Wondering what went right this week in the conservation world? We’ve got you covered with our Conservation Optimism Round-Up! We are collating stories of optimism from around the globe so that you never miss your dose of weekly motivation.

(Image Credit: Lucy Radford)

1. A forest restoration project brings birdsong back to Angola’s highest mountain

“Fires and unsustainable wood harvesting have depleted the Afromontane forests on Mount Moco, Angola’s highest mountain. The forests are home to a diverse variety of birds, some found only in Angola. Since 2010, a conservation project has sought to regrow some of the forest patches and to protect them from wildfires. The work is promoting bird conservation, but also benefiting the local human community by ensuring a reliable flow of freshwater out of the forest. “

2. Shade cloth and poisonous dust: how the red-finned blue-eye was brought back from the brink

” Numbers of the Australian native fish have grown from 1,000 to 5,000 in eight years, and Queensland has now declared its habitat a special wildlife reserve.”

3. First herd of European bison comes to Portugal

” The first herd of European bison, made up of eight animals, has been introduced in Portugal, on a farm in Castelo Branco. “

4. Türkiye’s Patara beach breaks record with 53 sea turtle nests

” Patara Beach sees record-breaking success in sea turtle conservation efforts, with 53 nests protected and nearly 5 times the previous highest count observed in May, emphasizing the crucial role of ongoing monitoring and public awareness in safeguarding these endangered species. “

5. Rewilding efforts throw a lifeline to Brazil’s most trafficked endangered bird

” The great-billed seed finch (Sporophila maximiliani), thought to be the most trafficked endangered bird species in Brazil, has long been coveted in the caged-bird trade, which has caused the local extinction of the species over most of its former range in the Cerrado savanna.

One conservation project is working to conserve the species holistically through research and environmental education, while collaborating with bird keepers and breeders to bring the species back to the wild.

With support from these experts and local communities, the species is being reintroduced in the Cerrado within the Grande Sertão Veredas region between the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia. “

6. Restoring Indigenous aquaculture heals both ecosystems and communities in Hawai‘i

” The loko i’a system of native fishponds in Hawai‘i has for generations provided sustenance to Indigenous communities, supported fish populations in surrounding waters, and generally improved water quality.

These benefits, long understood by native Hawaiians, have now been confirmed by scientists in a new study that looked at the restoration of one such fishpond.

Unlike commercial fish farms, loko i‘a thrive without feed input and need little management once established — aspects that highlight the holistic thinking and values-based management behind them.

The study authors say the finding is another step toward communicating Indigenous knowledge to support governmental decision-making, part of wider efforts across the archipelago to weave Indigenous and Western ways of knowing to heal both ecosystems and communities. “

7. Gorilla species makes resurgence after decades of habitat degradation: ‘Seeing them for the first time was like a dream come true’

” For decades, people watched with growing despair as the population of wild mountain gorillas plummeted. But now, through the hard work of local communities and the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, those populations are rebounding — and they’re on track to keep growing. “

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I work as a Project Assistant for Conservation Optimism.