Wildlife conservation remains a global imperative, yet efforts to safeguard biodiversity often face sociopolitical and cultural limitations. This paper proposes a bold paradigm: mandatory environmental and wildlife conservation coaching, modeled on principles of compulsory military conscription. Grounded in patriotism and civic responsibility, this approach emphasizes early awareness, cross-sector engagement, and long-term stewardship. Recognizing that conservation strategies must be culturally contextualized, we argue that a one-size-fits-all model will not suffice. Instead, effective implementation requires aligning compulsory education with local traditions, policies, and capacities. We propose seven guiding principles to inform this model, ranging from knowledge building and behavioral change to national pride and global solidarity. When integrated with enabling policies, incentives, community engagement, and technological innovation, compulsory conservation coaching can cultivate environmental citizenship and deepen commitment to wildlife protection. Patriotism, reframed through ecological responsibility, may yet serve as a last resort to galvanize widespread, enduring action for nature.

Freshwater turtles are highly diverse in the southeastern United States, yet few studies document how diversity is distributed in agricultural and rural landscapes. Furthermore, most previous work did not compare distributions between pond and river habitats with potential differences in selective pressures. We surveyed 64 sites in the Mississippi embayment and evaluated how surrounding land use, road density, and habitat type affected species' occupancy with a focus on Macrochelys temminckii. We observed that turtles were less likely to occur in locations surrounded by high road density. We observed variation in species' responses to agricultural land-use that partially depended on preferences for lotic habitat. M. temminckii were rare and negatively affected by road density and unassociated with agricultural land-use. Variation among species can likely be attributed to differences in species traits, but more studies evaluating land-use effects on species occupying lentic versus lotic habitats could create more effective conservation strategies.

Serra do Amolar, a mountainous and isolated region located in the Brazilian Pantanal, is a priority area for biodiversity conservation. This sparsely populated and inaccessible area is poorly studied and lacks basic information such as species inventories as well as essential knowledge to develop conservation strategies. We aimed to update the occurrence records of mammal species and evaluate the activity patterns of a subset of species. We installed camera traps in four primary sampling periods between 2019 and 2022. We recorded 29 mammals over 9060 trap-nights, including two endangered species. We recorded three species of rodents in the area for the first time: Cavia aperea, Cuniculus paca, and Holochilus chacarius. Seven species previously registered in the area were not documented in this survey, possibly because of extreme drought and fires that occurred during collection. This study emphasizes the importance of long-term faunal surveys to support ongoing conservation strategies in Serra do Amolar.

Nest predation critically influences avian reproduction, with concealed nests typically assumed to be safer from nest predators. However, the expected positive relationship between nest concealment and survival has not been consistently observed across species. A hypothesis proposed by Skutch provides a possible explanation that parental care may increase nest predation risk by attracting predators. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a field experiment in the White-bellied Redstarts (Luscinia phaenicuroides), which experience high predation rates despite highly concealed nests. Compared with active nests (with parental care), the same inactive nests after breeding had finished (without parental care) exhibited significantly higher daily survival rates and lower nest predation rates. Our findings support Skutch's hypothesis, and we presume that parental care provides cues for nest predators while the species' small body size limits nest defense. These findings provide insights into how parental behavior interacts with nest site selection to shape effective antipredator strategies.

Blue sheep are crucial to the Himalayan high-altitude ecosystems, but their habitat preferences are not well understood. Hence, this study investigated its pre-monsoon habitat preference and spatial overlap with livestock in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, Nepal. Altogether, 126 plots were laid to sample the signs of blue sheep, vegetation, and habitat parameters. The species was found at elevations of 3651–4348 m, with a preference for sub-alpine and alpine grasslands (3800–4200 meters) on south-facing slopes of 10°–30°, within 300 m of water bodies. It favored areas with crown coverage of < 25% and ground coverage of > 50%. Preferred vegetation included shrubs like Rhododendron lepidotum and grasses from Cyperaceae, such as Kobresia and Carex species. There was a significant habitat overlap between blue sheep and livestock, along with the major threats including grazing, fire, poaching, snaring, and human interference. Management plans should address these issues to sustain the species.