Grassroots Carbon’s Post

Coexistence & Bee Habitat Regeneration in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: In 2018 I attended an EcoFarm workshop titled, “Range Riders: Coexisting with Predators,” featuring J Bar L Ranch’s Hilary Anderson-Zaranek. As a UM conservation student in 2008-2009, I was all-too-familiar with the dynamic between Montana ranchers and wolf reintroduction. I hung on every word of the poetic presentation on low-stress livestock handling techniques and living within her cattle herd to protect them from bears and wolves (and visa-versa, in a way), but what stuck with me were the accounts of ecosystem recovery. I questioned how Jar Bar L’s management transition to predator coexistence could affect local bee communities; did they recover along with the rest of the ecosystem? In 2023 I was able to visit J Bar L, as well as other ranches managed by the Andersons. I have preliminary data that demonstrates a correlation of regenerative, predator coexistence ranching practices and high bee biodiversity. Livestock-based agriculture needs clear, replicable examples of operations that achieve profitability through predator coexistence, bee diversity preservation, and community building. I’m honored to collaborate with this family to collect qualitative and quantitative data that could positively inform policy and the agricultural community. Please show your support for this program by making a donation today at beegirl.org or click the donate link in bio. 🐝💫🦬💫🪱💫🐺💫🤠 #givingtuesday #bees #soil #regenerativegrazing #regenerativebeepasture #regenerativecommunity #coexistence

Nearly a quarter of U.S. mammal species are on the endangered species list. Could farming with biodiversity in mind help stave off further decline? WWF&C calls for 7% of New England's agricultural lands to be protected by 2060, knowing that farms sustain people but can also support and connect wildlife with other natural habitats. Read what experts have to say about the symbiotic relationship between farmers and wild animals--and the potential for that harmony to ease the biodiversity and climate crises across the country--in this thoughtful piece from Civil Eats https://buff.ly/3Vw8CjE

Funding local and Indigenous communities is vital if we are to protect animals and their habitats in Brazil. Lisa Gunn, World Animal Protection's Brazil Country Director, speaks about the importance of making philanthropic models much more accessible to Indigenous and local communities to protect animals and their habitats in the face of the global agricultural production juggernaut. For philanthropists, it means utilizing resources strategically so that these communities are recognized and empowered in their role as the most effective stewards of the natural world. By putting these groups at the centre of their strategies, philanthropists can build new relationships and channel their resources to tackle factory farming, safeguard animal species, and protect the planet’s precious remaining biodiversity. A new approach is long overdue. Read Lisa's article and reach out to me if you want to learn more about World Animal Protection's work in Brazil. #endfactoryfarming

Check out this article on North Carolina farm, FarmASea!

The GAC has released new research that shows deer have little impact on the carbon storage of our intact indigenous forests and which supports biodiversity protection as the primary goal of deer management. The report, Review of the likely magnitude and manageability of deer impacts on carbon stores in indigenous forests, was undertaken by Crown Research Institute Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research and commissioned by the Game Animal Council. The GAC commissioned this research to provide a better understanding of the effects of deer and other ungulates on indigenous forest carbon stores and ensure the right decisions are made when it comes to game animal management and its objectives. “The Game Animal Council is fully committed to achieving better outcomes for biodiversity as well as supporting effective measures to address climate change, however wise investment decisions need to be made,” says GAC Chair Grant Dodson. “With government forecasts suggesting significant pressure on future budgets we must make sure management programmes are targeted towards achieving the best possible outcomes with the funding provided. This report makes clear that those outcomes are mostly in improving biodiversity.” More on the research, including the full report from Manaaki Whenua, is available at https://lnkd.in/gm5NyZ6D

Along with the #SmallFarmerAtlas (www.smallfarmeratlas.info), I've put in a lot of time on #AmazoniaConnect, a 5-year partnership between USAID, Solidaridad Network, Earth Innovation Institute, National Wildlife Federation & University of Wisconsin-Madison. The program takes a wide-ranging approach to conservation, emissions reduction & rural development. 👨🌾 We work with small-scale farmers to implement low-carbon practices. 🏭 We work with companies to understand risks in their supply chains. 🏛 We work with local government to prioritize (and fund) sustainable rural development. 🔎 We back it up with research that helps everyone understand the situation in the Amazon. It's difficult to fully describe the approach, but we did our best in these 4 short films on the program. Check them out here https://lnkd.in/gmNyfrKY 🎩 Hat tip to María del Rosario Abramo, Madhyama Subramanian, Laura K., Isabella (Bella) Genta, Noelia Gutierrez, Witota Films, Nancy Amado Gonzalez, Luiz Fernando Campos 🏳️🌈, Diana Wu Ricalde, Mariagracia Chumpitaz, Matt Warren, Clare Sullivan, Lisa Rausch, Blanca González Herrero, Nathalie Walker and everybody else who helped.

📽 Screening now: 🌳Amazonia Connect🌳 Watch four short films on this innovative approach to agriculture & conservation in Brazil, Colombia & Peru. Amazonia Connect promotes conservation of the Amazon biome and its biodiversity, better livelihoods for rural producers, and reduced carbon emissions from agricultural practices. The program works with a wide swath of stakeholders to increase investment in sustainable development, scale adoption of low-carbon agriculture, and enable monitoring and traceability in supply chains. Check out the complete playlist on YouTube & learn more about our work: https://lnkd.in/gTwrYhti Amazonia Connect is an initiative of USAID, Solidaridad, Earth Innovation Institute, the National Wildlife Federation and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in collaboration with USAID's Amazon Regional Environment Program, rural producers, companies, local governments and financial institutions. #AmazoniaConnect #livestock #LowCarbonLivestock #LowCarbonAgriculture #SustainableRuralDevelopment #ProductiveSupplyChains #SustainableProduction  #ChangeThatMatters #AREP

Bee The Change! Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities. Pollination is, however, a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems. Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity. To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day. Through our transition to regenerative agriculture and habitat creation across all our farms we will build ecosystems that will maintain active and diverse populations of beneficials such as bees. Last year at G’s Cambs Farms we used acoustic monitoring devices which can detect bee species by their wingbeat. During the monitoring period over a million bees were recorded in just one day in one of our habitat area. Our monitoring has shown that in areas of enriched flower meadows, short term cover cropping and IPM strips of phacelia and buckwheat there was a higher detection rate. The indications are that by having a range of species that flower at different times of the summer gives our pollinators a stronger resilience and opportunity than short term crops of single species. #WorldBeeDay #Pollinators #BeeConservation #RegenerativeAgriculture #HabitatCreation #Biodiversity #SustainableDevelopment #FoodSecurity

Bio-belts are bursting with life from the very first year! 🐛🪰🐜🦗🕷🦋🐞 Do you remember the "Za živú krajinu" petition? We initiated it three years ago with other organisations and handed it over to the then Minister of Agriculture in April 2021. It was signed by more than 20 000 people, including conservationists, hunters, beekeepers and foresters. In the petition, we called for improved conditions for biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, which are increasingly affected by the problems associated with the intensification of their use. This initiative has taken off and, thanks to it, Slovakia has adopted rules that are among the 'greenest' in Europe under the common agricultural policy. This year, farmers participating in voluntary agri-environment schemes have divided large monoculture fields with #biobelts. These bio-belts serve pollinators, birds and wildlife, making the landscape not only more vibrant but also more visually appealing. However, a number of politicians and representatives of large-scale growers have questioned the benefits of the bio-belts. Entomologist Marek Semelbauer from the Slovak Academy of Sciences has been monitoring the bio-belts as part of our LIFE 4 Steppe Birds project, and the first results are proving the truth. He has recorded up to 8 times more butterflies, hymenopterans, flies, katydids and grasshoppers in the bio-belts of the Ostrovné lúky meadows Important Bird Area, which he compared with neighbouring wheat fields. In terms of species diversity, it was twice as high in the bio-belts. The first three groups are important pollinators, so bio-belts are beneficial not only for nature, but also for farmers and, ultimately, for all of us. #LIFE_4steppebirds

🌼🐝🌸 Celebrating National Pollinator Week! 🦇🌺🦋 During the week of June 17-23, 2024, we join the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in recognizing and celebrating National Pollinator Week. Pollinator species, including bees, other insects, birds, and bats, play a critical role in producing more than 100 crops grown in the United States. At Environmental Solutions & Innovations, Inc., we are committed to protecting these essential species and offering services in habitat conservation. Let's take this week to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators and explore ways we can support their habitats. #ESI #RealScienceRealSolutions #PollinatorWeek #Biodiversity #HabitatConservation #Sustainability #EnvironmentalSolutions #ProtectOurPollinators #BeeTheChange