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Getting to 10% forest cover: Kenya's road to recovering its lost ecosystem

David Owino

June 05, 2020 |

DIRAJ |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Kenya

In Kenya, initiatives are being devised to help the country reach a minimum tree cover target of 10% of the total landmass by 2022. One of the more successful efforts has been an uptick of public awareness campaigns such as the "adopt a tree campaign," which educates youth about the importance of planting trees in the correct areas.

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India's first 'green' village adapts to life without tourists

Anne Pinto-Rodrigues

May 28, 2020 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Khonoma, Nagaland

Despite the lockdown and loss of tourism income due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the village of Kohonoma in India has been able to maintain a high level of food security for its people. Because of previous legal changes and grant money, villagers were able to change their lifestyle to support the community’s tourism industry and preserve its sustainable agriculture practices. Village leaders are hopeful that their conservation and sustainable development efforts will continue post-pandemic and will encourage other communities to do the same.

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In the forests of New Zealand, indigenous Maori and Western scientists work through past injustices to save a threatened species together

Per Liljas

May 19, 2020 |

Ensia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: New Zealand

A native tree species known as the kauri is being threatened by a deadly pathogen in New Zealand, so Western scientists, the government, and the Māori people are working together to stop it. Early tests suggest that chemical signals from other plants might be able to distract the pathogen and slow down the spread of it. However, collaboration between scientists and indigenous people was not easy, but they were able to build trust between each other.

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Seed by seed, a women's collective helps reforest Brazil's Xingu River Basin

JoAnna Haugen

May 12, 2020 |

Mongabay |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Brazil, Xingu River Basin

A group of women, known as the Yarang Women’s Movement, from villages in Brazil collect and sell seeds to nurseries, landowners, and other organizations to replant degraded land by the Xingu River. While this effort has helped reforest the area, a significant amount of land is still degraded and climate change threatens the availability of seeds throughout the year. Yet, “they have found creative ways to survive and adapt to climate change. The Yarang Women’s Movement is an example of resilience,” said someone who has worked with the group.

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Can Genetic Engineering Bring Back the American Chestnut?

Gabriel Popkin

April 30, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

Researchers successfully genetically engineered American Chestnut trees to resist the blight that decimated the species. Using a resistance-conferring gene from the wheat plant, the trees are grown in the lab and then can mate with trees in the wild to produce hardier blight-resistant trees. Although there are several regulatory hurdles to clear, and some environmental activists oppose the use of genetic modifications, the group continues to receive substantial grants and the trees have passed years of safety and efficacy tests showing they are safe and can even contribute to a healthy diet for many species.

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The fire we need

Page Buono

April 24, 2020 |

High Country News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Yurok Reservation, California

The Indigenous Peoples Burning Network works with a group of other similar networks with the shared goal of promoting prescribed fire in a positive and safe manner that will help local ecosystems and minimize the risk of unintentional wildfires. Since controlled burning has been part of Indigenous communities for much of their long history, there is an opportunity for Indigenous leaders and local fire experts to learn from each other.

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How a trickle of water is breathing life into the parched Colorado River Delta

Ian James

April 19, 2020 |

AZ Central (The Arizona Republic) |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Francisco Murguía, Baja California Sur

A unique partnership between environmental groups and governments in the United States and Mexico has led to the resurrection of wetlands and forests in the long-dry Colorado River Delta. Since the waters were dammed and diverted in the 1900s, estuaries dried up and vegetation was lost. The two nations agreed to rewet the delta via a planned flood. Even though there isn’t enough water available to restore a flowing river, these restoration projects on parts of the delta have shown promise. Challenges, including limited funds and hotter, drier conditions due to climate change, remain for its longterm success.

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Renaissance Mill

Britany Robinson

March 23, 2020 |

Oregon Business Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, West Linn, Oregon

After a paper mill in Oregon closed abruptly, a venture capitalist swooped in, bought the place, and reopened it as the first paper mill in the United States to produce paper using wheat pulp. Through a partnership between a pulp plant in Washington state, the Willamette Falls Paper Company is using the leftover material from wheat farmers to turn it into a product that reduces agricultural waste, carbon emissions, and the need to cut down trees.

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Farming Insects to Save Lemurs

Andy Isaacson

March 19, 2020 |

bioGraphic |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Madagascar

In Madagascar, insect researchers, regional conservationists, and humanitarian organizations have teamed up to promote the farming of crickets as a way to help preserve forests, save animals, and fight malnutrition. Although the pilot project is still fairly new, it has been well-received my communities and studies have already shown that consuming cricket powder has substantial benefits for children who are underweight.

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Meet the Detectives Solving Crimes Against Trees

Klaus Sieg

February 28, 2020 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Germany, Hamburg

The Center of Competence on the Origin of Timber in Germany is using innovative methods to help determine timber products’ origins in order to stop illegal wood trading. Scientists can identify wood’s anatomical features and compare them with microscopic samples in the center’s digital database to determine where a piece of wood originally grew. While the process can sometimes take a while, the center has had some successes in detecting illegal logging from some manufacturers.

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