US: From eviction to co-stewardship: Indigenous communities reclaim park lands
29 January 2026 - In January 2026, the movement for Indigenous Co-stewardship has reached a historic tipping point, marking a shift from the ''fortress conservation'' model (which historically evicted native peoples to create ''wilderness'') to a collaborative partnership that honors ancestral ties. It represents a tangible step toward decolonization, transforming parks from symbols of loss into sites of reconciliation. (more)

Dark Energy Survey releases new analysis of how the universe expands
28 January 2026 - Data from six-year galaxy mapping project narrows down the possible models for how the universe behaves. The Dark Energy Survey collaboration is releasing results that, for the first time, combine all of the data from an intensive six-year mapping of galaxies in the universe. The new analysis, of millions of galaxies mapped with a telescope located in the Chilean Andes, yielded new, tighter constraints that narrow down the possible models for how the universe behaves. (more)

Dark energy survey scientists release analysis of all six years of survey data
27 January 2026 - The Dark Energy Survey Collaboration collected information on hundreds of millions of galaxies across the universe using the U.S. Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at CTIO, a program of NSF NOIRLab. Their completed analysis combines all six years of data for the first time and yields constraints on the universe's expansion history that are twice as tight as past analyses. (more)

US: The ''literacy ecosystem'' takes hold
27 January 2026 - Communities across the U.S. have successfully begun reversing pandemic-era literacy declines by creating ''literacy ecosystems'' -- partnerships between teachers, families, and nonprofits to ensure books and coaching are accessible to every child. (more)

Irish and Iraqi artists build bonds through shared musical journey
26 January 2026 - At a time when increasing debates on cultural identity shape how communities see one another, the musicians of Macalla are quietly carving out a different kind of narrative. The eight-piece ensemble connects musicians from Londonderry's North West Folk Collective with artists from Iraq's Mshakht Collective. Their cross-cultural collaboration has been three years in the making and recently featured prominently at one of the UK's largest international folk and world music festivals. (more)

How beekeeping is helping Zambia save its forests
25 January 2026 - Zambian farmers are using new beehives to earn new income while helping protect the country's shrinking forests. Traditionally, honey harvesting in [Zambia's rural Copper Belt region] involved destroying trees. Local beekeepers would cut into wild hives in standing trees, damaging forest cover. But NGOs and businesses have now introduced ... box hives, which allow bees to thrive without forcing deforestation. (more)

2026 will mark another milestone for tiger restoration in Kazakhstan
24 January 2026 - In the first half of 2026, Kazakhstan's Amur tiger reintroduction program will reach another pivotal milestone with the planned arrival of a small group of tigers from Russia. Between January and June, three to four Amur tigers are expected to be translocated, marking the next major step in restoring this iconic predator to Central Asia. Restoring tigers to protected landscapes is not only a symbolic achievement but also an ecological imperative. (more)

The Wild Side of 2025 -- Celebrating the year's many successes in the global rewilding movement
24 January 2026 - From Quolls to Hyenas, Seagrass to Whales, countless species are thriving, their home land-and-seascapes restoring, and as a result entire ecosystems returning to health across all continents. Rewilders are having a global impact; planting seeds of hope through a wide range of positive actions. (more)

Wind and solar overtook fossil fuels for EU power generation in 2025, report finds
23 January 2026 - Wind and solar overtook fossil fuels in the European Union's power generation last year, a report has found, in a 'major tipping point' for clean energy. ...Analysts said the trend was driven by a boom in solar, which generated a record 13% of EU power. ...'Solar alone grew by more than 20% in a single year, proving that clean power can scale faster than any conventional technology,' [said Petras Katinas, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, who was not involved in the report]. (more)

Across the forgotten walls of a Hong Kong island, a flock of bird murals rises
22 January 2026 - A flock [of birds] has landed in Wang Tong Village, a peaceful corner of Lantau Island on Hong Kong's southwestern edge. But this flock is unlike others: Its birds are made of paint. They exist on murals designed for a larger purpose -- not merely to draw attention to forgotten places but to tell the story of the extraordinary journeys birds undertake. (more)

UK: Rare birds on rise at Sussex's Knepps Estate, survey reveals
21 January 2026 - An ecological review at Knepp in West Sussex, a former farm that has become one of the UK's best-known rewilding sites, revealed a 916% rise in breeding birds in the southern part of the estate since 2007. The variety of butterfly species has also doubled on parts of the estate and the abundance of dragonflies and damselflies has risen by nearly 900%. (more)

Cow astonishes scientists with rare use of tools
20 January 2026 - Scientists are rethinking what cattle are capable of after an Austrian cow named Veronika was found to use tools with impressive skill. The discovery, reported by researchers in Vienna, suggests cows may have far greater cognitive abilities than previously assumed. (more)

Chile wants to create a National Park at the end of the world to protect endangered species
19 January 2026 - Chile is preparing to create a National Park at the southernmost tip of the American continent, the ''end of the world''. This project seeks to protect unique ecosystems and endangered species in the Brunswick Peninsula. The proposed National Park, called Cabo Froward, would cover approximately 150,000 hectares. This area includes forests, peat bogs, glaciers and part of the coast facing the Strait of Magellan. (more)

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott gave $7.1 billion to nonprofits in 2025, a major increase
18 January 2026 - The author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott revealed $7.1 billion in donations to nonprofits in 2025 Tuesday, marking a significant increase in her annual giving from recent years. (more)

Letter writing enjoys a revival as fans seek connection and a break from screen time
17 January 2026 - At a time when productivity means optimizing every second and screens blur the line between work and home, some people are slowing down and disconnecting by looking to communication devices from the past. ...More than quaint throwbacks, the pursuits provide their enthusiasts with opportunities to reduce their technology use, be more intentional with time, and build meaningful connections with others. (more)

Historic ocean treaty to safeguard and sustainably use the high seas to take effect on January 17
16 January 2026 - Less than two years after Oregon State University scientists led the publication of a landmark marine protected area guide in Science, the United Nations in June 2023 adopted the text of the treaty. The treaty's aim is to safeguard and sustainably use the high seas, the two-thirds of the ocean not under individual nations' control. Known officially as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, the treaty was under discussion for more than two decades. Once the agreement was opened for signatures, it took just three days for an economically and geographically diverse collection of 81 U.N. member states, including the U.S., to sign it, giving a non-binding signal of their intent to comply. (more)

Photos capture the breathtaking scale of China's wind and solar buildout
16 January 2026 - Last year China installed more than half of all wind and solar added globally. In May alone, it added enough renewable energy to power Poland, installing solar panels at a rate of roughly 100 every second. The massive buildout is happening across the country, from crowded eastern cities increasingly topped by rooftop solar panels to remote western deserts where colossal wind farms sprawl across the landscape. (more)

US: These plug-and-play solar panels can be 97% cheaper than traditional rooftop systems
16 January 2026 - Cutting red tape could expand states' use of plug-and-play solar panels that are already popular in Europe -- and up to 97% cheaper than rooftop arrays. That's according to Bright Saver, a San Francisco nonprofit working to bring plug-in solar panels to more American states. Fortunately, efforts in Utah and elsewhere are signaling a policy shift for the low-cost setups, which are often placed on porches, balconies, or alongside homes. (more)

Netherlands: Dutch students create modular electric car ''you can repair yourself''
14 January 2026 - A team of students from the Eindhoven University of Technology has built a prototype electric car with a built-in toolbox and components that can be easily repaired or replaced without specialist knowledge. The university's TU/ecomotive group, which focuses on developing concepts for future sustainable vehicles, describes its ARIA concept as ''a modular electric city car that you can repair yourself.'' (more)

Culture, the foundation for inhabiting and living in the city with dignity
12 January 2026 - Living heritage preserves identities, supports families and communities, and faces challenges in the cities. That is why UNESCO is implementing a program in nine cities across Latin America and the Caribbean to foster a renewed relationship between urban planning and intangible cultural heritage, alongside sustainable and ethical tourism. One of these cities is Oaxaca, Mexico. (more)

Bird 'almost extinct' in Northern Ireland found
11 January 2026 - An elusive bird which is now considered to be extremely rare in Northern Ireland made an unexpected visit to a Belfast street, where it was found behind a bin. Office staff who spotted it on the Lisburn Road thought it might be a bird of prey and called wildlife rescuer Debbie Nelson, who works under the name Debbie Doolittle. The nightjar was discovered in September, but Doolittle waited until the new year to share the footage, describing it as her 'most special' rescue of 2025. (more)

Cosmetics and clothes made with ''forever chemicals'', have officially been banned in France
9 January 2026 - France's ban on ''forever chemicals'' (PFAS) follows mounting concern about the adverse health impacts of these persistent pollutants. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of more than 10,000 synthetic chemicals that take thousands of years to degrade naturally. The bill will also require French authorities to regularly test drinking water for all kinds of PFAS and take steps to fine polluters that emit these chemicals into the environment. (more)

US: Maine bans thousands of products containing toxic ''forever chemicals''
9 January 2026 - From makeup to frying pans, Maine's ban on ''forever chemicals'' (PFAS) expanded to multiple consumer products on January 1st. The new ban includes children's toys, cosmetics, cookware, and cleaning products. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection believes the ban will likely go unnoticed by consumers, as there are plenty of product options that do not contain forever chemicals. Minnesota has also banned thousands of everyday products containing these toxic chemicals. (more)

US: How fifteen Bronx Zoo bison sparked a prairie comeback
7 January 2026 - A transfer of fifteen bison from the Bronx Zoo seeded conservation that grew into a 2,000-plus herd at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Osage County, Oklahoma. Ecologists often describe bison as a keystone species because their actions influence many other forms of life. Their grazing habits create a patchwork of short and tall vegetation, which supports a wider range of insects, birds, and small mammals. Without bison, grasses can grow dense and uniform, reducing habitat diversity. (more)