Juma the jaguar, the Olympic mascot, has been shot dead

Juma the jaguar, the Olympic mascot, has been shot dead

Juma couldn’t bear being kept in a cage and being subjected to humiliations and deprivation, but this led her to face death. Juma was a female jaguar (Panthera onca), America’s largest feline threatened with extinction mainly because of deforestation, poaching and human-wildlife conflicts. Why Juma was killed Juma was used – chained up – in

Colombia, an NGO is planting trees against the drug trade

Colombia, an NGO is planting trees against the drug trade

Protecting the environment and people through conservation projects and sustainable development. This is the mission, as simple as revolutionary, of Environomica, an international non-profit organization specializing in nature conservation and sustainable rural development.   Trees against the drug trade Drug traffickers have deforested large areas in Santa Marta, Colombia, for producing drug. But right there, a new

Central America, indigenous peoples are essential for conservation

Central America, indigenous peoples are essential for conservation

Indigenous peoples usually depend on natural resources to survive. Society, in turn, depends on its role in safeguarding those resources for our wellbeing.     The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published a map that highlights how governments and environmental organisations would benefit from an increased cooperation with Central America’s indigenous peoples. The

Tibetan monks plant trees to fight deforestation

Tibetan monks plant trees to fight deforestation

Tibetans describe the hills around their place of prayer as a once pristine area, an earthly paradise. But with occupation everything changed. Trees and timber have been exploited for years, wiping out entire forests. As of 18 April, though, the monks of the Dzogchen monastery, in the Sichuan region, along with the local Tibetan community, began

A Google Earth for monitoring climate change. Free and accessible to all

A Google Earth for monitoring climate change. Free and accessible to all

The connection between digital technology and satellite imagery is revolutionising the way natural resources can be used, including monitoring deforestation and desertification. As countries strive to reduce their carbon footprint by limiting deforestation, it is important they have the right tools. These must be transparent, consistent over time and suitable. To help these countries, the Food