Hopeful Signs on the Environmental Front
Reuters reports from Jakarta that, according to material released by the WWF, scientists have discovered more than 50 new plant and animal species in Borneo. These appear to be some of the most wonderfully strange and exotic creatures found in recent memory. One is the second smallest vertebrate measuring 0.4 inches. It also has the ability to live in the acidic black water of a peat swamp. Others have strange coloring, and one fish even has an adhesive substance on its belly enabling it to stick to rocks.
All this reinforces the need to retain and restore these vital tropical habitats that are being encroached upon by industrial development.
Once again (as mentioned in a previous post) discoveries like these point to the importance of paying attention not only to the planting of trees, but also to where those trees are planted.
Read the WWF report, Heart of Borneo, here.