Nature – Page 3 – TINA CHIARELLI, PHD, FRGS

Habitat Preservation and the Discovery of New Species

November 29th, 2011tinalc0 Comments

It is hard to believe that in a world where the human population now exceeds 7 billion, that there are still unexplored wild areas, and new plant and animal species being discovered. I think it is easy to understand the importance of preserving oceans, jungles, rainforests, grasslands, and deserts (yes, even deserts) for the known species that inhabit them, but what about the places that are home to creatures yet to be discovered? What about the plants, bacteria, or fungi in those wild areas that could lead to new breakthroughs in medicine? And, although hard to imagine, should we not …

Crikey! It’s Steve Irwin Day!

November 10th, 2011tinalc0 Comments

This Tuesday, 15 November, is the annually celebration of the life of Steve Irwin. Like him or not, you cannot deny that this man brought the plight of wildlife conservation into more than 150 million living rooms around the world. Carrying on that tradition, the aptly named Steve Irwin Day continues Steve’s mission to fight for wildlife conservation and habitat preservation. In addition, the day reminds us that one person can make a huge difference. I remember the first time I saw Steve Irwin on television. Being raised on the stylings of Sir David Attenborough, Steve was unlike anything I …

Wild, Wonderful World of Fungus

September 26th, 2011tinalc0 Comments

It never ceases to amaze me just what one can find in the natural world when they look beyond what it is they intended to find; to widen the gaze and focus on a much bigger picture. A recent trip to locate Timber rattlesnakes for our population and reproductive assessment survey reminded me of that very thing. It was what I had no intention of finding that had left me awe inspired. Although no reptiles were found, I did get a greater appreciation for those things that we tend to dismiss as inanimate, but quite the contrary, are growing at …