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.

1. First St. Louis Zoo-born Eastern hellbender reproduces in the wild

“An Eastern hellbender raised in the St. Louis Zoo is the first zoo-reared salamander of its kind known to reproduce in the wild. Researchers from the Missouri Department of Conservation found his nest in October, in the place he was born, captured and rereleased.”

2. Rare plant on Santa Cruz Island saved by conservation efforts

“A rare plant that grows only on Santa Cruz Island, off the coast of Santa Barbara, was on the endangered species list – but not any more. Conservation efforts were a success.”

3. California Redwoods Are Swiftly Recovering From Wildfire

” Three years after a fire tore through Big Basin Redwoods State Park, once-blackened trees are showing new green growth.”

4. After Decades of Decline, a Feathered Icon Breeds in New Zealand’s Capital

” The national bird, the kiwi, has hatched eggs in the wild in the Wellington area for the first time in living memory, thanks to a multiyear conservation effort.”

5. North Island First Nation declares Indigenous protected area east of Gilford Island

“A North Island First Nation has declared 40,000 hectares of their traditional territory as an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area.”

6. Forty years of monitoring increasing sea turtle relative abundance in the Gulf of Mexico

” 40 years of sea turtle nest monitoring in Florida reveal increasing nest numbers and hatchling production for loggerhead and green turtles .”

7. A miracle in Indonesia – Near-extinct Sumatran rhino born in conservation area

“A rare Sumatran rhinoceros calf has been born in a national park in Indonesia, the second calf of the endangered species to have been born in the park this year.”

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I work as a Project Assistant for Conservation Optimism.