SPNL

World Migratory Bird Day: the ultimate bi-annual celebration of the amazing endurance of migratory birds

Things kick off on Saturday 8 May 2021with World Migratory Bird Day, the ultimate bi-annual celebration of the amazing endurance of migratory birds as they travel between their breeding and wintering grounds. The theme for WMBD 2021 is “Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird!”. As we did last year, BirdLife will be organising a variety of special WMBD events, including webinars and photo contests. New…

Birds can change their traditions for the better: study shows Immigration helps populations shift to more efficient behaviors

Researchers at the University of Konstanz and Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior in Germany have found that birds are able to change their culture to become more efficient. Populations of great tits were able to switch from one behavior to a better alternative when their group members were slowly replaced with new birds. Published today as open access in the journal Current Biology, this…

APU rescues swarm of storks from potential killing

Based on a tipoff from sustainable hunters saying that a flock of storks had landed in the Western Bekaa locality of ​​Safra, between Qob Elias and Ammiq, and that it might be killed by a known group of poachers, the anti-poaching unit (APU), affiliated with the Middle East Sustainable Hunting Center and SPNL, moved in after having informed the Lebanese army and military intelligence about the…

Tackling illegal killing and saving birds from limesticks in Lebanon

As part of our effort to curb the devastating damage wreaked by the illegal killing of birds, The Anti-Poaching Unit (APU) of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) and the Middle East Center for Sustainable Hunting (MESHC) organized a field investigation against limesticks hunting in Mount Lebanon Although the widespread shooting of legally protected birds in Lebanon is…

Strengthening the ecological and socio-economic resilience of West Bekaa and Mount Lebanon landscapes through sustaining their cultural practices

As part of MAVA funded project “Strengthening the ecological and socio-economic resilience of West Bekaa and Mount Lebanon landscapes through sustaining their cultural practices”, SPNL conducted a capacity building training on March 27, 2021 at Homat Al Hima International Center in Kherbet Kanafar, West Bekaa. Ms. Jamal Hamzeh, project manager started the training by providing an introduction…

Protecting nature has bigger economic benefit than exploiting it

A new study analysing sites across the world has found that in most cases, economic benefits are higher when habitats are conserved or restored rather than converted to human uses such as farming. These findings add important ammunition to our fight for a greener future. By Jessica Law One of the main arguments some people make against conserving nature is that doing so stands in the way of…

Save the date: BirdLife online auction starts on 29th March

Treat yourself to something special while supporting BirdLife’s important work in our 8-day exclusive auction, starting on Monday. All proceeds will go towards the BirdLife International Japan Fund for Science to support our Red List Programme. By Jessica Law Going, going, gone! This isn’t a phrase we usually like to hear in bird conservation, but we’ll certainly make an exception for the…

Hornbills sent to school, turtle-dove hunting exposed

Bird Conservation International journal highlights the complexities of reintroducing hornbills to the wild, the truly devastating scale of European Turtle-dove hunting, and a newly-identified Spoon-billed Sandpiper moulting site.   By Jessica Law Southern Ground-hornbill: taught to be wild We’ve all felt like the new kid at school at some point in our lives. But imagine what it must feel like…

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas & Hima Areas of Lebanon

Join CommonsConnect Webinar this Friday, March 26, to learn more about the Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas of Lebanon and Hima areas with world biodiversity leaders from the BirdLife International -Middle East Office ,the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL), and IUCN Regional Office of West Asia /North Africa. We will also highlight those organizations Regional Programs…

Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Headaches?

A great spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) on a tree. Unlike the human brain, the woodpecker’s brain is tightly confined by muscles in the skull and a compressible bone. This keeps the woodpecker brain from jiggling around when the bird is stabbing away at a tree trunk.

Why a nature-positive economic system would benefit us all

Integrating nature into business decisions isn’t just good for the environment – it also benefits society and the economy. Here’s why the world should redirect financial flows away from nature destruction and ensure biodiversity is mainstreamed into business. By Magdalene Trapp, Biodiversity Policy Officer, NABU (BirdLife in Germany) Transformational change is needed within the systems that…

Growing hope for plant conservation in Palestine

From vibrant flower carpets amongst ancient olive trees, to small, encroached patches of purple petals on hillsides, Palestine’s plants are special. And now there’s a growing movement to protect them – one that combines the enthusiasm of emerging young plant conservationists and the wisdom of traditional knowledge Ancient Olive Orchards in Palestine – © Ahmad Al Omari By Enas Sarahneh Read in…

BirdLife International Marine Programme: International Women’s Day 2021

By Samuel Wrobel Monday 8th March we’re celebrating International Women’s Day. #AlbatrossStories is a platform to share the lives of albatrosses across the world, the challenges they face, the journeys they go on, the incredible lengths these #SuperMums will go to. But on this day, we’re celebrating the incredible work of the Albatross Task Force women, whose dedication helps give our wonderful…

Choose to Challenge is Not Just a Slogan

This International Women’s Day we are celebrating motivated and brave women who chose to challenge and lead on the GEF/UNDP Birdlife International “Migratory Soaring Birds (MSB)” Project. This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is “choose to challenge”, which invites us all to choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. From challenge comes change. Let us celebrate…

How to protect bird nests: if you love them, leave them alone

Every spring, birds devote a huge amount of time and energy to looking after their eggs and chicks. If you want to give them a helping hand, here are some simple tips that you can follow in your garden and local area to keep nesting birds safe.   By Jessica Law This article is part of our Spring Alive programme, which aims inspire and educate children across Africa and Eurasia about the wonders…

Learning to lead during times of uncertainty

January 21, 2021, marked the end-of-year graduation for cohort 3.of MAVA Leaders for Nature Academy, by which, Ms. Jamal Hamzeh, the Mount Lebanon Hima Center – MLHC manager and a senior project manager at SPNL has successfully completed the one-year leadership programme. MAVA Leaders for Nature Academy is a leadership development programme for professionals from partner organizations of the…

Security Forces Magazine teams up with the Anti-poaching unit (APU) to raise awareness about conservation and responsible hunting in their pages. Poaching and illegal hunting in Lebanon are threats to species endangerment. Challenges faced by SPNL’s anti-poaching unit to combat illegal hunting and poaching are vast and with the help of responsible hunters and ISF, our work towards conservation…