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 courtesy of SJ Bennett via Flickr).

1. UK National Trust reveals ambitious restoration plans for 250,000 hectares of land

“To underline the scale of the plans, it said this would be 10 times the amount of landscape, such as peatlands, meadows, wetlands, woodlands and salt marsh, it has restored over the last decade. Some of the work will take place on trust properties, and it will make new acquisitions, but key to its work will be cooperating with other environmental organisations, farmers, communities and individuals who have land that can be improved.”

2. Australian numbat population healthy in Dryandra Woodlands National Park thanks to feral cat control

“Numbats are endangered, with just two remaining populations in Western Australia. Surveys through the woodlands have enabled estimations of population density, which is now thought to be stable thanks to a reduction in predation levels from feral cats following control measures such as baiting and trapping.”

3. Wetland restoration on Holnicote Estate, UK, deemed a success

“The three-year long project to form seven hectares (17 acres) of waterscapes and wetlands with channels, pools, wetland and marshes is a UK first, according to the National Trust. A 0.7 mile (1.2km) section of the River Aller was filled in to reconnect the water with the surrounding floodplain on Holnicote Estate. The result is a slower stream, better maintained water levels during drought spells and a “carbon store”. A variety of species have been recorded at the site, including water voles, eels and a range of birds.”

4. Massachusetts Piping Plovers have second record nesting year in a row

“For the second year in a row, Massachusetts beaches have recorded more nesting Piping Plovers than anytime in the last four decades — 1,196 nesting pairs, a 1.5 percent increase over 2023 and a 500 percent jump since the program began, according to preliminary data. “Piping Plovers were on the brink of extinction in Massachusetts and now, through collaborative partnerships and strategic conservation strategies, this is a species recovering at an encouraging rate,” said Lyra Brennan, Mass Audubon’s Coastal Waterbird Program director.”

In Conservation Success Story, Massachusetts Piping Plovers Have Their Second Record Nesting Year in a Row [www.ecowatch.com/piping-plove](http://www.ecowatch.com/piping-plove)...

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— Rob Edwards 🌱 (@robedwards1.bsky.social) January 6, 2025 at 8:42 PM

5. Milestone rewilding brings 2 critically endangered tortoise species back to Bangladesh

“In a historic achievement for wildlife conservation in Bangladesh, the Turtle Survival Alliance, Creative Conservation Alliance, and Bangladesh Forest Department have successfully reintroduced two critically endangered tortoise species to their native habitats in the country. This initiative builds on the success of a 2021 pilot project, which achieved zero poaching incidents and a 70% survival rate. This second release marks another milestone in efforts to recover the region’s population of Asia’s largest tortoise, considered functionally extinct in Bangladesh.”

6. Conservation Trust acquires new 538-acre area in Florida

“The area contains habitat for species such as the Florida black bear, sandhill crane, and migratory bird species. It also protects riparian wetlands surrounding Cow Creek, a major Santa Fe River tributary. It is located in the North Waccasassa Flats in Florida’s Nature Coast — an approximately 14,000-acre undeveloped region. The region is known for its various habitats and protects regional watersheds and groundwater resources.”

7. Western European turtle dove population sees increase in 25% following temporary annual shoot bans

“After a temporary ban on the annual shoot of the migratory birds as they pass through France, Spain and Portugal, which began in 2021, there has been a remarkable 25% increase in the western European population, which includes 2,000 individuals in England. This means an extra 400,000 breeding pairs across western Europe.”

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