Today, the day before Europe Day, 'Wild Wonders of Europe' rolls into action. 55 of Europe's top nature photographers embark on 90 assignments to 44 countries.

The mission: To reveal the amazing natural heritage of Europe and to inspire a desire to save it. This project is endorsed by UNEP. To find out more, visit http://www.wild-wonders.com

Seventeenth meeting of the CITES Plants Committee and Twenty-third meeting of the CITES Animals Committee

15-23 April 2008 | Geneva, Switzerland

UNEP-WCMC attended both meetings and provided information in relation to various agenda items. Chief documents discussed, and outcomes were:

1. Trade data, used as the first step in the selection of species for inclusion in the review of Significant Trade process.
2. The report from the South East Asia timber workshop and news on forthcoming Central and West African workshop, following which three recommendations for action were agreed.
3. Development of a Wiki type ID manual on the internet.
4. Contributions to discussions on species nomenclature.

Image: Harriet Gillett (UNEP-WCMC) presenting recommendations resulting from the technical workshop on "Strategies for Sustainable Use and Management of Timber Tree Species Subject to International Trade: Southeast Asia" held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 5-7 September 2007. © IISD Reporting Services

On Wednesday 23 April, SKY News visited UNEP-WCMC to record a message on the importance of biodiversity to human health and well-being. The news clip highlights the findings of the book Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity, written and edited by Harvard researchers Dr Eric Chivian and Dr Aaron Bernstein, along with contributions of over 100 leading scientists. The book, supported by the CBD, UNEP, UNDP and IUCN, was formally launched at UN headquarters in New York at a gala event on 23 April, and will be presented again at the Smithsonian Institute later in April. UNEP-WCMC staff members played a role in the review of several chapters in this book. Dr Chivian, who shared the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in working toward preventing nuclear war, will be in Cambridge on 2 June and participate in a programme of lectures jointly organised by UNEP-WCMC and the Zoology Department of Cambridge University. Monika MacDevette, one of UNEP-WCMC's two Deputy Directors, gave the interview on behalf of the Centre.

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