Find uplifting stories about heroes, innovations, and solutions
4055 results for "river islands"
A dedicated volunteer crew has spent more than 10 years protecting and preserving Langham Island's fragile ecosystem in Illinois. Their work ensures the 21-acre river island remains a thriving natural sanctuary for generations to come.
A quiet river island in Assam is becoming India's fastest-rising travel destination as visitors discover centuries-old monasteries, stilt villages, and traditional mask-makers. Searches for nearby Jorhat jumped 493% as travelers seek authentic cultural experiences away from tourist crowds.
The River Wye just became the first river in the UK to receive cross-border legal rights protecting it from pollution. The historic charter gives the 155-mile waterway the right to flow naturally, support biodiversity, and even have its own voice in official meetings.
A river once so polluted it was nearly lifeless is now a thriving ecosystem thanks to decades of conservation work. The Ottawa River Coalition is sharing lessons from one of the Midwest's most dramatic environmental comebacks.
A Pacific island nation that relies on diesel for 98% of its power is building its first major solar farm. The Solomon Islands is betting on sunshine to escape fuel shortages and price swings.
When 13-year-old Heather Trask spotted strange rocks on a riverbed in 1988, she had no idea she'd just discovered BC's first complete marine dinosaur. Her find launched a paleontology movement that turned amateur hobbyists into world-class fossil hunters.
What started as hauling washing machines out of Indiana's White River has transformed into picking up bottles and cans, proof that decades of volunteer cleanups are working. The annual community effort brings together paddlers, city workers, and neighbors to keep the state's largest river trash-free.
Thirteen beloved UK swimming spots, including a historic stretch of the River Thames, are being considered for official bathing water status that would trigger stricter pollution monitoring and force water companies to clean up their act. Local swimmers who've been diving into these rivers for years could soon have legal protection and guaranteed water quality testing.
More than 20 volunteers transformed three spoil islands in Florida's Indian River Lagoon, clearing trails and documenting nearly 200 wildlife observations. The community event shows how hands-on environmental action creates lasting change while connecting people to nature.
A revolutionary barrier system will intercept plastic waste in one of the Philippines' most polluted rivers before it reaches Manila Bay. The Dutch nonprofit believes stopping ocean plastic starts upstream, where just 1,000 rivers carry 80% of the world's river-to-ocean pollution.
The Solomon Islands just elected a new prime minister who brings a fresh approach to foreign relations and animal welfare. In his first major move, he's ending the controversial dolphin trade.
For 20 years, volunteers called the Mudcrabs have been restoring Sydney's Cooks River from one of Australia's most polluted waterways into thriving wildlife habitat. Their grassroots efforts are now recognized as the driving force behind the river's remarkable transformation.
%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Ftf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffiler_public%2F22%2Fd1%2F22d1d559-2c1f-4580-a3d7-eb3872519fc5%2Fhospital.jpg)
A nonprofit is working to preserve Ellis Island's abandoned 29-building hospital complex, where immigrant families faced medical challenges 75 years ago. The restoration will reveal intimate stories of resilience and hope that shaped America.
A river once so polluted it burst into flames is now home to over 20 fish species after a $1 billion cleanup. Atlantic salmon, bass, and rare bowfin have returned to Toronto's Don River for the first time in living memory.
Geologists have finally explained how Wyoming's Green River carved through mountains instead of flowing around them. The discovery reveals how Earth's hidden forces shape the landscapes we see today.
Mauritius just unveiled a groundbreaking digital platform that helps small island nations attract funding for solar projects, starting with 220 MW of its own renewable energy. The World Bank-backed marketplace could transform how vulnerable island states access clean energy investments.
The Australian government reversed plans to relocate 600 residents from the remote Cocos Islands after passionate community pushback. Now islanders will help shape their own climate future.
A conservation researcher in Australia is listing the Martuwarra Fitzroy River as the lead author on her scientific publications, challenging Western views of knowledge and honoring Indigenous traditions. The river even has its own research identifier, with seven papers published so far.
Volunteers transformed Rotary Park in Moorhead by planting 300 native trees along the Red River's banks in a single day. The annual community event protects the river from erosion while creating shade for people and wildlife.
A 290-kilometer river in Bihar, choked by silt for decades and declared nearly dead, is flowing again thanks to a grassroots movement. Barren fields along the Baya River have turned green for the first time in years.
Showing 20 of 4055