Our weekly dose of conservation success and hope to start the week, with a couple of ‘Isn’t nature cool’ posts for inspiration (and because we have a huge crush on Greenland sharks!) Enjoy and have a hopeful week 😊
(Featured image: Hemming1952, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
1. IUCN shares stories of conservation success for sharks and rays
“Hope is not a passive emotion; it is discipline, strategy, and —most importantly— an outcome of action.”
The Species Survival Commission (SSC) Groups and their Centers for Species Survival (CSS) allies share evidence of successful conservation efforts for sharks and rays and their habitats worldwide.
We invite you to read about the IUCN SSC SSG's success, "Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs). Two years of global impact", in 2021–2025! Read the full story here: www.iucnssg.org/annualreport... #WeAreSSC #shark #ray #chimaera #ISRA #conservation #biodiversity
— IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group (@iucnshark.bsky.social) 23 January 2026 at 14:03
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2. Remote “water tower” in Angola is now a Ramsar wetland.
A remote “water tower” in Angola’s highlands — lisima lya mwono, the “source of life” — is now a Ramsar wetland.
A remote “water tower” in Angola’s highlands — lisima lya mwono, the “source of life” — is now a Ramsar wetland. Spanning 53,000 km², it feeds the Okavango and Zambezi, harbors new species, and has been safeguarded for generations by local communities.
— Mongabay (@mongabay.com) 24 January 2026 at 22:21
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3. Blind, slow and 500 years old – or are they?
“It looks more like a worn sock than a fearsome predator.” How scientists are unravelling the secrets of Greenland sharks…
Blind, slow and 500 years old – or are they? How scientists are unravelling the secrets of Greenland sharks
— Guardian Environment (@environment.theguardian.com) 22 January 2026 at 10:02
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4. Growing native plants to heal land at Indigenous owned nursery in British Columbia
Owned by the Ktunaxa First Nation, Nupqu Native Plant Nursery grows millions of locally sourced native seedlings for restoration in B.C.
After five years refining hard-to-propagate species, the nursery has built up a wealth of knowledge on how to propagate many tricky species.
Owned by the Ktunaxa First Nation, Nupqu Native Plant Nursery grows millions of locally sourced native seedlings for restoration in B.C. After five years refining hard-to-propagate species, it’s now helping build an Indigenous-led nursery industry across the province.
— Mongabay (@mongabay.com) 24 January 2026 at 16:35
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5. Wind and solar overtook fossil fuels for EU power generation in 2025, report finds
Wind and solar overtook fossil fuels in the European Union’s power generation last year, a report has found, in a “major tipping point” for clean energy.
Wind and solar overtook fossil fuels for EU power generation in 2025, report finds
— Guardian Environment (@environment.theguardian.com) 21 January 2026 at 23:05
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6. Beyond the doom loop: the case for informed optimism
Mongabey Founder Rhett Ayers Butler discusses the need for informed optimism in how we talk about conservation.
“Conservation does not suffer from a lack of passion or intelligence. It suffers from fatigue, fragmentation, and an erosion of trust.”
Beyond the doom loop: the case for informed optimism Conservation does not suffer from a lack of passion or intelligence. It suffers from fatigue, fragmentation, and an erosion of trust. www.butlernature.com/2026/01/16/b...
— Rhett Ayers Butler (@rhettayersbutler.bsky.social) 18 January 2026 at 14:59
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7. And finally, a week of wildlife pictures to remind us all why we do this!
Enjoy, and have a great and hopeful week!
Week in wildlife: a proud eagle, an adorable axolotl and a goofy seal
— Guardian Environment (@environment.theguardian.com) 23 January 2026 at 08:04
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