magazine. "Analyzing pollen collected from 264 butterflies from 10 different countries . . researchers identified 398 different plants they could use to track the butterflies’ movements."

Flora & Fauna: Super Ronin, the landmine smelling rat; red corn revivial; skijoring in the U.S.A.; the strangest hitchhiker

Ronin the African giant pouched rat is one of more than 100 rats trained by a Belgian nonprofit to
sniff out deadly landmines. (Photo by Guinness World Records via Smithsonian magazine)

If you think rats are just dirty rodents, think again. Meet Super Rat Ronin and his "landmine-sniffing rat pack who are making a name for rodents everywhere by saving innocent civilians from hidden explosives," reports Lex Harvey of CNN. "The African giant pouched rat recently set a new world record for the most landmines detected by a rat. Ronin's main handler, Phanny, told the Guinness publication, "Ronin’s achievements are a testament to the incredible potential of rats."

Two University of Wisconsin plant experts became the Nancy Drews of botany. Their goal was to help revive a near-dead heirloom red corn for a local distiller who wanted to use the unique seed to create new bourbon flavor. "It took some serious seed vault sleuthing, a deep dive into a germplasm bank, and a retread of historical breeding efforts, but the bounty of those efforts is now flowing from fine oaken barrels," reports Audra Koscik for UW Plant Sciences. The J. Henry & Sons bourbon distilled with red corn has a "distinct flavor and is higher in protein, fat, and oil content, trading efficiency for quality and flavor."

Modern skijoring riders use horses instead of skis.
(The Daily Yonder photo)

It all began with Scandinavians, skis and reindeer, but it has branched out into an annual contest in rural Leadville, Colorado, where contestants use horses instead of reindeer and ski at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. "It’s called skijoring, and it’s nothing new," reports Jared Ewy for The Daily Yonder. "Leadville’s course features multiple jumps and several rings. . . . Estimates say there are about 5000 people in attendance. Leadville’s population is just over 2600." Skijoring contestant, Stephanie Weber, told Ewy, "It’s high-speed, horse-powered chaos."

Farmers aren't the only ones who could be spreading PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," as they tend their crops. American gardeners and lawn-lovers who use sludge fertilizer might be unwittingly exposing themselves and their soil to PFAS. "Your plants might love fertilizers containing nutrient-rich sewage sludge, but treating your garden or lawn with these products could be exposing you to 'forever chemicals,'" reports Allyson Chiu of The Washington Post. To read the steps that will help consumers avoid PFAS fertilizers, click here.

Spring will bring calling cicadas.
(Photo by Sagar Vasnani, Unsplash)

They're almost here and make no mistake, they will be noisy. "With spring will come warmer temperatures, flora in bloom -- and millions of screaming insects emerging from their resting place beneath the ground," reports Julia Jacobo of ABC News. "Three species of cicada that only emerge once every 17 years are gearing up to spring to the surface in droves. . . . States like Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and North Carolina can expect to witness the emergence of Brood XIV this year. . . .Those who witness emergences can upload their accounts to Cicada Safari, a citizen science program that tracks cicada."

When life gets too exhausting for this octopus, he gets a "Lyft" from another marine animal. "When she spotted the mako shark in the Hauraki Gulf off of New Zealand, Rochelle Constantine, a marine ecologist, was concerned. The animal had a curious orangey-brown mass perched on top of its head," reports Melissa Hobson of The New York Times. Constantine and her crew dangled a drone camera above the shark to uncover the orange mystery. 

                        Don’t stick your eight arms out so far, they may go home in another shark.
                        (Video by Esther Stuck And Wednesday Davis, University Of Auckland)

"An octopus was riding the shark. They nicknamed it the 'sharktopus' and said it was one of the strangest things they had ever seen in the ocean," Hobson writes. "The team identified the eight-armed commuter as a Maori octopus. The hefty cephalopods can stretch up to 6.5 feet and weigh around 26 pounds. They are the largest octopus in the Southern Hemisphere. Even riding a huge predator like the shark, a shortfin mako, this hitchhiker occupied a lot of room. . ."

Even with tariff pause, plans to increase costs for shrimp imports give small coastal communities hope

Last year most U.S. shrimpers lost money.
(Adobe Stock photo)

Despite shrimp's jumbo appeal to U.S. consumers, American shrimpers have struggled to compete with imported, farmed shrimp. Tariffs and renewed trade negotiations with foreign shrimp importers may help revive American shrimping.

As this week began, shrimpers in tiny Bayou La Batre, Alabama, celebrated President Trump’s new round of tariffs, which "included countries that export most of shrimp Americans consume," reports Rachel Wolfe of The Wall Street Journal. "That included rates of around 26% on India, 10% on Ecuador, 32% on Indonesia and 46% on Vietnam. . . . More than 90% of the millions of pounds of shrimp consumed annually in the U.S. is imported."

The decline of U.S. shrimping came bit by bit as more imported shrimp entered the U.S. market. "Fishermen unable to sell their shrimp to break even on gas, labor and supplies have had to tie up their boats," Wolfe explains. "Supply shops, seafood processors, marine technicians and others in the industry have suffered, too."

For small coastal communities like Bayou La Batre, the loss of shrimping incomes has "cratered" local economics. Wolfe reports, "Income and sales-tax revenue in Bayou La Batre plummeted around 40% between 2021 and 2024 alone, according to Mayor Henry D. Barnes." Barnes told her, "People were looking to me for answers, and I didn’t have them. The city can’t put tariffs on foreign seafood.”

Over the past 20 years, the wholesale price of shrimp in the U.S. declined, but American shrimpers were still able to eke out a small profit. "In 2021, that changed as import prices dropped sharply, making it much more difficult for domestic shrimpers to turn a profit," Wolfe explains. "In 2023, domestic shrimpers operated at a net 3.7% loss on average."

Although the tariffs may help some shrimpers clear profits again, U.S. levies on marine goods could present new challenges. "Shrimpers rely on imports for a lot of their supplies," Wolfe explains. "Jeremy Zirlott, a commercial shrimper from Bayou La Batre, buys some of the webbing for his nets from India — which runs around $22,000 each year for each of his boats."

Even as Trump set a 90-day pause on the sweeping tariffs, the Southern Shrimp Alliance's response was positive. SSA Executive Director John Williams, echoed the hope some smaller coastal towns now have: "It is encouraging that the Trump Administration’s tariffs have prompted countries to show a new willingness to address trade policies disadvantaging American producers."

Flora & Fauna: Bald eagle vs. Canadian goose; ping! It's a whale; a woolly devil; feathered roommates; bird hitchhikers

A Canada goose and a bald eagle battled in Burlington, Ont.
The goose survived. (Photo by Mervyn Sequiera via CBC)

A bald eagle swooped down on a Canadian goose that looked like an easy meal. A battle ensued. "Mervyn Sequeira — who watched and photographed a 20-minute battle between the two birds — the goose held its own," reports Aura Carreño Rosas of CBC News. "Sequeira and his family witnessed a rare event — a fight between the national bird of the U.S. and the iconic Canadian animal. Sequeira told Rosas, "When we thought that it was really over for the goose, strangely, the bald eagle just gave up and left."

A marine AI tool is doing something humans can't do. "This is WhaleSpotter, an artificial intelligence-powered whale detection system that aims to transmit real-time alerts to ships to prevent them from colliding with whales — a threat that leads to the injury or death of thousands of whales each year," reports Ashley Braun of bioGraphic. "While the AI system is designed to filter out false alarms — such as signals from birds, breaking waves, and boats—the aim is for ship captains to receive zero false alerts, so that every ping truly requires their attention."

The first photo of the woolly devil made a stir among
botanists. (Photo by Deb Manley via Atlas Obscura)

Big Bend National Park has bragging rights to a "devilish" discovery. "This tiny, fuzzy sunflower relative has been hiding in plain sight — it represents the first new genus identified in a U.S. national park in nearly 50 years," reports Andrew Coletti of Atlas Obscura. "The Big Bend species has been given the scientific name Ovicula biradiata. Informally, it’s become known as 'the woolly devil,' for its fur and the 'devil horn'-like rays protruding from its flowers."

Maple seeds are made to get around -- even if that means flying in the rain. "When wind or other disturbances detach winged maple seeds called samaras from their parent tree, they spin through the air – and can even spin when it’s raining," reports Andrew Dickerson for The Conversation. "The samaras’ spinning movement, called autorotation, keeps them in the air for longer so they travel farther. My colleagues and I filmed raindrops as they crashed into autorotating samaras. The samaras shed drops by shattering them, flinging the drops off, or rolling out of the way – like they’re turning away from a punch."

Spike is a 'small but mighty' Eastern Screech Owl.
(Fontenelle Forest photo via M. Stewart)

It's hard to match the curious cuteness of screech owls -- especially when they have heart-tugging stories. Meet Spike and George. "Spike was found trapped in a train car, during which he sustained brain damage that made it impossible for him to survive in the wild. But since finding his new home at Fontenelle Forest, one of Nebraska's oldest conservation organizations, Spike has been thriving," reports Sydney Wingfield for Martha Stewart magazine. "Spike is an excellent roommate to George, another owl who arrived at the conservation 12 years ago after his nest tree was mistakenly cut down. While George is notorious for being a picky roommate, he and Spike have proven to be a perfect match."

Flower mites hitch rides on hummingbirds. (Pixabay public domain photo via Physics.org)

Hummingbirds may seem like an odd choice for a taxi, but tiny bugs can hop on for a ride. "Flower mites spend their lives slurping nectar and nibbling pollen in flowers throughout the tropics. To travel from one blossom to another, these tiny, eight-legged creatures hitch rides on the beaks of hummingbirds, taking shelter in the birds’ nostrils during flight," reports Douglas Main of The New York Times. "When a speedy hummingbird arrives at a flower to drink nectar, mites run toward its beak to get onboard before eventually transferring to another blossom." The mini stowaways are blind and can't jump. Main explains how they "hummingbird hitchhike" here.

All creatures big, small, tiny and 'ugly' are needed on this planet: Here's how journalists can cover them.

An orange fungus grows out of leaf debris in a Maine forest.
(Photo by Alyssa Mattei, National Park Service via SEJ)

It's small and somewhat weird, but let's protect it. Say what? If day-to-day environmental journalism is difficult, reporting on barely-known species, which often look like sci-fi inventions, can be more challenging. But it's worth noting that while some species lack the glamour or beauty of creatures "situated toward the apex of the food chain," [apex animals] are nothing without every lesser-loved organism below them," report Bethany Brookshire and Douglas Main for the Society of Environmental Journalists.

What's the best way to describe "seemingly unlovable species and ecosystems to life and get our audiences invested in their stories?. . . Often, the most compelling way to report on the non-human world is to talk about people — about how we are like those creatures or why we need those plants or ecosystems," Brookshire and Main explain. "That might seem a little self-centered. But looking closer, it becomes clear that what this kind of coverage cultivates is not self-obsession. It’s empathy."

Another option is "finding the larger stories that odd species are embedded within," SEJ reports. A National Geographic feature "[looked at] ice worms, tiny invertebrates that live on glaciers and climate change. . . . A slight tweak in the protein that makes ATP, the cellular currency of energy, helps these creatures stay active at very low temperatures. People might not care about ice worms. But they care about the effects of climate change on biodiversity, and they care about potential human benefits from other species’ quirks."

Benji Jones, an environmental correspondent, "believes that another way to get people to care about obscure organisms is to make them characters in a story — as he recently did when writing about Appalachian salamanders," SEJ reports. "That often means emphasizing that these organisms — whether plants or animals or yeast — are really not as different from us as they seem, Jones says. They, too, have wants and needs and challenges. . . . A tree or salamander can’t speak for itself, but the people who care about these species can."

Write with imagination. "It’s harder to get audiences to care about the small, the spineless, the aesthetically unappealing. But seeing ourselves in other creatures sparks curiosity. And from curiosity, it’s only a short step to caring," Brookshire and Main add. "Journalists might have to dig a little deeper to find the common ground humans share with other species. But it’s there if you dig deep enough. Making those connections can open the door to understanding and compassion."

Flora & Fauna: Muppets ponder the Electoral College; a new wildlife corridor; fall in love with moths; banana battle

Most muppets didn't "vote" for the Electoral College.
(Muppet Wiki photo)

Elmo took it upon himself, along with several other muppets who were voting, to try and understand how the U.S. Electoral College works. "Elmo just did some math and Elmo is worried," writes Alexandra Petri of The Washington Post. At first, the Count loved how the College worked, but then he said, "I love counting, but the Electoral College is not about counting! It is about making things not count! The Electoral College belongs in the trash!" Oscar the Grouch had some feelings about that. . .

A critical wildlife pathway that began with "a handful of frustrated hunters and 20 deer imported from South Carolina," is now a reality writes Dan Chapman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "A burgeoning wildlife corridor stretches from Atlanta’s western suburbs to the Talladega National Forest in Alabama, a 30-mile stretch of public and private lands where deer, bear, at-risk bats, and federally endangered fish have more room to roam, and more chances to survive." Read about the corridor's unique beginnings here.

Sugar maples can live to be 300 to 400 years old.
(Adobe Stock photo)

In a forest, all flora and fauna eventually die, but in the case of an old and beloved sugar maple, life went on as saws and woodworking turned the tree into bowls that could be held, used and treasured, writes Daryln Brewer Hoffstot for The New York Times. Tree "turner," Corey Snyder, "presented me with three beautiful, honey-colored bowls: one for our son, one for our daughter, and one for us. . . . One has light streaks of green because of mineral deposits. They are different shapes, sizes and thicknesses. I asked him how he chose what form the bowls should take. 'I let the piece of wood dictate,' he said. . . .The old maple had spoken."

There are roughly 180,000 known moth and
butterfly species. (Princeton U Press graphic)

The world of moths is mysterious and vast. For all of us, there is much to learn and fall in love with. "As humans drop off to sleep, the invisible world of moths comes to life. Across the planet, billions of the insects take flight on their nocturnal errands," report Michael J. Coren and Alice Li of The Washington Post. "Over two nights in the desert, I discovered just how easy it is to fall in love with an unloved insect. And why 'mothing' may be the best way to discover the miracle of biodiversity in your own backyard."

As bananas battle for survival, scientists are working to save them from extinction. "Two diseases threaten to wipe out the banana as we know it, and scientists are racing to breed a fruit of the future," reports H. Claire Brown of The Wall Street Journal. "Chiquita Brands International last month said it bred a new banana called the Yelloway 1 that is resistant to one of the major diseases and shows promise in resisting the second. . . . Using a genetic bank of about 150 banana varieties, the Chiquita team has focused on breeding an edible, disease-resistant banana."

NOAA plans to consider expanding the new Chumash Heritage Marine Sanctuary in the years
ahead, after new infrastructure is built for offshore wind farms. (NOAA photo via NPR)

A new national marine sanctuary isn't just a win for sea creatures and sea lovers, it's the first such designation led by Indigenous people, reports Lauren Sommer of NPR. "More than 4,500 square miles of ocean will soon be protected by the federal government off the Central California coast. The Biden administration is creating a new national marine sanctuary, which will be the third largest in the U.S. . . . The new Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will be managed in partnership with tribes and Indigenous groups in the area, who will advise the federal government."

Flora & Fauna: Flightless eagle mystery solved; beware of black-legged ticks; secret lives of plants; Pesto the Penguin

Bald eagle that was captured and believed to be ill. (Photo by
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield via The Guardian)

People thought this raptor was wounded because he couldn't fly. As luck would have it, this bird was not ill, but he had gobbled up his Thanksgiving dinner early. "Wildlife officials in Missouri rescued what they thought was an injured and flightless bald eagle, only to discover it had gorged itself on a roadkill raccoon and was 'too fat to fly,'" reports Richard Luscombe of The Guardian. "The eagle was released, completely healthy and full of energy, after a short period of 'rehabilitation' at the zoo’s wildlife hospital."
 
Among stretches of corn and beans in Midwestern Iowa, swaths of pollinator-loving plants and flowers grow. These "prairie strips" were sown by farmers and "they are part of a growing movement to reduce the environmental harms of farming and help draw down greenhouse gas emissions," reports Cara Buckley of The New York Times. "While giving fauna a much-needed boost and helping to restore the land. . . .The aim is to reduce nutrient runoff from cropland, and help birds and bees."

Black-legged ticks are small, wingless, bloodsucking arthropods that spread diseases, such as lyme and babesiosis, by latching onto wildlife or human hosts. "Lyme is the most commonly reported illness spread by ticks," reports Kevin Loria of The Washington Post. "But it is far from the only one: The black-legged ticks that carry Lyme can spread at least six different illnesses. Babesiosis is a parasitic illness, spread by Babesia microti parasites, which can live inside black-legged ticks. . . . It can be serious, especially for people who are immunocompromised."

Runnels the hound dog, reporting for duty.
(Texas A&M photo via Ambrook Research)

Livestock can die from bovine respiratory disease, which is notoriously difficult to detect. To help farmers avoid the pain and expense of losing cattle, scientists are exploring how canines can help identify BRD. "At Texas A&M University, a cross-discipline pilot study set out to discover whether working dogs, with their superior olfactory senses, could be used as early BRD detectors," reports Jesse Hirsch of Ambrook Research. "After many trials. . . researchers got up to 82% accuracy with one dog, and 65% with the other. But. . . the dogs didn’t fare nearly as well when given only two chances to distinguish between a BRD-infected swab and a clean one." 

Kate McCulloh

Flora have secret lives of their own. Although they can't ambulate, they find ways to move, morph and adapt to everything humans and Mother Nature "hurl their way," writes Kate McCulloh, an associate professor of botany at the University of Wisconsin. "Their complex physiology responds to each of these threats in often quite subtle ways. The solutions that plants employ differ among species, varying with the climate in which those species evolved."

Colorado mountain lions should be protected from hunts, writes Dan Ashe, a former director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in his opinion for Writers on the Range. "Emerging science tells us that these apex predators aren’t the enemy, they’re allies. They are likely providing an important ecosystem service in checking the spread of chronic wasting disease, CWD, an existential threat to healthy deer and elk populations, by targeting animals weakened by the disease." Mountain lions should be left alone to "do their job as predators."

Pesto and his "short" parents. (Sea Life
Melbourne Aquarium photo via CNN News)

Taller and decidedly fluffier than his parents, "Pesto" the baby king penguin is adorable and famous. "Photos of Pesto – who is 90 centimeters tall (about three feet) – towering over his parents have gone viral online. He has also provided opportunities for people to learn more about penguins," reports Lilit Marcus of CNN News. "Although most people recognize the adult black-and-white birds, king penguins are born covered in brown feathers. Once they learn how to swim, they will begin shedding those feathers – a process known as fledging. . . . Pesto’s biological father, Blake, is one of the aquarium’s oldest and largest penguins. But he’s being raised by Tango and Hudson, younger penguins whom Sea Life keepers wanted to try out as parents."

Flora & Fauna: World's oldest whale; all about potatoes; farming extracted land; everlasting lice; why play?

The humpback whale Old Timer in Frederick Sound in southeast Alaska.
(Photo by Adam Pack, NOAA Research Permit 26953 via NYT)

Sometimes seeing an old friend can warm the heart and encourage the spirit. "When Adam A. Pack, a marine mammal researcher, was photographing whales in Alaska’s Frederick Sound this July, he instantly recognized the flukes of an old friend," writes Emily Anthes of The New York Times. "The tail — mostly black, with a wash of white speckles near the edge — belongs to a whale named Old Timer. First spotted in 1972, Old Timer is now a male of at least 53 years, making him “the oldest known humpback whale in the world. . . The last time he had seen the whale, in 2015, was in the middle of a record-breaking, yearslong heat wave. . ."

Where would this country be without potatoes? It's a loaded question. Fluffed, whipped, baked, fried, scalloped, mashed, au gratin. . . Americans do love their taters. But U.S. scientists said, "It's not enough. . . Potatoes deserve more!" Jacob Bunge and Victor Stefanescu of The Wall Street Journal report, "Agriculture companies are applying cutting-edge genetic technology to the dusty brown tubers, aiming to grow bigger piles of spuds that could make for healthier potato chips and french fries. . .while grappling with storage and shelf life."

Ashford Farm has been cultivating lavender for five
years. (Photo by K. Thacker, Ambrook Research)

Not long ago, a coal mine sat on a blown-off mountaintop in West Virginia. The mine extracted that land's wealth and left it barren, but that is not the story's end. "The prospect of putting a farm on a former coal site is highly ambitious and pretty rare — at least in the mountainous Central Appalachian Coal Basin," report Even Andrew and Kristian Thacker of Ambrook Research. "Lavender, however, is a good match for mined terrain because it’s a relatively low-maintenance crop that thrives in dry, rocky soils. . . . But growing something, especially on reclaimed mine land, is a significant challenge."

What's grosser than gross? Lice. "We are in peak lice season, and the lice seem to arrive, always, at the moment when we are least equipped to deal with them. If you’ve endured them even once, odds are you still have at least a touch of lingering paranoia and phantom itching," reports Caitlin Gibson of The Washington Post. "They were there when Hannibal and his army crossed the Alps. They were there when both World Wars were fought. Now it is 2024, and we have Mars rovers and artificial intelligence and, still, lice. We can’t change the reality of them. Should we try to change the way we think about them?"

Like everything Mother Nature imbues, play has purpose.
(Adobe Stock photo)

It's the Puppy Bowl! The Kitten Bowl! The Turtle Bowl. OK. May there's no turtle bowl -- yet. But humans do love to watch animals play. Why? As David Toomey writes for The Conversation, "Play has a role in Darwin’s theory of natural selection. As I explain in my new book, Kingdom of Play: What Ball-bouncing Octopuses, Belly-flopping Monkeys, and Mud-sliding Elephants Reveal about Life Itself, there are many similarities – so many that if you could distill the processes of natural selection into a single behavior, that behavior would be play, Animals forage and hunt in specific ways that don’t typically change. But an animal at play is far more likely to innovate – and some of its innovations may in time be adapted into new ways to forage and hunt."

While the Florida Everglades are home to an abundance of animal diversity, including 360 different species of birds and countless insect species, Burmese pythons are not a welcome addition. The state has battled to control the invasive, nonnative snake's spread with multiple approaches, including capture and kill contests. The state just wrapped up its annual Florida Python Challenge "during which time participants caught and killed the nonvenomous constrictors, which feed on the state's native fauna," reports Joe Hernandez of NPR. Florida offers more opportunities to remove pythons year-round.

Flora & Fauna: Bee slaps ant off the plank; grasshopper sparrows are back; boars aren't boring -- they're dangerous

This bee has had enough of ants trying to sneak into
her hive. (Popular Science photo)

Humans aren't the only ones who reach maximum tolerance and get slap-happy -- animals do it, too. How about this real-life wing-drop-swing-swipe maneuver a bee puts on an unsuspecting ant? The Night at the Museum's smack-it-out scene between Capuchin monkey "Dexter" and Ben Stiller's night guard character is a play-by-play theatrical version of living creatures being frustrated. We all get frustrated. For people, humor and possibly catharsis can help.

A steer and a cow crossed the road to munch on grass on the other side. The traveling adventure of two curious bovines from rural western New York may sound harmless. It wasn't. When they "strayed from their pasture, they set off a chaotic chain of events involving death threats, chicken rustlers and Joaquin Phoenix," reports Christopher Maag of The New York Times. "The town of Newfane, N.Y., hasn’t been the same since."

Very hungry spined sea urchins 'clean' coral by eating
harmful algae growth. (University of Florida photo via Hakai)

A spiky sea animal is helping Caribbean coral reefs recover from an onslaught of smothering algae. "Long-spined sea urchins (Diadema antillarum) play a vital role in Caribbean coral ecosystems," reports Lisa S. Gardiner of Hakai magazine. "Dark and rotund with spines radiating in all directions, some as long as knitting needles, the urchins eat massive amounts of algae that would otherwise smother corals or prevent coral larvae from affixing to rocks and growing into colonies." Some experts call these busy creatures the "janitors of the reef because they're so efficient at cleaning reef surfaces."

Birds can be incredibly resilient, but in the case of Florida's grasshopper sparrow, scientists intervened. "Numbers of the Florida grasshopper sparrow, seen only in prairies in central regions of the state, dwindled so severely by 2015, mostly through habitat loss, that authorities decided to remove remaining breeding pairs into captivity," reports Richard Luscomb of The Guardian. "Their gamble was rewarded." Experts released their 1,000th bird back into the wild . . . "adding to an increasingly stable population that researchers believe has turned the tide towards the species’ survival."

Feral pigs are fierce and carry diseases.
(Graphic by Adam Dixon, Ambrook Research)

Worried about shark season? Maybe another animal is a bigger danger. "Scientists determined feral pig attacks are more than three times deadlier to humans than sharks worldwide," reports Emma Glassman-Hughes of Ambrook Research. "That, coupled with feral hogs’ capacity for carrying disease, has raised their profile from farm pest to existential threat. But not enough people seem to understand the gravity of the situation, according to experts — and municipalities are struggling to control it."

Silver carp jump in the Fox River in Illinois.
(Photo by Ryan Hagerty, Fish  & Wildlife Service via the Louisiana Illuminator)

Winner, winner, Asian carp for dinner. Sound yummy? Midwesterners working to keep the invasive fish from establishing itself in the Great Lakes hope so. "Silver carp particularly represent a huge threat to the fisheries in the Great Lakes. . . . One way to get the silver carp population under control seems relatively simple – eat the carp," reports Elise Plunk of the Louisiana Illuminator. Americans aren't convinced Asian carp is a great dinner entre, but marketers are working to change consumer opinion. "Creative cooking, such as making carp burgers with dill pickles and cheddar or New Orleans-style carp po’boys, when paired with the knowledge that eating carp helps the environment, could be more palatable to Americans."

The UN pledged to reduce global production of plastic; companies prefer better recycling efforts

Adobe Stock photo

Is it possible to create a planet where plastic production and waste aren't a constant problem? Maybe. In March 2022, the United Nations "pledged to negotiate a treaty to 'end plastic pollution,' with the goal of delivering a final draft by 2025," reports Joseph Winters of Grist. One proposed solution was to negotiate with plastic makers to produce less, which hasn't happened. But, what Grist found out by motoring through petrochemical trade and industry group public statements and policies were various levels of the "industry’s desired pathway to a 'world without waste.'"

Among the various players that Grist contacted, "only two agreed to answer questions about the policies they support," Winters writes. "What we found is that, although they fall far short. . . . the industry groups’ proposals to bolster recycling and waste collection could cause a significant reduction in mismanaged plastic waste — even in the absence of a cap on plastic production."

When their proposals were entered into a policy analysis tool developed at the University of California, "the elements of the treaty that industry groups support, cobbled together, could cut global plastic pollution by 43 million metric tons annually by 2050 — a 36% reduction below business-as-usual estimates," Winters adds. "Meanwhile, a realistic production cap could cut annual pollution by 48 million metric tons all by itself."

When it comes to global garbage, the plastics industry is economically influential. Unsurprisingly, the industry does not think that the solution to plastic waste reduction is making less plastic. Instead, industry groups support a concept called "plastics circularity," which "seeks to keep the material in use for as long as possible before it’s thrown away. Generally, this means more recycling," Winters reports. 

But that can be challenging. "The world only recycles about 9 percent of all plastic it produces; the rest gets sent to landfills or incinerators, or winds up as litter," Winters explains. Given the problem, the industry is promoting more and better recycling by supporting policies that build recycling infrastructure and placing some of the onus for recycling costs on companies that use it.

Even as the plastic waste reduction agreement takes shape, "it’s clear that self-preservation is at the heart of the petrochemical industry’s agenda for the treaty," Winters reports. "The policies it supports could have a positive impact on plastic pollution."

Conservation farming practices could help reduce the Gulf of Mexico's 'dead zone' that harms marine life and fishing

Agriculture's use of fertilizers without run-off prevention means chemicals along with nitrogen and phosphorus flow down the Mississippi River and into the Gulf of Mexico. (Adobe Stock photo)

When Midwestern farming states steer around conservation practices and use more synthetic fertilizer and manure, their crops' run-off flows into the Mississippi River and contributes to the Gulf of Mexico's 'dead zone,' reports Erin Jordan of The Gazette, which serves Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "There are thousands of U.S. farmers not growing cover crops or using other conservation practices shown to reduce runoff. . . thwarting plans to slash nitrogen and phosphorus washing down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, where excess nutrients threaten wildlife and fishing industries." Encouraging or requiring farmers to use more conservation practices could change this trend.

What is the dead zone and why should farmers care? The zone is produced by chemicals and element run-offs of nitrogen and phosphorus that flow down the Mississippi and into the gulf. Once in the gulf, "these nutrients are required for plant and crop growth, trigger algae blooms that choke off oxygen in water and make it difficult, if not impossible, for marine life to survive," reports The Nature Conservancy. "The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that the dead zone costs U.S. seafood and tourism industries $82 million a year. The impact could be devastating to the gulf’s seafood industry."

Originally, the United States pegged 2025 as the year for nitrogen and phosphorus flows into the gulf to be reduced by 20%. But the country is far from reaching this goal. 

Despite government subsidies for conservation projects, "many farmers just don’t want to risk reducing their short-term yields — money they use to feed their families and pay down debt," Jordan reports. "While the Midwest has seen boosts in farming practices that reduce runoff, there’s also been an increase in practices that make the problem worse."

Some states are reconsidering "the strategy of paying farmers to implement voluntary practices to reduce nutrient loss," Jordan writes, including some lawmakers in Minnesota who "pushed for a 40-cent-per-ton fertilizer tax that would raise an estimated $1.2 million a year to be used to help southeast Minnesota residents whose drinking water wells are contaminated with nitrate, which has been linked to some forms of cancer."

Flora & fauna: Pigzilla vs. Jaws; daring emperor penguin chicks; growing baby ginger; what's great about limpkins?

Graphic by Lori Hays, Farm Journal

Most humans have a healthy fear of apex predators, which makes sense, but there's another animal that needs to be on the human "danger" list -- wild pigs. "More humans are killed annually by wild pigs than by sharks, a startling new study reveals. By slice, puncture, hook, and gouge, the global number of fatalities from wild pig attacks is rising by the decade," reports Chris Bennett of Farm Journal. John J. Mayer, lead author of the study and wild pig research pioneer, told Bennett, "It's not sharks, wolves, or bears that kill the most people — it's wild pigs, and the numbers are consistently trending up."

There's no explaining the gifts Mother Nature bestows on some creatures. Consider the adaptability of spiders. They can spin fancy and shockingly strong webs for nabbing prey. Their versatility includes living in barns, cabinets, mailboxes, old shoes and even water. Yes, water. "Some spiders make their homes near or, more rarely, in water: tucking into the base of kelp stalks, spinning watertight cocoons in ponds or lakes, hiding under pebbles at the seaside or along a creek bank," reports Amber Dance for Knowable Magazine. "It's not clear what would induce successful land-dwelling critters to move to watery habitats."

Location of Weddell Sea (Wikipedia)

Emperor penguin chicks were hungry and decided to face a 50-foot plunge. "Filmmakers producing a documentary series called Secrets of the Penguins, which will debut on Earth Day 2025 on National Geographic and Disney+, captured the extraordinarily rare scene by drone in January 2024, in Atka Bay, on the edge of the Weddell Sea in West Antarctica," reports Rene Ebersole of National Geographic. "It's the first video footage of emperor penguin chicks leaping from such high cliff, according to scientists."

Baby ginger fetches a good price.
(Photo by W. Errickson via LF)

You don't need to hail from an Asian country to grow baby ginger. "The continental United States imports most of its ginger from other countries — or from Hawaii — but baby ginger can also be grown in the Mid-Atlantic using high tunnels," reports William Errickson for Lancaster Farming. "Baby ginger is harvested at an immature stage before it develops its tough outer skin. It is usually more tender and can be sold at a premium price compared to mature ginger." Learn how to grow and harvest baby ginger here.

If fighting invasive plant species sounds like farmers' work, think again. Anyone near a forest, prairie or even urban sprawl can do their part by learning about invasive plants and eating them. "Foraging for invasive plants with your family can get kids outside and teach them about protecting the planet," writes Jenny L. Bird of National Geographic. Conservation biologist Joe Roman, who runs Eat the Invaders, told Bird, "It's about getting people outside in nature to learn about the history of the area and the potential damage that invasive species can cause." For four invasive species to look for — and how to entice kids to eat them, click here.

Limpkins learned about Louisiana's apple snails and
moved in. (Photo by Jane Patterson via Nola.com)

If Sandhill Cranes and Northern Flickers had babies, they might sound like this bird, unfortunately, named the "Limpkin." And while limpkins have a "call" more like a horror flick sound effect, they have another gift they are willing to share -- their love of Louisiana's invasive apple snails, reports Tristan Baurick for Nola.com. "The limpkin's first appearance in Louisiana a few years ago was cause for celebration. That's because this gangly, shrieking bird from Florida is the mortal enemy of a foreign snail that's been wreaking havoc in Louisiana's farms and wetlands. . . . The vociferous bird gorges on invasive apple snails, helping wetlands and crawfish farms."