Author: Grace Liu ‘23
Welcome again to Good News Friday! I hope you’re all enjoying the beautiful spring weather. To help raise your spirits further, today we have three uplifting stories about regenerative farming and wildlife conservation.
- Regenerative Farming and Climate Justice: Regenerative farming is a practice at the intersection of agriculture and conservation and emphasizes respect for the land. In her book, Healing Grounds: Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming, author and professor Liz Carlisle tells the story of empowered female farmers who see the process of regenerative farming passed down from their ancestors. A few highlights include peach-grower Nikiko Masumot who inherited her land from her grandparents and mushroom farmer Olivia Watkins who is building a community investment fund to better support Black farmers.
2. Comcáac Sea Turtle Group: Within the past five years, the Grupo Tortuguero Comcáac has released more than 8000 endangered olive ridley hatchlings in Mexico’s Gulf of California. The sea turtle is a sacred animal to the Comcáac people, playing a primary role in many of their stories and legends. Even though the conservation group has limited resources, they work 12-hour shifts to safeguard the turtles.
3. Rope bridges for sloths: The Sloth Conservation Foundation with zooligist Rebecca Cliffe have been working together to build rope bridges in Costa Rica so that sloths can travel from tree to tree. Because of deforestation in the region, sloths have lost much of their natural habitat, but these bridges allow them to cross urban areas without having to climb down to the ground. Although the bridges were built with sloths in mind, more than 30 species of other animals have used the rope bridges, including monkeys, lizards, and frogs.
Thanks for reading, and we hope that these news snippets have brightened your day! Please go outside and enjoy the weather if you get the chance. Tune in next week for more positive environmental news and in the meantime, feel free to take a look at previous posts or share some good news with us!