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.
Czech zoo names newborn rhino “Kyiv” in support of Ukraine
The Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic celebrated the rare event of the birth of a critically endangered eastern black rhinoceros earlier this month. This special occasion was given even more meaning when the zoo decided to name the rhino calf “Kyiv,” which is the name of the capital city Read More...
Supporting beavers and our ecosystems
At The Optimist Daily, we’ve written a great deal about the benefits beavers bring to their environment and the importance of restoring their populations in certain areas. Beavers are often vilified in certain communities for the same reason they’re such iconic North American creatures: they Read More...
Kenyan sanctuary welcomes five mountain bongos
The average person hears the word “bongo” and thinks of a pair of small Afro-Cuban hand drums with which one can play fun and danceable rhythms. Bongos are also extremely rare antelopes native to Kenya that haven’t been spotted in the wild in almost 30 years. Bongos used to roam free Read More...
Scientists rediscover “comical” bat species feared extinct for 40 years
Scientists have sighted a critically endangered bat species in Rwanda that was feared extinct for more than 40 years since it was last seen. While they called it a delightful discovery. The researchers who found the Hill’s horseshoe bat in Rwanda’s Nyungwe forest said the bat remains highly Read More...
To watch out for predators, voles trim the grass around them
Here at The Optimist Daily, we commonly report on new ecological findings from animals all around the world. The more scientists uncover about the behavior and lives of the creatures we share the world with the better able we are to help them. Whether that’s uncovering snow monkeys incredible Read More...
Biodiversity means respecting animals' agency
Depending on where you live, there can be a great deal of concern about the local animals, wandering into the road or eating your garbage. For conservationists, there’s a concern for the animals themselves. Conservationists and wildlife managers these days are looking for new ways to protect wild Read More...
Honduras puts a stop to open-pit mining
What is open-pit mining? Open-pit mining is one of the most common and also most harmful methods of extracting minerals from the Earth. Many countries and organizations are trying to do away with this practice because it involves enormous displacement of soil and causes a great deal of damage to Read More...
Once a French coal-mining zone, now a green tourism hub
Once upon a time, Nord-Pas-de-Calais supplied half of France’s coal. This region in the north of the country is distinguished by the giant pyramid-like black cones of slag which are a result of three centuries of environmental and economic hardship. Now, when you get close to the slag cones, Read More...
The New Symbiosis: Living with Wildlife
“We’re animals. We’re born like every other mammal and we live our whole lives around disguised animal thoughts.” - Barbara Kingsolver By Oliver Kammeyer Human society developed an idea over time that it is separate from nature, that we exist apart from it, or in spite of it. Perhaps it Read More...
This company uses an ancient microbe to convert CO2 into food
Many plant-based meats and dairy substitutes use pea protein isolates as their primary protein source. This often involves a complex process of cleaning the protein to get rid of unwelcome flavors, as well as adding additional ingredients to cover up the taste. A Vienna-based company, called Arkeon Read More...