Last month, Scientific Director Leon Kolankiewicz visited the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) as part of NumbersUSA’s forthcoming study on the threat posed by urban sprawl to this still-wild region often described as the American Serengeti. A few dispatches from Leon and others are shared in this post, offering a glimpse into the experience and the … Continued

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Idaho’s population has grown faster than any other state’s in the past decade. Since 1980, it has doubled, from 940,000 to over 1.9 million today, and this explosive growth is set to continue. By 2060, Idaho is on track to have a population of 2.7 million. Idaho’s population has grown so much because America’s population … Continued

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Our North Carolina report continues the secondary-migration theme of our Idaho study. Americans are leaving states with high immigration-driven population growth.

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Among the main reasons for biodiversity loss are invasive species, pesticides, over-hunting, and pollution.  But nothing compares to the clear-cutting, burning, damming, draining, and/or bulldozing of natural habitat to make way for expanding human populations.  This includes the fragmentation and disconnection of entire wildlife ecosystems, where animals can no longer move between larger habitat areas.

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Think globally, act locally, set an example This week’s International Day for Biological Diversity invites us to “be part of the Plan.” The Plan refers to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, also known as the Biodiversity Plan. For those of us in the U.S., our collective efforts to stop America’s loss of nature are contributing … Continued

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If Mayor Adams took a tour of U.S. communities with low levels of immigration, he’d find American teenagers working as lifeguards. Employers who offer competitive wages and flexible hours to teens find a willing workforce. Increases in low-wage immigrant employment, on the other hand, has been found to decrease work for teens.

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While it may seem unimportant for a small animal to go extinct (i.e., be lost forever), it matters because all species are connected through their interactions in a web of life.  A balanced and biodiverse ecosystem is one in which each species plays an important role and relies on the services provided by other species to survive.  So, saving one species means saving its habitat and the other species that live there too.

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