November 2022

We are very pleased to announce 8 grants totalling US$79,036.00 to support priorities of the SSC Species Conservation Cycle related to assessment and planning activities. Selected jointly with the On the Edge (OTE) team, these are the SSC Groups that will be carrying out projects for EDGE species thanks to this grant: IUCN SSC Bird Red List Authority, IUCN SSC Bustard Specialist Group, IUCN SSC Hawaiian Island Plant Specialist Group, IUCN SSC Indonesian Plant Red List Authority, IUCN SSC Mollusc Specialist Group, IUCN SSC New Caledonia Plants Red List Authority, IUCN SSC Orchid Specialist Group, IUCN SSC Small Mammal Specialist Group.

The IUCN SSC Chair’s office is delighted to share the first published articles of the Diversity special issue on "Assessments, Planning and Action for Conservation of Species and Ecosystems at Multiple Spatial Scales". This Special Issue is inspired by the Species Conservation Cycle, championed by the network of +10,500 experts of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, in their pursuit of delivering the portfolio of Knowledge Standards convened by IUCN.

Reverse the Red is excited to announce the first annual Reverse the Red Day on February 7, 2023. Please join us in celebrating Reverse the Red Day through online events and engagement as well as in-person events at your organisations! There will be guidance for online and in-person engagement, but also make this day your own by highlighting the work that you are doing and the impact you are having for species. We encourage you to share actions and successes in improving the status of threatened species and stories of how you collaborate with government, communities, supporters, partners, and visitors to make positive changes for biodiversity.

Thirty-seven per cent of all hoverfly species in Europe are threatened with extinction, according to the first continent-wide assessment of this essential pollinator group on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM, which was requested and funded by the European Commission. Intensive agriculture, harmful pesticides, unsustainable commercial forestry, urban development and climate change have been identified as the main threats to hoverflies.

Climate change and severe weather are listed as threats to over 11,000 animals, fungi and plants across every region of the world, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ new story.

Can conservation projects on the ground actually inform biodiversity policy? This is the question the latest IUCN Save Our Species webinar will attempt to answer. 

Join us on Thursday, 24 November at 10:00 AM CET.

Socotra ecosystems are highly threatened by droughts, water extraction, habitat loss, pollution and invasive species. Located off the Horn of Africa, this archipelago is a treasure trove of biodiversity with an unusually high number of endemic species.  Funded through an IUCN SSC Internal Grant, Dr Kay Van Damme, IUCN Species Survival Commission's Freshwater Conservation Committee member, is working with local NGOs and communities to increase awareness and implement field surveys to collect data on species and their threats.

The facilities are a space of 100 hectares of natural field with fences specially adapted for the species, of which it is estimated that only 350 to 500 individuals remain in Argentina. In addition, the Center will allow research activities that will contribute to obtaining critical information for the conservation of this emblematic Patagonian deer. This project is carried out by the Shoonem Foundation, the province of Chubut and the Temaiken Foundation with the aim to recover, reproduce and reintroduce this species in nature.

Addressing the Biodiversity Paradox is a significant priority for ensuring the global implementation of the Species Conservation Cycle. IUCN Species Survival Commission is actively pursuing multiple strategies to boost human, institutional and financial resources in regions where most species are found, but the capacity to address conservation challenges is weaker. Read more in our September Quarterly Report 2022.

Sharks, rays, and chimaeras face a biodiversity crisis: an estimated 37% of species are threatened with extinction. Spatial planning tools often fail to consider the habitat needs critical for their survival, so the Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) approach is proposed as a response that will benefit species globally.

The IUCN SSC South American Camelid Specialist Group (Grupo Especialista en Camélidos Sudamericanos - GECS) launches a new website with content available in English and Spanish. This new window to communicate the Specialist Group projects and actions on the ground was developed with funds allocated through the SSC Internal Grants. Enjoy your reading!

This special edition, April 2020 to March 2022, covers all the activities funded by the IUCN Save Our Species grant and narrates the IUCN SSC Canid Specialist Group's efforts jointly with partners to secure a future for Ethiopian wolves and the Afroalpine ecosystem.

Season 2 has arrived! When it comes to tackling climate change and the biodiversity crisis, the ocean and the world’s coastlines offer many solutions. Join IUCN and their special guests from UNEP and The Nature Conservancy to answer: Is private sector finance crucial for conserving and restoring coastal and marine ecosystems?

The Research Scientist position contributes to the success of Georgia Aquarium’s Center for Species Survival (CSS) by building capacity in the use of computer models that advance population viability analysis and risk assessments, conservation planning, and the visualization of habitat use and distribution of rare and endangered species for population management globally.

The next WildTeam online training workshops are available for booking:  

Monitoring and Evaluation for Wildlife Conservation

8th November - 13th December (2.5-3.5 hours learning per week) 

Conservation leadership: Learning

16th November - 14th December (2.5-3.5 hours learning per week) 

Project Management for Wildlife Conservation

30th January - 13th March 2023 (3.5 hours learning per week) 

Project Planning for Wildlife Conservation

8th February - 22nd March 2023 (4 hours learning per week)

Georgia Aquarium hosted a conservation facilitator training workshop

The five-day intensive workshop was attended by researchers and conservationists from Georgia Aquarium, Morton Arboretum, and Wild Cumberland. The training provided an in-depth introduction to the role and processes of facilitating conservation planning workshops, supplied th neecessary tools to help trainees successfully guide the workshop process. These trainings are crucial in equipping attendees with the resources and knowledge to better support their own institution’s conservation goals, as well as the larger conservation community.  

Conservation workshop ALPZA Academy: “The One Plan Approach to conservation” 

Since October the ALPZA (Latin American Association of Zoos and Aquariums) Academy has been held a series of specialised workshops. Temaikén Foundation collaborated in the workshop “The one plan approach to conservation” with the aim of promoting the One Plan Approach concept among ALPZA members, for which presented the work of the CSS Temaiken - Argentina with the yellow cardinal species (Gubernatrix cristata).

New IUCN-backed guidance by the International Maritime Organization outlines what marinas, sailing clubs and recreational boat users can do to help halt the spread of invasive species in marine environments. 

Read more - https://bit.ly/3VqkW46

• Seed Conservation Specialist Group, Official Newsletter, Issue 2, August 2022
  
  
• Dawn Chorus Vol 2 (2), ASTSG newsletter, September 2022
  
  
• IUCN SULi Digest, September + October 2022