Nature Beat #59
Updates, stories, resources and opportunities
Welcome to the latest edition of Global Nature Beat. If you are new here, read my About page to find out what this newsletter is, who I am and why I am doing this. Or just dive in. You’ll find news, reporting resources, job postings, links to some great stories and a look ahead to what’s coming up in the world of biodiversity and nature policy.
Taking The Pulse
Ukraine: Two years since Russia destroyed Ukraine’s Kakhovka dam, draining its reservoir, some 40 billion trees are now growing on the exposed land. That’s according to the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group (UNCG), which has documented the emergence of a new forest covering an area the size of Luxembourg. Some trees are already 5m tall. While it celebrates what has become one of the world's largest natural rewilding events, the UNCG also points out that it will take decades to fix the ecological damage to downstream areas that flooded when the dam was destroyed. See the press release and photos.
Rubber: The world’s top tyre companies are largely unable to show whether or not their supply chains for natural rubber are deforestation-free, according to an annual assessment by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Just one of the top 12 companies — Michelin — provided evidence of deforestation-free rubber, but that evidence covered only nine percent of its supply chain. See the press release or the full report.
Global conservation: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published the 124 motions that its members will debate and vote on at the World Conservation Congress in October — see the press release or the full list of motions. The Congress takes place every four years and brings together member governments, nongovernmental organizations and indigenous peoples’ organizations. The motions they adopt will shape the global conservation agenda.
Deep-sea mining: The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has been meeting to develop a code of conduct for deep-sea mining, even as some of its member nations want a moratorium on the activity. Talks will resume in July. But whatever emerges from the ISA is now under threat. That’s because The Metals Company USA has formally approached the US government to apply for licences to explore the seabed and commercially exploit minerals.
A problem arises because the ISA draws its mandate from the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which the United States has not ratified. This means the US could undermine the multilateral process by accelerating permitting for deep-sea mining in international waters and bypassing international safeguards.
ISA’s Secretary-General Leticia Reis de Carvalho said in a statement: “Any unilateral action would constitute a violation of international law and fundamentally violate the principles of multilateralism and the collective framework under UNCLOS.” Read more in the Earth Negotiations Bulletin’s summary of the ISA meeting.
In The Spotlight
In an in-depth investigation, Mahmoud Elsobky and Wael El-Sayegh reported how hunters from Malta are poaching endangered and protected bird species in Egypt.
Nick Dall reported on the world’s largest mouse-eradication program, which aims to protect a key seabird colony on a South African island.
Patrick Greenfield reported on the implications of the sudden loss of US funding for wildlife conservation projects around the world.
Keith Anthony Fabro wrote about a new study that linked human trafficking to tiger poaching in Malaysia.
Tips And Resources
Marianne Messina interviewed four environmental editors about what makes a good story pitch.
On 8 April, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and Covering Climate Now have a webinar on how journalists can use the Yale Climate Opinion Maps — register here.
The World Resources Institute published an explainer on the Paris Agreement on climate change’s Global Goal on Adaptation.
On 10 April, the Nature Crime Alliance is holding a webinar with presentations from alliance members WWF and the Environmental Investigation Agency, alongside an overview of a forthcoming report by the World Resources Institute — register here.
Also on 10 April, the Climate Storytellers’ Summit takes place on Zoom — register here.
See past editions for more tips and resources.
What Caught My Eye
The Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity named the members of the steering committee for the new Cali Fund for sharing benefits from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources.
Global Witness shared evidence suggesting that multinational Veolia dumped toxic waste into protected wetlands in Colombia.
Niu Yuhan wrote about a shift from entertainment to education in Chinese zoos.
China and France issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to action to address climate change and biodiversity loss.
Sea lions poisoned by toxic algae are attacking people in California.
Lucas Colares and Bruno Eleres Soares highlight the conservation contradictions of Brazil’s hosting of the next climate change conference in the Amazon.
Grist published a special collection of stories on the geopolitics and impacts of mining for the transition to renewable energy.
Federico Holm outlines three prongs to the Trump administration’s attack on nature.
WWF, BirdLife Europe, Bankwatch and EuroNatur published a paper outlining how the European Union can close a 200 billion euro funding gap to meet its biodiversity goals.
SV Krishna Chaitanya reported on concerns that the government of Tamil Nadu state in India is taking an unscientific approach to controlling the wild pigs that are increasingly in conflict with people.
Investment managers at AXA IM say there is unprecedented market demand for nature-based solutions from three types of investors, reports Thomas Helm.
Most countries in the European Union are failing to halt destructive fishing in protected areas, according to analysis by Oceana, Seas At Risk and ClientEarth.
Brazil has been confirmed as host of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species next year.
If You Find This Useful…
… please consider supporting my work. I spent a lot of time compiling each edition. If you can spare £1 a week for a paid subscription, you will be helping me to keep Global Nature Beat going for those who cannot afford to pay.
From The Journals
An international database of roadkill records in 54 countries — read the full paper.
Postponing action to reduce emissions and protect forests could jeopardise climate targets because climate change itself threatens forest carbon stocks — read the press release or the full paper.
Media coverage of climate change far exceeds that for biodiversity, and coverage of Taylor Swift exceeds that for either issue — read the full paper.
Populations of most small mammal species in North America are declining — read the full paper.
Jobs And Opportunities
Journalists in Brazil can apply for funding for ocean stories — deadline 20 April.
The Earth Journalism Network has grants for journalists to report on biodiversity and conservation issues — deadline 29 April.
On 29-30 April, the Solutions Journalism Network is hosting a workshop on "Solutions journalism for climate stories with a gender perspective: Experiences from Latin America” — apply here by 20 April.
Fellowships are available for the annual conference of Abraji, the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism — deadline 19 May.
Bonus content: There are 20 jobs, grants, fellowships and other opportunities listed here for Global Nature Beat’s paying supporters. Paid subscriptions are less than £1 per week.
On The Horizon
23-26 April 2025: The annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Journalists takes place at Arizona State University.
24–25 April: GLF Forests 2025: Defining the Next Decade of Action takes place online and in-person in Bonn, Germany.
28 April – 9 May: The 2025 Meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions take place in Geneva, Switzerland.
5–7 May: The IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) will host the 4th IUCN WCEL World Environmental Law Congress in Rabat, Morocco.
Bonus content: The full calendar for Global Nature Beat’s supporters includes nature-related intergovernmental negotiations, scientific conferences, report launches, and other events up until 2026.
Whose Eye Was It?
The eye belongs to a jumping spider (Phidippus putnami). Photo credit: Thomas Shahan / Flickr — Creative Commons
Thanks for reading. For past editions, see the Archive. If you found it interesting or useful, please share and subscribe. If you want to get in contact, you can reach me at: thenaturebeat@substack.com.