North East Forest Alliance

The North East Forest Alliance today took a significant couple of steps into the world of social media creating a Facebook Page and a Twitter feed.

Come along and “like” our Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/NorthEastForestAlliance

This will be a forum for ideas photos videos and links to any online material of relevance to the ongoing campaign to protect the our forest heritage. Join in the conversation and share it with your friends online.

Folow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/NEForestAllianc

We will be tweeting alerts and updates here and engaging in the conversation as it unfolds on this vibrant channel

Now more than ever we need to be able to show our strength and unity as well as effectively sharing information about how we can protect our precious forests from those who would mercilessly exploit them.

Much less of the flock together

Jennie Curtin
September 24, 2008
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WORLD bird numbers are in serious decline, with some populations battered by climate change, said an international report released this week.

The report, State Of The World’s Birds, found many common species are under threat, often by human activities including logging, agriculture and fishing. The replacement of natural, biodiverse forests with single-species plantations has also contributed to declines.

The study was done by BirdLife International, an alliance of conservation organisations working in more than 100 countries and territories. It investigated the status of birds, why they are declining and what can be done to improve conditions for them.

In Australia, one of the most significant findings was that shorebirds in eastern states have reduced in number by 79 per cent over the past 25 years.

Climate change is playing havoc with many Australian bird populations, affecting distribution patterns and abundance. Migratory birds are arriving earlier and departing later. Seabirds in tropical areas, such as along the Great Barrier Reef, have declined because of rising sea temperatures and increasing extreme El Nino weather events.

Species restricted to high elevations, such as the tooth-billed bowerbird in the high altitude rainforests of the Atherton ranges of north-east Queensland, are especially susceptible. Those on low-lying coastal sites, such as the endangered orange-bellied parrot, will be threatened by rising sea levels. The report is at www.biodiversityinfo.org/sowb.

? If you have a bird bath, Griffith University needs you.

Associate Professor Daryl Jones from the school of the environment wants information about what species are using bird-baths, be they in a suburban backyard, on a city balcony or a country property. Any details are welcome, from a simple list of the birds that bathe, to a more complete study of how long each bird lingers, whether it interacts with other species and what time of day or year this occurs. Email d.jones@griffith.edu.au.