Each year, Mauritius currently generates an amount of approximately 116,000 tonnes of plastic waste. Recycling plastic waste represents a significant challenge for our society, both environmentally and economically.
Academy Scientist Brian Fisher found new endemic ant on Mauritius, helped halt plans to disrupt last remaining ant habitat The last dodo disappeared in 1681, about 80 years after humans first arrived on the island. Since then, a number of other species have followed. Most of the dense Mauritian forests have been converted into plantations, and habitat modification has reached almost every corner of the island. In addition to logging, humans have dramatically altered the Mauritian environment by introducing invasive plant and animal species, including aggressive invasive ants. In 1974 and again in 1990, scientists conducting research in Mauritius commented on the alarming difficulty of finding native ant species. In May 2005, Academy entomologist Brian Fisher conducted an ant survey on Mauritius to determine how many native ant species still survive on the island. He found just 18 native species, including one that was new to science (Discothyrea berlita). Nine of the native ants are endemic to Mauritius, meaning they cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. All nine of these endemic species are found exclusively on mountaintops, presumably a result of the widespread destruction of the island’s lowland forests. The new species Fisher found, Discothyrea berlita, lives only in a small patch of forest, less than one hectare in area, on the southeast face of a mountain named Le Pouce. This peak, which is located north of Port Louis in the northwest corner of the island, captures moisture from the prevailing wind and clouds, resulting in the presence of native cloud-forest there. At least six other endemic ants also inhabit the Le Pouce cloud-forest. Even on this isolated mountaintop, however, invasive plants have taken root. Not surprisingly, the presence of these non-native plants poses a threat to the forest’s native biodiversity by impeding the regeneration of native plants. Thus, the Mauritius Forestry Service made plans to “weed” the patch of forest on Le Pouce, removing all of the non-native plants. Unbeknownst to the Forestry Service, this plan would have been disastrous for D. berlita and the other endemic arthropods that inhabit the forest. Fisher, however, had seen the effects of weeding practices in other parts of the island and foresaw devastating side-effects. The active removal of large numbers of invasive plants creates sizeable areas of bare soil and understory – a disturbance that facilitates the establishment of invasive ants. Fisher had collected invasive ants around the outskirts of the Le Pouce forest and knew that if they were given an opening, these species would rapidly invade the native ant sanctuary. Once established in their new territory, these invasive ants would be virtually impossible to eradicate. On January 12, 2006, after his paper about the new Mauritius ant was published in the Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Fisher contacted the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and shared his concerns about the weeding program that had been proposed for Le Pouce. He suggested an alternative strategy for increasing native plant regeneration on Le Pouce – a proposal that included planting a belt of native trees around the existing forest patch, such as Nuxia verticillata, which is home to four different species of native Mauritius ants. On January 17, the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation contacted Fisher to confirm that the Forestry Service had revised their management plan based on his recommendations. Conservation management decisions are not easy or straightforward under any circumstances, especially in places that have suffered as much habitat disruption as Mauritius. In the past, conservation decisions on Mauritius have been tailored to benefit bird and plant preservation, largely because very little has been known about arthropod distribution on the island. However, it is now clear that ants and other arthropods should also be considered during conservation planning in order to maximize biodiversity preservation. Learn more About Research at the California Academy of Sciences
Celebrating Mother's Day; we’ve all asked favors of her and relied on her unconditional support and love, so when Mother’s Day comes around, it’s a great opportunity to show some serious appreciation for mom and all the other supportive, loving women in your life, including our Mother Earth! Whether you’ll be there when she wakes up or will check in with her via FaceTime, here are our favorite eco-friendly Mother’s Day ideas that are sure to put a smile on your mom’s face while keeping your carbon footprint especially small. What about celebrating mother's day: Breakfast in Bed (or Brunch at Home): You may spoil her when she wakes up by bringing her a tray of coffee, bread, jam, or chocolate spread with a handmade card (like when you were a child), or invite the family over for brunch to celebrate and honor your favorite lady. Seek out organic, natural ingredients and shop for fresh items at your local farmer’s market to keep the meal low on the carbon scale and high on deliciousness. Arrange an Eco-Experience: Most moms want to spend time with their families. How about arranging a day (on Mother’s Day or for a date in the future) to share time together hiking, biking, kayaking, cooking a meal, walking the beach, or enjoying a night watching movies or playing cards? Camping in the endemic forest, or a night in a magnificent beachfront luxury eco-hotel can be superbly enjoyed at affordable prices too, with memories to last a lifetime! There are so many fun, eco-friendly ways to spend quality time with those most important to us. The ultimate gift selection for ethical and eco-friendly Mother’s Day gifts is here! We have ethical gift ideas for moms who love fashion, good food and coffee, activism for the environment, supporting small local businesses, home décor & more. What about the Beauty Queens, Garden Goddesses , FurMoms, and Arty-Crafty moms? Whatever your mother’s lovely character is, we’ve got you covered with socially responsible gifts. Thank your mom Thank your mom for everything she does with a meaningful gift that shares a story. This Sunday the 29th of May. It is the perfect day to show mom, aunties, grandmas, and mother in laws, how much you adore her. Give back a little of the love she has shown those around her. This is also the perfect time to give mindful gifts. There is a lot to consider when shopping and making eco-friendly gift choices this holiday season such as the packaging. Is the packaging plastic or eco-friendly materials? Luckily for you, all our offerings are environment friendly, whether organic, vegan, vegetarian, upcycled, recycled, non-toxic, non-pollutive, pure, natural, local. Enjoy shopping with us as you celebrate mother's day There is NO minimum amount to buy on our site 🙂 Delivery charges are: Up to Rs 999 - delivery cost is Rs 280; As from Rs 1000 - Rs 2999 - delivery cost is Rs 180 As from Rs 3000 there are NO delivery charges! We deliver all over the island. As an eco-site, we manage our carbon footprint by ensuring delivery between 3-5 working days. Happy Shopping 🙂