Pelecanus Radio

On today’s Conservation Conversations episode we talk with Karina Johnston, a PHD candidate at UCSB, a coastal habitat restoration ecologist formerly with Tidal Influence, and the newly appointed executive director of Heal the Ocean, a southern California nonprofit. She has so much experience and a wealth of knowledge to share, so let’s get straight to it with Karina as part of our series on coastal resiliency! Thank you again to Karina for taking the time to talk with us. It’s the work like what she does that can give us all hope for the future of the CA coastline. Please check out the Tidal Influence or Heal the Ocean website and get involved with them, or wherever you can. http://www.tidalinfluence.com/ https://www.healtheocean.org/ Host and producer is Austin Parker Music was provided by A Picture Book studio Don't forget to like comment and subscribe if you want to help!

Land California’s largest ‘land-back’ deal returns 47,000 acres to tribe https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/06/05/3094125/0/en/Largest-Ever-Land-Back-Conservation-Deal-in-Calif-Now-Complete-Western-Rivers-Conservancy-Conveys-Final-Acreage-to-Yurok-Tribe-in-a-47-000-Acre-Effort-Critical-to-the-Salmon-Wildli.html Newly-declared conservation area in Peru is home to pink dolphins, giant armadillos https://phys.org/news/2025-06-newly-declared-area-peru-home.html Biodiversity Three new wolf packs discovered in Northern California https://phys.org/news/2025-05-wolf-northern-california.html Western quolls and brushtail possums thrive in Australian national park a decade after reintroduction https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/western-quolls-and-brushtail-possums-thrive-a-decade-after-reintroduction-to-national-park-1-335680/ Endangered snow leopard cub born at Kent big cat sanctuary https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjwqy3q4zeno

Rewilding Experts celebrate as rare parrot makes miraculous comeback from brink of extinction: 'They're already ready to fly' https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/red-tailed-amazon-parrots-brazil/ 2025 Lion census shows 32% population rise https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/out-of-the-woods-in-gujarat-why-asiatic-lions-future-cant-be-secured-by-numbers-alone-10022963/ Spectacular creature makes stunning comeback after decades of absence https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/bearded-vulture-chick-spain-conservation/

Water City of Phoenix encouraging residents to harvest rainwater this summer https://www.abc15.com/weather/impact-earth/city-of-phoenix-encouraging-residents-to-harvest-rainwater-this-summer How California’s farmers can recharge the aquifers they’ve drained https://grist.org/food-and-agriculture/california-groundwater-study-central-valley-drought-managed-aquifer-recharge/ Drawdown This Solar-Powered Device Sucks CO2 From the Air—and Turns It Into Fuel https://gizmodo.com/this-solar-powered-reactor-sucks-co2-from-the-air-and-turns-it-into-fuel-2000563558 Genetically enhanced crops proposed as scalable solution for CO₂ removal https://phys.org/news/2025-05-genetically-crops-scalable-solution.html Marine IUCN launches project to combat marine plastic pollution in the Pacific https://iucn.org/news/202504/iucn-launches-project-combat-marine-plastic-pollution-pacific Indonesia plans 200000 hectares of new marine conservation areas in 2025 https://en.antaranews.com/news/354329/indonesia-targets-200-thousand-hectar

Drawdown Small coal town shocks experts by building first-of-its-kind plant: 'The cultural aspect of this is so bedeviling' https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/delta-utah-hydrogen-power-plant-transformation-community/ Biodiversity Mystical eagle thought to be extinct in Mexico reappears in Chiapas https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/believed-extinct-mexico-harpy-eagle-resurfaces-chiapas/ Endangered sea turtle populations show signs of recovery in more than half the world, survey finds https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/endangered-sea-turtle-populations-show-signs-recovery-half-world-surve-rcna201788 Critically endangered plant species once thought extinct makes extraordinary return to the wild: 'We hope to inspire greater awareness and action' https://www.yahoo.com/news/critically-endangered-species-once-thought-111518884.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZWNvc2lhLm9yZy8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJ9vDCng51YwZcXjcpTcnXqTlRspKJmevErxGOdhj0OeF0LzjfAqCdf5rlehlNuCRdCeFghJ9cNnF6wEwO2XjTW0Yc

New plastic dissolves in the ocean overnight, leaving no microplastics https://newatlas.com/materials/plastic-dissolves-ocean-overnight-no-microplastics/ California's first solar-over-canal project now generating electricity https://abc30.com/post/californias-first-solar-canal-project-now-generating-electricity/16120467/ A biotech company says it has bred three pups with traits of the extinct dire wolf https://www.npr.org/2025/04/08/nx-s1-5355686/dire-wolf-extinct-colossal-biosciences

Rewilding Bighorn sheep reintroduced to Franklin Mountains in major conservation effort https://www.ktsm.com/news/bighorn-sheep-reintroduced-to-franklin-mountains-in-major-conservation-effort/ Drawdown World's First Carbon Capture Plant Powered Directly by Wind Planned https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/worlds-first-carbon-capture-plant-powered-directly-by-wind-planned/ Al Gore’s Just Climate fund raises $175M from Microsoft and CalSTRS for nature-based climate investments https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/18/al-gores-just-climate-fund-raises-175m-from-microsoft-and-calstrs-for-nature-based-climate-investments/

Biodiversity Historic beaver release marks conservation milestone in England https://beavertrust.org/historic-first-official-wild-beaver-release-in-england/ Solar farms can host up to three times as many birds as crop fields https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2l049zkvezo UN biodiversity talks officially concluded on Feb. 28, with countries agreeing on a strategy to increase finance for biodiversity to $200 billion annually by 2030 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/un-biodiversity-talks-end-with-nations-backing-200-billion-per-year-plan-to-protect-nature Innovation Scientists Create Water-Harvesting Technology That Uses Kitchen Scraps and Seashells https://decrypt.co/308348/scientists-clean-water-harvesting-technology Earth’s 1st Asteroid Mining Prospector Heads to the Launchpad https://dnyuz.com/2025/02/23/earths-1st-asteroid-mining-prospector-heads-to-the-launchpad/

Wildlife Bison Are Bringing Back Biodiversity to Britain https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/bison-rewilding-britain-kent-reintroduction-b2117273.html CDFW Captures and Collars 12 Gray Wolves in Northern California https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/cdfw-captures-and-collars-12-gray-wolves-in-northern-california Innovations Japan deploys giant tidal turbine to generate massive power Cargo ship captures CO2 from its own exhausts and stores it on-deck https://www.cnn.com/travel/calcarea-trap-co2-cargo-ships-spc/index.html

Camera Traps Hidden trail cameras capture footage of South America's largest mammal once believed extinct https://www.yahoo.com/news/hidden-trail-cameras-capture-footage-104553589.html 3 endangered tiger cubs caught on camera in Thai national park for first time https://phys.org/news/2025-01-trio-rare-tiger-cubs-thai.html Innovations Cornell Researchers Create First-of-Its-Kind Durable and Recyclable Plastic https://scitechdaily.com/cornell-researchers-create-first-of-its-kind-durable-and-recyclable-plastic/ Scientists create 'molecular trap' to remove pollutants from water https://phys.org/news/2025-01-scientists-molecular-pollutants.html US to turn wastewater into freshwater with nuclear power https://interestingengineering.com/energy/nuclear-energy-water-desalination-texas

Legal Legal Victory Secures Endangered Species Act Decisions for 76 Species Across U.S. https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/legal-victory-secures-endangered-species-act-decisions-for-76-species-across-us-2025-01-16/ Protected Areas IUCN ROWA Celebrates the Inclusion of Seven New Sites from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and the UAE in the Green List https://iucn.org/news/202501/iucn-rowa-celebrates-inclusion-seven-new-sites-jordan-saudi-arabia-lebanon-and-uae Wildlife From 150,000 Pups to None At All, Fur Seals Return to California Islands After 150 Years https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/from-150000-pups-to-none-at-all-fur-seals-return-to-california-islands-after-150-years/ First Otter Sighting in Normandy Since 1932: A Triumph for Conservation Efforts https://www.connexionfrance.com/news/video-first-otter-for-nearly-a-century-captured-on-normandy-camera/697651

Five Hawaiian crows released into forest after decades of extinction in the wild https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/five-hawaiian-crows-released-into-forest-after-decades-of-extinction-in-the-wild/ Endangered Thick-Billed Parrot That Once Roamed the US Is on the Way to Recovery https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/endangered-thick-billed-parrot-that-once-roamed-the-us-is-on-the-way-to-recovery/ Sombrero ground lizard, Endangered species, makes incredible comeback with over 16x population growth: 'We feared it might be the end' https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/sombrero-ground-lizard-conservation-project/

Rewilding After Almost a Century, Wolves Return to Peloponnese, Greece https://greekreporter.com/2024/12/25/wolves-return-peloponnese-greece/ Drawdown Major US airlines finalize unprecedented deal with California that could change the future of air travel https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/major-us-airlines-finalize-unprecedented-deal-with-california-that-could-change-the-future-of-air-travel-this-is-a-major-step-forward/ar-AA1v0SD3 MIT engineers achieve solar power breakthrough that could affect drinking water of millions https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/mit-desalination-system-solar-powered-water/

Reforestation California Public Seed Banks Complete Historic Cone Collection Year https://wildfiretaskforce.org/california-public-seed-banks-complete-historic-cone-collection-year/ Biodiversity Cincinnati Zoo Welcomes 2 New Endangered Cheetah Cubs in Honor of International Cheetah Day https://cincinnatizoo.org/international-cheetah-day-2024-meet-two-tiny-new-ambassadors/ Leopard Population Has Tripled in the World's Largest Conservation Area. https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/leopard-population-has-tripled-in-the-worlds-largest-conservation-area/

Wildlife Endangered Sierra Nevada Yellow-Legged Frogs Are Making a Comeback https://knewz.com/business/sierra-nevada-yellow-legged-frogs-once-endangered-make-a-comeback-in-californias-alpine-lakes/ Zoo births Chattanooga Zoo Celebrates Birth of Critically Endangered Primate https://www.wvlt.tv/2024/10/22/critically-endangered-primates-born-chattanooga-zoo-naming-contest-now-open/ Endangered pygmy hippo born in Scottish zoo https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/06/travel/endangered-pygmy-hippo-born-gbr-scli-intl/index.html Zoo Atlanta celebrates birth of critically endangered gorilla https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2024/11/16/zoo-atlanta-celebrates-birth-critically-endangered-gorilla/

Check out these stories and more at https://www.pelecanus.org Drawdown US approves game-changing technology that turns used nuclear waste into fuel: 'A critical step' https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/news/content/ar-AA1t1QEe Kern County approves first carbon capture project in state https://calmatters.org/environment/climate-change/2024/10/california-carbon-capture-climate-kern-county/ Biodiversity Beehive fences prove effective against elephant raids in Kenya https://phys.org/news/2024-10-beehive-effective-elephant-raids-kenya.html#google_vignette COP16 biodiversity summit, Cali, Colombia: A groundbreaking new plan to make companies pay for DSI https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth/381602/cop16-dsi-digital-sequence-information-explained Baby ape born at Tampa zoo is endangered species and 'sign of hope' https://www.popsci.com/environment/baby-gibbon-florida/

In this episode of Conservation Conversations we are doing something a little different, but kind of the same… We are wrapping up our mini series, Conservation on Fire, by just talking amongst ourselves. This episode is Taylor and Austin of Pelecanus talking with Eric Zahn, Pelecanus board member and past episode interviewee, about what we do in regards to fire and forest health and it kind of just morphs into a conversation about conservation in general and how and why Pelecanus got started. You can find our website at Pelecanus.org and check the episode description for links to the programs we talked about. Check us out on Social media @Pelecanusinc and @sierranevadaalliance Host and producers are Austin Parker, Taylor Parker and Eric Zahn Music was provided by A Picture Book studio Don't forget to like comment and subscribe if you want to help We’ll talk to you next time!

Protected Areas The U.S. gets a new national marine sanctuary, the first led by a tribe https://www.npr.org/2024/10/13/nx-s1-5147914/the-u-s-gets-a-new-national-marine-sanctuary-the-first-led-by-a-tribe Judgments Judge Rejects Federal Project Threatening California's Desert Tortoises https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/judge-rejects-federal-project-threatening-californias-desert-tortoises-2024-10-16/ Supreme Court allows a rule limiting pollution from coal-fired power plants to remain in effect https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/supreme-court-allows-a-rule-limiting-pollution-from-coal-fired-power-plants-to-remain-in-effect/ar-AA1socRn

Ancestral Land Returned Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy Returns Ancestral Land to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians https://cvmc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVMC-ACBCI-Press-Release-10-10-2024.pdf Drawdown Coal has now died in its birthplace: the UK closes its last coal power station https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y35qz73n8o California sues ExxonMobil and says it lied about plastics recycling https://apnews.com/article/california-exxonmobil-lawsuit-plastic-8c5830696ffb02031c53c3077457ebc5

Drawdown CO2 turned into fuel with Japan's electrochemical cell breakthrough https://interestingengineering.com/energy/co2-turned-into-fuel-japan Biodiversity Scientists edge closer to saving the Northern White Rhino from extinction https://www.ippmedia.com/the-guardian/features/read/scientists-edge-closer-to-saving-the-northern-white-rhino-from-extinction-2024-09-23-181329 Pair of rare Amur tiger cubs debuting at Minnesota Zoo are raising hopes for the endangered species https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/pair-rare-amur-tiger-cubs-debuting-minnesota-zoo-113611789