French Polynesia: The world just gained a marine protected area the size of France
14 June 2026 - With support from Conservation International, French Polynesia made one of the biggest single contributions to ocean protection in history. Momentum for the protections has been building for over a decade. Alongside the government, local fishers and conservationists, Conservation International worked to make this moment possible through the Blue Nature Alliance and in partnership with Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy. What finally brought it together was a new government that reframed ocean protection not as a policy, but as a sacred duty to find common ground between conservation and sustainable development. (more)

Papua New Guinea to create largest marine protected area in Melanesia
14 June 2026 - Papua New Guinea is set to create a vast marine sanctuary, marking a significant commitment to ocean conservation. The proposed Western Manus Marine Protected Area will span over 214,000 square kilometers in the Bismarck Sea, prohibiting fishing and extractive activities. This initiative aims to protect vital marine biodiversity and support the sustainability of the country's fisheries. (more)

A solar-powered rubbish-eating boat? The vessel chomping plastic waste out of the sea
12 June 2026 - The Interceptor system was invented by Ocean Cleanup, a global non-profit dedicated to ridding the world's oceans of plastic pollution. Guided by floating barriers, the Interceptor has already stopped more than 143,000lbs of rubbish from entering the Pacific from one Los Angeles river. (more)

Ancient Maya knowledge helps Guatemalan farmers cut agrochemical use
9 June 2026 - Guatemalan farmers are turning to organic pesticides, rooted in traditional practices and sustainable ideas, to replace expensive synthetic alternatives. Using a mixture of locally available plants and ideas about farming passed down by ancestors, they are creating natural pesticides to protect their plots. (more)

This newly-discovered blue octopus from the Galapagos Islands could curl up in the palm of your hand
3 June 2026 - The Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador are home to more than a thousand plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth -- things like marine iguanas and giant tortoises. In a new paper in the journal Zootaxa, scientists announced the discovery of the newest animal found in the Galapagos: a tiny blue octopus. (more)

India: 3 teens win global earth prize for inventing tamarind powder that easily removes microplastics
2 June 2026 - In mid-May, the Good News Network reported that 3 teens from India had won a major continental science prize for their brilliant use of an ingredient in Indian cuisine as the basis for a microplastic filter. Now, from Geneva comes the announcement that 16-year-olds Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal, and Avyana Mehta, have claimed the Global Earth Prize in addition to the Asian one, as voted by 23,000 experts from dozens of countries around the world. (more)

The world's largest wildlife crossing will no longer stand alone
28 May 2026 - Southern California's busy highways have long posed a challenge both for local wildlife and drivers, but a major eco-friendly shift is underway. State officials and conservationists are teaming up to build a network of bridges designed to help animals safely navigate the region's infrastructure, with the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing being the most important and closest to completion so far. (more)

UK: Farmers launch landscape recovery scheme
27 May 2026 - A multi-million-pound nature restoration project covering 3,000 hectares of land has launched in the Cotswolds. ...It aims to reconnect floodplains whilst restoring rivers including the Evenlode, the Glyme, and the Dorn, and is supported by more than 50 local farmers. (more)

Vermont becomes first US state to ban paraquat herbicide over Parkinson's fears
26 May 2026 - Vermont is the first US state to ban the weedkilling pesticide paraquat, backed by lawmakers who cited concerns about research showing the chemical substantially increases the risk of the incurable brain ailment known as Parkinson's disease. (more)

A magpie can recognize you - and four other fun facts about Australia's most often-spotted bird
25 May 2026 - The Australian magpie has again topped the charts in BirdLife Australia's Aussie Bird Count as the feathered friend most often spotted across the country. Here are five amazing things you might not know about Australia's most often seen bird. (more)

Critically endangered Bongos return to Kenya
24 May 2026 - In a massive win for biodiversity, four mountain bongos -- Africa's rarest and most striking antelope species --were successfully flown from a Czech republic zoo back to their native Kenyan mountain habitats to help jumpstart a wild population recovery. (more)

The evolution of the wellness retreat
20 May 2026 - Traveling for one's health is nothing new. Victorian-era physicians prescribed jaunts to the coast for wealthy patients, believing seawater and sea air had restorative qualities. Today, however, the goal has shifted from relaxation or recovery to ''healthspan'' -- the idea of living not just longer, but healthier for longer. (more)

Turning commitments into care: Africa accelerates action on traditional medicine
20 May 2026 - Leaders from government, academia, regulatory bodies, community innovation, and youth networks convened at the World Health Summit Regional Meeting in Nairobi on 29 April 2026 to advance the role of traditional medicine as a core pillar of primary healthcare and universal health coverage in Africa. (more)

One-in-a-million white bison calf born in Iowa
19 May 2026 - White bison calves are considered sacred for many Native American nations. A rare white bison (Bison bison) calf was born at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Prairie City, Iowa. Most newborn bison are born with a reddish or brown coat, and the National Park Service estimates that white bison are born every one in one million births. (more)

Africa's rarest antelope gets boost as zoos send 4 bongos to Kenya to help save the species
19 May 2026 - Four mountain bongos, Africa's rarest species of antelope, have just touched down in Kenya in a major step forward in efforts to save the species from the brink of extinction. Found only in Kenya, the mountain bongo is recognizable by its rust red coat with bold white vertical stripes and long spiral horns. (more)

Critically endangered mountain bongos return to Kenya after years in Czech zoo in win for conservation efforts
19 May 2026 - Four critically endangered mountain bongos have returned to their native Kenya after years under the care of a zoo in the Czech Republic, marking a significant boost for conservation efforts. (more)

Australia: Using songlines, elders codify traditional knowledge to care for Country
18 May 2026 - A Warlpiri program called Reading the Country has created a digital storybook as a cultural bridge to the future.With young Walpiri increasingly growing up in towns, a generation of Warlpiri elders who grew up in the desert are developing resources to teach a new generation of Warlpiri, both in the desert and in classrooms. (more)

US: New York moves forward with groundbreaking plastic packaging law
14 May 2026 - New York is on the verge of implementing some of the nation's strongest controls on plastic packaging, with legislation advancing through the state Legislature that could dramatically reshape how waste is managed. The proposed law aims to reduce non-recyclable packaging by 30 percent statewide, marking a significant step forward in tackling plastic pollution. (more)

Ghana protects its ocean with its first marine reserve
11 May 2026 - Last month, Ghana made news when it declared its first marine reserve and cited it as one of the nation's most ecologically and biologically significant marine environments. Covering 703.86 square kilometers (nearly 272 square miles) of coastal waters in the Western region, this landmark step will help restore precious marine ecosystems and protect the livelihoods of 21 coastal communities. It is a core element of Ghana's vision for a ''blue future'' in which the ocean supports a diversified, sustainable economy. (more)

85 million acres of private land now protected for conservation across the US and Australia
8 May 2026 - Over 85 million acres of private land are now being protected for conservation across the US and Australia, showing that individuals and organizations can play a powerful role in safeguarding nature outside of government-managed reserves. (more)

New scientific study reveals ancient ''Miracle Tree'' can remove 98 percent of microplastics from water
3 May 2026 - Seeds from the Moringa tree, often called the ''miracle tree,'' can remove over 98 percent of harmful microplastics from drinking water, lessening the impact on adults' bodies. A recent study published by the scientific journal ACS Omega noted that the plant could perform as well as or better than commonly used chemical treatments, and worked well in simpler filtration setups, potentially reducing energy and infrastructure costs. (more)

Global rewilding movement celebrates major successes
29 April 2026 - The Global Rewilding Alliance has documented numerous conservation successes, including the dramatic rebound of the Saiga Antelope in Kazakhstan from fewer than 50,000 to over four million animals. European rewilding efforts have led to the return of wolves, bison, and lynx to landscapes where they had disappeared. Lake Kartal in Ukraine is nearing full restoration after rewilding efforts. These successes prove that ecosystems can recover when given the chance. (more)

Seeds can ''hear'' the rain -- and the sound waves make them grow faster shows MIT study
26 April 2026 - A series of experiments at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrated that rice seeds sprouted faster to the sound of rainfall. The sound of falling droplets effectively shook the seeds out of a dormant state, stimulating them to germinate at a faster rate compared with seeds that were not exposed to the same sound vibrations. (more)

Top Earth Day 2026 events around the globe
22 April 2026 - Discover some of the amazing Earth Day 2026 events happening worldwide. With over 10,000 events on the Global Event Map, this is your chance to honor people power. (more)