7 stories of optimism this week (06.10.25-13.10.25)

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. (Featured image credit: Bali starlings by Rolandandika via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

1. Green turtle bounces back from brink in conservation ‘win’ 

The green turtle has been listed as Endangered since the 1980s — but in the latest update to the IUCN Red List, they have been downgraded from Endangered to Least Concern thanks to decades of global conservation efforts.

Prof Brendan Godley, a conservation scientist at the University of Exeter told the BBC “green turtle populations in many parts of the world are showing signs of recovery due to conservation efforts over the last five decades, and while this work must continue for years to come, it gives cause for optimism.”

‘”Sea turtles are iconic and charismatic species… they inspire people,” he said. “Hundreds of thousands of people have been working for decades to try and look after these creatures, and undoubtedly, it has had an impact.”‘

2. Indigenous-led protections spark Bali starling’s recovery in the wild

Bali starlings are some of the rarest birds in the world — their population once as low as six known individuals in 2001 despite protections, and traditional enforcement approaches had little success in preventing poaching. Since then, community-led conservation has established a bird sanctuary that led to “nearly 1,200% improvement in anti-poaching compliance over formal criminal law on Nusa Penida”, a small island off the coast of Bali, and the starling’s population has rebounded to over 420 individuals in 2021.

This success comes from the islands’ villages protecting the birds through awig-awig, Hindu-based customary laws that must be decided upon by the entire community. ‘“All the people in our village are working together to secure this species,” said Made Sukadana, chair of an organization working to increase tourism in Tengkudak village.

“We plant fruit trees for the Bali starling and support a dedicated, passionate bird person who monitors daily. We are creating interesting activities related to conservation and nature; this brings a positive impact to the villagers’ economy from the visitors.”’ Read more about how community-led conservation is helping people and nature in this article by Mongabay.

3. Australia to create a national park for 12,000 koalas

The New South Wales government in Australia recently released plans for the Great Koala National Park, a 475,000-hectare protected area which could come into law by 2026. The plans could be a lifeline for over 12,000 koalas, equivalent to 15-25% of the wild koala population according to figures from the Australian Koala Foundation.

Koalas are endangered by habitat loss, climate stress, and disease — but “by linking fragments of habitat, the GKNP would create refuges resilient to fire, drought, and warming temperatures.” The park would also protect 66 other threatened fauna species and dozens of plants, as well as storing carbon as the native forest grows without pressure from regular logging.

For conservationists, the GKNP would be the state’s biggest environmental achievement in decades. “Conservation wins don’t get much bigger than this,” said Victoria Jack of the Wilderness Society in a statement.

4. Boston’s Food Forests Take Root as a Climate Equity Strategy

The Boston Food Forest Coalition is converting vacant lots to urban food forests, bringing green spaces filled with fruit trees and berry bushes to low- and middle-income neighbourhoods. They have opened 13 food forests around Boston, aiming to reach 30 by 2030 — and recently gained the support of the city council as part of their climate goals.

“Urban food forests can enhance biodiversity, offset pollution by filtering out pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, and limit the urban heat island effect” — a recent study found that lots with food forests were cooler on average by 2.2°C than surrounding areas.

“We’re moving faster than the city can keep up with because community demand and interest continues to grow.”

5. Baby giant tortoises thrive in Seychelles after first successful artificial incubation

“The slow-motion pitter-patter of tiny giant tortoise feet has been worryingly rare in recent years, but that looks set to change thanks to the first successful hatching of the species with artificial incubation,” the Guardian reports. 13 hatchlings from 18 eggs have been successfully hatched with the new method, a breakthrough that could help boost the populations of Aldabra giant tortoises in the Seychelles as well as helping other threatened species.

“The incubation of fertilised eggs, which is being trialled in collaboration with Nature Seychelles, can help to bolster numbers if there is a crisis. But the priority for research will be how to improve the conditions of wild nests.”

‘”This is a huge leap,” said Alessia Lavigne, a Seychelloise based at the University of Sheffield, in England, who was the lead author of a recent study related to the project. “It shows what conservation can do.”‘

Photo by Wayne Jackson from Pexels

6. From attics to gardens, pine martens on move in Northern Ireland

Pine martens have made a remarkable recovery in Northern Ireland, and are now beginning to appear in urban areas, with an individual spotted in Belfast.

“It’s really cool to see this species which was nearly extinct in Northern Ireland making a comeback to the extent that it’s starting to be seen in gardens,” Mr McIlrath of the Ulster Wildlife Foundation told the BBC. Pine martens have been recovering throughout Ireland thanks to legal protections, poison restrictions, and the rise in forest cover — and are also the target of reintroduction efforts elsewhere in the UK.

‘In Fermanagh, the almost total disappearance of greys and re-emergence of red squirrels is being largely put down to pine martens. “One species making a comeback can help more species and our wider woodland health,” Mr McIlrath said.’

7. Renewables overtake coal as world’s biggest source of electricity

For the first time, renewable energy has overtaken coal for electricity production in the first half of this year — with the increase in capacity so strong that it met 100% of the growth in global electricity demand.

Solar power met 83% of that growth, thanks to “spectacular reductions in cost”, with prices falling 99.9% since 1975. Last year, Pakistan imported solar panels that could produce 17 gigawatts of power, equivalent to a third of the country’s energy generation capacity — and a solar boom across Africa has panel imports increasing by 60% this year. Both China and India increased their solar and wind capacity to the extent that they cut back on fossil fuel generation.

The global energy think tank Ember describes this moment as a “crucial turning point”. Ember senior analyst Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka said it “marks the beginning of a shift where clean power is keeping pace with demand growth.”