Nature Beat #67

Updates, stories, resources and opportunities

Jun 10, 2025

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.

In this edition you will find: UN Ocean Conference — Rhinos and rangers — Missing moths — Beneficial beavers — Chinese temple trees — News from around the world — Journalism tips — Jobs and opportunities — New research papers — And much more.

Taking The Pulse

Global Environment Facility: The governing body of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has agreed US$261 million in funding for projects addressing pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss around the world. See the press release or the full list of projects the GEF will fund. The GEF also published scorecards assessing the performance of its current cycle of funding, including against indicators of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

UN Ocean Conference: The Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) is underway in Nice, France from 9-13 June. Delegates will discuss topics including illegal fishing, plastic pollution and increase protection for the ocean and its biodiversity. There are expectations that the conference will unlock progress in other multilateral processes — such as ratification of the World Trade Organizations Fisheries Subsidies Agreement and the High Seas Treaty on marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

The Global Biodiversity Framework’s target of protecting 30 percent of the sea by 2030 will also be a focus of the conference. To date, only about 8 percent of the ocean is protected on paper and less than 3 percent is protected effectively.

The outcomes of UNOC3 will include the Nice Ocean Action Plan and a political declaration. Li Junhua, the conference’s Secretary-General told UN News that the declaration focuses on “ocean conservation and sustainable ocean-based economies and includes concrete measures for accelerating action”.

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin has daily coverage. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s priorities for the conference are here and you can find a preview from the World Resources Institute here. New reports, scientific papers and policy announcements published in recent days set the scene:

Ocean scientists called for a permanent ban on fishing, mining and oil and gas exploitation in the high seas to save biodiversity — read the press release or the full paper.
A coalition of nongovernmental organizations and funders published a report showing that only US$1.2 billion is spent on ocean protection each year. It says the annual sum needed to protect and conserve 30 percent of the ocean is US$15.8 billon. This money could be raised if countries repurposed subsidies they currently provide to fishing fleets that are responsible for overfishing — see the press release.
On 5 June, the European Union adopted the European Ocean Pact, a strategy that gathers all of the EU’s ocean-related policies into a single framework — see reactions from the World Resources Institute (positive) and BirdLife International (less so). Luke McMillan provides a useful summary of what the Ocean Pact contains and what it leaves out.
Another new study tracked the movements of more than 100 species of large ocean animals such as whales, turtles, sharks and seabirds over 30 years. It showed that even protecting 30 percent of the ocean would not be enough to protect these species, as their ocean ‘highways’ often coincide with harmful human activities — see the press release or a commentary by the lead researcher Ana Sequeira.
Scientists warned that ocean acidification is worse that previously thought and has already passed a ‘safe’ boundary in large parts of the ocean, threatening species and ecosystems — read the full paper.

In Focus: Rhino Rangers, Poachers and Traffickers

Research published on 5 June shows that dehorning rhinos reduces poaching by nearly 80 percent and costs much less than anti-poaching rangers, whose effectiveness is questionable — read the press release or the full paper. The research, based on data from reserves in the Greater Kruger region of South Africa, is timely.

Days later, Oxpeckers published an investigation into collusion between rangers and rhino poaching syndicates in Kruger National Park. “It’s embedded, and systemic,” one insider told journalist Tulani Ngwenya, who reports the varied methods syndicates use to target and ensnare rangers in their crimes.

Meanwhile, in the first case of its kind in Malaysia, a court has summoned two men accused of illegally possessing 50 pieces of rhino horn. They will present their defense in August.

In The Spotlight

Stefan Lovgren wrote about how communities trying to protect local forests in Cambodia face intimidation and a lack of support from authorities, some of whom are colluding with illegal loggers.
In a disturbing but essential story, Tess McClure reported on the collapse in insect numbers even in tropical forests far from pesticide spraying — and what this means for the rest of biodiversity.
Ben Goldfarb reported on the many benefits of beavers, from limiting the spread of wildfire and the impacts of drought to boosting biodiversity and removing pollutants from water.
As the Trump administration aims to weaken the US Endangered Species Act, Emma Marris explores arguments for focusing on conserving entire ecosystems rather than individual species — also available in audio format.

Tips And Resources

Danae Wolfe urges journalists to report more on insects and provides some tips for doing that.
On 17 June, Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent is hosting a climate storytelling webinar with guests Mark Lynas, Alastair Humphreys and Nicola Cutcher.
On 18 June, the World Federation for Animals has a webinar assessing outcomes of the UN Ocean Conference and contents of the Nice Ocean Action Plan — register here.
On 24 June, Mongabay has a webinar on how to cover plastic pollution — register here.
On 25 June, the UN Environment Programme has a webinar on the Bern Process, which aims to support implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework by strengthening collaboration among parties to 16 related multilateral agreements .

See past editions for more tips and resources.

What Caught My Eye

The Global Biodiversity Framework’s aim of halting and reversing nature loss by 2030 might be unachievable, a former UK negotiator told Daisy Dunne.
The European Union is still a major hub for wildlife trafficking, according to TRAFFIC’s new analysis of nearly 5,2000 seizures by authorities there in 2023.
Linda Mujuru reported on the loss of wetlands and their biodiversity in Zimbabwe's capital Harare.
Samuel Ogunsona interviewed vet, conservationist and television presenter Mark Ofua about threats to Nigeria’s biodiversity and the importance of educating children about wildlife.
Federal prosecutors in Brazil aim to cancel a major deal selling carbon credits from the Amazon forest to foreign governments and companies, reports Tiffany M. Higgins.
Peru’s environment ministry and 16 Indigenous communities have co-created a new protected area covering 283,000 hectares of Amazonian rainforest.
Taiwan announced its plan to protect 30 percent of land and sea by 2030.
India’s tiger population has doubled in recent years thanks to a mix of land sharing and land sparing, writes Papiya Bhattacharya.
Scientists and environmental organizations are protesting against plans to expand the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, into the conservation area of a wetland biosphere reserve.
The Odyssey of Wilson is an interactive visualization of UNESCO data charting the centuries-long disintegration into microplastics of a volleyball drifting across the ocean.

Temples in China conserve thousands of endangered trees including some species that are extinct in the wild — read the full paper.
The updated Global Lakes and Wetlands Database: a comprehensive global map of wetlands around the world — read the full paper.
Analysis of reported seizures of trafficked pangolin scales involving 15 African and 7 Asian countries — read the full paper.
In defense of India’s Project Cheetah — read the full paper.
National biodiversity strategies and targets align poorly with the Global Biodiversity Framework other than through an overemphasis on its target on protected areas — read the full paper.
Hotspots of risks for amphibians threatened by increasingly intense heatwaves and droughts — read the press release or the full paper.

Do You Find This Useful?

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Jobs And Opportunities

Covering Climate Now is offering free training to help journalists produce ‘social-media-first’ climate change journalism — apply here.
The UN Environment Programme is hiring a podcast producer for a season of episodes on the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services — deadline 11 June.
The Fund for Investigative Journalism is offering grants of up to US$10,000 — deadline 8 September.
Sierra Magazine is hiring an editorial fellow.
US-based journalists can apply for a Health and Climate Change Reporting Fellowship at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism — deadline 3 September.
Vital Impacts is offering grants and mentoring to established and emerging photographers documenting environmental issues and solutions — deadline 16 September.
The Sacramento Bee is hiring a science journalist.
The Provincetown Independent is hiring a science and environment reporter.
The National Outdoor Book Awards are open for entries — deadline 21 August.
Sentient Media is hiring a science editor and newsletter lead — no deadline listed.

Bonus content: There are 26 jobs, grants, fellowships and other opportunities listed here for Global Nature Beat’s paying supporters. Paid subscriptions are less than £1 per week.

Introducing Planet Ficus

My other newsletter Planet Ficus. It is devoted to stories about the world’s most fascinating plants — the strangler figs and their kin, which have shaped our world and our species in profound ways. If that sounds interesting, please subscribe — or check out the introductory post for a quick tour of what makes fig trees so important and what kinds of stories I will be sharing.

On The Horizon

10-11 June 2025: The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity and the World Resources Institute are holding the 2025 Biodiversity Science Forum in Jakarta, Indonesia.

15-20 June 2025: The International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB 2025) will take place in Brisbane/Meanjin, Australia.

16-26 June 2025: The subsidiary bodies of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change hold their 62nd meeting in Bonn, Germany.

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 Venezuelan troupial. Photo credit: lwolfartist — Wikimedia 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.