‘What's at stake is the life of every being': Saving the Brazilian Cerrado

Collaboration between the Hmong community, researchers, and park authorities in northern Thailand has allowed them to work together to restore the forest in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. Between 1997 and 2013, they used assisted regeneration to restoring 33 hectares of forest, which also increased the area’s natural flora and fauna. Because of their efforts, their approach is being implemented in tropical forests around the world, including Cambodia, Madagascar, and Tanzania.

Two nonprofits came together to manage Hawai'i's Kaua‘i’s Hā‘ena State Park in a community-led way, creating a more equitable relationship between the tourism industry and the local community. Native Hawaiians work at the park, lead restoration projects and run educational programs. And to prevent overtourism, tourists must make reservations and pay to enter.

Solar development can reduce or significantly alter local biodiversity, and this should be considered when planning sustainability projects in the desert, argues a new study. Scientists measured the impact of a solar plant built in California and found that while some grasses and native shrubs grew back, cacti and yucca didn’t fare well. They recommend building solar projects on places that have already been developed or have low environmental impact. Groups like the Nature Conservancy are using that advice to pilot a project demonstrating that old mine sites in Nevada can be used for clean energy.

A collaboration between two First Nations communities, scientists, private businesses, and the Canadian government are recovering caribou populations in British Columbia. Because of their work, they have been able to triple the number of caribou in their herd over the last decades. While their methods of protecting the animals are controversial, they’ve been able to protect more than 7,000 hectares of additional land for caribou habitat.

As governments and businesses make pledges to cut their carbon emissions, planting tress has become a popular solution to combat the effects of climate change. But tree-planting schemes take time and proper management to actually be effective. Many efforts have failed to take some key factors into consideration, including types of trees, location, and even community-involvement.

Women “warriors” of the indigenous Guajajara people in Brazil use drones to patrol their territory of the Amazon rainforest in an effort to prevent deforestation. Because of their work, they have been able to cut deforestation down to just 63 hectares in 2018 compared with 2,000 hectares in 2016. While the work can be dangerous and difficult at times, the women are committed to protecting the forests as a way to combat climate change. “If we don’t act, there would be no forest standing,” says one of the women warriors.

In Benin, indigenous beliefs, knowledge, and traditional governance systems are helping communities protect biodiversity and adapt to climate change. Vodun, a spiritual practice that protects fragile and vital ecosystems, has enabled the preservation of more than 1,200 acres of mangroves over the last decade.

The team at the Uttarkashi forest division began training community members to construct biodegradable logs to serve as dams to reduce the amount of topsoil carried away by rainwater. Within the first month of the project, the area saw a 15% increase in new vegetation. There’s now a group of about 70 villagers who create these logs. It’s an easily replicable, low-cost initiative that utilizes community support and is in the process of being implemented and is in the process of being implemented in other parts of the country to protect fragile landscapes like the Himalayas.

After being hit by two natural disasters in one year, cities, Indigenous tribes, and government agencies in Whatcom County on the Nooksack River are working together to create a new plan to deal with flood risk and salmon restoration. The Floodplain Integrated Planning team is overcoming distrust among its partners to build a more holistic plan that incorporates tested solutions like fish-friendly floodgates, levee repairs, and property buyouts to remove homes that will continue to be flooded in the future.

Over many months, the Wuikinuxv Guardian Watchmen in British Columbia, Canada, patrol about 2,000 square kilometers of the coast by boat, and they're doing everything from warding off poachers to participating in scientific studies. Since it’s rare to see government vessels monitoring the area, many Indigenous communities throughout Canada have created these guardian programs as a way to conserve and protect their land.