Nature
🌳 Rainforest wildlife returns to abandoned farmland within 30 years
A study from Ecuador shows that biodiversity in tropical rainforest recovers to more than 90 percent of its original level within three decades. Three-quarters of the animal and plant species typical of untouched primary forest return to abandoned agricultural land during the same period.
🌊 Montana tribes restore their rivers after historic water agreement
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are restoring the Jocko River and other waterways in Northwestern Montana following a historic water compact with the state. Restoration work has already resulted in more bull trout returning to their native streams.
🌲 Europe's forests are growing faster than they are harvested
Forest growth exceeded harvesting in 23 EU countries with available data in 2023. Romania had the largest surplus with nearly 40 million cubic metres more growth than harvesting. Sweden had the second largest surplus in the EU with 26.4 million cubic metres of net growth.
🦋 Rewilding in Scotland leads to sharply increased biodiversity
Rewilded land in Scotland has increased the number of suitable breeding territories for birds by 546% compared to non-rewilded land. The number of bumblebees and butterflies has increased more than tenfold, and the network is now estimated to support 2.5 million pollinating insects.
🚯 Over 25 million kilograms of trash removed from oceans and waterways in 2025
The organization's total amount of collected trash has now surpassed 45 million kilograms. A new program, the 30 Cities Program, will tackle a third of all plastic waste reaching the oceans from the world's most polluted urban areas.
🌊 The Soviet Union drained the Aral Sea – now it's filling up again
The Aral Sea was once the world’s fourth-largest lake. When the Soviet Union diverted two rivers for cotton farming, it shrank rapidly. Now the trend has reversed: the North Aral Sea’s surface has grown by 36% in 20 years, water volume has nearly doubled, and 20 fish species have returned.
🌲 Deforestation is slowing down – forests are expanding in more and more regions
In the past, forests around the world were cut down on a massive scale. But that has changed in recent decades. Deforestation still continues in some regions, but in others the trend has reversed. Forest area is now increasing in more parts of the world than it is decreasing in.
🐻 Polar bears in Svalbard are thriving despite rapid sea ice loss
Researchers studied 770 adult polar bears in Svalbard between 1995 and 2019 and found that their body condition improved after 2000. The Barents Sea has lost sea ice faster than any other area where polar bears live, but the bears showed no signs of deteriorating health.
🔬 Microplastic levels in the atmosphere much lower than previously thought
New estimates show that the amount of atmospheric microplastics is 100 to 10,000 times lower than researchers previously calculated. The study compiled 2,782 measurements from 283 locations worldwide to create a reliable global baseline.