Peggy Flanagan makes history as first Native woman elected to U.S. Senate
5 November 2026 - An Anishinaabe Kwe -- an Ojibwe woman -- made history Tuesday, becoming the first Native woman elected to the U.S. Senate. A surge of votes late Tuesday from Minneapolis -- a center for the state's urban Indigenous community -- pushed Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan to a solid 54 percent of the vote. Flanagan, White Earth Nation, was one of three Indigenous women in the general election with the potential to make history on Election Day as the first Indigenous women to serve in the upper chamber of Congress. (more)

US study: Scientists discover surprising heart benefits of eating avocado and mango every day
5 November 2026 - Eating an avocado and a cup of mango every day may provide surprising benefits for heart health, according to a new study involving adults with prediabetes. After just eight weeks, participants experienced significant improvements in blood vessel function and diastolic blood pressure, particularly among men. These benefits occurred without weight gain or changes in calorie intake, suggesting that the nutrient-rich combination could support cardiovascular health through a simple dietary adjustment. (more)

UK: Cream of the crop: one brand's quiet quest to reinvent the dairy industry
4 November 2026 - For Somerset-based brand Yeo Valley Organic, the solution to making farms more resilient is right under our feet: healthy soil, and the regenerative and organic principles that help create it. But what exactly is regenerative agriculture? (more)

US Study: Scientists identify two overlooked skills that predict reading success
4 November 2026 - A massive new study reveals that intelligence plays a surprisingly limited role in children's reading success, while visual processing showed no meaningful connection at all. Instead, the strongest predictors are sound recognition, vocabulary, and background knowledge, offering new clues about how to help struggling readers. (more)

US: 2026 North Carolina Small Farmer of the Year built farm from ground up
3 November 2026 - Darius McKoy, the 2026 North Carolina Small Farmer of the Year, didn't have a tractor when he started farming four years ago in Sampson County, North Carolina. ''I started out with a rake, a hoe and a shovel,'' the 43-year-old Air Force veteran said of turning a former sheep farm into a fruit and vegetable farm. McKoy also mentors other beginning and veteran farmers, offers farm tours to 4-H students, and teaches sustainable farming practices to university interns. (more)

UK: London's Oxford Street busy with shoppers as road becomes pedestrian only
3 November 2026 - Cars, buses, taxis, and bicycles can no longer travel along much of Oxford Street, with almost a kilometer of the road now pedestrianized. The famous London shopping street has been made traffic free between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street. Nabeel Khan, chief executive of the Oxford Street Development Corporation (OSDC) says more trees, street furniture and dining areas will be introduced Oxford Street over the coming months and two new public squares are planned by spring 2027. (more)

The women who won't let go: Female-led resistance to development harms across Asia
2 November 2026 - During a recent ''people's tribunal'' in Bangkok, women from across Asia spoke about their experiences as leaders of movements seeking justice for communities affected by World Bank-funded development projects. The women are from communities affected by a variety of projects across the continent, including dams and land redistribution programs. (more)

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development launches scratch cooking, locally grown food for schools
2 November 2026 - The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's (MDARD) Farm to Family Program has launched a Scratch Cooking Pilot that provides grants of up to $100,000 to help Michigan schools serve students more meals made from locally sourced foods. (more)

US: Seminole Tribe to Host American Indigenous Arts Celebration Nov. 6-7
1 November 2026 - The Seminole Tribe of Florida's Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum will host its American Indigenous Arts Celebration Nov. 6-7, featuring Native artists, fashion designers, powwow and hoop dance performances, cultural demonstrations and traditional foods. (more)

Netherlands pledges $500 million to help conserve tropical forests
1 November 2026 - The Dutch government has said it will contribute up to $500 million over the next decade to an international fund to help protect tropical forests. The money will help establish the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, a new public-private wealth fund that aims to reward countries for preserving tropical forests. (more)

A historic land restitution process offers new hope for Botswana's Indigenous San
31 October 2026 - Nearly 20 years after a landmark court ruling in their favor, Indigenous San communities in Botswana may finally secure broader rights to their ancestral lands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, following decades of evictions and legal disputes. (more)

Travellers are making more sustainable choices to ''enhance'' journeys, new study finds
31 October 2026 - Sustainability is playing a larger role in how and where we travel, with a new study revealing that exploring the outdoors, scenic rail journeys and visiting lesser-known destinations can enhance experiences abroad. When it comes to a destination's appeal, 56% of those surveyed are attracted to good public transport or lower-carbon mobility options and 50.6% are attracted to destinations that protect natural and cultural heritage. (more)

Tanzania: Pemba's new marine protected areas show the power of collaboration
30 October 2026 - The east coast of Pemba Island was facing severe overfishing and illegal activity leading to declining fish populations and degrading ecosystems. In an extensive collaboration between more than 20 local communities, the Tanzanian government, and environmental NGOs, two new marine protected areas have been introduced in order to protect the ecosystem and those who rely on it. (more)

World-first basic income trial boosts Indigenous livelihoods and Amazon rainforest protection
30 October 2026 - A pilot project in which Indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon were given an unconditional basic income significantly improved community well-being, strengthened food security, and supported rainforest protection, according to analysis by the University of Bath. (more)

Bangladesh factory wins global architecture prize
29 October 2026 - A seven-story textile factory in Rangpur, Bangladesh, has won the prestigious RIBA International Prize 2026, earning international recognition for a design that places nature and worker wellbeing at the center of an industrial workplace. Green Field Factory, operated by Karupannya Rangpur Limited, received the award from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). CNN reported that the jury described the building as a ''work of quiet humility''. (more)

How rewilding could help atoll islands keep pace with rising seas
29 October 2026 - Coral-fringed tropical atolls are among the landforms most threatened by global warming, but many have a potential superpower: Healthy ecosystems may help them keep pace with rising seas. (more)

Germany: Scientists discover a plastic-eating ''Pac-Man'' enzyme with a surprising secret
28 October 2026 - Researchers at the University of Konstanz have now discovered an unusual enzyme that could reveal how some bacteria are becoming better equipped to break down certain types of plastic. Scientists have nicknamed it the ''Pac-Man enzyme'' because its molecular structure features a remarkably wide opening where chemical reactions take place, known as the active site. The discovery suggests that bacteria may be adapting to digest certain plastic materials more quickly than researchers previously believed. (more)

Rheas are back to Chilean Patagonia
28 October 2026 - Mongabay traveled to Chile's Patagonia National Park to follow a women-led team on a mission to bring 13 Darwin's rheas back to the wild in April 2026. Working with Rewilding Chile Foundation, these dedicated rangers care for the birds around the clock. For more than a century, the Chacabuco Valley, where the park is located, was dominated by sheep and cattle ranching. Fences fragmented the vast Patagonian steppes and rheas (Rhea pennata) nearly disappeared. But one of South America's most ambitious rewilding efforts is helping to turn the tide. (more)

Helping South Africa's young engineers to build careers in renewable energy
27 October 2026 - South Africa's growing renewable energy sector needs more than infrastructure -- it needs skilled people to run it. A technical internship program is helping bridge that gap between academic study and industry, equipping young engineering graduates with the practical, on-site experience they need to build careers in utility-scale renewable energy. (more)

New U.S. National Park Preserves ''Land of Standing-Up Rocks'' and its Apache Culture in Arizona
27 October 2026 - The U.S. has designated a new National Park in Arizona, preserving the distinctive landscape known as Chiricahua, the land of ''Standing-Up Rocks''. Previously a national monument, the new Chiricahua National Park recognizes the area's rich Apache heritage with its remarkable rock spires and natural biodiversity. (more)

Scotland's forests are making a remarkable comeback with millions of new trees
26 October 2026 - The Cairngorms is the UK's largest National Park and stretches over an incredible 4,528 square kilometres. Featuring an array of breathtaking natural landscapes such as ancient woodlands, impressive mountain ranges and mystical lochs, the area is steeped in Scottish culture and history. The park's primary intention is to promote and conserve the natural heritage of the space and promote sustainability in their endeavours. (more)

UK: The new certification scheme helping solar farms become havens for wildlife
26 October 2026 - With the UK set to almost double its solar capacity by 2030, a new certification scheme is encouraging developers to create better habitats for wildlife alongside clean electricity generation. Launched by Wild Power, the scheme assesses how renewable energy developments protect and improve habitats, awarding certification to those that meet its biodiversity standards (more)

Canada protects 81,400 hectares of Ontario Taiga
25 October 2026 - South of a small mill town called Kapuskasing, a stretch of northern Ontario wilderness bigger than Toronto itself is now permanently off-limits to logging and development. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) announced the Taiga Forests and Peatlands project on October 13, 2026, with federal, provincial and private partners all contributing to what officials are calling one of the largest private-land conservation deals in Ontario's history. (more)

Mozambique safari operator wins conservation award at COP17
25 October 2026 - A Mozambican safari operator credited with helping restore wildlife populations in Mozambique's Zambezi Delta, has won the 2026 Markhor Award, which recognizes contributions to conservation through sustainable wildlife management. Established in 2008, the Markhor Award is presented every two years. Previous winners include conservation initiatives in Tanzania, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Iran. (more)