species

Caribou herds in B.C., Alberta, growing due to wolf culls: study

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Fresh research suggests Western Canada’s once-dwindling caribou numbers are finally growing. But the same paper concludes the biggest reason for the rebound is the slaughter of hundreds of wolves, a policy that will likely have to continue for decades. “If we don’t shoot wolves, given the state of the habitat that industry and government have … Read more

An Indigenous ecologist on why we need to stop and listen to save the planet

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Quirks and Quarks19:12An Indigenous ecologist on why we need to stop and listen to save the planet Indigenous ecologist Jennifer Grenz has spent decades working to protect ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest through restoration and invasive species management. But recently, frustrated by the limitations of her work, she set out on a mission to incorporate … Read more

Genome study reveals prehistoric Ethiopian origins of coffee

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WASHINGTON: You might call it a cup of Joe, java, mud, brew, mocha, or your morning jolt. Coffee undoubtedly is a big part of global culture, and the kind made from the Arabica bean is the most appreciated by coffee drinkers. Researchers now have unlocked the genome of the Arabica species and traced its origins … Read more

Move over, eclipse. A rare, double brood of lustful cicadas are about to take over the skies

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As It Happens6:37So long, solar eclipse. An even rarer phenomenon is about to take over the skies Floyd Shockley is planning a road trip to witness a rare natural event that will darken skies across much of the United States — a convergence not of celestial bodies, but of two massive broods of flying, screaming, lustful insects. … Read more

Now that bird flu is spreading among cows, scientists worry where H5N1 will jump next

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On March 25, American officials published an urgent announcement: Dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico were falling sick. The cows had low appetites, and produced less milk than normal. Some farms also discovered wild bird carcasses on their grounds. Tests on a cow throat swab and raw milk samples all confirmed an unusual finding: … Read more

At least 3 right whale calves have died so far this year, conservation group says

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An international environmental organization is calling on the federal government to step up protections for endangered North Atlantic right whales beyond the 2023 measures it’s opting to repeat this year, noting birth rates are already below expectations for the season and at least three of the 19 calves born so far are believed to have died. Oceana Canada campaign director Kim … Read more

P.E.I. river otters caught on camera as their population grows

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River otters are making a comeback in at least one corner of Prince Edward Island, according to a recent journal article, and as a result measures are now being taken to protect the popular, water-loving mammal.   The Kensington North Watersheds Association started tracking river otters with trail cameras in late 2019. They began monitoring … Read more

‘CSI on the ocean’: Whale researchers comb B.C. waters for eDNA

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It was just after 8 a.m. when Gary Sutton and his crew spotted the signature black dorsal fins cutting through the cool waters of the Salish Sea, off the coast of Vancouver Island. More than a dozen Bigg’s killer whales, also known as transient killer whales, swimming north in search of food. They surfaced every few minutes, the spray of their … Read more