Sumthing's Up - February 2025
Love for nature is at the heart of every conservation effort!? Welcome back to another lovely ?? edition of Sumthing’s Up! This month, we’re excited to bring you even more inspiring nature stories and conservation breakthroughs to warm your heart. Ready to dive in?
In this edition:
This Month in Nature ????
How to Repair our Relationship with Elephants ??
Humans and elephants have a complex and delicate relationship. In both Africa and Asia, both species are facing conflict with each other, as human development, agricultural practices, and threats from climate change have overlapped with elephant migration and foraging behaviors. These increasing pressures have devastating consequences, including destroyed crops, and human and elephant deaths (Source).?
Now, some communities are employing new techniques to restore harmony between the two species. In Zimbabwe, villagers faced conflicts with elephants during the dry season, as they foraged in villages for crops and water. In response, the WWF is now working with locals to promote beekeeping—a practice that naturally deters elephants from approaching villages and creates new livelihoods for villagers (Learn more). In Nepal, farmers living near elephant migration routes had issues with elephants eating crops and destroying homes. The Nepalese government attempted to construct fences to keep elephants out and compensate villagers for crop losses. However, these fences were not effective, and delays in compensation pressed villagers to find another way to coexist—by crop shifting. These farmers now have stable incomes by planting crops that are not attractive or eaten by elephants. In addition, elephants crossing by this village are now left alone (Read further). While Zimbabwe and Nepal are progressing towards peaceful coexistence, other regions still face human-animal conflicts. In the future, non-invasive and socially just conservation measures are essential for protecting biodiversity and local communities.?
What Could Climate Change Mean for Forest Carbon Storage? ??
With 2024 having the highest concentration of atmospheric CO? (426.86 ppm) since pre-industrial levels, scientists are questioning the long-term ability of forests to store carbon. Research shows that the effects of climate change could impact the ability of carbon sinks, such as forests to store carbon, and lead to the release of more carbon into the atmosphere (Source). However, scientists around the globe have begun to simulate forests with the estimated carbon levels of 2050, to investigate the future capability of forests to effectively store atmospheric carbon.?
One research group in England, from the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Forest Research, has made a fascinating discovery about temperate forests. With seven years’ worth of data, there is evidence that mature trees could potentially absorb more carbon and do so for longer compared to younger trees, by growing extra thick layers of bark. This group has also discovered that microbes living among the mature forest can absorb methane, another greenhouse gas that is more potent than CO?. Incredibly, this means that mature forests might be able to play a bigger role in the fight against climate change. These discoveries highlight the urgent need to protect, maintain, and restore forests, especially in the face of climate change! (Click here to continue reading!)??
Hear the Birds Sing…Sounds of Success for Mangrove Restoration! ????
In a previous edition of Sumthing’s Up, we discussed Sonos, Inc. and the use of bioacoustics in conservation. But bioacoustics could help measure the success of restoration projects as well! A recent study explored the relationship between the success of mangrove restoration projects and bioacoustics of bird songs. Researchers recorded and analyzed different bird calls in mangrove restoration sites, and found that sites with mature mangroves had higher bird species diversity. Several other characteristics—such as ground cover complexity, tree height, and increasing canopy cover—also positively influence bird diversity in restoration sites. These insights could help project managers design more effective strategies to replant and restore mangrove forests. In the future, tuning into the sounds of birds could become a natural tool to monitor and improve ecosystem health! (Learn more)
Did you know? ??? -All About Symbiosis and Synergies!
What if we could create even more impactful restoration projects, by harnessing the power of nature? Well, perhaps there is a way! By tapping into the natural symbiosis and synergies that exist in nature, we could unlock even greater potential for restoration efforts.?
But what is a symbiotic relationship, and how does this relate to synergies? Symbiotic relationships describe the interaction between two different species, and they come in various forms—mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, and competition. These interactions can be positive for one or both species (mutualism and commensalism), or negative for one or both species (parasitism and competition) (Source). Take coral reefs and algae, for example. The coral provides a home for the algae, and in turn, the algae provides food for the coral! When these relationships benefit organisms, they often lead to synergistic effects, creating even greater positive outcomes for both species involved (Source).?
This idea could also be applied to nature restoration and conservation projects, to further amplify their positive impacts! Already, research has shown that incorporating positive species interactions in restoration projects could enhance impacts and improve ecosystem resilience to climate change (Source). By harnessing the power of these synergistic relationships, we can create even more robust and resilient restoration efforts!??
Tech for Good ?? - Hack the Planet's Elephant Repeller
Previously in this newsletter, we discussed how some communities are navigating human-elephant conflicts through non-invasive techniques. However, sometimes nature and people can use a little help from technology! Hack the Planet, a Dutch non-profit specializing in engineering new gadgets for good, has developed an elephant repeller along with smart camera traps. This repeller helps keep both elephants and people safe in a non-intrusive way, through the use of lights, and recorded songs! This tech is an awesum opportunity to help promote the peaceful coexistence of elephants and humans. Watch this documentary for more insight!
Voices from the field ?? - How to Enrich a Forest
During our recent planting day at the Chaamse Bossen, Stichting StukjeNatuur discussed plans to help enrich the forest. Stukje Natuur aims to enrich this Dutch forest with species that have more leaf litter ??—which acts as a protective layer for soil and releases nutrients. This helps the forest floor retain moisture and maintain healthy soil, and healthy soil = a healthier forest! Check it out in the video below ??
The Sumthing Spotlight ?? - Ocean Green Kelp Restoration
This month we are delighted to shout out the Ava Ocean’s Ocean Green kelp restoration project! Recently endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, the Ocean Green project is located in Northern Norway—focusing on replanting kelp forests that have been devastated by sea urchins.?
Kelp forests are lush habitat for several marine species, help cycle nutrients, and also act as carbon storage. However, over 80 percent of Norwegian kelp forests are gone due to the overgrowth of sea urchins. In the past, urchin populations were controlled by larger predators, but with overfishing and warming waters, these predators have declined (Source). Now, with Ava Ocean’s non-invasive sea urchin removal technology, urchins are now able to be sold on commercial markets. This project’s commitment to creating economic opportunity for locals while also restoring the ecosystem is an inspiring example of what truly holistic restoration efforts look like!
?? Thanks for reading
You made it to the end, fantastic! Keep up the good work, and see you next month! ??