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How Birds Keep the Pajaro River Levees Safe

Elyse DeFranco

December 06, 2021 |

Bay Nature Magazine |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, California

Rodents can weaken critical river levees. Instead of poisoning them, leading to ripple effects up the food chain, levee managers on the Pajaro River in California are encouraging raptors to patrol the area.

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Areas hard hit by B.C. drought now the target of bottled water corporations

Emily Fagan

November 21, 2021 |

The Narwhal |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Merville, British Columbia

The Merville Water Guardians, the Canadian Freshwater Alliance, and K’ómoks First Nation successfully prevented rezoning that would allow water to be drawn from shared aquifers, bottled, and sold for private profits. Protests at District board meetings, letter writing campaigns, petitions, and door-to-door campaigning led the District board to vote against the rezoning and sign an historic agreement to collaboratively manage and conserve water with the K’ómoks First Nation.

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Want to Solve Wildfires and Drought? Leave it to BEAVERS!

Joe Hanson Mimi Schiffman

November 18, 2021 |

PBS |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Oregon

Beavers can be a tool in the fight against climate change. The dams that beavers build have multiple benefits for the environment. Studies show that beaver complexes are greener. They store so much water in the soil and plants that they act like an underground irrigation system. Studies also show that fires in an area with streams without beavers burn three times more intensely that those with beavers. Beaver habits are so successful, that scientist are replicating their damns to mitigate the effects of climate change.

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When the Ice Stops Singing

Sasha Gallick

November 14, 2021 |

Pioneers Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Finland, Saarijärvi

Snowchange is a co-operative formed by a network of villages across Finland. The co-op formed after fishermen found all the fish in the river dead due to pollution. They decided to take action. They began "rewilding," a process of restoring ecosystems to the point that they can take care of themselves. They did this by buying peat production sites and rewilding them to wetlands. A decade ago there was merely three to four bird species in the first rewilding site the co-op bought, now there's close to 200.

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A River's Right to Flow

Sara Van Note

October 22, 2021 |

bioGraphic |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Mexico

In order to preserve and protect rivers a new movement that grants rivers personhood rights is growing. In places like New Zealand and Oregon, where some of these measures have passed rivers have the right to flow without having to be used as a resource for consumption. In New Mexico, the state engineer approved a water lease submitted by the National Audobon Society. The lease allows about 13 million gallons of water to flow annually solely for its own sake, similiar to personhood rights. The creative approach is one way conservationists are fighting for water preservation.

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Despite a Punishing Drought, San Diego Has Water. It Wasn't Easy.

Jill Cowan

October 17, 2021 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Diego, California

While much of the state is still facing a severe drought, San Diego has access to plenty of water. Restrictions - like not allowing restaurants to serve water unless it’s asked for and barring residents from watering their yards during the day – have helped. Diversifying where the city gets their water from and investing in water-saving infrastructure, like lining Imperial Valley canals with concrete to prevent water from seeping into the earth, growing desalination capabilities, and adding more capacity to the reservoir, have also helped diversity and save water.

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A shot of recycled water revives a flourishing ecosystem on the Santa Cruz River in Tucson

Ian James

September 08, 2021 |

AZ Central (The Arizona Republic) |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Tucson, Arizona

By rewetting part of the Santa Cruz River in Tucson, the city has been able to revitalize an ecosystem that was once thought to be lost. Through collaboration and research, hundreds of species of creatures have returned to the river. This restoration project could serve as a model for other cities that want to help their desert rivers and sustain wildlife habitats.

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France's 'Peevolution' Is Irrigating Farms With Liquid Gold

Peter Yeung

August 31, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: France, Bordeaux

Getting rid of urine is very wasteful, in the European Union alone almost 6,000 billion liters of water are used to flush urine. TOOPI Organics is using urine as a resource. Founded in 2019, the biotech company collects urine and using a fermentation process transforms it so it can be used as a fertilizer. Its urine fertilizer helped plants grow 60 to 110 percent more than a traditional mineral fertilizer. Its factory in the city of Bordeaux is able to produce 2,500 liters of organic fertilizer per day.

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Can Eggshells Save One of Mexico's Most Polluted Rivers?

Aline Suárez del Real

August 14, 2021 |

Global Press Journal |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Lerma, Mexico

The Lerma river in Mexico is one of the most polluted rivers in the country. Water from the river leaves behind yellow stains and causes headaches and dizziness. To help bring clean, drinking water to the community a scientist and a resident in Lerma co-found the H2O Lerma With Charm collective. One of the things the group does is create filters from eggshells they install in the local wells. Eggshels, which are high in calcium, combined with magnesium can reduce heavy metals in water by 80 percent. The collective has close to 70 members and have installed filters in seven local wells.

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PA cities have a sewer-system problem. Green infrastructure can help — but comes with its own risks

Madison Goldberg

August 05, 2021 |

StateImpact Pennsylvania |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

In many cities, rainwater is drained through "grey infrastructure" things like pipes, streets, etc. In some cities, this system is combined with the sewage system. Rainwater drains into the sewage system, is then cleaned, then emptied into the river. However, with strong storms some sewage systems overflow. A problem that will worsen with climate change. In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, rain gardens are one solution to overflowing sewage systems. Cities like Harrisburg are turning to green infrastructure, things like rain gardens, roofs with gardens, and parks, to ease the burden on gray infrastructure.

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