7 stories of optimism this week (18.11.25-24.11.25)

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.

1. Vulture reintroduction marks Romania’s biodiversity recovery

“A century after vultures quietly disappeared from the mountains of Romania, conservationists have been planning their return as a key piece in restoring the ecosystem of the Carpathian Mountains. The Romanian Carpathians once supported all four European vulture species: Griffon, Cinereous, Egyptian, and Bearded. However, threats such as poisoning, habitat loss and direct persecution led to the extirpation of all of these species by the early 20th century.”

2. Ukraine’s nature recovery project is a success

“Rewilding Ukraine project has begun restoring some 13,500 hectares of wetlands and steppe (unforested grasslands) – that’s almost twice as big an area as Manhattan in the US. Rewilding has involved the release of over 240 animals of different species, including kulan (wild donkeys), steppe marmots, eagle owls, fallow deer and even hamsters which are native to the region and the building of two breeding platforms for Dalmatian pelicans. Interventions such as the removal of 200 meters of man-made dams surrounding Ermakiv Island are allowing beavers to thrive and the natural ecosystem to rebalance.”

3. Great Lakes Piping Plovers post remarkable numbers for the fourth year

“For the fourth consecutive year, the Great Lakes Piping Plovers – once on the brink of extinction – has set a new population record high: 88 unique pairs nesting across the Great Lakes region this summer. That’s seven more pairs than last year’s record of 81, and the highest count since the species was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1986.”

4. Conservation breakthrough as Cambodia releases rare captive-bred storks

“Conservationists in Cambodia have for the first time released two captive-bred Greater Adjutant Stork chicks into the wild as part of an ongoing programme to revive a species under threat from poaching and habitat loss. The nine-month-old storks – a male and a female – were fitted with GPS trackers before their release into the Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected area overseen by Cambodia’s Rising Phoenix conservation group.”

5. Island seed-bank is helping restore the Amazon

“The Tucuruí hydroelectric dam in Brazil, is using an island within the dam’s reservoir to replenish deforested areas of the Amazon. The island, which was once used for wood and materials, now supplies seeds for seedlings that are distributed across the country.“

6. Extince wildcat to make a comeback 

“Wildcats – one of the UK’s most critically endangered mammals – could make a return from extinction in England, conservationists say. The South West Wildcat Project hopes to bring back 50 European wildcats, from 2028, after a study found a colony could “flourish” in the mid-Devon countryside.”

7. Efforts underway to protect the Saolan Ox

“The species is considered so evolutionarily distinct it’s placed in a genus of its own. Sporting a hefty pair of dark horns, a sloping back and bold flashes of white across the face, saolas resemble antelopes, yet their closest living relatives are wild cattle like gaur and buffalo. The Saola Foundation is now going all out to find any remaining saolas in central Laos. They’re deploying a highly trained team of sniffer dogs, local and international wildlife tracking experts, and a state-of-the-art DNA kit.”