UK startup turns festival urine into forest-grade fertilizer
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Only seven percent of Britain's native woodlands are in good condition. Pests, pathogens, and invasive species have worked through the rest. And rising fertilizer costs, driven by ongoing conflict, have not helped. A Bristol-based startup thinks part of the Read More...
Giant sequoia clones from 3,000-year-old trees are taking root in Detroit
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In California's Sierra Nevada, giant sequoias have stood for millennia. The largest trees top 300 feet, live past 3,000 years, and are among the biggest living things on Earth by mass. Now, clones of specific ancient trees are being planted in Read More...
New platform CTrees calculates the carbon in every tree on Earth
New startup CTrees uses artificial intelligence to track exactly how much CO2 the world’s three trillion trees are storing, thereby determining the extent to which trees are helping the planet. CTrees, which was developed by a team of NASA scientists, has a very simple motto: “see the forest Read More...
To ecologists’ surprise, toads can climb trees
Toads were always known as terrestrial creatures, spending their time on both land and in water… until now. To ecologists’ surprise, a group of volunteers surveying dormice and bats in trees made the accidental and unexpected discovery that toads also dwell in trees. How did they discover Read More...
Paris protestors save trees around the Eiffel Tower
Environmental activists defending more than 40 trees surrounding the Eiffel Tower in Paris celebrate a tree-umphant win after weeks of protest. The city of Paris planned to clear the area around the iconic tower on the Champ-de-Mars to make the tower more accessible and the area around it Read More...
Urban greenery could have saved how many lives?
Boston University has recently released a series of papers revealing the benefits of greenery on mental and physical health. Previous studies have concluded that spending time in greenery reduces the risk of dementia and boosts cognitive function. Their most recent study is focussing on how Read More...
Tasmania becomes one of the world's first carbon negative places
Tasmania has become one of the few places in the world to achieve net carbon negative emissions by cutting down logging activities, according to a new study. A "remarkable achievement" The study comes from the Australian National University (ANU) and Griffith University, where scientists have Read More...
This experimental "super forest" shows how to plant trees the right way
Reforesting our lands is key to safeguarding the future of Earth’s life-giving systems. However, it is of utmost importance to do it strategically in order to reap the most benefits out of planting trees. An experimental forest in England aims to showcase how to restore our forests the right Read More...
More trees may save gray foxes from coyotes
The Optimist Daily has recently written a great deal on the need to coexist with animals, respecting animal agency and the potential to reach a new symbiosis with our furry neighbors on the planet. This brings into our consideration how to adapt our own human environments to better suit the habits Read More...
This startup fights deforestation with tree-planting drones
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, our planet loses 70,000 square kilometers of forested area every year. Since trees play a key role in combating the effects of climate change, it’s always reassuring to come across innovative projects that aim to restore green areas around Read More...