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Chris Cummins

@christianccummins.bsky.social
3.1K followers 816 following 1.6K posts

Presenter, Journalist, nature lover, music fan. dad.

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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 21h
I went to Tepelenë in #Albania to talk about #rivers for @fm4.orf.at (that story is coming). But I have to admit I got distracted by a meeting between naughty old warlord & a naughty young Lord Byron; the, to quote Dominic West, poet & "top shagger". christiancummins1.substack.com/p/byron-in-t...
christiancummins1.substack.com
Byron in Tepelenë: The Meeting of Two Romantic Rogues
In 1809 a 21-year-old Lord Byron rode into the court of Albania's most feared warlord. On the banks of the Vjosa, the town has never quite let go of the encounter.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Papa #Bolsonaro was dreadful for these #Brazilians and the ecosystem that sustains them, now Bolsonaro Junior is favourite in the run off: "Rural producer Fátima Cabral recently almost lost her farm to a fire that she suspects was set deliberately." christiancummins1.substack.com/p/cerrado-br...
christiancummins1.substack.com
Cerrado: Bringing Back Life
The Brazilian Cerrado, a biodiversity paradise and vital carbon-sink, is being murdered by agribusiness. But local communities are fighting back.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
For me, this question never gets old
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
love ORF sound... this is my entire journey through the "Amazon of Europe" biosphere, meeting #sturgeon, diggers, white-tailed eagles and even a very sneaky caterpillar on the wet #meadows of #Croatia: sound.orf.at/collection/1...
sound.orf.at
A journey through the Amazon of Europe
Eine Dürre hat Mitteleuropas Natur verwüstet und die Verletzlichkeit unserer Wassersysteme offengelegt. FM4’s Chris Cummins reist durch die 5-Länder-Biosphäre Mur-Drau-Donau und fragt, ob Renaturierun...
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
So #Brazil votes today. The result could decide the fate of the #Amazon – and its less famous sister, the #Cerrado, a vast savanna being cleared for soy and cattle with far less scrutiny. Candidate #FlávioBolsonaro says #climatechange isn't real. christiancummins1.substack.com/p/cerrado-ed...
christiancummins1.substack.com
Cerrado: Eden on Fire
The vast Cerrado of Brazil is the oldest and most diverse savanna in the world, and a priceless carbon sink. But agribusiness has already destroyed 50% of the natural vegetation and poisoned the lives
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
After a bullet, an exile, a devastating diagnosis and the loss of his god, Marley chose a song about giving up the daily bickering and living with love. Listen to the crowd: the Paris audience doesn’t just applaud, it sings along, loud enough to become part of the band. fm4.orf.at/story/marley...
fm4.orf.at
The Soup Kitchen Song: „Positive Vibration“ by Bob Marley
By the time „Positive Vibration“ opened his 1978 live album, Bob Marley had survived a shooting, an exile and the death of the emperor he worshipped, and he was still singing about good vibrations.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Join me for #sunnysideup from 10 am CET on @fm4.orf.at . Bob Marley live in Paris, Timi Yuro, cosmic disco from Asha Puthli, new music from Leon Bridges, and the Wax Wreckaz back in action. Italian vibes from rossvanboss & Bakkerstrakkers and gorgeous music from Aze . ☕ fm4.orf.at
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
For decades, enlargement was framed as the #EU doing poorer countries a favour. Since #Russia’s full-scale invasion of #Ukraine, the argument has shifted: enlargement is now sold as a matter of European security. But what would it mean for #Albanians? christiancummins1.substack.com/p/is-albania...
christiancummins1.substack.com
Is Albania Ready for the EU?
I’m in Albania, which hopes to finish its membership talks by 2027 and plans to be part of the bloc by 2030. But is it ready? And what will membership mean for the health of Albanian society?
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
The #Vjosa at Tepelena, #Albania: one of Europe's last wild rivers, flowing some 270 km undammed from Greece to the Adriatic. Since 2023, Europe's first Wild River National Park. #Austria helps protect it, funding research with Austrian universities and water monitoring to EU standards.
a bridge of the wild river of Vjosa in Albania
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
This #naturerestoration project in the #AmazonOfEurope in #Croatia is fascinating: restoring wet meadows by mowing at key moments with scythes to help protect a very special butterfly. It's a small but important part of the big picture. (photos © Marko-Lorenzo Blaslov) fm4.orf.at/beitrag/3221...
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I have been in #Vlore in #Albania where a Kuschner-linked luxury #tourism project in a protected area is backed by Prime Minister Edi Rama but has provoked popular protests - the #FlamingoRevolution. Can the marine environment cope with such a huge development? fm4.orf.at/beitrag/3221...
fm4.orf.at
How a luxury resort plans could destroy the sea of Albania
fm4.ORF.at: Berichte und Kommentare zu Musik, Popkultur, Film, Literatur, Games und Politik.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I'm in #Albania which hopes to be an #EU member state by 2030. There have been issues of corruption & lacking environmental standards... So is Albania radio for the EU? I asked Ritva Heikkinen, head of cooperation at the EU Delegation in Tirana. fm4.orf.at/beitrag/3219...
fm4.orf.at
Is Albania ready for EU-membership?
fm4.ORF.at: Berichte und Kommentare zu Musik, Popkultur, Film, Literatur, Games und Politik.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Albania
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I’m in #Tirana in #Albania trying to understand the #FlamingoRevolution for @fm4.orf.at fm4.orf.at/beitrag/3218...
fm4.orf.at
Flamingo Street Protests in Tirana
fm4.ORF.at: Berichte und Kommentare zu Musik, Popkultur, Film, Literatur, Games und Politik.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
121st night of #flamingo protests last night in Tirana. The protesters here told me is not about #biodiversity but about Edi Rama’s vision for their country. They claim he is putting the interests of a few oligarchs ahead of the people and their country’s heritage. More on @fm4.orf.at soon
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Reposted by Chris Cummins
Dan of the Year @downwithdan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Ah yes the circle of life
• Dispatched
Sep 25 23:03 pm
In Transit
Sep 26 09:52 am
Delayed
Sep 26 10:57 am
Held By Carrier
Sep 26 15:07 pm
Destroyed
Sep 26 15:08 pm
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
It is sadly, once again, peak illegal #songbird slaughter season in #Cyprus - international awareness is probably the best way to protect them: christiancummins1.substack.com/p/the-birds-...
christiancummins1.substack.com
The Birds That Never Made It Home
How organized crime in Cyprus is killing Europe's songbirds—and why it matters to all of Europe
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Reposted by Chris Cummins
Maciek Hamela @maciekhamela.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
With the Strait of Hormuz closed, Iraq has resorted to moving its oil across the desert to Syria in hundreds of tanker trucks, in true Mad Max style. From there, it will be shipped to worldwide markets.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Inca princess or Brooklyn housewife? Yma Sumac's five-octave Gopher Mambo stars in today's @fm4.orf.at #SunnySideUp, alongside Ringo, Judy Mowatt, grammy nominated Tamara Flores, Takeshi's Cashew and AVEC Oh and my favourite (and very romantic) song from Benjamin Biolay Today 10 to 1 on FM4 ☀️
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
The singer from #Peru who learned from song birds and dazzled Hollywood (and the Soviet Union) More of this sort of magic on @fm4.orf.at #sunnysideup today on fm4.orf.at/beitrag/3215...
fm4.orf.at
Yma Sumac
fm4.ORF.at: Berichte und Kommentare zu Musik, Popkultur, Film, Literatur, Games und Politik.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Why do you need diggers to help #nature? Well to remove the sins of the past...
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Sand martins starred yesterday, today a kingfisher makes a welcome appearance, as we discuss why diggers and heavy machinery are sometimes necessary to set #nature free (and why wider, freer rivers and good for farmers and wider communities) @fm4.orf.at fm4.orf.at/beitrag/3213...
fm4.orf.at
Widening the Mura to stop floods and help farming
fm4.ORF.at: Berichte und Kommentare zu Musik, Popkultur, Film, Literatur, Games und Politik.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A stretch of the #Drava was slated for regulation, but is now free to shape itself naturally. It's home to sand martins, the charismatic stars who make the headlines, but their flourishing tells a more complex story about a whole ecosystem in recovery. fm4.orf.at/beitrag/3212... @wwf.at
fm4.orf.at
The Croatian village where humans and birds support each other
fm4.ORF.at: Berichte und Kommentare zu Musik, Popkultur, Film, Literatur, Games und Politik.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I first went to the #amazonofeurope in 2011, to an area where sand martins flourished. Back then it seemed doomed because the river was to be regulated for shipping. But talk of regulation has been replaced by active restoration measures & the local community has embraced it. @fm4.orf.at @wwf.at
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
You don’t survive a meteor strike, and two hundred million years of everything the planet has thrown at you since, without a serious reserve of resilience. Is it enough to survive dams, straightened rivers and a warming climate too? The incredible #sturgeon of the #Mura fm4.orf.at/story/sturge...
fm4.orf.at
Bringing Sturgeon Back from the Brink
A living fossil: sturgeon survived a meteor strike but nearly didn’t survive the twentieth century. Now Love Island hopes to helping them flourish again.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Now straightened & speeded up, the #Danube has stopped spreading across its floodplain in flood season the way it always had. The #wetlands began to disappear, and so did the #biodiversity that lived in them; the degradation of nature accelerated by #ClimateChange. Can #NatureRestoration help?
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The #Danube has always dominated life and identity here in Bata in #Hungary but two things have changed the community’s relationship to the great #river: engineering and #climatechange. Stage 3 of my @fm4.orf.at trip down the #AmazonOfEurope fm4.orf.at/beitrag/3211... @wwf.at
fm4.orf.at
Restoring wetlands in Hungary to help nature and communities survive
fm4.ORF.at: Berichte und Kommentare zu Musik, Popkultur, Film, Literatur, Games und Politik.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
In #Somalia the current #drought is devastating but, because of El Niño, was predictable; as are autumn floods. Suffering & death could have been & could be prevented, but funding has been cut, so resources are lacking. As @saraheaster.bsky.social explains. @care.at fm4.orf.at/beitrag/3209...
fm4.orf.at
Drought and expected floods take a devastating in forgotten Somalia
fm4.ORF.at: Berichte und Kommentare zu Musik, Popkultur, Film, Literatur, Games und Politik.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I have honestly say that holding a juvenile #sturgeon - a survivor of the dinosaur era - in my hands and watching it swim off as a beacon of #naturerestoration and #biodiversity hope was an utterly magical moment for me. #LoveIsland @fm4.orf.at fm4.orf.at/beitrag/3209...
fm4.orf.at
Saving the sturgeon on Love Island in Slovenia
fm4.ORF.at: Berichte und Kommentare zu Musik, Popkultur, Film, Literatur, Games und Politik.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Opinion polls are showing more and more Austrians want a rapid expansion of #WindEnergy #renewables youtu.be/Lq3OdAc9XNQ
youtu.be
Why we need to give more space for wind energy
YouTube video by Christian Cummins
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Donald Trump is looking at disastrous poll numbers ahead of the #midterms, the only thing that might help him is a #terror attack on #US soil, real or imagined: says @timothysnyder.bsky.social of @iwm.at fm4.orf.at/beitrag/3208...
fm4.orf.at
Timothy Snyder on why Trump might be hoping for a terror attack
fm4.ORF.at: Berichte und Kommentare zu Musik, Popkultur, Film, Literatur, Games und Politik.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
A lot is being done to restore the depleted nature along central Europe's #river system, but the droughts and floods of recent years show a lot more needs to be done: only functioning ecosystems can help mitigate the #climatecrisis. A boat ride in the #AmazonOfEurope fm4.orf.at/beitrag/3208...
fm4.orf.at
Nature restoration mitigates floods and droughts in Croatia
fm4.ORF.at: Berichte und Kommentare zu Musik, Popkultur, Film, Literatur, Games und Politik.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This summer, in #Europe our #river system wrote its own warning sign and gave the clearest possible argument for why the #restoration work underway across it matters more, not less, in a hotter, drier future. via @fm4.orf.at fearturing comments from @wwf.at's Lisa Wolf fm4.orf.at/story/amazon...
fm4.orf.at
A River System on the Edge
Five years ago, the Mura, Drava and Danube became the world’s first five-country UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This summer, record drought showed exactly why that matters.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
On the boat with Jasmin Sadiković of Green Osijek, near where the #Drava meets the #Danube. This summer that river hit its lowest level in nearly 200 years. This week on @fm4.orf.at's OKfm4 a series on what record drought revealed & why giving #rivers room to move might be their best defence.
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Reposted by Chris Cummins
Melissa & Chris Bruntlett @modacitylife.com · 20/09/2026
For decades, one of Budapest’s most spectacular public spaces was reserved exclusively for moving cars. Today, on summer evenings and weekends, the city is testing a different future on the Danube River: one where the din of traffic gives way to conversation, music and the ringing of bicycle bells.🧵
People of all ages and abilities walk, bike, dance, dine, drink, gather, and simply linger on the former motorway along the east bank of the Danube River in Budapest.People of all ages and abilities walk, bike, dance, dine, drink, gather, and simply linger on the former motorway along the east bank of the Danube River in Budapest.People of all ages and abilities walk, bike, dance, dine, drink, gather, and simply linger on the former motorway along the east bank of the Danube River in Budapest.People of all ages and abilities walk, bike, dance, dine, drink, gather, and simply linger on the former motorway along the east bank of the Danube River in Budapest.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
“The EU Commission continues its crusade to dismantle & defund environmental action. It is planning to cut green funding in the next EU budget, continues to support fossil fuels & is speeding up permitting of environmentally harmful projects.” Magda Stoczkiewicz, www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Burning forests, emptying rivers, €180bn in damage: Europe’s politicians face reckoning after ‘summer of truth’
Amid record-shattering heatwaves and popular demand for climate action, why are politicians often timid or in denial?
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Africa’s recorded music history from this era is littered with records like this one: pressed in small runs, sold locally, played out, & then simply left behind as tastes moved on & copies wore thin or vanished. This time somebody went looking. #sunnysideup @fm4.orf.at fm4.orf.at/story/soul-z...
fm4.orf.at
From Mobutu’s Zaire to Grand Theft Auto
A 1976 dancefloor groove that vanished for decades before soundtracking a London warehouse party and a video game heist.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
On @fm4.orf.at's #sunnysideup today: Les Ya Toupas du Zaire's 1976 Congo-to-Grand-Theft-Auto epic played full length, a French-Egyptian song about a wadi, home-grown gems from Clara Luzia, Cari Cari, PRESSYES, plus new music from Bonobo, Ezra Collective and much more. fm4.orf.at
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Five countries, one river system, a biosphere born from cooperation, now tested by the #climatecrisis. Next week on @fm4.orf.at : a radio journey through the Mura, Drava and Danube, tracing beauty and jeopardy through #Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary & Serbia. This is just an atmospheric taste:.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Why does #Trump appear to be so supportive of #Putin? @timothysnyder.bsky.social explains fm4.orf.at/beitrag/3201... @fm4.orf.at
fm4.orf.at
Timothy Snyder on Putin's hold over Trump
fm4.ORF.at: Berichte und Kommentare zu Musik, Popkultur, Film, Literatur, Games und Politik.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
"Protecting & restoring this area felt vividly urgent. The exposed roots of the river-side trees, the grass on the sandbanks were evidence of a record low water-level. This is magnificent nature is under extreme stress in this era of climate crisis." christiancummins1.substack.com/p/where-rive...
christiancummins1.substack.com
Where Rivers And Minds Meet
A boat ride from Osijek to the Danube, and what five countries still need to agree on
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
We have to plan for future droughts and floods. Ecologists can't, in the medium term, halt the ravages of the #climatecrisis in #Europe, but by freeing #rivers from their straitjackets, they can help mitigate the impacts for nature and humans christiancummins1.substack.com/p/making-spa...
christiancummins1.substack.com
Making Space for River Resilience
How giving the Mura, Drava and Danube room to move will help them and us survive the droughts of the future
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Where sturgeon are amazing, why efforts to restore them to Central Europe's #river system are exciting and important: christiancummins1.substack.com/p/bringing-b... #biodiversity
christiancummins1.substack.com
Bringing Back the Sturgeon
A living fossil, a broken migration, and the small hatchery trying to fix it
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The Mura-Drava-Danube biosphere - the #AmazonOfEurope celebrates its 5th birthday today. One project: reintroducing the #sterlet, Europe's smallest sturgeon, via #Slovenia's first hatchery, right on the Mura. Thousands released, aiming for a self-sustaining population by 2030. #NatureRestoration
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Slovenia selfie…
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I‘m exploring a river widening project on the Austro-Slovenian border. More drought resilience, more flood protection and, as it happens, more sand-martins too. More on @fm4.orf.at soon
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Reposted by Chris Cummins
Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
‘Tidal wave’ of #Pfas being launched to satisfy #AI industry, campaigners warn www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘Tidal wave’ of Pfas being launched to satisfy AI industry, campaigners warn
Big manufacturers planning to produce more of the forever chemicals to meet demand from datacentres
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
When farmers maintain a habitat for varied #insect life, it does just support #soil health but also helps pest control! fm4.orf.at/beitrag/3197...
fm4.orf.at
How creating a habitat for insects make farms more resilient
fm4.ORF.at: Berichte und Kommentare zu Musik, Popkultur, Film, Literatur, Games und Politik.
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I like #Shelton, but the US crowd cheering when #Zverev misses a first serve is appalling. #USOpen
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Chris Cummins @christianccummins.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
The new bird slaughter season in #Cyprus is underway (but, as an update on this story, according to the @cyprus-mail.com there seems to be a lot of action taken this year against the illegal hunters) christiancummins1.substack.com/p/silent-ski...
christiancummins1.substack.com
Silent Skies: The Battle Against Cyprus's Songbird Slaughter
The fight to save the eastern Mediterranean's song birds from organized crime.
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