Find uplifting stories about heroes, innovations, and solutions
41 results for "wetlands"
After 15 years of persistence, a Tasmanian community has reduced invasive rice grass from 50 hectares to just 5, bringing a vital wetland back to life. Fish species have more than doubled and thousands of migratory birds are thriving again.
%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Ftf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffiler_public%2F2f%2Fc3%2F2fc33b3c-5799-4493-abd6-3a550db977d2%2Fimg_5565.jpg)
In Brazil's Pantanal wetlands, jaguars once hunted to near extinction now fuel a thriving ecotourism industry worth millions. Local ranchers are choosing to protect the big cats instead of killing them, proving conservation can be profitable.
Researchers finally cracked a decades-old mystery about how prairie wetlands flood—and their breakthrough could help protect millions from surprise flooding across North America's breadbasket.
New research shows Florida's Everglades is pulling more carbon from the air than ever before, with mangroves leading the charge. Scientists now have a detailed roadmap for making the wetlands an even stronger climate solution.
Archaeologists in Belize uncovered remarkably preserved wooden structures showing how Maya communities thrived in wetlands after droughts forced them to abandon cities. The discovery rewrites what we thought possible in tropical archaeology.
India's Kaziranga National Park has emerged as a crucial refuge for the endangered fishing cat, with scientists documenting 57 individuals across the park's wetlands. The discovery reveals that conservation efforts are protecting not just iconic species, but also the lesser-known creatures that depend on healthy ecosystems.
Nearly 100 of the world's tallest flying birds have gathered at a Cambodian wetland, proving that farmer-friendly conservation works. The vulnerable Sarus cranes are thriving thanks to local rice farmers who switched to wildlife-friendly growing methods.
India's Kaziranga National Park just became the world's most important refuge for endangered fishing cats, with scientists discovering 57 unique individuals thriving across its wetlands. This first-ever scientific count reveals a healthy, reproducing population of one of the world's rarest wild felines.
America's only native stork has made a remarkable comeback, doubling its population in four decades. The wood stork's delisting marks a major conservation victory for wetland restoration efforts.
Researchers have developed groundbreaking monitoring methods to safeguard Canada's Peace-Athabasca Delta, a wetland the size of Delaware that's home to Indigenous communities and remarkable biodiversity. Their seven-year study offers hope that this UNESCO World Heritage Site can be protected for generations.
Scotland's whisky distilleries are transforming winter flooding into a solution for summer droughts. Simple landscape tricks like leaky dams and restored wetlands could help the whole UK bounce between extreme weather.
After Hurricane Katrina destroyed protective wetlands, volunteers have planted nearly 30,000 cypress and tupelo trees around New Orleans to anchor the sinking land and shield the city from future storms. The saplings represent two decades of determined recovery, transforming degraded marshes into thriving forests once again.
Across India, ordinary people are transforming into wetland guardians, protecting endangered dolphins and disappearing lakes. A grassroots program has trained 1,200 "wetland friends" who are bringing wildlife back to India's threatened water bodies.
Seven beavers have splashed back into Scotland's Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, returning to waters they haven't touched since the 1600s. These furry engineers are already hard at work rebuilding wetlands that will help fight floods, filter pollution, and boost local tourism.
Scientists in Spain have proven that artificial wetlands can slash water pollution by up to 80 percent, offering a powerful nature-based solution to protect lakes and rivers. The breakthrough shows these green systems work even when treating unpredictable pollution from cities and farms.
A national park in India literally floats on water, rising and falling with the lake beneath it. The unique ecosystem brought an "extinct" species back from just 14 deer to over 260.
In Kashmir's waterlogged wetlands, farmers are turning climate disaster into opportunity by reviving nadur, the traditional lotus stem crop that nearly vanished. Instead of fighting rising water levels, they're working with them and restoring both livelihoods and ecosystems.
Scientists discover that overlooked freshwater creatures act as nature's climate engineers, physically reshaping rivers and wetlands in ways that could help ecosystems survive rising temperatures and extreme weather. The revelation comes as researchers call for urgent attention to these powerful but understudied allies.
A new World Wildlife Fund report reveals that healthy forests, wetlands, and coastlines dramatically reduce disaster damage and insurance costs. The solution to rising premiums and slower recovery might be growing all around us.
The atmosphere temporarily lost its cleaning power after 2020, letting methane build up faster than ever recorded. Scientists now understand why, and that knowledge could help us tackle climate change smarter.
Showing 20 of 41