Award-winning, non-profit and ethical wildlife conservation volunteering. Advancing citizen science and conservation since 1999 – for nature, not profit.
Our Tien Shan snow leopard expedition has now joined the ranks of expeditions with no citizen science element in 2020 (see a previous post for details).
All citizen science elements are deferred to 2021. The 2020 dates for the expedition have come offline and the 2021 dates are now online. Plans for continuing the research work through a local mini expedition are on our coronavirus appeal page. Please contribute to this if you can.
Given the situation, the below will now run as expeditions with local partners and staff only in 2020, with all citizen science elements of the projects deferred to 2021. As such the 2020 dates for these expeditions have come offline and the 2021 dates are now online. Where possible, we will send updates, results and reports of local expeditions. You can also see local expedition plans (and contribute towards them) on our coronavirus appeal page.
The following expeditions will operate under this scheme (and other expeditions may join this scheme as the situation develops):
We do this, because we continue to feel very strongly about the need for continued conservation efforts and supporting our local partners and staff despite, or indeed because of, the unprecedented and very difficult circumstances. We hope you agree. If you do, please give to our coronavirus appeal to enable our local partners & staff to do just this.
As you have probably read, Germany is doing well with combating the virus and is thinking of starting to ease restrictions. However, travel restrictions are likely to stay in place for a good while yet and hotels (such as our expedition base) and other service industry locations are unlikely to re-open soon.
At the same time, and following the pattern of expeditions before, the majority of expeditioners have already opted to defer to Germany 2021 (18 – 24 July | 25 – 31 July) or to other expeditions in 2021.
Local staff and wolf commissioners are planning as we speak to continue wolf monitoring efforts. Details about their plans (and a call for donations to enable this) are on our coronavirus appeal page. So, in line with other expeditions so far, and because we stongly believe that conservation efforst must continue despite the crisis, we will continue the project and collect data as much and whenever possible, but, regrettably, it is now highly unlikely that there will be a citizen science element to the project in 2020.
Hopes that the pandemic will accelerate the transition to a cleaner world are already running into a political wall: the “shock doctrine” of disaster capitalism outlined by the author and activist Naomi Klein. In her book of the same name, the Canadian writer describes how a powerful global elite exploits national crises to push through unpopular and extreme measures on the environment and labour rights.
This is what is happening in the United States and elsewhere. Oil company executives have lobbied Donald Trump for a bailout. Under the cover of the crisis, the White House has rolled back fuel-economy standards for the car industry, the Environmental Protection Agency has stopped enforcing environmental laws, three states have criminalised fossil fuel protesters and construction has resumed on the KXL oil pipeline. The US government’s massive economic stimulus bill also included a $50bn bailout for aviation companies. Environmental groups are urging the UK and European Union not to do the same.
Increased contact with animals likely cause of outbreaks such as Covid-19, say experts, as conservationists call for global ban on wildlife markets > Read more
Kyrgyzstan has declared a state of emergency and is in lockdown.
At the same time the majority citizen scientists have already opted to defer to Tien Shan 2021 (12 – 24 July or 26 July – 7 August 2021) or to other expeditions in 2021.
Our community monitoring group (see below), set up by Biosphere Expeditions with help from the Nando & Elsa Peretti Foundation over the last few years, is planning as we speak to continue monitoring for snow leopards. Details about their plans (and a call for donations to enable this) are on our coronavirus appeal page. So we will continue the project and collect data as much and whenever possible, but, regrettably, it is now highly unlikely that there will be a citizen science element to the project in 2020.
The scientific evidence and advice are now clear: Wear a mask in public!
If 80% of us do, there is strong scientific evidence to suggest that we can stop the pandemic in its tracks.
More about this and tips how to make your own mask on Masks4All.
Sweden is now preparing to enter lockdown too as its herd immunity strategy seems to be failing, just like it did in the UK, with some arguing that, as a result, the crisis in Sweden is now likely to last months, rather than weeks.
At the same time the majority of expeditioners have already opted to defer to Sweden 2021 (9 – 26 June 2021) or to other expeditions (2021 expedition dates here).
Our local scientist is in the field at the moment in order to get as much work done as possible before restrictions come into force. She will continue the project and collect data as much and whenever possible, but it is now extremely unlikely that there will be a citizen science element to the project in 2020. Our recommendation for expeditioners is now to defer to the 2021 Sweden or another expedition.
The new EU citizen science platform has just gone online. This is full of projects you can take part in (from home and in the field) and in itself well worth a visit.
Two projects stand out in lockdown coronavirus times. Both use combined human brain and computing power to help fight the virus. The first is called FoldIt and is an online game with real-world outcomes. The second, Folding@Home, allows you to make your home computer processing power available in the fight against the virus.
The EU citizen science platform also has a very useful page with lots of citizen science resources related to the pandemic.
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