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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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Designing the Butterfly-Friendly City

Allison C. Meier

May 13, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

As the monarch butterfly nears endangerment, cities across the US are integrating butterfly-friendly spaces into their urban environments. Such spaces reside in schools, firehouses, parks, and more, and they enable the butterfly to rest, feed, pollinate, and procreate at any stage in their lifecycle. St. Louis in particular already has over 400 monarch gardens and have ample evidence of public support for the projects.

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Coastal Recovery: Bringing a Damaged Wetland Back to Life

Jim Morrison

May 09, 2019 |

Yale Environment 360 |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Milton, Delaware

A coastal recovery project in Delaware Bay is using a technique that they call "engineering with nature" to bring back the 4,000 acres of wetlands from the disastrous effects of human interference and climate change. They use a multitude of strategies, such as stabilizing the dunes and replanting native grasses, and although they approach the project as a research study without progress yet, they have already begun to see a return of wildlife including birds, eels, and crabs. Similar efforts to restore wetlands are also taking off across the globe.

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Can Humans Help Trees Outrun Climate Change?

Moises Velasquez-Manoff

April 25, 2019 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Scituate, Rhode Island

A dark synergy of extreme weather and emboldened pests could imperil vast stretches of woodland. Foresters are only starting to wrestle with solutions.

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Decades of wise use pay off for a Kabale wetland

Fredrick Mugira

April 15, 2019 |

InfoNILE |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Uganda, Rubaya, Kabale

In 1980, the Ugandan government signed an agreement with local communities in the Mugandu–Buramba wetland that gave them the right to own, manage, and conserve their own property. Today, the wetlands are thriving —reducing degradation and improving biodiversity— and creating a livelihood for the 276 people that live there. The government says that since they are using the land responsibly, their agreement will continue.

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As Climate Change Depletes Forests, One Of India's Greenest States Turns To Its People

Disha Shetty

March 23, 2019 |

IndiaSpend |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Mawphlang, Meghalaya

In 2007 a program in Meghalaya, India called The Khasi Hills Community REDD+ Project was created to bring together the community members in an agreement to protect the sacred groves there. This was part of the larger REDD project within India by the United Nations to mitigate some of the effects of deforestation and forest degradation. The longterm goal is to revive 27,000 hectares (about 66,718 acres) of forests and to serve as an example for other biodiverse areas in the country. The project has since received international funding to support other things as well, like stimulating the tourist economy.

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Santa Cruz Ranchers Reforest the Banks of the Nandamojo River with the Help of an Organization

Noelia Esquivel

March 21, 2019 |

La Voz de Guanacaste |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Costa Rica, Paraíso, Santa Cruz

An environmental organization called Restoring Our Watershed, led by a team of ecologists from around the globe, has helped ranchers reforest riverbanks to better preserve their land over the past four years. Ranchers are also supported by the Green Center, their greenhouse, which helps with replanting. Donations, volunteers, and community support all help the local rivers remain sustainable.

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Freshwater springs support amazing ecosystems and reflect the health of aquifers humans rely on. What can we do to protect them?

Sara Van Note

March 19, 2019 |

Ensia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chaves County, New Mexico

Freshwater springs are an indicator of the health and quality of our groundwater (drinking water), but their conservation is often overlooked in government funding. This article offers a few examples of ongoing efforts to protect them. One of those is the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico that has brought back several endangered species of snails and crustaceans in addition to native grasses as a result of their conservation.

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Farmers in Uttarakhand Look to the Past to Benefit the Future

Amrita Gupta

March 02, 2019 |

Earth Journalism Network |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: India, Uttarakhand

Mountains are particularly vulnerable to climate change, and a mountain city in India is finding sustainable solutions in traditional agriculture. Women overwhelmingly make up the farming workforce in Uttarakhand and are using a number of ways to combat the effects of the temperature increase. These solutions include bringing back an ancient grain, finger millet, to appeal to new tastes and dishes, storing seed banks of traditional varieties, and opening a cafe serving local food using the ancient grains to attract outside visitors.

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The orchid whisperers: Rare blooms find an urban perch

Eva Botkin-Kowacki

February 14, 2019 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Coral Gables, Florida

The Million Orchid Project has been reintroducing native, endangered plants into urban areas. From planting in school yards, to city parks, to the sides of busy roads, the initiative aims to preserve biodiversity by changing the assumption that nature has to be something separate from human society. While the project is still in early phases, it has shown indicators for progress, like the reappearance of wildlife species thought to have been extinct.

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