I feel dumb for asking - what’s the “British Solution?”
As I understand, it is reintroducing species illegally. Smuggling things that used to live there in without going through the established process.
1 Like
In southern Ontario, it would be great to see river otters, some extirpated salamander species, and (if forested areas were expanded) bears, as well as cougars.
2 Likes
For now, I dream about parnassius apollo. With our conservation group we made a LIFE project to reintroduce it to central Europe (Czechia, Poland, Austria), so I hope it became a true in a few years! You can support our mission here ;) https://www.darujme.cz/projekt/1205653
1 Like
A lot of people would call me crazy for this, but I’d love to see the eventual reintroduction of the Timber Rattlesnake to Ontario. Before Ontario was settled by the Europeans, they were plentiful along Ontario’s rocky outcrops. In fact, there were even reports of dozens taking shelter under log cabins. Unfortunately, during the late 1800s, they sent out hunting parties to eradicate them from certain areas, which eventually ended up being the entire province.
Another snake species that I’d love to see reintroduced in Ontario is the Blue Racer. They’re technically not extinct from the province as they do have a small population on Pelee Island in Lake Erie, but they were historically widespread across mainland southwestern Ontario. They’re such a gorgeous species of snake, and it tears me up inside to think that in all of Canada, they only remain on one tiny island.
4 Likes
I think rattlesnake reintroductions are a great idea!
3 Likes
Nyctoporis, Eleodes, Coelocnemis, and other large flightless tenebrionids.
Due to habitat fragmentation they’re absent from most urbanized areas here, but few people care or notice; they’re not cuddly tearjerkers. Ever seen a poster saying “save the giant stink darklings”? Me neither.
So I feel obligated to vouch for them.
2 Likes
Maybe new common names are needed for such ads? Or a funny onw with current ones. Big tenebrioids are very cute and could gather attention easily.
I would love to see the old populations of cheetahs, lions, etc. back in Oman, but many things they would eat (gazelles, oryx, tahrs, etc.) are on the verge of extinction themselves, so that would have to wait a couple decades. Plus the subspecies that were here are all gone. However, things are going in the right direction. Arabian Oryx, once extinct in the wild, have been reintroduced and the population is growing. Gazelles are on the rise as well. I am sure there are plenty of beetle that have gone extinct here, but there is so little data on Omani insects that it is impossible to know. In the US, I would love to see jaguars and panthers back in their old range.
2 Likes
Yes - I see this all the time with plants. I’ve been trying to get people to grow sneezeweed since it is a phenomenal pollinator flower for late fall fueling butterfly migration and providing food for bees that have to get through the winter. That’s a very hard sell just because of the name. Milkweeds are great for butterfly gardens, but the name “weed” seems to put people off. So the most recent gardening catalog I’ve received is selling butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) and what do they call it in their catalog? “Orange Glory Flower” Hahaha! The butterflies don’t care, but gardeners apparently do.
2 Likes
Many organisms need better publicists.
2 Likes
What species would I like re-introduced?
All of them!!
1 Like
Really, all? Everywhere? You don’t think there are any it would be unwise, cruel, or problematic to reintroduce anywhere?
2 Likes
Okay changing the rules of what I said. Only ones that are either opal color, pink or purple are allowed back into existence. Those can’t be invasive because they look cute! And cute things can never hurt. Right? 
I’ve been stung by a purple Portuguese Man-o-war. It hurt.
2 Likes
In Ireland, wolves are extinct (they got extinct in 1786) due to hunting. But I do not think it is a good iedea to bring them back because animals in ireland have adapted to living without the wolf. This might cause species like the red fox, wild european rabbit, and brown hare to decline.
1 Like
But they would be reduced back to more natural levels. European Rabbits aren’t even native to Ireland, they’re an invasive species. Wolves might help reduce their numbers.
4 Likes
Bear oak (Quercus ilicifolia) was locally extirpated in New Castle County, DE.
I would like to see it introduced, specifically, I think it would grow well on dry slopes of gravel and sand that are placed along railroad tracks and roadways, and also in some power-line-clearances, in areas that are subjected to irregular but sometimes heavy herbicide spraying. Farther north and inland, it grows well in areas like this.
It might be a good species to get established in these areas because it is highly herbicide tolerant, but also doesn’t grow very tall, so it would not pose as many pruning/maintenance needs as some of the vegetation in these areas.
It’s a bit of a weird example, because we humans have mostly destroyed / built on the few natural habitats where it was found, but we have created new habitats where I think it could probably establish if we gave it a chance. And I’ve had good luck establishing some of its other associates, like Asclepias tuberosa, in these same habitats.
4 Likes
That is a cool example!
1 Like
I recently observed a case of (temporary) “reintroduction” that came about as a result of reintroducing a long-suppressed ecosystem process. In October 2019, the “American Fire” burned more than 500 acres in American Canyon, California, including a portion of the Newell Open Space Preserve. The following spring, Goldfields (Genus Lasthenia) reappeared. Look at these observations. All observations of Lasthenia in American Canyon were made in spring of 2020. Not a coincidence! The fire brought them out of the seed bank; and the regrowth of invasive grasses and weeds sent them back into it.
We need to rethink our ideas about wildfires as disasters. In populated areas, they certainly are; but in an unpopulated preserve like Newell, they can bring about “reintroductions” without the usual cost of reintroduction efforts.
4 Likes