WESSA Eden - Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa

12/10/2025

Biodiversity losses are growing, the IUCN reports as summit opens, but green turtle’s recovery ‘reminds us conservation works’

12/10/2025

For decades, forestry experts believed trees were lone competitors, fighting each other for sunlight and soil. But Canadian ecologist Suzanne Simard saw something different. Every time birch trees were cleared from mixed forests, the nearby Douglas firs started to sicken. What if the forest’s strength depended on its hidden connections?

Using carbon isotope tracing, Simard discovered that birch and fir trees are linked underground by vast networks of fungi—the “Wood Wide Web.” Through this network, birch trees can transfer carbon and nutrients to firs, especially when firs are shaded, ensuring that both species survive together rather than compete.

Her work transformed our understanding of forests: they are not just groups of trees, but living communities that share, communicate, and support one another. This discovery continues to shape modern forestry, inspiring more sustainable practices that protect the intricate connections beneath our feet.

Source: Simard, S. W., Perry, D. A., Jones, M. D., Myrold, D. D., Durall, D. M., & Molina, R. (1997). Net transfer of carbon between tree species with shared ectomycorrhizal fungi. Nature, 388, 579–582.

12/10/2025

You are warmly invited to join us for an engaging and interactive webinar on South Africa’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), focusing on the role of youth in its development and implementation.

This session aims to educate and empower young people to actively contribute to shaping and implementing South Africa’s vision for a sustainable and biodiverse future.

📅 Date: 8 October 2026
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (SAST)
💻 Platform: Zoom
🔗 Register here: https://l1nq.com/LOn1W
(Free registration!)

🌱 Webinar Highlights
Learn about South Africa’s NBSAP

Explore the role of youth in developing the NBSAP

Learn how youth-led initiatives contribute to achieving the NBSAP’s objectives

Discover practical ways for youth to engage in the NBSAP consultation process

We look forward to your participation and to amplifying youth voices for biodiversity action in South Africa!

Warm regards,
Sauleha
On behalf of the South African Youth Biodiversity Network (SAYBN)

12/10/2025

12/10/2025

30/09/2025

In the UK, a fascinating architectural innovation is buzzing into urban life — “bee bricks” are becoming mandatory in some new construction projects. These are standard-sized building bricks with built-in cavities specifically designed to house solitary bees. Unlike honeybees, these pollinators don’t live in hives — they prefer small, snug holes where they can lay eggs safely.

Made from concrete mixed with recycled materials, bee bricks are integrated directly into the walls of homes, schools, and offices. Their shallow holes mimic the natural crevices bees seek out in wood or stone, but in a format that fits modern design. They offer protection from predators, rain, and harsh weather — essentially, bee-sized apartments in the city.

Local councils in areas like Brighton have already required these bricks in new developments, as a response to the rapid decline of pollinators due to habitat loss. By embedding biodiversity into buildings, cities are becoming not just human-friendly, but nature-friendly too.

It’s a simple but powerful step: one small cavity-filled brick at a time, helping restore vital ecosystems where bees can thrive — even in concrete jungles.

30/09/2025

30/09/2025

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Following the UK Government's decision to legalise the inhumane practice of catching chickens and turkeys by their legs, our friends at The Animal Law Foundation launched a legal challenge.

A high court judge has now ruled that the court case can go ahead. 👏

30/09/2025

Why it’s important to care, the ethics of your sandwich, the joy of rewilding and many other food, farming and nature stories.

30/09/2025

56 Years of Research Tracking Southern Right Whales 💙

For more than five decades, the recovery of South Africa’s southern right whale population has been closely tracked through annual aerial surveys. These surveys, conducted each year since 1969, involve counting every female whale with a calf along the coast between Nature’s Valley and Muizenberg.

From 1979 onwards, the surveys were expanded to include photo-identification, a technique that uses overhead photographs of the unique callosity patterns on each whale’s head to recognise individuals. Thanks to this effort, we now know the population contains around 6,500 whales and is still increasing at roughly 6.5% per year.

Today marks the start of the 56th aerial survey, with helicopters once again taking to the skies to continue one of the world’s longest-running whale research projects.

🔗 Dive deeper into why this long-running survey matters and how it helps us understand our whales: https://zurl.co/gIkIG

30/09/2025

Baboon Matters relies entirely on the support of the public to continue our work on behalf of baboons throughout South Africa. We urgently need your donations to continue providing a voice for baboons or seeking sustainable solutions for our peaceful co-existence.

30/09/2025