1 . Cold winter coming

Big snowstorms and cold air swept across northern China in the first week of November. Many people trembled in the freezing cold. At the same time, a global meeting on climate change—COP 26—was held in Glasgow, Scotland. There, leaders from around the world tried to deal with global warming.

Why are we experiencing such a cold winter on a warming planet? The cold winter and global warming, two seemingly opposite facts, are not contradictory. Global warming does not happen evenly(均衡地) on Earth, and it causes more extreme heat and cold.

Because of the warming climate, China has seen a growing average temperature in winter. It has increased by 0.41 C every ten years since 1961. But in some cases, the country has also seen freezing cold—for example, the icy weather in early 2008.

Global warming has changed Earth’s air circulation(循环), affecting the local weather through sea-air or land-air interaction. For example, in October, La Nina affected China. It is a weather pattern caused by strong winds above the Pacific Ocean. It brought more cold air to China.

Another reason for the cold weather is the warming Arctic. It is warming almost three times as fast as any other place on Earth. The polar vortex(极地涡旋)—a rotating pool of cold air—becomes unstable as the temperature increases there. So, lots of cold Arctic air then goes southward.

Will this winter be much colder? The official forecast said a cold winter is likely. Northern China will probably see more snow than average, and southern China less rainfall than average.

2 . Wildlife crossings don’t just protect animals. They can also mitigate problems related to wildlife-vehicle collisions (碰撞) and save significant money for a community.

Wildlife crossings are man-made structures that help animals move safely around their habitat. They are often paths under or over another existing road or railway, or underground passages for animals to get past for food or avoiding attacks.

Some animals are unable to migrate to survive. People still rely on highways for business and travel, and animals continue to have mobility needs for survival, though. When new roads are built, animals living in a part of their habitat can greatly increase the number of wildlife vehicle collisions while trying to cross the new barriers.

In a new study, Wisnu Sugiarto, a Washington State University economics doctoral student, examined data for 13 of the 22 wildlife crossings, including bridges and underpasses, in the Washington State. He compared the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions each year before and after the construction of a wildlife crossing. He considered the area within 10 miles of a crossing.

Then he compared his analysis to a separate area in the state with no crossings at all. “The findings reported that wildlife crossing structures reduced the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions by one to three accidents on average per mile per year,” Sugiarto said. “Therefore, building wildlife crossing structures is typically an essential and effective strategy to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions.”

“Trior to working on this research, I wasn’t aware of any strategies to reduce wildlife vehicle collisions. I also thought we couldn’t do much about it, partly because we wouldn’t be able to communicate with wildlife and control their movement,” Sugiarto added. “However, it turns out that there are multiple strategies to deal with issues related to wildlife-vehicle collisions and we can do something about them. ”

It is reported that the government has invested $ 350 million over five years for the construction of wildlife crossings. Every wildlife crossing offers a mean benefit of between $235,000 and $443,000 each year.

3 . According to the National Audubon Society, about 60 percent of all North American bird species have experienced northward shift during migration over the past four decades. This is symbolic of habitat loses from human development, as well as climate change. Without taking action to protect migratory bird’s habitats, many of these species will eventually die out, which in turn can destroy the ecosystems that depend on the bird species. While these numbers are based in North American, bird extinction is a worldwide problem.

World Migratory Bird Day was established in 2006 as a holiday to help educate the public and raise awareness about the growing problems that are affecting the habitats of bird species around the world. It has since become a holiday recognized by the United Nations, and it helps to organize events in numerous countries. World Migratory Bird Day was established at the height of the age in which humans were starting to understand the influence of climate change.

Since World Migratory Bird Day is held over the second weekend of May, the dates can differ. In 2014, the holiday started on Saturday, May 10^th. In 2015, the starting date was May 9^th. Celebrating the holiday over an entire weekend gives families and bird enthusiasts alike a chance to get outdoors and learn more about migratory birds.

Education is at the center of World Migratory Bird Day celebration. The number of programs and festivals continue to grow each year, the content differing by area. World Migratory Bird Day provides people with the opportunity to learn about their favourite birds, and there are often bird watching tours planned for that weekend.

While World Migratory Bird Day can be a fun way to learn about birds and their habitats, the weekend holiday is also focused on some serious notes surrounding conservation. At events and festivals, the public can learn exactly how their native birds’ habitats are being destroyed, and more importantly, people can learn how to stop the destruction.

4 . “If the world ends one day, these collections will bring hope of a new beginning to life on Earth,” said Li Pei, a staff member at the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, or GBOWS, in Yunnan province.

Founded in 2007, GBOWS is a research and preservation facility for rare and endangered plants and animals. It is the largest in Asia in terms of species.

According to China Daily, GBOWS has preserved 85,046 seed types from 10,601 species and 60,262 biosamples of 2,203 wild animal species and domestic animal breeds.

“The number of seed accessions is close to that of the world’s biggest seed bank — the Millennium Seed Bank in the United Kingdom,” Li said.

With two in five plant species at risk of extinction, she said it is a race against time to protect the nation’s incredible plant life.

So how does the bank work? Scientists collect endangered and useful wild species and send them to the seed bank. For future study, collectors have to record details of the plant, including where it was found, its size and the number of individual plants in the habitat.

Once the seeds arrive at GBOWS, they’re dried and preserved in a room with 15 percent humidity. Next, they’re cleaned and separated from pieces. After that, X-rays confirm that the seeds are undamaged and no insects are hidden inside. The seeds are then frozen, stored in glass bottles and placed in huge freezers at -20℃ for long-term storage. Each container has a barcode that can be scanned to enable scientists to view information about the seeds inside.

The bank in Yunnan works with international partners on collecting backup (备份) samples, exchanges and research. It holds 2,176 sets of seeds from 45 countries and regions, with each set containing thousands of individual seeds.

“As China has rich and unique biological resources, we aim to further enhance our collections and conduct deeper research, in expectation of contributing more to biodiversity conservation, not only in China but the world,” Li Pei said.

5 . Growing up, Danielle Belleny was always outdoors, picking up insects and investigating the animal world on her own. She hadn’t yet heard of wildlife biology, but that’s what she was learning about. She wanted to be a vet, a person who can treat sick or injured animals, at first. She said, “I always knew I wanted to work with animals, and as a kid，that was the only job I knew where I could do that.” But when Belleny was in college, her dad advised her to learn wildlife biology instead of veterinary.

Later, Belleny started working on research projects. One project involved placing trackers on a bird called the northern bobwhite. For another, she spent time herding goats, as a way to protect a grass habitat for endangered box turtles (龟) without hurting them.

Belleny’s working at Plateau Land &. Wildlife Management. “In the mornings, I’m usually out the door before sunrise,” she says. She surveys birds, keeping track of different species. And she searches for signs of what other animals in the area are doing. Around lunchtime, she’ll return home and write up a report. In the afternoon, she leaves for another site visit. Landowners can request her services. She advises people on how to protect the wildlife that lives on their farm. Her work takes her all around Texas.

Outside of work, young Belleny has been bird-watching for seven years. Her first book This Is a Book for People Who Love Birds was published in May, 2022. Now she’s working on a children’s book about birding, which is scheduled to come out in fall 2023. Belleny has some advice for young people thinking about careers. “Try everything you’re interested in through books and libraries. If you’re into wildlife biology, go to a library and find some field guides. After learning much information, you can do research work more easily.

8 . Imagine being able to pop to your local park and pick some tomatoes, potatoes or even bananas to take home for dinner. Sounds too good to be true, right? For residents of Andernach, German, it’s not just a dream—it’s their reality.

In 2010, Andernach began its edible(可食用的)city project, planting 101 varieties of tomatoes in public green spaces around the city centre. Its 30,000 residents are free to help themselves to whatever grows, as are any other visitors.   The town’s motto of sorts is “Picking is encouraged—help yourself!” Every year a new type of plant is highlighted. In 2011, 100 types of beans were planted, while 2012saw the introduction of 20 onion varieties.

It’s a community effort, as local citizens are encouraged to help plant and maintain the gardens. This offers an opportunity to socialise as well as to learn about planting, cultivating and harvesting food.

An Andernach resident spoke to DW,“I often drop by to pick some herbs that I’m missing at home. Everything is easily accessible. There aren’t any fences. You just take what you need. The only thing is that you have to be quick once the fruits are ripe or they’ll all be gone!”

Andernach may have been the first in German, but it isn’t the only edible city. It’s part of the Edible Cities Network, a project funded by European Union to connect green urban foot initiatives around the world. Other cities include Carthage in Tunisia, Havana in Cuba and Sempeter-Vrtojba in Slovenia. In February 2022, the first Edible Cities Network Conference took place. Dr Ina Saumel, principal investigator of the Edible Cities Network, called it “a unique opportunity to invite researchers of edible city solutions and practitioners to the same table.”

Ultimately, the Edible Cities Network aims to give people “greener, more edible and, above all, more livable cities.” It is a response to the pressures of global climate change, and a significant cause full of hope.

9 . In 1960 Jane Goodall, a British primatologist (灵长类动物学家), observed chimpanzees in Gombe National Park in Tanzania. At that point, it was thought only humans had the capacity to create and use tools, but the chimpanzees were using thin leaves of grass to fish termites (白蚁) from their mounds (土堆).

Since then the distinction between animals and humans has become less obvious. In addition to tool making, chimpanzees — and many other animals besides — display emotion and self-awareness. Studies show that elephants feel sad and rats have empathy. In “The Creative Life of Animals” Carol Gigliotti, a professor in Vancouver, has compiled (汇编) research that examines such behaviour through the lens of creativity.

This requires a more generous definition of creativity. Ms Gigliotti suggests considering creativity from the animal’s point of view instead of human’s. “If animals in their own cultures can solve problems or create products of value to them, it seems accurate to consider these as creative,” she writes.

Beaver lodges (海狸窝) are a case in point: there is no single model for their construction. Each river or lake has its unique features and beavers create a custom-made structure to adapt to the given habitat — so, in Ms Gigliotti’s opinion, lodges deserve to be considered a creative activity.

Though seemingly a book about creativity, the author frequently turns to discuss animal emotion and intelligence. She argues that animal personality is not limited to primate, dogs or cats, but also many other animals including ants, fish and mice.

The book makes its strongest case when advocating a revision of how to think about, and act towards, animals. Ms Gigliotti points out that humans are only one of millions of species on Earth. She suggests that animals are individuals with complicated and creative lives of their own.