Amid all the challenges – our weekly dose of conservation success and hope! Stay hopeful and have a good week 😊

(Featured image via Wikimedia Commons)

1. A rare sign of hope as mountain gorillas welcome two sets of twins in Africa

“Two instances of twin births within three months are extraordinary events and provide another vital indicator that dedicated conservation efforts […] support the growth of the endangered mountain gorilla population within Virunga national park.”

A rare sign of hope as mountain gorillas welcome two sets of twins in Africa

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— Guardian Environment (@environment.theguardian.com) 10 April 2026 at 07:01

2. Novel research finds unexpected climate resilience in up to 36% of Amazon forest

New research offers a rare sign of hope for the Amazon rainforest. While drought, heat, and deforestation push the biome toward a tipping point, a study finds that low-water-table wetland forests are showing unexpected climate resilience.

New research offers a rare sign of hope for the Amazon rainforest. While drought, heat, and deforestation push the biome toward a tipping point, a study finds that low-water-table wetland forests are showing unexpected climate resilience. Justin Catanoso reports for #Mongabay.

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— Mongabay (@mongabay.com) 11 April 2026 at 18:15

3. Golden eagles could be reintroduced to England after more than 150 years

Study identified eight areas that can sustain a population and government has given £1m for recovery programme

Golden eagles could be reintroduced to England after more than 150 years

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— Guardian Environment (@environment.theguardian.com) 12 April 2026 at 00:02

4. Britain breaks solar energy record twice as UK’s biggest solar farm gets approval

Record high set on Monday and raised on Tuesday, with 14.4GW of electricity generated in sunny spring weather

Britain breaks solar energy record twice as UK’s biggest solar farm gets approval

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— Guardian Environment (@environment.theguardian.com) 8 April 2026 at 18:38

5. A French city cut its marine pollution — and its seagrass bounced back

After decades of decline, Neptune grass is making a “remarkable” comeback off Marseille, France. A new study shows that stronger environmental rules introduced in the 1980s allowed these vital Mediterranean habitats to regrow naturally.

After decades of decline, Neptune grass is making a “remarkable” comeback off Marseille, France. A new study shows that stronger environmental rules introduced in the 1980s allowed these vital Mediterranean habitats to regrow naturally. Edward Carver reports for #Mongabay.

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— Mongabay (@mongabay.com) 8 April 2026 at 21:28

6. ‘A dream come true’: Brazil’s blue-and-yellow macaws return to Rio after 200 years

An ambitious ‘refaunation’ project is bringing the much-loved birds and other lost species back to the city’s national park.

‘A dream come true’: Brazil’s blue-and-yellow macaws return to Rio after 200 years

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— Guardian Environment (@environment.theguardian.com) 9 April 2026 at 12:03

7. Once lost, now found: five “missing” bird species rediscovered in 2025, offering hope

Five “missing” bird species were rediscovered in 2025, including one not documented in 94 years. These finds in Southeast Asia and Oceania offer hope for conservation as the Lost Birds List drops to 120 species, down from 163 in 2022.

Five “missing” bird species were rediscovered in 2025, including one not documented in 94 years. These finds in Southeast Asia and Oceania offer hope for conservation as the Lost Birds List drops to 120 species, down from 163 in 2022. @spoorthyraman.bsky.social reports for #Mongabay.

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— Mongabay (@mongabay.com) 7 April 2026 at 17:15

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Wildlife Conservationist at Conservation Optimism
I have been fascinated by wildlife and the natural world since I was a young child, and a conservationist since I worked out what the word ‘endangered’ means. I spent many years working on long-term projects in Africa and Asia Later, I monitored and evaluated conservation projects across the European Union. In more recent years I’ve worked on climate change at WWF, tigers and elephants at the Zoological Society of London, coral reefs and cetaceans in various places, and most recently before joining Conservation Optimism in 2024 I was Managing Director at Save the Rhino International. I have over 30 years of experience in conservation and sustainable development, which is a nice way of saying I'm getting old. But I still wonder at our beautiful world every day, and I love helping to support and guide the next generation of brilliant conservationists.