''This is what's working'': Indigenous leaders on environment solutions in their communities
12 August 2026 - To mark the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples on Aug. 9, Mongabay has interviewed nine Indigenous representatives from around the world about the subtleties in biodiversity conservation and climate solutions implemented by people at a local level. (more)

Lithuania: Defying gravity, Kaunas Science Island's 250-tonne marvel lifts curiosity
11 August 2026 - On Nemunas Island in Kaunas, Lithuania, a striking architectural experiment invites visitors to reconsider what's possible in both physics and design. The centerpiece is a 250-tonne metal disc, seemingly suspended in mid-air, that signals the city's ambition to blend spectacle with substance. Below, Kaunas Science Island houses the Baltic region's most advanced planetarium and 140 interactive exhibits, aiming to engage everyone from curious families to seasoned technologists. (more)

US: Grand opening of the African American Heritage Center
10 August 2026 - After years of dedicated planning and unwavering commitment, the African American Resources Cultural and Heritage Society, Inc. (AARCH) proudly announces the Grand Opening of AARCH's African American Heritage Center (125 East All Saints Street) in the heart of Frederick, MD. This landmark achievement is the result of tireless research, community collaboration, and a shared vision to honor and preserve the rich heritage of African Americans in Frederick and beyond. (more)

Scientists stunned as bumble bees solve a classic intelligence test
9 August 2026 - Bumble bees have demonstrated an impressive ability that scientists once believed was limited to humans and other animals with much larger brains. In a new study, the insects successfully completed a completely unfamiliar object manipulation task despite never being taught how to solve it. (more)

The Indigenous World 2026: UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) World Heritage Convention
8 August 2026 - The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage ('World Heritage Convention') was adopted by UNESCO's General Conference in 1972. With 196 States Parties, it is today one of the most widely ratified multilateral treaties. Its main purpose is the identification and collective protection of cultural and natural heritage sites of 'Outstanding Universal Value' (OUV). The Convention embodies the idea that some places are so special and important that their protection is not only the responsibility of the states in which they are located but also a duty of the international community as a whole. (more)

UK: Will regeneratively grown food become mainstream?
8 August 2026 - The regenerative agriculture movement is gathering pace -- and there is no better place to witness that than at Groundswell. Held last month under sunny skies in the English countryside, the UK's annual regenerative farming festival -- sometimes called the Glastonbury of farming -- is a forum for farmers and anyone interested in food production to learn about this approach. (more)

From living roofs to rainwater harvesting: the future of sustainable homes
7 August 2026 - Designers around the world are radically reimagining homes for the climate era. ''Twenty or 30 years ago, sustainability was often treated as a specialist concern,'' said Philip Jodidio, author of Homes for Our Time: Sustainable Living, published earlier this year. ''Today it shapes almost every discussion about housing, from materials and energy use to land consumption and resilience.'' (more)

Our Ocean Conference in Kenya ends with $6.4 billion in pledges, review of past promises
7 August 2026 - Africa was front and center at the Our Ocean Conference in Kenya, the first time the annual gathering was held on the continent. The conference is built around voluntary commitments from a range of actors including governments, nonprofits, institutions and the private sector. (more)

Canada: How to stitch a massive wildlife corridor through the Rocky Mountains
6 August 2026 - Across Canada, the U.S. and the world, countries are building wildlife crossings that reconnect habitat and keep motorists safe from costly, potentially deadly collisions with animals. The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, or Y2Y, is trying to create a giant connected area stretching across the Rocky Mountains from the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem in the U.S. to Canada's Yukon Territory. (more)

China expands conservation efforts for wild Asian elephants: report
5 August 2026 - China has expanded its conservation efforts for wild Asian elephants through habitat protection, ecological restoration, early-warning systems and rescue programs, according to a report released by the Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency. The report, titled ''Living in Harmony with Nature: The Ecological Civilization Behind China's Wild Elephant Sanctuary,'' said sustained conservation efforts and science-based management have contributed to the steady growth of China's wild Asian elephant population. (more)

Ospreys return to Western Estonia as rivers recover
5 August 2026 - Protected ospreys are nesting in Western Estonia again in a comeback ornithologists say reflects healthier rivers and successful habitat restoration efforts. (more)

Japan set to revolutionize electric car industry by recovering 90% of lithium from used batteries
4 August 2026 - According to engineers at a Japanese recycling facility, roughly 90 percent of the lithium locked in used EV batteries can be recovered. If it holds up at scale, it could reshape how those batteries are built and reused for years to come. (more)

Indonesia's transformation: From food aid to WFP humanitarian donor
3 August 2026 - A partnership between World Food Programme and Indonesia focuses on food security analysis, nutrition policy, climate resilience and preparedness -- helping systems absorb shocks before crises strike. Globally, as well as being a donor, Indonesia further promotes South-to-South and Triangular Cooperation, by sharing solutions shaped by its own journey from vulnerability to resilience. (more)

US: Proposed Indigenous medical school aims to boost Native physician numbers
3 August 2026 - As of 2024, 0.3 percent of practicing physicians in the nation were Native American. A proposed Indigenous School of Medicine in Rapid City, South Dakota could help change that. The school would be the first of its kind in the nation, said Donald Warne, a physician, co-director for the Center for Indigenous Health at Johns Hopkins, and member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. (more)

China: Are electric cars making us healthier?
2 August 2026 - Once among the most polluted cities in the world, Beijing has made a massive U-turn on air quality -- thanks, in part, to EVs. A growing body of recent research is linking EVs to cleaner air in cities, showing that the electrification of passenger cars and other vehicles is not only slowing the heating of the planet but also making urban air more breathable. (more)

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee concludes with renewed global commitments
2 August 2026 - The 48th session of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, held in Busan, Republic of Korea, concluded with 25 new sites inscribed on the World Heritage List. These properties now carry the highest level of heritage protection in the world and are a legacy held in trust for humanity. UNESCO Director-General, Khaled El-Enany, underscored UNESCO's efforts to ensure diversity and how inclusion benefits countries. (more)

''Wastelands'' no more: India charts a future for its grasslands
1 August 2026 - Since the colonial era, India has regarded its native scrublands and savannas as little more than degraded forest. Now, amid a growing recognition of rangelands globally, officials are working to map the nation's ailing grasslands, with a view to restoring these vital ecosystems. A plan to map India's grasslands ''signals an important shift in government thinking about these ecosystems,'' says a researcher. (more)

For Brazil's Xokleng people, saving a sacred tree means saving their culture
1 August 2026 - Sacred to the Indigenous people, the Brazilian pine is a critically endangered species; replanting it is seen as a way of strengthening their identity. (more)

''Major victory'': Sweden plans to ban forever chemicals in everyday products ahead of EU
31 July 2026 - Sweden has announced plans to ban ''forever chemicals'' in consumer products as early as 2028. ''This is a major victory for human health and for the Swedish environment,'' the Minister for Climate and the Environment, Romina Pourmokhtari, said in a statement released on July 23rd. ''PFAS should not be found in clothing, cosmetics, kitchen utensils and other everyday products when there are working alternatives.'' (more)

UK: Lloyds Bank and Wildfarmed: Funding regenerative agriculture
30 July 2026 - Lloyds Banking Group and Wildfarmed have partnered to launch the Food and Nature Resilience Fund to support UK farmers with adopting regenerative practices. The fund aims to reinforce the belief that nature recovery and food production go hand in hand, protecting the environment while strengthening food supply chains. It will reward farmers for delivering improvements in regenerative agriculture areas such as biodiversity, soil health, water quality and carbon reductions. (more)

Europe's 2025 air quality improved as regulation and tech advances paid off
29 July 2026 - Despite the challenge of wildfires, Europe's air quality improved in 2025, according to the latest data released by Copernicus, the European Union's (EU) Earth Observation unit. Decades of environmental policies, advances in technology, and cleaner approaches to industry and transportation in Europe have paid off, resulting in a steady decrease in the emission of major air pollutants. (more)

US: LMU Computer Science professor hosts national workshop on AI and Indigenous Language Revitalization
29 July 2026 - Jared Coleman, assistant professor of computer science at Loyola Marymount University, is working to document, preserve, and revitalize endangered indigenous languages using artificial intelligence (AI) and computational linguistics. A member of the Big Pine Paiute Tribe of the Owens Valley in California, Coleman got into this work because he wanted to support his community's ongoing efforts to revitalize their endangered language. (more)

US: How journalism helped break Iowa's farm pollution acquiescence
28 July 2026 - Real change occurs in America when civic pressures from outside the centers of influence force insiders to retreat. Arguably, the most compelling example of systemic change in how a state could operate is now unfolding in Iowa. Iowans this year are displaying the power of public activism, opinion, and accountability to compel agriculture to clean up its act. If they succeed, residents of other big and polluted farm states could follow Iowa's lead. (more)

US: Rodale Institute breaks ground on ambitious new Center For Regenerative Organic Innovation
28 July 2026 - The Rodale Institute, pioneers of organic and regenerative agriculture, has broken ground on its $24 million Center for Regenerative Organic Innovation in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Opening in Spring 2028, this international hub will advance research and education to transform the food system. Housed in a historic, net-zero energy barn, the Center is central to Rodale's $139 million ''10 Million Acre Solution'' campaign, aiming to transition 10 million acres of industrial farmland to regenerative organic and educate 100,000 farmers by 2030. This initiative combats chemical-reliant agriculture, emphasizing soil and human health. (more)