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  • Bringing wild bison and an endangered ecosystem back

    Research suggests that in the 1500s there were 30 million to 60 million bison, 400 years later roughly 1,000 remained. Today, their ecosystem, the Great Plains, is one of the most endangered in the world. However, there is a growing movement trying to change that. Across the U.S. indigenous communities are trying to return bison to parts of their historic range. This article looks at various ways indigenous communities are unfolding different methods to do just that, not only to grow the population, but to return them to their culture.

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  • Saving Mowers and Wildlife

    After the Vermont Agency of Transportation had to release more than 50 northern water snakes that were entangled in plastic erosion control netting alongside a road, the department looked for other products that could get the job done while also protecting wildlife. Many states, including Vermont, have switched to more biodegradable options that use natural fibers and found that there hasn’t been a difference in performance and haven’t seen any wildlife mixed up in the new netting.

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  • The Bright Side of the Green Crab

    The invasive European green crab was wreaking havoc on the soft-shell clam fishery in Nova Scotia. But fishers, researchers, and park officials worked together to remove as many of them as possible and find an alternative use for them. Their efforts were working: eelgrass meadows and clam populations were rebounding. Now, they’re testing how these crabs can be used in lobster bait, bioplastics, or even fertilizer for gardens.

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  • Turning oil platforms into reefs

    After oil and gas platforms reach the end of their working lives, some are being turned into artificial reefs that can create new ecosystems in the ocean. Since the 1980s, 550 platforms have been reefed in the Gulf of Mexico and programs are springing up to help industry make the switch. These reefs can be home to fish and birds, and studies have shown that some species prefer these structures over their natural habitats. While not all environmentalists agree with leaving the platforms in the water, scientists are working to understanding how similar programs can be implemented in other parts of the world.

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  • The long shot that saved Belize's coral

    After a hurricane hit the coast of Belize in 2001, it essentially destroyed the coral reefs in Laughing Bird Caye National Park. Lisa Carne wanted to start transplanting coral to regrow the reefs, but it took five years to secure funding to start her project. Restoring coral reefs is a lot of effort, so she founded a nonprofit called Fragments of Hope that hired local residents to help. Because of her efforts, over 85,000 corals have been planted and 89 percent of them survived after 14 years, The techniques used are being applied in other countries like Colombia, Jamaica, and St. Barts.

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  • The detection dogs tracking poachers and Covid-19

    Detection dogs and their handlers can be trained to sniff out any number of problems. In eastern Africa, the Canines for Conservation project has deployed dogs to search for poachers and illegally harvested wildlife products. By tracking poachers from the scenes of illegal kills and finding ivory and rhino horns stashed in warehouses and shipping containers far more efficiently than X-ray methods, the project has contributed to nearly 400 product seizures, higher conviction rates, and elimination of elephant poaching in parts of Kenya. The next frontier being tested: detecting COVID-19 infections.

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  • How Kenya turned the tide against ivory poachers

    More and more park rangers, judges, prosecutors, and wildlife investigators are working together to stop poaching in Kenya. Through training and a new app that allows all parties to track wild animals in a protected conservation area, the number of poaching cases has decreased from 449 creatures killed illegally in 2021 to 93 in 2018. The number of court cases have also decreased in recent years.

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  • The fight to save India's most elusive cat

    After a fishing cat was first documented in an Indian coastal city, state authorities, scientists, and conservationists sought to understand how many felines called the wetland home. Using camera traps, they observed 10 individual fishing cats among the mangrove forests, though this method of estimating the population is tricky. Another survey is underway as researchers study how the health of these habitats are linked to the health of the fishing cats, and how to effectively educate locals about the importance of protecting this species.

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  • How Scientists Are Pivoting In Their Quest To Save Hawaii's Crows

    After a five-year effort to reintroduce the alala bird on Hawaii’s Big Island failed, conservationists are looking into releasing the nearly extinct Hawaiian crow on a different island. Of the 30 birds released in 2016, only five survived. Another predator known as the Hawaiian hawk killed off some of the birds. Releasing the crows on Maui is a temporary solution, but could allow them to learn skills to survive with other predators.

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  • The Return of the Polish Wolf

    Scientists, NGOs, conservationists, and the government worked together to bring the Polish wolf back from the brink of extinction. Methods like GPS tracking and genetic sampling have helped politicians made decisions about how to reduce human-animal conflict and ensure human development didn’t interfere with their habitats. As a result, over the last 50 years the wolf population in Poland has increased 50-fold.

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