Regenerative agriculture works with the environment, not against it. Regenerative farmers treat their farms as an ecosystem, not a factory. Imagine a New Zealand where farming can clean up our rivers, tackle the climate crisis and make sure every Kiwi has fresh, healthy food. Right now, we have the opportunity…
Animals
First polar bear born in UK in 25 years moved from Scotland to Yorkshire
Hamish leaves his mother in the Highlands to start new life with other males in reserveAs parts of northern England were covered in frost, Hamish – the first polar bear to be born in the UK in 25 years – embarked on a 400-mile journey to his new home.The cub,…
A whale’s nearly four-hour-long dive sets a new record
To break the record for longest dive by a marine mammal, take a deep breath and jump in the water. Then don’t breathe in again for almost four hours. Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) are master divers. These creatures hold the record for deepest plunge by a marine mammal. One…
Animals vote, too: how different species choose – or depose – a leader
Honeybees, Indian jumping ants and pigeons are some of the species that have evolved ways of collective decision-makingAmericans are currently deciding who they think will best serve them as leader. While animals don’t emerge from polling places with the “I Voted” sticker, they make collective decisions about who’s going to…
Race to save 100 whales in Sri Lanka's biggest mass beaching
Navy joins forces with rescuers and volunteers in effort to push pilot whales back into oceanRescuers and volunteers were racing to save about 100 pilot whales stranded on Sri Lanka’s western coast in the country’s biggest mass beaching.The short-finned pilot whales began beaching at Panadura, 15 miles (25km) south of…
'In the sun they'd cook': is the US south-west getting too hot for farm animals?
As temperatures rise, farmers are being forced to adapt, experimenting with new breeds and cooling methodsClimate Countdown: The US is set to exit the Paris climate agreement on 4 November. Read more about what’s at stakeSouth-west of Phoenix, Arizona, in the hottest desert in North America, Beth and Tim Wilson…
Huge spider assumed extinct in Britain discovered on MoD training site
Described as ‘gorgeous’ by the man who found it, the great fox-spider has not been seen since 1993One of Britain’s largest spiders has been discovered on a Ministry of Defence training ground in Surrey having not been seen in the country for 27 years.The great fox-spider is a night-time hunter,…
'They give me the willies': scientist who vacuumed murder hornets braces for fight
Chris Looney helped dismantle the first nest of Asian giant hornets in the US. Now he’s preparing for the next stepThe eradication of the first nest of Asian giant hornets on US soil somewhat resembled a science fiction depiction of an alien landing site. A crew of government specialists in…
Learning what stresses queen bees could save their hives
When honeybee hives die, the most common cause is something called queen bee failure. That’s when queens produce too few babies to keep the hive going. Finding out why this has happened is not often easy. That has made it hard for beekeepers to prevent. But a new test may…
Protecting nature is vital to ‘escaping era of pandemics’ – report
Halting destruction of wild places could slow frequency of deadly outbreaks, report saysCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe world is in an “era of pandemics” and unless the destruction of the natural world is halted they will emerge more often, spread more rapidly, kill more people and affect…
Here’s what bats ‘see’ when they probe the world with sound
Night falls on Barro Colorado Island in Panama. A golden glow bathes the tropical forest’s countless shades of green. At this enchanted hour, the residents of the forest grow raucous. Howler monkeys growl. Birds chatter. Insects trumpet their presence to potential mates. Other sounds join the fray — calls too…
'We don't have time to lose': plans for coral ark to help save the world's reefs
The Biobank is an ambitious scheme to house 800 corals in a purpose-built facility in Port DouglasA Noah’s ark-like plan to house hundreds of the world’s most at-risk coral species at a publicly accessible bank next to the Great Barrier Reef could prove an important part of long-term coral conservation,…