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For non-swimmers, a chance to jump in the water and learn

Joel Wolfram

May 10, 2019 |

WHYY |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

To better serve all communities and increase safety for families, the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation is offering free swim lessons at community pools. Building off of the success of University of Pennsylvania's We Can Swim summer program which offers lessons to "Philadelphia children who might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn," the idea has already been deemed a success given the enrollment numbers.

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Return of indigenous crops helps reduce farm distress and restore ecosystems

Basudev Mahapatra

February 10, 2020 |

Mongabay |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Odisha

By returning to indigenous varieties of crops, farmers can increase ecological diversity and reliance to climate change. In India, hundreds of farmers in the state of Odisha have been returning to indigenous crops, like millet, vegetables, and tubers. In contrast to the high yield varieties of seeds provided by the government, heritage crops prove more resilient to changes in climate, water shortages, and local pests. Using heritage crops also reduces the need for pesticides, helping to restore ecological balance in the region.

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Havre's Wastewater Woes Solved By Beer

Rachel Cramer

February 10, 2020 |

Yellowstone Public Radio |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Havre, Montana

Upcycling spent barley helps to ease wastewater treatment. In Havre, Montana, the town’s wastewater treatment plant uses barley from a local brewery, Triple Dog Brewing, to feed bacteria. The nutrients from the barley give the bacteria a boost, helping to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous levels in the water. The collaboration means that Havre can save on expensive solutions and upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant.

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Madhya Pradesh's ‘fluoride warriors' unleash citizen science to empower community

Sahana Ghosh

March 02, 2020 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh

As part of a social work graduate program through Alirajpur Post Graduate College, a group of students are using “citizen science” to share their research that water with elevated levels of fluoride can be dangerous to drink. This has especially been an opportunity for female students to develop public speaking skills while connecting with women whose role it is to manage water for their households and encourage them to use wells with the appropriate fluoride levels, based on their data and research.

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Gainesville Keeps Some Nature Parks Open, Citing Mental Health Reasons

Christine Guerrero Kayla Price Hannah Rarick

April 11, 2020 |

WUFT-PBS |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Gainesville, Florida

As a response to COVID-19, Florida closed its state parks, but in Gainesville, they’ve kept a number of city-owned ones open. Among those open is Sweetwater’s Nature Center, which cites the natural spaces as crucial for exercise and mental health. They’re taking precautions, though – adhering to added protections for workers who don’t feel comfortable working, frequent cleanings, and posting signs along the trail as social distance reminders.

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Poop may tell us when the coronavirus lockdown will end

Rosanna Xia

April 29, 2020 |

Los Angeles Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: France, Paris

Researchers and public health experts across the world are turning to "wastewater-based-epidemiology" as a practice that could help trace and track the spread of COVID-19. This methodology has already proved successful in helping mitigate diseases such as polio in Israel and track the usage of illicit drugs in Australia. Most recently, in both France and the Netherlands, early sewage samples have revealed useful data about the coronavirus outbreak.

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Balancing out the doom and gloom: Why we're producing more journalism with a glass-half-full outlook

Angela Ross

June 11, 2020 |

ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Australia

ABC News in Australia is using a solutions-focused, or constructive, approach to reporting on social problems. Focusing in particular on three areas, affordable housing, stormwater, and obesity, the Hobart newsroom is combating widespread hopelessness and mistrust of the media by highlighting what individuals and communities are already doing to address problems. The approach is used around the world and supported by organizations such as Solutions Journalism Network and the Constructive Institute. While change can be slow, these groups offer newsroom training to help shift reporting perspectives.

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In Mathare, clean water is music, as Billian shields the Kenyan slum against COVID-19

Christabel Ligami

July 07, 2020 |

Nigeria Health Watch |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Mathare

In Kenya's rural communities and densely populated areas, accessing sanitation and hygiene methods can be difficult, but in one slum, a nonprofit organization has teamed up with a group of young men in the community to help increase access during the Covid-19 pandemic. Together, they are providing free water and food vouchers to families and setting up hand washing stations throughoutut the area.

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India's tribal farmers tap solar irrigation to cut migration

Soumya Sarkar

July 27, 2020 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Jharkhand

New solar-powered irrigation systems in the Chotanagpur Plateau region in India are giving farmers more dependable water and allowing them to diversify their crops, allowing them to also grow their income. Many farmers from a local village used to migrate to other places to search for work, but a new irrigation system has allowed them to grow cauliflower for a competitive price. While the cost of buying and installing a solar-powered irrigation system can be high, this form of irrigation could be more climate-friendly and help stabilize crop production.

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Emergency Preparedness for Prisons Isn't Just Sandbags and Non-perishables

Emma Coleman

November 02, 2018 |

New America Weekly |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005 stranded people incarcerated in the New Orleans jail without food or water, the city used the experience not to question its disaster preparedness but instead to rethink who needs to be incarcerated in the first place. By easing policies in cash bail and arrests for petty offenses, the city cut its jail population by two-thirds and replaced its flooded jail with one less than one-quarter the original size. The new policies helped inspire Louisiana to revise its sentencing standards in an effort to end its distinction for having the world's highest incarceration rate.

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