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. 800 trees planted at expansion site of London’s first beaver enclosure site

“Since the reintroduction of beavers to London in 2022, Capel Manor College has played a crucial role in their care and welfare. As custodians of the enclosure, the College’s staff and students actively monitor and support these keystone species, which contribute to natural flood management and ecosystem restoration. Volunteers planted saplings across a 1,500-square-meter area, providing an essential food source and improving the environment for the beavers and other wildlife.”

2. Major restoration project launched for the North Sea

“The Dogger Bank has now become a wildlife haven for a myriad of species that thrive in and around the sandy sediment, functions as a nursery for sharks, rays, herring and cod and forms a rich feeding ground for whales, seals and seabirds. To restore and protect this special place, often called the ‘ecological heart of the North Sea’, a landmark international initiative – the Rewilding Dogger Bank programme – will be launched in June 2025.”

3. Restoration of ancient woodland underway

“The Woodland Trust has said it wanted to “create a thriving habitat” for wildlife and native British plant species to grow at Harrison Woodlands in Lincolnshire. The 483-acre (195ha) forest, near Louth, was recorded in the Domesday Book and home to a variety of wildlife.”

4. AI and drones helping to monitor thousands of seals

“Volunteers on the ground counted 6,200 seals along a 8km (4.9-mile) run of shoreline around Winterton-on-Sea in Norfolk. But more than 8,500 seals were counted by drone cameras and the use of artificial intelligence (AI).”

5. Cross-Border Partnership aiding conservation of Monarch Butterflies

“The North American monarch butterfly population is in significant decline, in part because their winter habitat is also disappearing. A nonprofit invertebrate zoo in Colorado and the Mexican government are working together to replant the trees monarchs rely on to survive the winter months in Mexico.”

6. Rewilding three New Zealand islands on the cards

“With the addition of Maukahuka (Auckland) Island, Rakiura (Stewart) Island and Chatham Island, the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC) will now have 20 ongoing projects aimed at restoring and rewilding 40 globally significant island-ocean ecosystems by 2030.”

7. Conservation of red colobus monkey a community success

“Camera traps installed in December 2024 in a community conservation area in the Niger Delta have captured the first videos of elusive and critically endangered red colobus monkeys. The news comes after years of community efforts to protect their habitat following degradation from oil extraction.”

Have a story to share for our weekly round-up? Use #ConservationOptimism on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram!