7 Good Environmental News Stories From The Past Month That Will Make You Smile
And just like that, another summer is coming to a close. Whatever your summer looked like, we hope you found time to step outside, soak up some vitamin D and get your nature fix. Because any day now, we’ll be pulling on our cozy-knit sweaters, cooking up warming soups and stews, and indulging in pumpkin spice lattes!
But before you say goodbye to summer 2022, take a moment to learn about all of the awesome things that happened in the past month. From endangered species conservation to major legislative wins for the climate and exciting updates from your favorite tree-loving organization, the month of August was full of feel-good stories. So what are you waiting for? Let’s dig in!
One Tree Planted has launched The Grove!
Introducing: The Grove! We’ve been working behind the scenes for some time now, and we’re so excited to share this with you. The Grove is exactly what it sounds like: a special group of individuals that are passionate about giving back to the environment through a monthly giving program. And just like the trees that form a grove in nature, their support helps restore ecosystems for biodiversity, empower communities, rebuild after fires and floods, restore degraded areas, and more.
Endangered species are being reintroduced
Due to ongoing conservation efforts, 8 endangered species are being reintroduced to their natural habitats. As Namibia has one of the world’s largest cheetah populations, the country will be sending 8 of their cheetahs to India to begin a restoration project. Wild bison are returning to the UK for the first time in thousands of years. Vulture populations are slowly increasing after rewilding efforts. The Eurasian Lynx has returned to 8 European countries. These are only a few of the exciting conservation and reintroduction efforts that have been announced this month!
Emerald Green hummingbird spotted in Columbia for the first time since 2010
Last spotted in 2010 (and previously in 1946), the Santa Marta sabrewing was assumed to be lost to science. But no more! The bird was spotted in the Santa Marta mountains of Columbia by an experienced bird watcher. Due to its elusive nature, not much is known about the species other than that researchers believe the population is small and diminishing. Scientists are now searching for more individual sightings in an effort to find where they live, and determine what threats they face.
Death Road is now a safe place for wildlife to return
In Bolivia, there is a road that was once dubbed “Death Road”. This narrow strip, which leads into The Yungas, used to claim an average of 300 lives each year. In 2007, a safer road was constructed and traffic has dramatically dropped. The reduced traffic has allowed wildlife to return. Scientists placed cameras around the road to capture all the species that have returned. Over 15 species of mammals and 94 species of birds have been spotted on the cameras so far!
Inflation Reduction Act Passed
History was made with the Inflation Reduction Act, which will invest approximately $437 billion dollars into climate change and energy security. While this bill has been in the works for over a year, it was necessary to restructure it on both sides of the aisle in order to pass it. $60 billion will be put towards communities and environmental justice, and it aims to cut down on the country’s carbon emissions by 2030.
Riding bikes for all the benefits
A popular mode of transportation in the Netherlands is cycling, to the point that there are more bikes than people. Cycling is a great option for transportation as it is beneficial for individual health, but also has climate benefits. According to research, “700 million tons of carbon pollution would be saved each year if everyone rode their bikes”. Many countries can follow their example and encourage the use of bikes for transportation.
AFR100 Moves into phase 2 with support from Terrafund for AFR100
Thanks to our long-standing partnership with the World Resources Institute (WRI), One Tree Planted is honored to be a technical partner of AFR100. What does this mean? One Tree Planted, along with nearly 40 other organizations, helps enhance the technical support and coordination of restoration activities across Africa, chipping away at AFR100’s target of restoring 100 million hectares of land by 2030.
Hungry for more positivity? We’ve got plenty more good news stories from the past year. And if you’re feeling inspired to create some good news of your own, consider planting a tree today!