Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Alberto Pastor 🦔 @titoalpastor.bsky.social · 9h

"In Patagonia, the pumas are prospering. Many ranchers and landowners are now making it a priority to protect the species, in order to drive eco-tourism initiatives, allowing individuals like this female to successfully raise their cubs."
📸⛰️🐆 #Pumas #Patagonia #Photography #Wildlife #Conservation

Enthralling, spectacular photographs of the pumas of Patagonia | Discover Wildlife

Living secretive lives against the spectacular backdrop of Chile’s Torres del Paine, Patagonia’s pumas are proving a conservation success.

www.discoverwildlife.com

1

Alberto Pastor 🦔 @titoalpastor.bsky.social · 10h

"Black and white photography dates back to 1826 and while color images eventually took over, monochrome photos still deliver an unmatched impact. The 2025 Exposure One Awards honor the beauty of black and white."
Amazing pics! 📸🐈‍⬛🏢 #Photography #BlackAndWhite #Arts #Culture

13 stunning and award-winning black and white photographs

The 2025 Exposure One Awards honor the beauty of monochrome.

www.popsci.com

3

Alberto Pastor 🦔 @titoalpastor.bsky.social · 10h

"Europe during the Ice Age wasn’t always the frozen wasteland we imagine. Between glaciers and tundra, rivers still flowed, and the land breathed in warm intervals. In those moments, something remarkable happened – hippos lived there."
🏔️🏞️🦛🦴🧬 #Hippos #IceAge #Europe #Adaptation #Environment

Hippos in the Ice Age? DNA reveals a survival story

Hippos survived in icy Europe far longer than thought, revealing surprising warmth and resilience during Ice Age.

www.earth.com

2 3

Alberto Pastor 🦔 @titoalpastor.bsky.social · 10h

"The Atacama desert's usually barren landscape has been transformed by a carpet of colourful wildflowers, which have been brought to life by significant rainfall during the southern hemisphere's winter months."
🏜️💦🌷🪻🌺 #Wildflowers #AtacamaDesert #Plants #Nature #Weather

Rare wildflower bloom blankets Chile's Atacama desert

One of the world's driest deserts is transformed into a sea of wildflowers after a rare bloom.

www.bbc.com

1

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

David Blanchflower BSc @davidbflower.bsky.social · 13h

'Red squirrel colony is thriving in the Dales.' 🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Yorkshire Dales endangered red squirrel colony is thriving - experts

UK Squirrel Accord confirms 16 red squirrels have been identified in a North Yorkshire colony.

www.bbc.co.uk

1 15 56

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

Mongabay @mongabay.com · 16h

The guiña, a small wildcat, has been moved to least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Found only in Chile and Argentina, this small cat was previously listed as vulnerable.

But the threat downgrade isn’t a sign of conservation success, researchers say.

IUCN downgrades guiña threat status, prompting conservation warning

The guiña, a small cat species found only in Chile and northern Argentina, has just been reclassified as of least concern by the IUCN. Until recently it was listed as vulnerable to extinction.…

news.mongabay.com

2 14 46

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

New England Primate Conservancy @neprimateconsrv.bsky.social · 16h

East Sumatran banded langurs (Presbytis percura) feed on non-native rubber trees introduced into their habitat. These became a cash crop, with huge swaths of forests destroyed. The langurs are now only found in a few isolated forests. Critically Endangered. Photo: ©Irfan Nurarifin/iNaturalist/CC.

4 10

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance @denverzoo.bsky.social · 1d

ICYMI: Our lion cubs made their big debut this week! 🦁💛 They’re out exploring their outdoor habitat from 9:30–11:30 a.m. daily in the Predator Ridge Maternity Yard, and trust us, you don’t want to miss these adorable additions out and about.

Plan your visit today: https://denverzoo.org/

1 9 43

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 1d

UNTIL IT’S DONE, Ep. 4: Sylvia Rivera

In the 1970s, queer New Yorkers had been pushed to the margins of NYC. Our trans neighbors faced immense cruelty. But in Sylvia Rivera, they found a champion.

As we combat Trump’s politics of darkness, her legacy can light the path forward.

380 5.7K 20K

Alberto Pastor 🦔 @titoalpastor.bsky.social · 1d

"Ponds with beavers had nine times more open water than those without. The difference is due partly to dams. But another beaver skillset is equally important: they excavate pond bottoms and dig canals into the surrounding landscape."
🇨🇦🦫🏞️ #Beavers #Canada #Wildlife #Nature #Environment

The dam, the myth, the legend: 50 years of the beaver

An exploration of the buck-toothed, flat-tailed, landscape-shifting icon celebrating 50 years as Canada’s national symbol

canadiangeographic.ca

1 3

Alberto Pastor 🦔 @titoalpastor.bsky.social · 1d

"Compared with monumental urban temples, the Scorpion Mound is a testimony to the engagement of a rural community with celestial knowledge. Its builders were most likely farmers who observed the sky from lands thoroughly tied to water and cultivation."
🌄🌌☀️✨ #ScorpionMound #Mexico #Archaeology

Ancient 200-foot scorpion-shaped mound in Mexico may have served as a solstice observatory

Archaeologists uncover a rare scorpion-shaped mound in Mexico that aligned with solstices and symbolized ancient farming rituals.

archaeologymag.com

1

Alberto Pastor 🦔 @titoalpastor.bsky.social · 1d

“Our effort to breed these rabbits to help ensure they don’t go extinct show the great value of zoos to the conservation of wildlife, especially for species facing extinction,” Nicole Schepis, a wild animal keeper at the Queens Zoo said in a statement.
🐰🐇🌄🌳 #Rabbits #Conservation #Wildlife

15 baby rabbits born at an NYC zoo released in New England

Queens Zoo's breeding program aims to protect the vulnerable New England cottontail.

www.popsci.com

2

Alberto Pastor 🦔 @titoalpastor.bsky.social · 1d

"It’s known as the Land of Fire and Ice for a reason. Sitting atop a volcanic hot spot, Iceland is a geographical contradiction. The frigid temperatures, icy landscape and glaciers coexist with some of the most active volcanoes in the world."
Unreal! 📸🏔️🌄🌅🌋 #Iceland #Photography #Nature #Travel

Get an Eyeful of Iceland in These 20 Photos That Capture Its Natural Beauty

These selections from the Smithsonian magazine photo contest will transport you to the small Scandinavian island

www.smithsonianmag.com

3

Alberto Pastor 🦔 @titoalpastor.bsky.social · 1d

"There are just 12 desert lions living along the Skeleton Coast, out of around 80 in Namibia. They have moved from the arid desert to the ocean in search of food, changing their diet and behaviour to adapt to this new habitat."
🦁🌊🦭 #MaritimeLions #Namibia #CatsOfBluesky #Caturday #Wildlife #Nature

'Their resilience is a lesson to us all': The maritime lions hunting seals on the beach

In Namibia, a group of desert lions have left their traditional hunting grounds for the Atlantic coast and are now thriving as the world's only maritime lions.

www.bbc.com

1 2

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

R.E.M. @remhq.bsky.social · 1d

📸 An all-time favorite photo of Michael at Phillips Arena, Atlanta, October 11, 2003 by Rick Diamond who said, "It was always the best times photographing R.E.M. They were the home town (Athens/Atlanta) heroes. From the early days to the final days never a dull moment." Cheers, Rick!

1 9 190

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

Sarah Primate @langurlover.bsky.social · 1d

👍

World’s largest Indigenous-led conservation project launched - The Wildlife Society

A $375M landmark partnership is backing Indigenous-led conservation and development across the Northwest Territories

wildlife.org

1 7

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

Sarah Primate @langurlover.bsky.social · 1d

🐢

Wildlife Center of Virginia welcomes 13 hatchling Snapping Turtles - Rocktown Now

In mid-September, the Wildlife Center of Virginia welcomed a special group of patients—13 hatchling Snapping Turtles that emerged from eggs laid at the Center.

rocktownnow.com

1 6

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

Sarah Primate @langurlover.bsky.social · 1d

#Paleontology 🦛

Hippos survived in Europe well into the last ice age, study finds

Hippos, today restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, survived in central Europe far longer than previously assumed. Analyses of bone finds demonstrate that hippos inhabited the Upper Rhine Graben sometime ...

phys.org

1 1

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

Baggage @carrieonbaggage.bsky.social · 1d

So lovely.

The video alone is wonderful
Free read for first article:
www.smh.com.au/environment/...

1 2

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

New England Primate Conservancy @neprimateconsrv.bsky.social · 1d

Blond capuchins (Sapajus flavius) are found in a handful of populations along Brazil's Atlantic coast. An estimated 500 mature individuals remain. Losing habitat to coastal development, cattle ranching, & farming; habitats are severely fragmented. Endangered. Photo: Miguelrangeljr/Creative Commons.

4 16

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

Silvia Pineda-Munoz, PhD - Climate Ages @climateages.bsky.social · 2d

A 126,000-year-old butt-drag just made fossil history.
A tiny rock hyrax scooted across the sand of ancient South Africa, and that moment was preserved in stone.

Even the smallest acts can echo through time.
🧪 #SciComm
buff.ly/dcGWTR4

The 126,000-Year-Old Butt-Drag That Rewrote What Counts as a Fossil

How a small animal’s odd habit turned into one of the most unexpected stories ever preserved in stone Some discoveries make headlines because they’re dramatic: new...

climateages.com

6 56 170

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

Mini Motley Sanctuary @minisanctuary.bsky.social · 2d

Are you looking for something special with sparkle? ✨

Please take a peek in our Etsy shop for unique handmade gifts & decorations!

Every sale helps our sanctuary & we gift wrap EVERYTHING so that your parcel is ready to give ❤️

We’re so thankful for your support!
👉 minimotleysanctuary.etsy.com

2 24 77

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance @denverzoo.bsky.social · 2d

🐿️🍂 Meet Marshall and Beck, our two Prevost’s squirrels, also known as tri-colored squirrels. Native to the forests of Southeast Asia, these energetic explorers love to jump, climb, and shred their way through a day full of enrichment!
#SquirrelAwarenessMonth!

3 15

Reposted by Alberto Pastor 🦔

Lemur Conservation Network @lemurnetwork.bsky.social · 2d

Meet the Coquerel’s giant mouse lemur — a tiny primate with some giant nighttime adaptations! These nocturnal pros have huge, reflective eyes that help them spot every bit of light in the dark forest. #FunFactFriday
📸 Photo: Cheryl Antonucci

3 7

Alberto Pastor 🦔 @titoalpastor.bsky.social · 2d

"In many cultures, fall root vegetables are much more than merely food. They are resilient crops that thrive in spite of environmental challenges. They survive underground through droughts, storms, and frosts, making them reliable."
🧑🏽‍🌾🌱🌾🥔🍠🫚 #RootVegetables #Fall #Gardening #Plants

11 Traditional Fall Root Vegetables from Around the World

Fall is the ideal time for planting root vegetables, in the U.S. and many places around the globe. Here are some of the traditional fall root vegetables grown in other cultures that you can grow in yo...

www.epicgardening.com