Do you know that forests cover an estimated 38 percent of the total land surface of the European Union(EU)?And that these extensive areas covered with trees and underbrush need to be protected so they can continue to do good for the environment for the next generation? Now the EU has just come up with its ambitious new "Forest Strategy".

Forests can fight against climate change and prevent biodiversity loss. They can reduce the impacts of climate change by cooling down cities, protecting us from heavy flooding, and reducing drought impacts. They are valuable ecosystems that are home to a major part of the world's plants and animals. But forests also improve our health and well-being through functions like water regulation, erosion(侵蚀)control and air purification. And they serve as ideal settings for "recreation, relaxation and learning, as well as securing livelihoods".

This new European-wide forest conservation vision takes in an impressive commitment to plant a minimum of three billion additional trees over the next decade. This is an ambitious plan but a long overdue one because forests have been battered by severe weather and human impacts, particularly the demand for wood over the last ten years. As the EU Observer puts it, "extreme weather events and the increasing demand for forest services and products, driven by wood-based bioenergy and international trade, have accelerated tree cover loss in the last decade."

This EU strategy takes into account the complexity of forest sustainability(可持续性). Observation, knowledge exchange, ongoing monitoring and close cooperation between public and private organizations and individuals are also key elements in this new continent-wide forest protection strategy.

This is a future-focused blueprint, designed to protect these precious green areas, and ensure that the trees and greenery are here to stay!

There has been a very serious decline(下降) in the numbers of shallow-water fish as a result of overfishing. People still want to eat fish, so the fishing industry must look at other sources, especially the deep waters of the Atlantic. This has resulted in a sharp decline in the numbers of many of the species caught.

Protective measures will have to be put into effect if these deep-sea fish are to survive. Research on five such species shows that numbers have reduced by between 87 percent and 98 percent. This puts them on the list of “extremely endangered”. Many species could well disappear completely if the present trend continues. These are species that have been swimming in our oceans for hundreds of millions of years.

The problem is stressed by the fact that the decline in numbers happened in less than twenty years. Deep-sea fish take a long time to reproduce and normally live for many years. Unfortunately, their reproduction rate is very low. The average size of such fish also declined, with one species showing a 57 percent decline in average size. This is of typical concern, as large fish tend to produce more descendants than small ones.

None of these facts has been taken into consideration by the fishing industry. The deep-sea species have been caught as if they were the fast-breeding(快速繁殖) fish like sardine and herring. It is like killing elephants as if they reproduced at the same rate as rabbits.

The damage done by overfishing goes beyond the sea environment. Millions of people make a living in the fishing industry. Billions of people rely on fish for protein. Measures must be taken to not only preserve ecosystems, but also sustain livelihoods and ensure food security.

Six red wolf pups were born in the wild, which marks the first time these pups have been born in the wild since 2018.

Long ago, red wolves lived all through the US Southeast. But as the wolves were hunted, and as more and more land was taken over for cities, roads, and farms, the wolves began to die out. In 1973, a new law called the Endangered Species Act was passed. It was designed to protect endangered animals, like red wolves. At the time, there were only about 17 red wolves remaining in the wild.

The Red Wolf Recovery Program kept fourteen of those wolves in captivity to protect them. By 1980, red wolves were believed to be extinct in the wild. Luckily, the wolves did well in captivity, and their numbers continued to grow. Soon the the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) began releasing red wolves back into the wild. Between 1987 and 1994, 60 adult red wolves were released. Over time, those wolves spread out, paired up, and began to have pups. In 2008, there were 47 wild pups born. By 2012, red wolf numbers had hit a new high point of about 120 wolves in the wild.

Sadly, though, wild red wolf numbers began to drop again. Some wolves were shot and others were hit by cars. In 2018, a total of four pups were born in the wild. In 2019, 2020, and 2021, no wild pups were born at all. So the news that six pups were born in the wild this year is a huge boost. The good news isn’t an accident. Currently, there are over 240 captive red wolves in the recovery program. The FWS has released some captive wolves into the wild, and worked to pair these animals with wild wolves. The FWS has also taken pups born in captivity and had them raised by wild female wolves. With luck, they will have even more company next year.