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How to Save the Sea: Lessons from an Italian Fishing Community

Agostino Petroni

August 24, 2020 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Italy, Torre Guaceto

Fishers, researchers, and managers came together to create Torre Guaceto, a marine reserve off the coast of Italy. The area was previously exploited, but because of this cooperative management project, biodiversity has recovered. Fishers enter the reserve once a week for their catch and usually make up $10,000 a day, which is more than other Mediterranean fishers. While some illegal fishing still happens at night, the dialogue between key stakeholders was crucial to developing the reserve’s sustainable fishing model.

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Mexico Is Saving Its Coral Reef From Hurricanes With A One-Of-A-Kind Plan

Alexandra Kirkman

August 24, 2020 |

The Huffington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo

To protect the Mesoamerican Reef from the effects of climate change, key stakeholders in Mexico created the world’s first insurance policy to protect a natural asset. The policy provides an immediate infusion of cash in the event of a damaging storm, allowing hotel owners and local governments to quickly repair the reef and prevent further degradation. A volunteer corps of people called the Guardians of the Reef make those repairs. While the insurance policy doesn’t cover pollution or overfishing, this mechanism could work for reefs in other countries to restore and protect threatened ecosystems.

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To Manage Wildfire, California Looks To What Tribes Have Known All Along

Lauren Sommer

August 24, 2020 |

NPR |

Multi-Media |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Mariposa, California

To combat wildfires in California, Native American tribal leaders and government officials are coming together to facilitate “cultural burnings” or controlled burns. Regularly burning the landscape prevents thick, dried out vegetation from catching fire and causing massive wildfires. Tribal groups used to perform this ritual in the 1800s, but as settlers moved West, many of them prevented Native Americans from doing these cultural burnings. While controlled burns can be challenging in places where there’s too much underbrush, these partnerships can bring together indigenous knowledge and wildfire management.

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Study Finds Painting Eyes On Cows' Butts Can Save Their Lives

Lulu Garcia-Navarro

August 23, 2020 |

NPR |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Botswana

As a way to prevent livestock from being attacked by predators and to decrease conflict between farmers and big cats, a pair of conservation biologists painted eyes on the backsides of cattle to fool carnivores during their hunt. A study in Botswana showed that cows painted with artificial eyes on their behinds tricked predators into thinking they’ve been seen by their prey. While it’s not a perfect protection method for cattle, over the four years of the study, none of the cows with the colorful posteriors were killed compared with control groups.

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‘It's like paradise for us': the Cree Nation's fight to save the Broadback Forest

Sarah Cox

August 22, 2020 |

The Narwhal |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Quebec

Canopy works to preserve the untouched Broadback Forest, which stores twice as much carbon as the Amazon and is central to the Cree Nation. The nonprofit works with 750 corporations, including fashion brands, commercial printers, and publishers to reduce the amount of packaging they use and eliminate sourcing from biodiverse, ancient, and endangered forests. They help source waste from grain and other food harvests for packaging, paper, and fabric production and enlist companies’ support of conservation initiatives. They also partner with other groups to lobby the government to protect the Broadback forest.

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How Ashland SWCD uses art to teach stormwater management

Katie Ellington

August 21, 2020 |

Richland Source |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ashland, Ohio

As a way to raise funds and awareness for stormwater education, some cities are turning rain barrels into an art exhibit. Rain barrels catch water as it runs off rooftops, which can be used later for watering plants. It also reduces the amount of water that picks up pollutants and is carried into waterways. The Ashland Soil and Water Conservancy District in Ohio featured 10 rain barrels painted by local artists, allowing residents to vote and bid on their favorite design. Their efforts were inspired by a similar event in Indiana where they’ve auctioned 100 barrels for residents to use at home.

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Amazon ‘women warriors' show gender equality, forest conservation go hand in hand

Rosamaria Loures Sarah Sax

August 21, 2020 |

Mongabay |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Brazil, Maranhão

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.

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With the Hippo Roller, a revolution in fetching water rolls on

Morgane le Cam

August 21, 2020 |

Heidi.news |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Africa

After realizing the difficulty that people in South Africa were facing when carrying water back to their communities, two South African engineers devised a machine "that brings all the water back in one trip by rolling it." Users report that while it does not perform well on steep terrain, it can carry much larger amounts of water "effortlessly and in a single trip." So far, 60,000 of these large plastic drums have been sold, but the cost of the machine is often a barrier for those who live below the poverty line.

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Solar Power Is Booming. But It's Putting Desert Wilderness At Risk.

Kyla Mandel

August 20, 2020 |

The Huffington Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

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.

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On the Delaware, A Promising New Era in Cleanup of an Urban River

Jon Hurdle

August 20, 2020 |

Yale Environment 360 |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Camden, New Jersey

Once known for being dirty, the Delaware River is being cleaned up by nonprofits and government entities to the point where they’re encouraging people to swim in it again. The Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority diverted the flow of sewage at 52 municipal plants to a new treatment plant, which has kept 15 million gallons of sewage out of the river each day. While overflows have not been completely eliminated, a national advocacy group even named the Delaware its River of the Year because of its improvements in water quality.

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