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. Conservationists raise sharks to restore reefs in waters around Thailand

“A new rewilding program aims to boost the local population of bamboo sharks in the waters of Khao Lak, Thailand. The species, classified as near threatened on the IUCN Red List, used to be abundant in the area, but has declined as a result of overfishing and habitat destruction. Since the project launched in 2018, with the support of luxury resorts in the area, it has released 200 bamboo sharks into the wild.”

2. private landowners donate land to protect rare pitch pine habitat

“The new 76-acre reserve protects rare pitch pine habitat in Elgin. This habitat is rare and found nowhere else in Ontario province. The reserve was made possible by anonymous land donations by private landowners and funding by partners.”

3. Beaver births recorded for second consecutive year

“The kits’ arrival on the Wallington Estate, near Rothbury, comes two years after the National Trust released four beavers into an enclosure on the site. In their two years on the site, the beavers have helped boost biodiversity by slowing the flow of water through a network of nine dams within the enclosure, the National Trust said.”

4. Brown trout releases help rivers come alive in the Nordic Taiga

“Historical logging and timber floating activities in northern Sweden saw large stones and gravel cleared from riverbeds to enable timber to float freely. But the brown trout along with other species suffered as they did not get the necessary habitat for spawning. Today, rewilding efforts in the Nordic Taiga are gradually turning the tide for the brown trout, as fish releases help the species make a welcome return in a growing number of rivers. The release of trout fry into the Sikån, Risån, and Tallån was one of the last steps in a multi-stage river rewilding process. Over the previous seven years stones and boulders had been replaced in these waterways, recreating most of the rapids and creating far more natural habitats for both fish and aquatic insect larva.”

5. Scientists Just Found a Coral Species They Thought Had Gone Extinct, Marking the First Record of It in 24 Years

“The team rediscovered R. wellingtoni while diving south of Tagus Cove off Isabela Island in January 2024, reports SFGate’s Timothy Karoff. They were searching for a new species of sea slug when they stumbled upon more than 100 colonies of the elusive coral on a rocky reef located 39 feet below the surface, according to a statement from the Charles Darwin Foundation, one of the groups involved in the expedition.”

6. Facing climate storm, one town turns to mangroves for protection

“Samborondón launched a mangrove restoration project in 2024 that it hopes will inspire others in Ecuador and beyond to follow suit. Leaders of the initiative bought 7,000 mangrove seedlings and hired farmers to help young volunteers to plant them in Guayaquil Historic Park. When they were done, the mangroves covered over 15,000-square-metres of riverbanks.“

7. In Chile, wetlands spring back to life, bringing with them economic opportunities

“The Cahuil Lagoon had shrunk over time because of declining rainfall and pollution had caused algal bloom. Two years ago, that began to change thanks to the effort supported by UNEP, and funded by the Chilean government and the Global Environment Facility. Engineers and the local government developed a plan to breach a sandbar that separated the lagoon from the sea. The return of the salt water has restored the salinity levels of the lagoon and reined in the algae blooms. Locals say tourism has since rebounded, as has the fishing industry. “

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