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10 of the World’s Most Dazzling Natural Hot Springs (Slideshow)

7:30 am in conservation, iceland, japan, new zealand, tourism, Travel & Nature by TreeHugger

grand prismatic spring intro photo Photo: Wikimedia Commons The same geothermal heat that can help you reduce your electricity bill is responsible for some of the world's most stunning natural wonders: Hot springs. When hot water bubbles up through the Earth's crust, the resulting pools are soothing, mineral-rich springs that have been used for medical, therapeutic, and spa treatments for centuries -- and also leave behind min...Read the full story on TreeHugger

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New Composting Facility Dedicated to Dirty Diapers

10:18 am in botanical, composting, new zealand, recycling by TreeHugger

composting disposable diapers photo Image credit: Inga Mun, used under Creative Commons license. I've written before about composting dirty diapers, and Mike got very excited about the news that mushrooms could break down diapers in 2 months, but given that end-of-life disposal options remain limited, and cloth diapers are yet to becom...Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Right Whales Return to New Zealand After a Century

10:23 pm in endangered species, new zealand, Travel & Nature, whales by TreeHugger

right whale tail photo Photo: Edith Schreurs / cc Southern right whales were once a common sight along the coast of New Zealand, though in the 19th century overhunting brought the species to the brink of extinction. But now, after a decades of being virtually non-existant off New Zealand's shores, wildlife experts are seeing endangered right whales finally returning to their ancestral calving grounds -- offering hope that the whales' are rediscovering a 'cultural connection' to this region after a century-long hiatus....Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Scientists Create Lady Goats Trapped in Male Bodies

11:07 pm in animals, new zealand, Science & Technology by TreeHugger

two billy goats photo Photo: Cuvée Corner / CC As you probably already know, male goats are called bucks or billies, and female goats are called does or nannies, but the results of some strange genetic modification have given rise to a new term altogether, "goys" -- transgender goats which are essentially females in male bodies. Scientists working for a genetic research institute in New Zealand have begun breeding for these transgender goats, equipped with full male anatomy, in order to see if the milk they produce will bear similarities with human breast ...Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Experts Baffled by How a Kiwi Ended Up in Russia

4:47 pm in birds, endangered species, new zealand, russia, Travel & Nature by TreeHugger

kiwi in russia photo Photo via Wikipedia Commons It's a long way from the southern climes of New Zealand to the port city of Sochi, Russia -- especially for a creature with no obvious means of getting there. Nevertheless, an endangered (and flightless) kiwi was recently discovered roaming the grounds of a Russian garden some 8,700 miles from home, baffling New Zealand conservation officials about just how it made it all that way. Experts suspect the illegal wildlife trade could be behind the kiwi's big move, noting that one thing is for cer...Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Birds in New Zealand Developing Entirely New Songs

11:45 pm in birds, new zealand, Travel & Nature by TreeHugger

north island saddleback photo Photo: angrysunbird / cc There's an avian music revolution underway on several small island in New Zealand as slew of new bird songs seem to have arisen out of nowhere -- but this more diverse music scene isn't necessarily a good thing for the birds themselves. Saddlebacks, birds native to New Zealand's North Island, seem to have developed various regional 'accents' over the last 50 years after humans relocated the species to aid in their preservation. There's just one problem with the birds' eclectic new song catalog -- now they're having a ...Read the full story on TreeHugger

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