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. Rhino, elephant numbers rising in Uganda after years of poaching

” Thanks to increased conservation efforts, the number of buffalos increased 77% to 44,163 between 1983 and 2021, while elephants surged nearly 300% to 7,975 over the same period, the authority added. ”

2. Western monarch populations reach highest number in decades

” The western monarch butterfly population reached its highest number since the year 2000, with more than 335,000 butterflies counted during the annual Thanksgiving Western Monarch Count in California and Arizona. “

3. Rare Peruvian Diving-petrels nesting on Chañaral Island following decades of absence

” For the first time in more than 40 years a Peruvian Diving-petrel chick has hatched on Chañaral Island, representing a significant milestone on an island once devastated by invasive species. ”

4. Once Biologically Dead, the River Mersey in England is “Best Environmental Story in Europe

” Over the last 30 years, there’s been this tremendous regeneration, this renewal of the River Mersey that started slowly but is now picking up pace. I still think we’re right at the beginning of something special,” said Mike Duddy at the Mersey Rivers Trust”

5. How Nepal Regenerated Its Forests

” Today, community forests occupy nearly 2.3 million hectares—about a third of Nepal’s forest cover—and are managed by over 22,000 community forest groups comprising 3 million households. “

6. Chile creates a new marine protected area in Pisagua Bay

” The new MPA, located in Pisagua Bay in northern Chile, measures 181,622 acres. Pisagua Sea is the first multipurpose coastal MPA of the Tarapacá region, recognized for its fisheries abundance. “

7. Indigenous women record age-old knowledge of bees in Colombia’s Amazon

” A team of Indigenous Yucuna women in the Colombian Amazon are rescuing and documenting the remaining oral knowledge on bees and their roles in the ecosystem, along with the traditional classification system of diverse bee species. With the help of nine elders, they are documenting and sketching tales and songs to gather bee names, characteristics, behaviors, roles in their crop fields and the places where bees build beehives. ”

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