Wondering what went right this week in the conservation world? We’ve got you covered with our Conservation Optimism Round-Up! Each week we are collating stories of optimism from around the globe so that you never miss your dose of Monday Motivation.

1. The IUCN World Conservation Congress kicked off this week in Marseille

” Reverse the Red will be there spreading conservation success stories and holding interactive sessions, along with many other organisations “

2. Tuna species recovering despite growing pressures on marine life – IUCN Red List

“Four commercially-fished tuna species are on the path to recovery thanks to the enforcement of regional fishing quotas over the last decade, according to today’s update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ released at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille.”

3. Born to be wild: India’s first captive-bred endangered vultures set free

“Numbers of the country’s carrion-loving birds dropped by over 97% in the 1990s. Now, a successful breeding scheme is giving them a boost”

4. Bittern continues to prosper across England

“Early indications are that it has been another excellent year for the rapidly increasing Eurasian Bittern across England, according to the RSPB. The species has successfully bred in the West Midlands for the first time in more than a century, with five young fledging from two nests at the RSPB’s Middleton Lakes reserve..”

5. A Fisherman’s Underwater Sculptures Have Stopped Illegal Trawling – Bringing Art and Biodiversity Back to Italian Bay

” When Paolo Fanciulli dropped 39 large marble sculptures down to the bottom of the sea off Tuscany’s Maremma Regional Park, it was not his first strike in the battle against unsustainable fishing, but it was his first step into the art world. This fascinating story, at the heart of which is a fascinating and charismatic figure, recounts the confluence of an ancient relationship between man and nature and a celebration of the Mediterranean Sea as a cradle of civilization.”

6. The plant, Persoonia hindii, is recovering post fire in Australia

“Persoonia hindii is an extremely rare threatened species that is restricted to the Newnes State Forest in the Blue Mountains. The forest was burnt extensively in the 2019–2020 Gospers Mountain bushfire. The species was found recovering at 27 of the 30 sites with minimal threats identified at all sites.”

7. Indigenous Peoples Harness Space Technology to Stop Deforestation

“Satellite observations have long been used to detect deforestation, and a new study shows that giving Indigenous groups greater access to these data can improve response times and reduce tree cover loss.”

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