http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0118_hance_nunezmino.html

table align=lefttrtdimg src=http://photos.mongabay.com/j/JoeNunezMinowithSolenodonthumb.jpg align=left//td/tr/tableNot many people know the solenodon and the hutia, yet for the fortunate few that have encountered them, these strange little-studied mammals—just barely holding on in the Caribbean island of Hispaniola—deserve to be stars of the animal kingdom. I could not quite believe it the first time I held a solenodon; I was in utter awe of this mesmerizing mammal. […] They have a long flexible snout which is all down to the fact that it is joined to the skull by a unique ball-and-socket joint. This makes it look as if the snout is almost independent to the rest of the animal. You can’t help but feel fascinated by the snout and inevitably it does make you smile, Dr. Jose Nunez-Mino, the Project Manager for a new initiative to study and conserve the island's last mammals, told mongabay.com in an interview.

http://news.mongabay.com/2009/1101-dominican_republic.html

A cement mine, granted under questionable circumstances, is putting one the Caribbean's most important forest parks at risk, warns a group working to stop the project.

http://news.mongabay.com/2009/1013-hance_fungi_glow.html

Classical musical genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, probably never expected his music to inspire mycologists, but fungi researchers have announced in the journal iMycologia/i that two new species of glowing mushroom are named after movements in the composer's Requiem: Mycena luxaeterna (eternal light) and Mycena luxperpetua (perpetual light).

http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1031-deforestation.html

table align=lefttrtdimg src=http://photos.mongabay.com/06/1031defor2.jpg align=left//td/tr/tableAvoided deforestation will be a hot point of discussion at next week's climate meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. Already a coalition of 15 rainforest nations have proposed a plan whereby industrialized nations would pay them to protect their forests to offset greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, last month Brazil -- which has the world's largest extent of tropical rainforests and the world's highest rate of forest loss -- said it promote a similar initiative at the talks. At stake: potentially billions of dollars for developing countries. When trees are cut greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere -- roughly 20 percent of annual emissions of such heat-trapping gases result from deforestation and forest degradation. Avoided deforestation is the concept where countries are paid to prevent deforestation that would otherwise occur. Policymakers and environmentalists alike find the idea attractive because it could help fight climate change at a low cost while improving living standards for some of the world's poorest people and preserving biodiversity and other ecosystem services. A number of prominent conservation biologists and development agencies including the World Bank and the U.N. have already endorsed the idea.

http://news.mongabay.com/2005/1129-rainforests.html

If a coalition of developing countries has its way, there could soon be new forests sprouting up in tropical regions. The group of ten countries, led by Papua New Guinea, has proposed that wealthy countries pay them to preserve their rainforests. The Coalition for Rainforest Nations argues that all countries should pay for the benefits -- from carbon sequestration to watershed protection -- that tropical rainforests provide.

http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1

President Leonel Fernandez met yesterday with the director general of the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bukova, who is visiting the DR. The purpose of her visit is to coordinate aid programs with the DR and Haiti.
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Bukova said that she discussed the reconstruction of Haiti and the role of the DR in that process with Fernandez. She said that President Fernandez has invited her to take part in the World Summit on Haiti that will be held in the DR in June.
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According to Bukova, UNESCO is very involved in the reconstruction of Haiti, with a special emphasis on rebuilding the country's educational system as well as protecting its culture and national treasures. Prior to the meeting with Fernandez, Bukova signed an agreement with the head of the National Hydraulics and Water Resources Institute (INDRHI), Frank Rodriguez, to produce and disseminate materials on the scientific and technological aspects of the sustainable management of hydraulic resources.

http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2

Economy Planning Minister Temistocles Montas and PUCMM university rector Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado have announced that the proposal for a National Development Plan for 2010-2030 is ready for discussion.
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According to spokespersons for the government-sponsored plan, points of view of all national sectors have been taken into account, including politicians, industrialists, labor unions and financial institutions.
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According to Montas, this is the first time that politicians have agreed to discuss a development plan outside a political or economic emergency. Between now and the elections, representatives of the main political parties will only discuss the technical aspects of the plan to avoid tainting the discussions with party politics.
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According to Diario Libre and other newspapers, the project will be ready in July.
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Media directors were convened at the Pontifical University Madre y Maestra yesterday for a preview of the objectives and the methodology of the discussions.
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The plan aims to deal with four main points: improving state institutions, social cohesion, creation of a framework of macro-economic stability and promotion of environmental sustainability.