RARElab

22/04/2025

This Earth Day, let’s remember that every species matters — even the ones most people have never heard of. 🐸🦎🌱

At RARE Lab, we focus on the quiet corners of biodiversity — the rare, the understudied, and the overlooked. These species may not make headlines, but they’re critical threads in the web of life that keeps our planet thriving.

Earth Day is a reminder that conservation isn't just about saving the charismatic megafauna — it's about protecting the full tapestry of life, especially the pieces we know the least about.

Join us in celebrating Earth Day by championing the species that often go unseen but are no less important. 💚

26/02/2025

🔍 Most Threatened Species Are Still Being Overlooked

Conservation research and funding are critical for protecting biodiversity—but are they being distributed fairly? A growing body of research shows that most conservation resources go to a small number of well-known species, while thousands of rare and highly threatened species receive little to no attention.

📊 Key findings from two recent studies:

-Over half of the most-studied species in top conservation journals are not even at high risk of extinction.
-Nearly 50% of conservation funding is concentrated on just 47 species, mostly large mammals and marine turtles.
-Amphibians, one of the most threatened vertebrate groups, receive only 2.5% of funding, despite making up 25% of threatened vertebrates.
-At RARElab, we focus on lost, rare, and understudied species—exactly those being left behind in conservation. If we want to protect biodiversity effectively, we must shift our priorities.

Read more about how taxonomic bias is shaping conservation: https://rarelab.org/taxonomic-biases-in-conservation-how-research-and-funding-leave-most-species-behind/

Conservation efforts are vital for protecting biodiversity, yet they overwhelmingly favour a small subset of species. Two recent studies reveal a troubling pattern: conservation research and fundi…

25/08/2024

I grew up in a family of nature lovers. My father, a microbiologist, passed on his enthusiasm for animals, plants and ecosystems to me at an early age. When I think of my childhood, I remember the various pets we had: turtles, ants, rats, a dog, stick insects, birds, spiders, snakes… We often went hiking in the Alps, where my father pointed out beautiful beetles and edible mushrooms, and every holiday my brothers and I spent countless hours fishing, snorkelling, trying to catch crabs and watching lizards....

I grew up in a family of nature lovers. My father, a microbiologist, passed on his enthusiasm for animals, plants and ecosystems to me at an early age. When I think of my childhood, I remember the…

22/08/2024

My journey from enthusiastic child to military service and founding RARElab, where we study lost, rare, and understudied species.

My path has been unconventional but purposeful:
- Bachelor's in Environmental Science (AMU)
- Master's in Biodiversity and Conservation (University of Exeter)
- Bachelor's in IT (AMU)
- Currently pursuing a PhD in Urban Ecology at Technical University of Munich

Each step - from volunteering with LBV to teaching ornithology in the Caribbean - has shaped my unique approach to conservation. By combining ecological knowledge with technological skills, we're working to uncover the hidden wonders of our planet's ecosystems.

I'm grateful for every experience that has led me here and excited for the future of conservation research.

Read more on our website: https://rarelab.org/meet-the-founders-andrew-j-fairbairn/

16/08/2024

At RARElab, our mission is to shed light on the often-overlooked corners of the natural world. We focus on researching and conserving three critical groups of species: the lost, the rare, and the understudied. In our previous post, we explored the complexities of declaring species extinct and introduced the concept of lost species. Today, we'll delve deeper into the significance of these potentially elusive species and expand our focus to include rare and understudied species, explaining why these groups are at the heart of our work....

At RARElab, our mission is to shed light on the often-overlooked corners of the natural world. We focus on researching and conserving three critical groups of species: the lost, the rare, and the …

10/08/2024

West African Oyan, Poiana leightoni, last seen 1998....

West African Oyan, Poiana leightoni, last seen 1998.

06/08/2024

RARElab is starting up!

Who We Are: A startup aimed at protecting species and ecosystems, particularly the lost, rare, and understudied.

What We Do: Conduct cutting-edge research on lost, rare, and understudied species, transforming scientific discoveries into informed, targeted conservation strategies.

Get Involved: Follow to stay up-to-date on our venture to protect nature and for opportunities to volunteer or support us!