Britain's population of gray squirrels exploded after North Americans introduced them in the 19th century. But now the Isle of Anglesey is fighting back - by mass extermination of grays and bringing back the native reds.
By Ben Quinn | 11.05.09
* CS Monitor correspondent.
LONDON - They're small, furry, and undeniably cute - and yet the explosion of Britain's nonnative gray squirrel population has long been regarded as a conservation crisis.
But now nature lovers are looking with hope toward the Isle of Anglesey, an island off the northwest coast of Wales, which is the setting for a successful local reintroduction of Britain's native red squirrel.
An endangered species, their numbers nationwide have been ravaged by a pox carried by the larger, more aggressive grays, which were introduced as living garden ornaments from North America in 1876 by upper-class families.
A project on the island has seen thousands of grays, which are highly destructive of hardwood trees, trapped and removed. Reds (which also have their detractors) have been simultaneously brought back, and conservation groups are hoping to do the same in other peninsulas and islands.
Dr. Craig Shuttleworth of the Anglesey red squirrel conservation project said: "There has been pessimism about how the red squirrel can be brought back, but we are close to succeeding here. It's true that we have been helped by geography - the fact that we are on an island - but there are lessons that can be applied elsewhere."
Such projects have not been without controversy, however. Some animal rights supporters opposed the mass killing of grays. Nevertheless, public support has been forthcoming for projects such the Anglesey one.
Dr. Shuttleworth, whose work is supported by the Prince of Wales, added: "People sometimes ask, 'What is the point?' and say that reds are common on the European continent.
"But we can't lose sight of the fact that reds are a very popular part of our natural fauna here in Britain. If we can't safeguard them, then what hope do we have in protecting other species which are less popular with the public?"
Go forth and fill your libraries with media.
Seriously, thanks to everyone for being so amazing and patient. You are the reason I love Vox.
I was just told that the Amazon Conduit will be fixed by tomorrow. I will post here as soon as I get word that it's back up and running.
I know this has been frustrating and I am sorry there wasn't more I could do to make it less so. I really appreciate your patience though.
Cheers,
My husband's girlfriend crush is ...
From Yahoo News:
Singer Morrissey in hospital after collapsing on stage
The 50-year-old former frontman of 1980s pop band The Smiths fell ill just one song into his concert Saturday at the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon, southwest England.
Morrissey's knees buckled and he slumped to the floor as he came to the end of opening song "This Charming Man", The Smiths' 1983 breakthrough hit, The Daily Telegraph newspaper's website said. He was then dragged offstage.
"Just after 9:00 pm we got a call to a 50-year-old man who was reported to be suffering from respiratory problems and was unconscious," said a spokeswoman for the Great Western Ambulance Service.
"We sent a paramedic in a doubled-crewed ambulance.
"When they arrived they found a conscious patient who was not feeling well at all. They made an initial assessment and took him to the Great Western Hospital (in Swindon) for further assessment."
His condition was not thought to be life threatening, she added.
"The stage went dark and he was taken off the stage and then his band all left the stage," The Daily Telegraph's website quoted 40-year-old eyewitness Mark Taylor as saying.
"There was a wait of about 25 minutes before one of the stage crew came on and said Morrissey had left the building, and that he was seriously ill.
"Everybody started booing, thinking 'here we go again'. He has a bit of a poor track record for cancelling his concerts."
The Mancunian singer has been touring North America and Europe since releasing his ninth solo album, "Years of Refusal", in February.
He has cancelled several concerts during the tour, including dates in Florida, North Carolina, California, Britain and France.
"Morrissey was brought in to the Accident and Emergency department," said a Great Western Hospital spokeswoman.
"He has been seen by the medical team. At this stage his condition is stable."
* and I was hoping to see him December 5th out at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio,CA. Anyone who been to a Morrissey concert knows that the show depends on his mood ~ been to one that was real short since he got pissed off at someone in the crowd and then another show that was awesome.
Bad news. As many of you have probably noticed, the Amazon Conduit was not fixed in the last week's release. Unfortunately, there was an undetected bug that is preventing the conduit from working.
We are working on this bug fix and hope to have the Conduit back up and running this week.
I will keep you posted.
Thank you for being so patient.
... and he was so handsome ~ Mr. White Breasted Nuthatch
(though the photos below are of a different Mr. WBN and of course taken by way better photographers)
Congrats Ivana!
"2009 Worlds Beam Bronze Medalist"
2009 was just not the year for Ksenia Semenova to medal in the All-Around.
The United States went 1-2 and a total surprise ~ Japan scores a bronze!
Rebecca Bross (2nd), Bridget Sloan (1st) and Koko Tsurumi(3rd)
Blog Action Day is every October 15th, when blogger are asked to post something about a single issue to show our strength and conviction as an online community. It's a great way to feel connected to the greater good, and the participation of so many bloggers to support the world's leading non-profit organizations is something you can do to help, right now. By blogging today, you're supporting some of the world's leading non-profits and sharing your voice for change.
This year's topic is climate change, and we'd love to read your thoughts on the topic. If you participate, leave us a link to your post in the comments, so we know to check out your post!
Go to www.blogactionday.org to learn more, get a badge for your blog showing your participation, and see some ideas for your post on climate change.
Can't wait to read your posts!
~ daisy
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