A black-throated finch (Poephila cincta). (Image credit: Getty) A primary school in Australia is breeding endangered finches — but although the program is bringing awareness to the birds’ plight, it won’t save them, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) . The southern subspecies of the black-throated finch, called Poephila cincta cincta , is native to north-east Australia. It is thought to be extinct in New South Wales, and only an estimated 1,000 are left in the wild in Queensland, according to the ABC. But inside the classroom, they’re thriving. Brett Murphy, a Science, Technology, Education and Math (STEM) teacher at the Belgian Gardens State School in Australia, created the breeding program seven years ago and, with the help of his students, has been successfully breeding the finches for the past six years. In the breeding program, the team now cares for 120 finches, which includes the black-throated finch ( Poephila cincta ) and other species, such as the Gouldian finch ( Erythrura gouldiae ). The program also breeds other types of birds, including the golden-shouldered parrot ( Psephotus chrysopterygius ), according to the ABC. Students take care of these animals daily, feeding them and making observations of their […]
These Students Are Breeding Endangered Finches. But Will It Save the Species?
Latest Articles
Coffee waste can supercharge the growth of new forests
What happens when you dump 30 trucks full of coffee waste on land set aside for reforestation? Well, the forest recovers a heck...
Students design skateboard wheels made from chewing gum
Chewing gum: it’s a type of plastic pollution that we’re just not talking about enough. Most modern chewing gums are made from synthetic...
Kiribati Floating Houses address rising waters and land limitations
Architectural design takes all forms, with a focus from the ground up. But UOOU, an Amsterdam- and London-based design practice, came up with...
Once Imperiled, America’s Bald Eagle Populations Are Soaring
U.S. bald eagle populations have more than quadrupled in the lower 48 states since 2009, according to a new survey from the U.S....
Indigenous peoples by far the best guardians of forests – UN report
The embattled indigenous peoples of Latin America are by far the best guardians of the regions’ forests, according to a UN report, with...
Has Eugene, Oregon, found a ‘superpower’ for climate action?
Organizer Dylan Plummer addresses the crowd during a March protest outside the offices of Northwest Natural, the Eugene, Oregon, gas utility. Activists are...
