Conservation
Nature relies on a rich diversity of organisms to keep it in balance. Conservation plays a key role in ensuring that environmental equilibrium is preserved. Learn about the solutions spearheading our efforts to promote biodiversity, safeguard vital ecosystems, and protect endangered species.
How PFAS regulation cut toxic chemical levels in Canadian wildlife
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Levels of some of the most toxic PFAS compounds have fallen sharply in Canadian seabird eggs, and the reason isn’t complicated. Regulation worked. A peer-reviewed study tracked PFAS concentrations in the eggs of northern gannets on Bonaventure Island, in Read More...
How shark tracking data shaped Papua New Guinea’s ocean sanctuary
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Papua New Guinea announced on May 13 that it will protect roughly 214,000 square kilometers (about 82,600 square miles) of the Bismarck Sea from all fishing and extractive activity, an area approaching the size of the United Kingdom. The Western Manus Marine Read More...
Belugas join the short list of animals who know they’re looking at themselves
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM There’s a short list of animals who, when placed in front of a mirror, eventually figure out they’re looking at themselves. Chimpanzees. Bottlenose dolphins. Asian elephants. A magpie or two. A small reef fish called the cleaner wrasse, which upended some Read More...
Julie and Kariba: two elephants getting a second chance in Portugal
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Kariba has lived alone in a Belgian zoo for years. Julie has been with the Cardinali circus in Portugal since 1988, when she was caught in the wild and sold to a German zoo before the family acquired her. Both are African elephants in their 40s. And both are Read More...
Earth Prize 2026 part I: teenage teams tackling big global problems
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every year, The Earth Prize asks teenagers across the world the same question: what environmental problem would you solve, and how? Every year, the answers come from young people who live closest to the problem. After five years and more than 21,000 students Read More...
Earth Prize 2026 part II: seaweed fabric, hornbill nests, and a healing bandage
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM This is part two of our Earth Prize 2026 coverage. Part one covered four regional winners from Ireland, Kenya, Gaza, and India, including Tala and Farah Mousa, whose Build Hope Palestine project we first wrote about earlier this month. Here are the remaining Read More...
Is No Mow May helping bees or just overgrown hype? Here’s what the experts say
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Letting your lawn grow wild in May to help bees and other pollinators? That’s the pitch behind No Mow May, a conservation campaign that has bloomed on social media and in neighborhoods across North America. The idea is simple: stop mowing for one month so Read More...
Antarctic whale populations are rebounding, but there's still more to do
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Good news: the Southern Ocean is filling with whales again. Humpback populations in Antarctica have nearly returned to pre-whaling levels, a rebound scientists say has been faster than almost anyone expected. Researchers conducting a survey near the South Read More...
Spain’s donkey brigade has kept Doñana fire-free for nine years
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM By August 2025, fires had consumed nearly one million hectares (roughly 2.47 million acres) across Spain, the worst toll in three decades. Six regions, including Castilla y León, Galicia, and Andalusia, were declared disaster zones. The causes are familiar: Read More...
4 tips for everyday eco-friendly living
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the face of climate change, many people question the importance of individual actions in ensuring a sustainable future. While institutional change is necessary, environmentalist and author Heather White emphasizes the importance of individual choices. Read More...