Birdwatching in Lithuania: Witness the Autumnal Migration Phenomenon

The annual autumnal bird migration, one of the most spectacular phenomena in the natural world, is back. Each fall, millions of birds leave their breeding grounds in the Northern Hemisphere to winter in the Western and Southern Europe, Africa and Asia. Read more…

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Say Goodbye to Plastic: A Survival Guide for Plastic-Free Living

If you’ve heard of the plastic-free lifestyle, but think you don’t have time for it in your busy life, prepare to be delightfully wrong. Say Goodbye to Plastic shows you how, whether you’re seeking to knock plastic out of your life or just try out a few novel eco-hacks, you’ll learn how to go joyfully plastic-free in the kitchen, bathroom, office, dining room and more. Read more…

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SENCKENBERG MUSEUM opens new exhibition: DEEP SEA and MARINE RESEARCH

The Senckenberg Natural History Museum in Frankfurt am Main invites visitors to dive into the themes of “Deep Sea and Marine Research”. They will learn about technical challenges and fascinating forms of life. The immersive exhibition experience is the first part of a modular master plan, which was decided on in 2015 and is now being successively implemented. It envisages four large areas: human, earth, cosmos and future. Read more…

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How cold was the ice age? Researchers now know

A team of scientists has nailed down the temperature at the peak of the last ice age, a time known as the Last Glacial Maximum, to about 46 degrees Fahrenheit. Their findings allow climate scientists to better understand the relationship between today’s rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide—a major greenhouse gas—and average global temperature. Read more…

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Six Vacations for Fall Foliage, Fewer Crowds, and Open Roads

Crisp cool air, colorful foliage, and fewer travelers clogging up the highways makes fall the perfect time to take a vacation. Whether you are driving an RV across the country, exploring a national park, playing cowboy at a dude ranch, or leaf peeping by bicycle, we have rounded up six of the best autumn vacations for every type of traveler. Read more…

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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: New National Parks Set & Decal from Field Notes

Each book features a brief history of the park on its inside back cover, a spot for the official National Park Passport Stamp on the inside front cover, and 48 pages of Finch Opaque 60#T marked with a 3/16″ graph to record your plans, routes, notes, and memories. See more…

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Feature Destination: Lithuanian Natural Splendor: 4 Untouched National Reserves

It is becoming all too obvious—traditional commercial tourism needs alternatives. Whether it is pollution, the accelerating threats of climate change, the loss of biodiversity or a myriad of other travel-induced problems, it all goes back to the conventional way of visiting foreign lands. Read more…

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Environmentally Friendly Aquaculture, Creating a Cleaner and Safer Planet

One complaint I regularly hear about aquaculture is that it can negatively impact the environment by the direct destruction of valuable estuarine habit, like mangroves, to make an area for pond construction.  Read more…

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Australian Scientists Discover New Corals on Most Comprehensive Deep Sea Study of Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea Marine Parks

For the first time, scientists have viewed the deepest regions of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, discovered five undescribed species consisting of black corals and sponges, and recorded Australia’s first observation of an extremely rare fish. Read more…

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Napoleon Wrasse – Photo taken in Palau Island – Jack’s October Underwater Photograph

An exquisitely patterned fish, the giant yet gentle Napoleon wrasse is a favourite fish to encounter for divers in many regions of the world. This is because, in areas where they are still not wary of humans, they seem to actively seek out tactile interaction, and have even been known to form bonds with individual scuba divers whom the wrasse recognise and seek out. Read more…

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3 Ways to be a Responsible Traveler When Viewing Wildlife

For the first time in recent history, people around the globe have a rare opportunity to pause and reflect on how we can be better – for humanity, for wildlife, and for the environment. When borders reopen and airlines resume their routes, we have the opportunity to be better, more responsible travelers. Read more…

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How to Be A Responsible Beach-goer

Travelling to the beach is one of life’s great pleasures. Where else can you spend a day doing pretty much exactly what you want when it comes to swimming, chilling out, and just generally having a great time? However, if we want to be able to do this in the future, we need to take care of our beaches. And so many people don’t. Is there anything more off-putting than a rubbish-strewn beach? Read more…

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7 Magic Outdoor Attractions in Deep Forest Green Lithuania

With discussions over climate change and world health gathering pace, ever more people express support for sustainable travel. In the recent survey, 42% of respondent travellers indicated their willingness to prioritize sustainability. Read more…

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Study: Better-Tasting Fish with Veramaris® Algal Oil

Researchers in Hawaii have successfully replaced fish oil in feed for farm-raised Kampachi, or Hawaiian yellowtail. The team were able to develop a cost-effective fish-free alternative feed using Veramaris^® natural marine algal oil to raise the carnivorous marine fish, which are prized for their rich buttery flavour. It was also shown in a blind taste test, that the fish fed on algal oil had a more desirable taste compared to fish fed on a standard diet. Read more…

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Plastics, waste, and recycling: It’s not just a packaging problem

Discussions of the growing plastic waste problem often focus on reducing the volume of single-use plastic packaging items such as bags, bottles, tubs and films. But a new University of Michigan study shows that two-thirds of the plastic put into use in the United States in 2017 was used for other purposes, including electronics, furniture and home furnishings, building construction, automobiles and various consumer products. Read more…

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Top 8 Must-Read Books On Conservation And The Environment

From books on sustainable living, to the challenges facing the rainforests, there are a range of environment-related books on offer. Offering first-hand accounts and scientific data, these books seek to tackle and explore complex issues. Here are top 8 books on conservation and the environment to inspire and educate you. Read more…

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Diving Deeper with Invasives in a Warming Ocean

While diving with high school students in San Clemente, California that were researching an invading species, I was struck with the realization that the Sargassum weed they were researching can’t be the only invasive species spreading due to the warming temperatures in the area. Read more…

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Ohio Eliminates “Feathering” Requirement for Icebreaker Wind Project, but Some Bird Protections Remain

The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) reversed its decision to require a stringent wildlife protection measure for Icebreaker Wind, approved in May to be the nation’s first freshwater offshore wind energy facility. This precedent-setting project poses high risks to birds and bats due to its location in Lake Erie, within a globally important migration hotspot. Read more…

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The FREE Weekly Conservation Post and Jobs List

Signing up for the free Weekly Newsletter & Jobs List will get you a round-up of upcoming events, webinars, meetings, reports, funding opportunities, photos of the week, and recent postings to the jobs list.

To sign up for our free subscription, please Click Here or email us Here. 

Since 2004, SEVENSEAS Media has fostered an informal and non-partisan platform to promote understanding of key issues and challenges while building partnerships across an increasingly diverse group of marine conservation professionals and students.

Our mission is to promote communication and build partnerships across the global marine community and to identify and address gaps in the community’s work. SEVENSEAS Media achieves this through multimedia promotion and partnerships. The community consists of a diverse and growing group of participants, including non-governmental organizations, government agencies, foundations, bilateral and multilateral agencies, fellowship programs, independent consultants, and academia/students.

If you are interested in contributing or getting involved, email us Here. 

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By Andra Janieks

For the first time in recent history, people around the globe have a rare opportunity to pause and reflect on how we can be better – for humanity, for wildlife, and for the environment. When borders reopen and airlines resume their routes, we have the opportunity to be better, more responsible travelers. 

Wildlife tourism has gained immense popularity over the last several years, with elephant experiences topping the list of many travelers’ bucket lists.  Travelers flock to places like Southeast Asia where they have the opportunity to ride an elephant or cuddle a tiger cub. However, these experiences can actually be incredibly harmful to the species overall. 

It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean all wildlife experiences are bad. In fact, when done responsibly, tourism can provide tremendous benefits, like financing conservation in protected areas, supporting local communities, and providing care for animals that cannot be released into the wild. These experiences also have a huge impact on people, instilling appreciation for the species overall and spreading awareness around the issues they face.

Traveling and supporting wildlife tourism is important, so how can you make sure you do it responsibly?

Trunks & Leaves, a nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of wild Asian elephants and their habitats, put together a guide on responsible wildlife tourism to provide the tools and resources necessary for travellers to make ethical decisions. With World Tourism Day on September 27, Trunks & Leaves was encouraging travelers and travel companies alike to commit to responsible tourism practices moving forward.

Read on for three ways to view wildlife responsibly during your next trip:

1. Keep your distance. 

When viewing wildlife, tourists should always keep a distance of at least 20 meters with a clear separation between people and animals, whether it is a barrier or a safari car. Absence of a barrier, even with animals that seem docile and safe, leave open the possibility of accidents that endanger either the person or animal. 

Similarly, never feed wild animals. Feeding wildlife, like elephants, encourages them to become dependent on human hand-outs. Often, the sweet, high-calorie things they are fed are much more preferable to their natural foliage. This can lead them to start obstructing traffic on roads to demand food from passerby, or even become crop or home raiders. 

2. Avoid hands-on experiences. 

Some ex-working elephants can’t be released into the wild and need a sanctuary and caretakers to care for them. However, these animals do not benefit from being played with and touched by humans. Animals in captivity should live a life as similar to the wild as possible, without human interference. Human contact can also transfer diseases and pathogens that have the potential to decimate wild elephant numbers. As a traveler, avoid any experiences that promote human-elephant contact, like feeding, bathing and riding. 

This is especially true when it comes to experiences with baby elephants. Young calves have the best chance of being successfully released back into the wild, but this is not possible if they become heavily socialized with humans. Supporting a facility that provides these hands-on experiences also contributes to the financial incentive for them to have a steady supply of cute calves, when can spur illegal captures or unsustainable breeding practices. 

3. Share responsibly.

Social media is powerful, and we need to be mindful of the types of things we post online. When travellers, bloggers and influencers share photos of their experiences with elephants – touching, bathing, riding, and playing with calves – they can influence millions of people around the world to seek out similar experiences. Similarly, it’s become common for tourists to edit out fences or barriers in their photos with elephants, making it appear that they are standing closer to the animal. These photos have the power to inspire others to partake in dangerous and irresponsible activities, like approaching a wild elephant on foot. As you start to plan for future travel, do your research and make sure your choices won’t harm wildlife. Take the pledge to commit to ethical, responsible tourism by only participating in experiences that ensure the safety and well-being of wildlife.

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National Parks are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst. — Wallace Stegner

As you may recall, the National Parks edition is a collaboration between Field Notes and the Fifty-Nine Parks print series. The new Series E, the fifth set in the series, features Denali, Cuyahoga Valley and Olympic National Parks in full-color illustrations on the covers, with 48 pages of graph paper inside. The pack retails for $12.95 at fieldnotesbrand.com and fine retailers worldwide. Five percent of retail and wholesale purchases to the National Parks Service to help preserve and expand on “America’s Best Idea.” This is especially important at a time when parks are experiencing lower visitor rates due to, well, everything.  

The covers are printed on a variety of colored 100-lb. cover stocks from the French Paper Company of Niles, Michigan, using a custom, five-color process that started with under-printing white ink. This allowed us to incorporate the color of the paper into the artwork. The illustrative styles, the printing process, and the copper staples recall the heritage, and archival promotional materials and publications, of the National Park System.

Each book features a brief history of the park on its inside back cover, a spot for the official National Park Passport Stamp on the inside front cover, and 48 pages of Finch Opaque 60#T marked with a 3/16″ graph to record your plans, routes, notes, and memories.

Along with the release of Series E of our National Parks Edition, we’ve introduced a water-transfer decal based on the the familiar signage found in America’s national parks and forests.

In addition, Field Notes has introduced a cool old-school water transfer decal based on the familiar green, white and brown national park signage. It’s perfect for sticking in the window of your car, truck or RV. Or even a pint glass if you don’t mind handwashing. It’s available for $5.95.

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