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The WildLife Podcast: Black-footed ferrets and prairie dogs with Defenders of Wildlife’s Chamois Andersen
The Wildlife Podcast Episode 3: Saving the Black-Footed Ferret Delve deep into prairie secrets as we discover the startling connection between black-footed ferrets and prairie dogs and their importance for the preservation of the United State’s prairie habitat. Did you know that more than a hundred different species rely on the North American prairie…
Read MoreThe Revelator: Giraffes for Peace
In a world that feels increasingly at odds, Kenya’s Baringo giraffes showcase how a common cause can unite communities. BY LAUREL NEME PUBLISHED March 26, 2025– On the shores of Lake Baringo in Kenya’s Rift Valley, an unusual common denominator has helped bring peace to two warring communities after generations of fighting: the love of…
Read MoreThe New York Times for Kids Magazine: Give Vampire Bats A Chance
By Laurel Neme The New York Times For Kids Magazine October 29, 2023 NIGHT FALLS. Creatures of the dark awaken. A vampire rises from a crypt, turns into a bat and flies off in search of its next victim. … That’s the classic tale we have been told. Vampires aren’t real, of course. But…
Read MoreThe New York Times for Kids Magazine: FORGET GROUNDHOGS. Here are three animals who actually CAN predict the weather
By Laurel Neme The New York Times For Kids Magazine January 28, 2024 On Feb. 2, the country will watch as Punxsutawney Phil leaves his burrow in Pennsylvania and heads out into the daylight. You know the drill: If he sees his shadow, bundle up for six more weeks. If he doesn’t, look forward…
Read MoreNational Geographic: Hundreds of elephants mysteriously died. We may finally know why
A massive die-off of the endangered species has been happening in sub-Saharan Africa since 2020. Until now, the culprit was unknown. BY LAUREL NEME PUBLISHED Dec. 5, 2023– When hundreds of African savanna elephants dropped dead in Botswana’s Okavango Delta in 2020, conservationists were alarmed. As the death toll rose—from dozens in March to more…
Read MoreNational Geographic: Canadian oil company pauses controversial drilling in Namibian wilderness
ReconAfrica has stopped drilling in the Okavango Delta watershed—for now— leaving in its wake lost jobs and environmental concerns BY JEFFREY BARBEE AND LAUREL NEME PUBLISHED June 27, 2023– Standing at the border post between Botswana and Namibia, next to the looping streambed of the Okavango River, Max Muyemburuko waved goodbye. As chairperson of Namibia’s…
Read MoreNational Geographic: They ripped through a protected wilderness to find oil. Instead, they found trouble
Canadian driller ReconAfrica, facing lawsuits and investigations, has left angry communities and fractured landscapes in the wildlife-rich Okavango Delta watershed. BY JEFFREY BARBEE AND LAUREL NEME PUBLISHED March 28, 2023– For the Canadian company hoping for an oil bonanza in the watershed of the wildlife-rich and visually spectacular Okavango Delta, 2022 was another grim year,…
Read MoreMongabay.com: Snares: Low-tech, low-profile killers of rare wildlife the world over
BY LAUREL NEME PUBLISHED Aug. 18, 2022– Snares are simple, low-tech, noose-like traps that can be made from cheap and easily accessible materials such as wire, rope or brake cables. Easy to set, a single person can place thousands, with one report warning that snares “are a terrestrial equivalent to the drift nets that have…
Read MoreNational Geographic: Oil Company Accused of Drilling in African Wildlife Reserve, Offering Jobs for Silence
Canada-based ReconAfrica appears to have flouted Namibian law, legal experts say. BY JEFFREY BARBEE AND LAUREL NEME PUBLISHED December 13, 2021 — 20 MIN READ RUNDU, NAMIBIA Canadian oil and gas exploration company Reconnaissance Energy Africa has bulldozed land for a test oil well inside a protected wildlife area in northeastern Namibia, and two local…
Read MoreTigers: Did you know…
First posted on 2015-04-14 A group of tigers is known as an ‘ambush’ or ‘streak’. Tigers scratch trees and use their urine to mark their territories. Their urine smells strongly of buttered popcorn.
Read MoreBear Pond Books: Students Take On International Wildlife Issues
Tuesday, January 20, 2015 Students Take On International Wildlife Issues As part of our author-educator event series, we’re excited to have author Laurel Neme coming to the store on Saturday, January 24th at 11:00 am to talk about creating global connections from the classroom. As with all events in this series, this workshop is…
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