The conservation success stories of 2022 - Natural History Museum
As we head into 2023, we've been looking back at the wins for wildlife that have taken place over the past year.
Here are just 20 of the ways humanity's efforts to help nature paid dividends in 2022.
When it seems like a worrying time for nature, it's more important than ever to find the light amongst the darkness.
It was a landmark year for the natural world in 2022, with the COP15 biodiversity summit focusing attention on how we can better protect and restore the fragile biodiversity of our planet. Though the path to a greener world might seem bleak, there is plenty to celebrate, with some of the highlights summarised below.
Though 2022 may have brought some good news for nature, it's not a time to be complacent. For your New Year's Resolution, why not get out there and see how you can help?
Rediscovery reports
'Fantastic' tortoise returns after a century
A tortoise found in the Galápagos islands has been confirmed as belonging to a species lost for over 100 years.
DNA testing of Fernanda revealed that the female tortoise was from the species Chelonoidis phantasticus, which had been thought extinct. Last year also saw the possible discovery of a new species of Galápagos giant tortoise, but more work is needed to confirm its identity.
'Extinct' flower misnamed
It may be extinct by name, but Gasteranthus extinctus is not extinct in nature.
Thought to have been wiped out by deforestation, new specimens of the plant were rediscovered in remaining patches of Ecuador's cloud forest. Due to scientific naming rules, however, the species' name will stay the same.
Bird discovered for the third time
Conservationists are hoping that third time is the charm for a Critically Endangered hummingbird.
After being first described in 1946, the Santa Marta sabrewing disappeared until 2010, when it promptly vanished once more. The rediscovery of the bird in an unprotected area of Colombian forest is spurring efforts to conserve the habitat of this extremely rare bird.
Missing magnolia found in forest fragment
A species of tree lost since 1925 has been found high in the mountains of Haiti.
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Posted On: 05/01/2023