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Alan Watson Featherstone

ECOLOGIST, NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER AND INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER
FOUNDER OF THE AWARD-WINNING CHARITY TREES FOR LIFE

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Tropical rainforests: the womb of life

Tropical rainforests: the womb of life

Tropical rainforests are the richest of all terrestrial ecosystems, and occur in a band on either side of the equator in three main parts of the world – the Neotropics (Central and South America), equatorial Africa, and Southeast Asia, including New Guinea and a small area in Northeast Australia. Teeming with life, they play a vital role in the world’s weather systems and generate much of their own rainfall, through rapid transpiration of the water that falls on them.

For over 30 years I’ve been visiting and photographing the rainforests on every continent and have developed a good understanding of their ecology and the remarkable relationships between many of their species. This presentation provides a visually stunning and highly accessible introduction to these remarkable forests, and all the life that they support.

The talk focuses on many of the key elements of the rainforests, including obvious features such as the huge buttresses on some of the trees, the role and function of lianas and the remarkable lifestyle of strangler figs. It highlights the differences between the rainforests in the three main regions where they grow and the changes that occur in them at higher elevations. The wildlife is featured in high quality photographs, from monkeys and lemurs to brightly-coloured frogs, leaf-cutter ants and highly camouflaged geckos and insects.

The presentation also covers some of the indigenous people who still live in the rainforests, and the threats that these remarkable ecosystems face from unsustainable logging, conversion to cattle pasture and agriculture, mineral exploitation and the hunting of their animals for bushmeat and so-called medicinal products. It finishes by highlighting the fact that our generation is deciding the future of the rainforests and that we can all make a contribution to ensuring that they continue to thrive in the world.

If you would like me to give this talk to a group or at an event, please contact me.

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My TEDx talk – Restoring the ancient Caledonian Forest.

TEDx TEDx – Restoring the Caledonian Forest

Recent posts

  • A shieldbug extravaganza, part 2
  • A shieldbug extravaganza, part 1
  • Life on a spear thistle
  • A twinflower day
  • Unseen biodiversity of Glen Affric, part 3

News

  • The Nature Talks: Reconnecting People and Planet Now More Than Ever
  • Trees and Bees Conference 19 March 2021
  • Forests Forever perpetual calendar – a perfect gift for Christmas
  • New podcast on Empowerment
  • Caledonian Forest Engagement Diary for 2021 now available

I’m speaking at…

  • The Nature Talks: Reconnecting People and Planet Now More Than Ever – 3 February 2021–
    7 February 2021
  • Climate Action North - Trees and Bees Online Conference to celebrate International Day of Forests 2021 – 19 March 2021
  • A Rewilding Journey: Rewilding the World and Ourselves – 22 May 2021–
    29 May 2021

Over on Twitter…

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Alan Watson Featherstone
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Jamie_Woodward_The Ice Age ❄️🌞@Jamie_Woodward_·
2h

Did you know that more than 50,000 woolly mammoth teeth have been dredged from the bed of the North Sea? And Doggerland was just one portion of the mammoth super highway. Photo: Mercury Press & Media #IceAgeEcosystems

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AlanWatsonFeat1Alan Watson Featherstone@AlanWatsonFeat1·
2h

While the headline uses the word 'populations' to describe fish, the article itself still uses the word 'stocks', which implies that fish are just a commodity for humans to exploit. Fish are free-living wild animals, not some stock item in a supermarket.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/22/only-a-third-of-uks-key-fish-populations-are-not-overfished

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AlanWatsonFeat1Alan Watson Featherstone@AlanWatsonFeat1·
2h

Maybe this can be a first step in finally acknowledging the wisdom & rights of native peoples, in the USA & other countries. "It aligns Indigenous environmental knowledge with presidential priorities that benefit everyone,” said Faith Spotted Eagle.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/21/dakota-access-pipeline-joe-biden-indigenous-environment

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