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An urban ‘butterfly experience' in Sri Lanka

Dilrukshi Handunnetti

May 15, 2019 |

Mongabay |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Sri Lanka, Moratuwa, Colombo

What was once the garbage dump of a clothing company in Sri Lanka is now the site of an urban butterfly garden. Dilmah Conservation and naturalist Rajika Gamage created the open air garden in 2011 to conserve endangered butterflies without actually keeping any species in captivity. Over 90 native plants were planted, and the garden now receives visits from over 50 different butterfly species. The sanctuary also serves as an educational resource to help stress the importance of the diversity of these insects as an indicator of the health of the habitat.

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Native bees, please

Casey Smith

May 11, 2019 |

Berkeley Science Review |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Berkeley, California

The Urban Bee Lab at UC Berkeley has spent over a decade collecting data about native Californian bees who regularly interact with humans so that they can share their findings to help farmers improve production. The lab collects specimens to help researchers down the line; they observe bees in nature; and they actively work with local farmers to exchange useful information. Short-term, the collaborations help farmers improve yield and provide a welcoming space to bees; short-term, the data collected will help protect and conserve native bee populations.

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'It's a groundswell': the farmers fighting to save the Earth's soil

Matthew Taylor

April 24, 2019 |

The Guardian |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

Governments, UN officials, and climate experts alike are ringing the alarm bells of growing soil degradation around the world. But a new agricultural movement is tackling this challenge head on. Instead of the centuries-old method of ploughing, or turning up the soil, farmers have recently taken to keeping their fields covered with varied plants year round, to keep soil healthier. Advocates also point to lower costs on machinery and labor, more resilient crops, and climate change dividends as added benefits as well.

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Community buy-in stamps out elephant poaching in Zambian park

John C. Cannon

April 22, 2019 |

Mongabay |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Zambia, Luangwa Valley

In the North Luangwa National Park in Zambia, a conservation team worked with local communities to bring the rate of elephant poaching in the area down to zero in 2018. Poaching had surged in the Luangwa Valley in 2014, and since then the group has protected the elephants by placing the decision-making and benefit-reaping in the hands of the community members. They use financial incentives to stir the economy without depending on poaching money, work with the government to revise policies that redirect any income for the area to benefit the residents, and they patrol the park for any poachers.

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The zero-waste revolution: how a new wave of shops could end excess packaging

Stephen Moss

April 21, 2019 |

The Guardian |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Crickhowell

All across the UK, zero-waste shops are gaining traction, with over 100 stores popping up in the last two years. They encourage shoppers to buy in bulk, minimize plastic waste, and ponder the power they have as consumers in where they shop. It’s part of a broader trend of reuse and repair that is making it easier to shop and live in an environmentally friendly way.

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How Nature Therapy Can Help People of Color in Traumatic Jobs

Padmini Parthasarathy

April 15, 2019 |

Outside |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Berkeley, California

People who work in caring professions often experience vicarious trauma, and don't always take the time to seek care for themselves. Rino Consulting Solutions aims to help solve this issue, especially as it impacts people of color, through "a unique mashup of professional guidance and outdoor-based therapy."

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Trout lovers trek down to Río Grande for native cutthroat

Cody Hooks

April 04, 2019 |

The Taos News |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Cerro, New Mexico

On New Mexico's public lands, volunteer effort can go a long way for wildlife restoration. Each year, nearly 200 volunteers hike around 10,000 cutthroat trout to the edge of the Río Grande del Norte National Monument Wild Rivers Recreation Area. For a fish occupying less than 10 percent of its historic range, sparking interest in conservation is an added benefit in helping the species.

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To help students improve inside the classroom, Manitou Springs Middle School is taking them outside

Joe Purtell

March 26, 2019 |

The Colorado Sun |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Manitou Springs, Colorado

The Growth-based Alternative Learning and Leadership Opportunity program combines outdoor education with core academic subjects - "attempting to connect math, history, and language arts with a physical experience." Teachers hope to show students the relevance of what they are learning in the real world. According to one champion of the approach, "A lot of my students don't see the point, so what I'm trying to do is show them the point."

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Virginia schools have seen the light, and it's solar

Debbie Truong

March 24, 2019 |

The Washington Post |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Vienna, Virginia

A move towards solar energy in schools in Fairfax County, Virginia, has been spurred by environmentally-aware students. It’s working because of power purchase agreements, which make solar panels affordable. In these agreements, developers front most of the cost of solar installation, and schools pay it back through energy bills, still leading to cost savings over time. The move to solar is expected to save school districts across the state millions over the next several years.

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Surfing the Divide

Libby Leyden

March 06, 2019 |

Sea Maven |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: South Africa, Muizenberg

Surfing lessons are bridging racial divides and providing a therapeutic outlet for disadvantaged children in South Africa. In a society largely segregated by race, children in Cape Town’s black communities disproportionately suffer the traumatic effects of violence and poverty. Waves for Change, a nonprofit based in Muizenberg, uses surf therapy as a way to mentor and empower kids in Cape Town, helping to desegregate South Africa’s beach and surf culture in the process.

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