Giant Reeds, Eucalyptus Trees and Rubbish Destroy a River in Portugal

Ribeira do Marchante is a vanishing river

There is a river in Quinta do Conde in Portugal known as the Ribeira do Marchante or the Ribeira de Coina. It was once a navigable river that had a lot of water and even supported rice fields back in the 1800s. Today it can be difficult to see, and difficult to find any stretches of water that are not choked with Giant Reeds (Arundo donax) and other vegetation.

In the droughts that are now a new normal in Portugal due to Climate Change, the bed of this river is often dry for much of its course, and for much of the year. Rubbish and fly-tipping litter its banks and surrounding areas.

Some of this trash is in the river itself. This river is disappearing. The land next to it has many Eucalyptus trees. They are known to take a lot of groundwater from any land they are growing in. This non-endemic tree is adding to the threats to the river’s health. I have lived in Quinta do Conde for eight years and have seen the Ribeira do Marchante in much better condition in the first years I was here. In the past I have seen ducks swimming on it, Iberian Water Frogs (Pelophylax perezi)

in many parts, and I have even seen a rare European Pond Tortoise (Emys orbicularis) dive into the water. On World Rivers Day (24 September), with the EcoGrupo Trevo, local environmental conservation group, I went walking the route of the Ribeira do Marchante, including a part that I was not familiar with. I was horrified to see how much Giant Reed is now growing in and along the river. If it continues like this there will be no water flowing. The Giant Reed is an invasive species and creates problems in many parts of the world. It is resistant to fires because it can regenerate, it uses up a lot of water, its roots go deep into the soil making it hard to remove, it spreads rapidly, it grows very quickly, and it displaces native vegetation while destroying wildlife habitat. As for the Eucalyptus trees, several years ago a team of men cut down some of the trees near the Sports Stadium, which is close to the river. However, they left the stumps and soon after the trees sprouted again. 

The Eucalyptus recovers quickly when felled, and also regenerates after being burned in wildfires. This tree is causing a big problem in many parts of Portugal. In addition to all this, paths through the woodland on the banks of the river are being churned up by trail bike riders, people on 4-wheelers, and we even encountered a car actually driving along the riverbed in one part. All of this causes sand to wash down into the river in storms. My conclusion is that the Ribeira do Marchante needs help, and needs help urgently or it will continue to decline fast and will eventually be no more than a memory. I am a member of ESRAG (Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group) and this group is very concerned with restoration of rivers and wetland. There is an Adopt a River group. I am also an active member in SAVE THE FROGS! a charitable organisation that, as its name suggests, is dedicated to saving frogs and other amphibians worldwide. There are grants available from Rotary and from SAVE THE FROGS to fund the sort of work that would be needed to save the Ribeira do Marchante. I am hoping that the money can be found to fund a restoration project. I think something should be done to halt the destruction of this river before it is too late.

Portuguese:

A Ribeira do Marchante é um rio em extinção

Existe um rio na Quinta do Conde em Portugal conhecido como Ribeira do Marchante ou Ribeira de Coina. Já foi um rio navegável que tinha muita água e até sustentava campos de arroz no século XIX. Hoje pode ser difícil ver e encontrar trechos de água que não estejam obstruídos por Canas/Juncos gigantes (Arundo donax) e outras vegetações. Nas secas que são agora uma nova normalidade em Portugal devido às Alterações Climáticas, o leito deste rio fica frequentemente seco durante grande parte do seu curso e durante grande parte do ano. Lixo e despejos espalhados pelas margens e áreas adjacentes. Parte desse lixo está no próprio rio. Este rio está desaparecendo. O terreno ao lado possui muitos eucaliptos. Sabe-se que retiram muita água subterrânea de qualquer terreno onde crescem. Esta árvore não endémica está a aumentar as ameaças à saúde do rio. Moro na Quinta do Conde há oito anos e vi a Ribeira do Marchante em muito melhores condições nos primeiros anos que aqui estive. No passado, vi patos nadando nele, rãs d'água ibéricas (Pelophylax perezi) em muitas partes, e até vi uma rara tartaruga europeia (Emys orbicularis) mergulhar na água.

No Dia Mundial dos Rios (24 de Setembro), com o EcoGrupo Trevo, grupo local de conservação ambiental, fui percorrer o percurso da Ribeira do Marchante, incluindo uma parte que não conhecia. Fiquei horrorizado ao ver quanto Cana está crescendo agora dentro e ao longo do rio. Se continuar assim não haverá água fluindo. A Cana é uma espécie invasora e cria problemas em muitas partes do mundo. É resistente ao fogo porque pode se regenerar, consome muita água, suas raízes penetram profundamente no solo dificultando sua remoção, se espalha rapidamente, cresce muito rapidamente e desloca a vegetação nativa ao mesmo tempo que destrói o habitat da vida selvagem. Quanto aos eucaliptos, há vários anos uma equipa de homens derrubou algumas árvores perto do Estádio Desportivo, que fica perto do rio. Porém, eles abandonaram os tocos e logo depois as árvores voltaram a brotar. O eucalipto se recupera rapidamente quando derrubado, e também se regenera após ser queimado em incêndios florestais. Esta árvore está a causar um grande problema em muitas zonas de Portugal.Além de tudo isso, os caminhos pela mata às margens do rio estão sendo agitados por ciclistas de trilha, pessoas em veículos de quatro rodas, e até encontramos um carro passando pelo leito do rio em um trecho. Tudo isso faz com que a areia desça para o rio durante as tempestades. A minha conclusão é que a Ribeira do Marchante precisa de ajuda, e precisa de ajuda urgentemente ou continuará a diminuir rapidamente e acabará por não passar de uma memória.Sou membro do ESRAG (Grupo de Ação Rotary para Sustentabilidade Ambiental) e este grupo está muito preocupado com a restauração de rios e zonas húmidas. Existe um grupo Adote um Rio.

Também sou um membro ativo do SAVE THE FROGS! uma organização de caridade que, como o próprio nome sugere, se dedica a salvar sapos e outros anfíbios em todo o mundo. Existem subsídios disponíveis do Rotary e da SAVE THE FROGS para financiar o tipo de trabalho que seria necessário para salvar a Ribeira do Marchante. Espero que o dinheiro possa ser encontrado para financiar um projeto de restauração. Penso que algo deveria ser feito para impedir a destruição deste rio antes que seja tarde demais.

The Magic of Butterflies and Moths is a new Moon Books title

The Magic of Butterflies and Moths is my new book

The Magic of Butterflies and Moths is my latest book published by Moon Books. It will be available on 24 February 2023, but it can be preordered now. As the title suggests I take a look at what can be considered as magical about these amazing insects. Everyone is familiar with the incredible transformation from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis and then to adult butterfly but there are many more astounding facts about butterflies and moths. 

Swallowtail caterpillars

I first became fascinated by these insects when I was a little boy. I used to keep caterpillars in jam jars and other containers. I learned then that you had to feed the larvae with the right types of plants. I also learned that some chrysalises and pupae have a short time before they emerge as adults, while others must wait many months and go right through the winter and the spring months before eclosing in early summer. Many species of butterfly and moth embark on lengthy migrations at specific times of the year. They can fly incredibly long distances and cross seas. The Monarch is probably most famous of all for its annual migration from the lower part of Canada and the most northerly American states right down to Florida, California and Mexico. It overwinters in the south and in the spring it begins the migration northwards. 

Monarch butterfly

I take a look at butterflies that live in the most inhospitable areas where you would probably think these insects cannot be found. But there are butterflies that live within the Arctic circle, in Lapland and Siberia. Some butterflies have extraordinary life cycles. There are species of Blue butterfly that depend on specific species of ants finding their caterpillars. The ants take the caterpillars into their nests where when fully grown the butterfly larvae become chrysalises. The very rare Large Blue is a species that is like this. 

Many species of butterfly and moth employ elaborate camouflage as adults and as caterpillars to help protect them from predators. When their wings are folded some species look like dead leaves as adults, some caterpillars look like twigs. Other types have displays and warning colours of bold contrasting hues that are a signal that says “do not eat me because I will poison you!” There are moth species that cannot feed as adults, there are many others in which the females are not only unable to eat but they cannot fly either. Yet the caterpillars of these species are some of the most gaudy and exotic looking of all. Some moths, such as the weird looking Death’s-head Hawk-moth have become the subject of superstitions. Because it has an odd skull-like marking on its thorax and because it has weird behaviour such as the ability to squeak, this moth was regarded as a bad omen. 

Death's-head Hawkmoth

As well as the appearances and behaviour of many species of butterfly and moth I take a look at what we can do to help them. There is a chapter devoted to butterfly gardening, as well as a list of some organisations where you can find out more about butterfly (and moth) conservation. 

The Magic of Butterflies and Moths has some wonderful endorsements from people such as Rebecca of Rebecca’s Butterfly Farm who said: “Lovely stories and lots of amazing facts.” Paul Hetherington, Buglife Director of Fundraising and Communications described my book like this: “The Magic of Butterflies and Moths is just what is needed to help people understand and have friendlier relationships with these incredible insects, a major goal of our No Insectinction campaign.” 

My book will be available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk as well as many other book suppliers around the world. Just Google “Steve Andrews The Magic of Butterflies and Moths” and pick up your copy. 

Songs for World Peace are good for the world of nature too

Songs for World Peace benefit the environment and animals too

Tomorrow is International Peace Day and I am one of many artists worldwide taking part in the Wake Up, Rise Up, LIVE4Peace concert. I knew I wanted to be involved in this as soon as I heard about it, and I always think that peace is not just what humans need because it means a healthy environment in which animals benefit too. Consider war-torn Ukraine right now where countless abandoned dogs and cats are suffering and dying. Animals in a war-zone, besides being terrified, can easily get lost if they run away in fear, and others sadly get abandoned by people who have to leave where they have been living in a hurry. Many cats and dogs get trapped in buildings, some get seriously wounded and killed, just like people can too.

War brings death and destruction. With gunfire and rockets being fired, there is often no let up for days. Think about how scared pet dogs and cats get on the one night of Bonfire Night, and by celebratory fireworks. In a war the loud noises and explosions don’t stop after a few hours.

Wars can destroy forests and wildlife habitats too. I am thinking of the horror of what happened with the spraying of Agent Orange herbicide in the war against Vietnam in the 1960s and early 1970s. The U.S. military used the poisonous substance as a defoliant so there was no longer any cover or hiding places created by the trees. It worked well from the point of view of destroying forest trees but it also drastically reduced biodiversity and had long lasting harmful effects on millions of humans who were exposed to the chemicals. Dioxins from Agent Orange persist in the environment causing harm to man and beast. The herbicide is associated with many forms of cancer and with birth defects. Agent Orange was also used on agricultural land to destroy crops.

Far more recently there was a lot of worry about the Russian forces in the Chernobyl area. Chernobyl has become noted as a region contaminated with nuclear radiation that caused humans to abandon it but where over the years, the world of nature has reclaimed the land and very many species of fauna and flora have been living. In some cases it is said that there are more of some types of animal living there now than when people were living in the nearby city of Pripayat.

It was feared that the recent Russian occupation of Chernobyl could undo everything, and that the area could become highly contaminated again and a threat to surrounding parts of the world. War is a very great danger to the world of nature as well as to the world of humans, and that is why I am singing for peace. Wake Up, Rise Up, LIVE4Peace have arranged it so that artists taking part can collect donations towards any charities of their choice. I have chosen The Rotary Club of Wyndham Harbour, which I am a member of. Rotary Clubs worldwide have world peace as one of the many goals being worked for. Please join us in taking action for peace. Even thinking peace, is a good place to start, which is why the late John Lennon, who was famous not only for being one of The Beatles but for his peace-campaigning with his wife Yoko Ono, advised us to THINK PEACE! 

The Death’s-head Hawk-moth must have a very difficult life

The mysterious life of the Death’s-head Hawk-moth

Death’s-head Hawk-moth. Photo: Steve Andrews

The Death’s-head Hawk-moth (Acherontia atropos) is a very remarkable insect in many ways. Once seen it will never be forgotten with its skull-like marking on the back of its thorax, dark but beautifully patterned wings, its massive size, and stout furry banded body. But this hawkmoth must lead a very difficult life, and it doesn’t surprise me that it is rare. The Death’s-head Hawk-moth’s main food is apparently honey and it steals this from beehives. It is even known as the “Bee Robber.” So one of the first things the insect must do in its life is locate a hive, not so easy these days with the terrible decline in honeybees, said to be due to Colony Collapse Disorder. It then has to enter the home of the bees, find the honeycomb and use its short proboscis to break through the wax to steal the sweet liquid.

There are theories about how it manages to do this without being attacked by angry bees. One theory is that it emits a smell that causes the bees to leave it alone because it mimics the scent of the bees. It appears that the moth requires the stimulus of being in a hive to go about feeding. In captivity if supplied with honey on a pad it won’t touch this. Websites with details of caring for the moth say that the only way to feed it is to carefully hold the insect and unroll the proboscis so that it goes into a mixture of honey and water. Although the moths will struggle, it is said that after one or two attempts they will learn to feed this way and will take their food on future days. I cannot confirm this because I have to admit I have given up with my attempts and have released moths in my care. The Death’s-head Hawk-moth also squeaks quite loudly when alarmed, and it is definitely alarmed when held for attempted force feeding. My question is why won’t it feed itself? Otherwise in published literature there is very little information about how the adults feed. In a very few places I have read that they also take tree sap and resin, have been known to puncture fruit, accept rotting fruit,  and even that they take the nectar from a Petunia flower, not the normal way but by breaking into the part of the flower that holds the nectar. I have left a moth with a pad soaked in honey and water, and also with Petunia flowers and the moth ignored all of it. Literature on these moths also maintain that this hawkmoth will not attempt to mate until the males have fed and until a few days have gone by. So even if you have males and females emerging around the same time it is still not easy to get them to mate. You have to find a way to feed them, and need somewhere to keep the insects safely where they do not damage their wings trying to escape. In my experience this moth emerges from its pupa at night and soon after the wings are dried it wants to fly. I have had them eclose in the early hours of the morning. I have read that the moth flies very late at night, and this appears to be correct. Researching the Death’s-head Hawk-moth fails to turn up much information that I haven’t given here. I am wondering whether these moths do feed otherwise but have not been studied well enough for anyone to know how they feed or what on.

  Death’s-head Hawk-moth caterpillar. Photo: Steve Andrews

The caterpillars are another matter though, and the information on them today is far, far greater than when I was a boy. Books on insects many years ago used to say the caterpillar fed on the foliage of the Potato, possibly on the Jasmine too, and that was about it. Nowadays the reported range these huge larvae can eat is very  wide indeed. Besides Potato and Jasmine, it is known to feed on Deadly Nightshade, Woody Nightshade, Snowberry, Thornapple, Tree Tobacco, Tomato, Hemp, Lantana, Olive, Privet, Lilac, Buddleia and Tulip Tree. I have found them on Thornapple in Tenerife and Lantana there. I suspect the caterpillar can also feed on Sea Grape because I encountered a wandering larva once in a shopping precinct where the only vegetation present was on some specimens of this tree. Unlike many species, the caterpillar of the Death’s-head Hawk-moth is almost spoiled for choice. Nevertheless I have found they don’t like to switch plants that they have been eating. Larvae reared on Privet expect more Privet. Besides the unusual feeding habits of the adult moths, I wonder what causes some of them to embark on lengthy migrations, including those in which it flies over the seas. This species has been found as far north as the Shetland Islands in the UK, but clearly could not withstand the winters up there, which would be far too cold. It is said that this species cannot get through winters in Britain elsewhere. What causes it to migrate? How does it decide which direction to fly? How does it find beehives? The Death’s-head Hawk-moth is a very mysterious moth don’t you agree?

Could Lisbon play host to an Ocean Aid concert

 Is Lisbon the ideal city for an Ocean Aid concert? 

Steve Andrews interviewed at a Rock in Rio Lisboa concert

This summer, Lisbon was the city chosen to hold the UN Ocean Conference, a week-long event attended by thousands. Celebrities, including Aquaman star Jason Momoa, and oceanographer, explorer and author Dr Sylvia Earle, were among the many special guest speakers. There was extensive media coverage for the conference in which very great numbers of organisations concerned with saving the seas and the marine life in them took part.

I went along to the event myself and came away feeling inspired, and thinking this: if Lisbon is where a United Nations conference can be held with the theme being saving the oceans, wouldn’t the city also make the perfect place to hold an Ocean Aid rock concert? I came up with the idea of Ocean Aid when I penned my song “Where Does All The Plastic Go?”

I have blogged about it before. I have talked about my idea in any media interviews I have had worldwide. I even have a book with a chapter all about it. Saving Mother Ocean, which was endorsed by Captain Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd, explains how I thought such an event could follow in the footsteps of Live Aid, but this time raising awareness about the many threats to the oceans and to raise funds for charitable organisations working on saving the seas.

I was thinking Lisbon would be perfect, not only for me because I live near the city, but far more importantly, because there are two well-known concert promoters here that stage really big all day outdoor music events. I am talking about Rock In Rio Lisboa and NOS Alive. I have been to Rock In Rio Lisboa concerts in Lisbon. One of the acts I saw here was Bruce Springsteen back in 2016. I mention “The Boss” because he is an example of the type of very high profile rock stars that have performed at a Rock in Rio concert. Concert organisers and promoters like Rock In Rio Lisboa and NOS Alive know what it takes to put on really big events. They know the sort of money that is needed, they know what it takes to successfully run such concerts, they have the right contacts in the music industry. And, again very important, there are parks in Lisbon that can be used to stage these events. In other words, we have it all here, everything that would be needed to put on an Ocean Aid Lisboa concert. I would choose Sea Shepherd to be the charity that funds could be raised for. Mick Jagger, Coldplay and Steven Tyler, are some very big name acts that I know support this organisation. As it happens, Coldplay are already going to be playing four concerts here in Portugal next year. Wouldn’t it be amazing if they also performed an Ocean Aid concert? I need to get my idea to the right people. I have tried sending messages to Rock In Rio and to NOS Alive but no replies as yet. I am sure they get thousands of people contacting them, so I am not that surprised I have had no response. Maybe this blog will get seen by someone from Rock In Rio Lisboa or NOS Alive, maybe some other big concert organiser will see it? If they do, hopefully they will like my idea and will help me make an Ocean Aid concert a reality in Portugal?

Testing positive for plastic, so is there a plastic pandemic?

Besides the Covid pandemic are we also the victims of a plastic pandemic?

It is worrying enough testing positive for Covid-19 and the pandemic has caused so much suffering and deaths around the world, but what if there is another form of pandemic that people do not know about? I am not talking about one that we can be vaccinated against. What if there is a plastic pandemic, not caused by a virus but by nano-plastics in the bloodstream? I was already well aware that micro-plastics and nano-plastics are being found everywhere, and I mean everywhere, so it didn’t surprise me that plastic has been found in human blood. We are consuming plastic in our food and drink and in the air we breathe. Most of this plastic we cannot see and are unaware of. The scale of this is unknown but it is happening increasingly, and now there are people who have tested positive for plastic. I was recently at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, and there were two guest speakers there who are some of the first people in the world who have gone through the alarming experience of finding they test positive for plastic in their bloodstream. Jo Royle, founder of Common Seas was one of them and Ben Jack, programme director for Common Seas was the other. They know that they are living with plastic circulating in their bodies. Scientists testing for plastic have discovered that as many as 77% of those tested were found to have the material in their blood. It is unknown as to what effect plastic in our bloodstreams can cause. Will the material lodge in organs and tissues, will this cause harm, how will the body attempt to remove the plastic, are some of the questions that spring to mind. Do plastic particles in the blood lead to blood clots? Of course, the main problem is that plastic was made to last forever, it was made so it doesn’t decompose. What it does do is it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, and this is how nano-plastics are eventually formed. The planet has been contaminated by them. Dust fine plastic can be blown in the wind, carried in raindrops, end up on mountain tops and in the ice in polar regions. Plastic pollution is one of the most serious threats to life on this planet. Big pieces get swallowed by animals on land and at sea and can kill the unfortunate creatures, other animals die after getting trapped and entangled in plastic netting, but what harm micro and nano-plastics currently do, or in the long term, we cannot presently say. It is an international problem and we all need to take personal action in any way we can to help tackle the problem of plastic pollution. I took action by writing the song “Where Does All The Plastic Go?” and the book Saving Mother Ocean.

In my song I sing: “Plastic kills the turtles and is eaten by the fish, plastic is in the food chain and the dinner on your dish. Where does all the plastic go, into the sea, into the sea, how did it get there, who threw it away, was it you or was it me?”

Aquaman star Jason Momoa in UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon

 Aquaman star Jason Momoa at UN Ocean Conference in Portugal

By an amazing coincidence, it almost seemed like a full page story in The Portugal News last year, had predicted that Aquaman Star, Jason Momoa, would attend the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon. On 26 June, 2002, the actor had joined Secretary-General António Guterres, the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and many youth activists, on Carcavelos Beach, to kick off the Ocean Conference that would take place for the following week in nearby Lisbon. On 4 September, 2021, an article by Jake Cleaver in the Portugal News was entitled Poseidon, Neptune and Aquaman “Stand by me”. The story was about my song “Where Does All the Plastic Go?”, my book, Saving Mother Ocean, and my idea for “Ocean Aid” concerts.

I had mentioned Aquaman in a chapter in my book, Cleaver had picked up on this for the title of his piece about me, and now, the following year, the star of the movie about this superhero was really in Portugal to take part in an event to save the oceans. It seemed like magic! As it happened, I went along to the conference too, though sadly didn’t get a chance to meet Momoa because I was there on the wrong days. Nevertheless I think it is amazing how all this came about, and am delighted to know that someone as high profile as he is, attended the event and is speaking out about the importance of saving the seas. The American actor and activist is now the UNEP Ambassador for Life Underwater, and it turns out that he had wanted to be a marine biologist before becoming the movie-star he is today. It is also an incredible coincidence that I live near Lisbon, and my passion and focus has been to do what I can to raise awareness about saving the seas. Portugal is such a great place for events like this conference because there are so many people in this country, who are taking action to look after the ocean and to spread the word about dangers to the marine environment. Last year I took part in the COOL 21 event organised by Oceano Azul, and held outside the Lisbon Oceanarium. I gave a brief talk, sold some of my books, and performed my song “Where Does All The Plastic Go?”

There were very many people, who are concerned about the oceans, at this event too. One of them was Andreas Noe, aka “The Trash Traveller.” He has been doing all he can to save the marine environment, and cycled around the coast of Portugal on “the Butt Hike,” collecting over 1,000,000 cigarette butts, a terrible source of plastic pollution. I took a selfie in front of a display of thousands of these discarded butts.

Taking action comes in so many different ways but the more of us that become active the better. We really do need to save the ocean because life on this planet depends on it, and that life includes us! That is why I use the term “Mother Ocean.” She is the source of life on Earth! Let’s take care of our Mother!