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Nature Watch

Nature Watch

Jelsa's Trees and History

Published in Nature Watch

The trees which adorn Jelsa have marked significant changes in Jelsan culture and attitudes to the environment over time. Vito Gospodnetić is a dedicated protector of Jelsa's precious natural resources alongside its cultural and historical heritage.

Former times, Jelsa's greenery seen from the air.
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Rue: a Paradox Plant

Published in Nature Watch

A plant family full of amazing magical promises!

Ruta graveolens, Humac on Hvar Island, flowering in June 2023
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Precious Birds: Saving Owls

Published in Nature Watch

The Scops Owl is a welcome visitor to Hvar Island every summer. Arriving between the middle of March or beginning of April its persistent single-note call is the hallmark of the warm season. 

Floof ready to fly...
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Birdwatching report Hvar Island: May - October 2024.

Published in Nature Watch

Reading Steve Jones' report earlier this year, keen birdwatcher Tomislav Sjekloća was inspired to check out the Dračevica pond and other parts of Hvar, and we are delighted he has shared his sightings with us.

Blue Rock Thrush near Fortica in Hvar Town
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Hvar birds, September 2024

Published in Nature Watch

In early September 2024 a birdwatching couple visited Hvar and we are delighted to report that their trip was reasonably fruitful!.

European Turtle Dove
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BATS: know, cherish and protect them!

Published in Nature Watch

In 2023 the honour of celebrating International Bat Night, which aims to raise people's awareness of the vital importance in our ecosystem, fell to the Krka National Park,which organised a superbly imaginative programme beside its exquisite Skradinski Buk Waterfall.

BATS: know, cherish and protect them!
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Orchids need care

Published in Nature Watch

Highlighting Croatia's wild orchids and the need to treat them with love and respect, the highly active and successful BIOM ASSOCIATION published an article in the spring of 2024 with a plea to pay attention to these fascinating and invaluable plants.

Orchis italica
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Orchids: Humble, Amazing, Delightful!

Published in Nature Watch

In 2023 on Hvar there were two special orchid finds by visiting experts from Zagreb, who located the endemic Ophrys pharia and the Himantoglossum robertianum.

Ophrys pharia, 'Forka'
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Re-wilding in Rovinj: success and failure

Published in Nature Watch

A visitor to Rovinj in June 2024 found much to admire in the eco-friendly Grand Park Hotel - alongside a major cause for concern.

Re-wilding in Rovinj: success and failure
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Eco Environment News feeds

  • RHS unveils plans to protect UK gardens from future water shortages

    Environmental charity to prioritise water capture and storage as it urges gardeners to prepare for ‘new normal’

    The Royal Horticultural Society has unveiled emergency plans to protect its gardens from major water shortages in the future.

    The environmental charity, which owns and operates five renowned public gardens in England, said on Saturday it will invest in more water-capture and water-management projects in 2026 after severe droughts last year.

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  • From scorpions to peacocks: the species thriving in London’s hidden microclimates

    An extraordinary mosaic of wildlife has made Britain’s urban jungle its home

    London is the only place in the UK where you can find scorpions, snakes, turtles, seals, peacocks, falcons all in one city – and not London zoo. Step outside and you will encounter a patchwork of writhing, buzzing, bubbling urban microclimates.

    Sam Davenport, the director of nature recovery at the London Wildlife Trust, emphasises the sheer variation in habitats that you find in UK cities, which creates an amazing “mosaic” of wildlife.

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  • Dramatic rise in water-related violence recorded since 2022

    Experts say climate crisis, corruption and lack or misuse of infrastructure among factors driving water conflicts

    Water-related violence has almost doubled since 2022 and little is being done to understand and address the trend and prevent new and escalating risks, experts have said.

    There were 419 incidents of water-related violence recorded in 2024, up from 235 in 2022, according to the Pacific Institute, a US-based thinktank.

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  • Young country diary: A winter surprise – wood ants busy on their nest | Meg

    Devon:We saw massive mounds of soil and pine needles where ants were hibernating – but not all of them

    We pulled into the frosty car park just as the sun was rising. It was early in the morning and I was still a little bit sleepy, but the sharp winter air woke me up. The tall oak trees that surrounded the car park looked like they were crying icy tears. Everything was silent. We set off into the cold, solemn woods with our dog charging ahead.

    That’s when I saw it! Further on down the path, there was a huge mound of soil and pine needles. It was a wood ant nest! I took a closer look and, to my surprise, a few ants were dozily trundling around it.

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  • New filtration technology could be gamechanger in removal of Pfas ‘forever chemicals’

    Researchers found a new way to filter and destroy Pfas chemicals at 100 times the rate of current systems

    New filtration technology developed by Rice University may absorb some Pfas “forever chemicals” at 100 times the rate previously possible, which could dramatically improve pollution control and speed remediations.

    Researchers also say they have also found a way to destroy Pfas, though both technologies face a steep challenge in being deployed on an industrial scale.

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  • New wood-burning stoves to carry health warnings in UK plan

    Pollution from wood burners kills thousands but proposed emissions limit would cut toxic particles by 10%

    New wood-burning stoves will carry a health warning highlighting the impact of the air pollution they produce, under UK government plans.

    Ministers have also proposed cutting the limit on the smoke emitted from wood burners by 80%. However, the measure would only apply to new stoves, most of which already meet the stricter limit. The new limit would cut the annual toxic emissions from wood burning in the UK by only 10% over the next decade, according to the consultation.

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  • European cold snap may increase bird migration to UK

    This year’s RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, which begins on Friday, could reveal ‘some surprise migratory visitors’

    The chances of spotting a fieldfare or redwing in 2026 have risen, thanks to cold and unsettled weather in Europe, prompting a bumper year in birds migrating to the UK.

    The RSPB highlighted the trend on the eve of the Big Garden Birdwatch, an annual event that constitutes the world’s largest garden wildlife survey, which will take place between 23 and 25 January.

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  • Why it has not been so easy being green for the white van in the UK

    Electric van sales are behind government targets, but those fleets that have switched are seeing a real difference

    Swinging a fully laden electric van around a training centre in Bishop’s Stortford feels easy, with instant acceleration that belies the racks of heavy equipment in the back. Perhaps too easy, as the sudden shriek of its proximity sensor suggests the Guardian was a whisker away from a bill for some new paintwork.

    The van in question belongs to Openreach, BT’s fibre broadband subsidiary. It is one of 6,000 electric vans out of 23,400 in Britain’s second-largest commercial fleet – and a further 1,000 are expected to be added by March.

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  • ‘We cannot say for sure these wolves come from Russia’: Finns try to fathom cause of record reindeer deaths

    Wolves killed more than 2,100 reindeer in Finland last year, and herders are blaming the Ukraine war

    Juha Kujala no longer knows how many reindeer will return to his farm from the forest each December. The 54-year-old herder releases his animals into the wilderness on the 830-mile Finnish-Russian border each spring to grow fat on lichens, grass and mushrooms, just as his ancestors have done for generations.

    But since 2022, grisly discoveries of reindeer skeletons on the forest floor have disrupted this ancient way of life. The culprits, according to Kujala: wolves from Russia.

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  • Everything but the kitchen sink: how to get rid of cooking oils and liquid waste without pouring them down the drain

    Oil, out-of-date milk and even roast dinner residues contribute to the growth of fatbergs, a sticky problem for sewerage systems

    Fatbergs are a sticky problem for sewerage systems – blocking pipes, spawning poo balls, and even forcing the cancellation of a Bryan Adams concert.

    When households pour cooking oils, out-of-date milk or the residues of a roast dinner down the sink, it contributes to the buildup of fats, oils and grease – known as FOG – in the wastewater system, and the growth of fatbergs.

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