Civil society

Monarch butterfly

Eastern monarch butterfly population nearly doubles in 2025

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The population of eastern monarch butterflies – which migrate from Canada and the US to Mexico during the winter – has nearly doubled over the last year, according to a recent report commissioned in Mexico, generating optimism among nature preservationists. The growth in numbers for the orange-and-black butterflies follows years of ongoing conservation efforts – and perhaps provides a sliver of optimism after otherwise discouraging long-term trends for the species.

Silhouette of baobob trees

Seeds of 19 African tree species added to Svalbard Global Seed Vault

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Norway is home to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a vast collection intended to secure the world’s vital genetic heritage against any eventuality. The vault currently holds duplicates of 1.3 million seed samples from nearly every corner of the world. Recently, the World Agroforestry Center deposited new seeds to the vault representing tree species of special value to communities across Africa. The 19 species represented included 13 native to Africa and six others that have found a place in the economies and ecologies of the continent.

Benin Bronzes

The Netherlands to return over 100 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

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The Benin Bronzes are a collection of thousands of metal plaques and sculptures that decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin. Created between the 14th and 16th centuries, British soldiers looted the Benin Bronzes from modern-day Nigeria in the 19th century. Of the looted statues taken during the Benin Expedition of 1897, two hundred were housed in the British Museum, with the rest spread across other European institutions. The Netherlands has now agreed to return its share.

daniele buso Va n x Pgr unsplash

More than 100,000 pounds of trash removed from the Arctic since 2021

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Over 50,000 pounds of trash have been removed from the Arctic in 2023 alone after a multilateral effort flooded critical northern ecosystems with volunteers. Working during the brief Arctic summer, clean-up operations were carried out in Alaska, Greenland, Norway, and Iceland. Nearly 2,000 volunteers were enlisted across the treaty nations of the Arctic Council, an inter-governmental panel on peaceful and sustainable use and protection of the Arctic zone formed by the nations that pierce its frozen bordersand the Indigenous peoples that call it home.

Two lions

Nearly 20,000 animals seized in global wildlife trafficking crackdown

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Big cats, birds, primates, and pangolins were among the nearly 20,000 animals rescued in a recent global operation against wildlife and forestry traffickers. Led by Interpol and the World Customs Organization, the campaign involved police, customs, border patrol, forestry, and wildlife officials from 138 countries. Six transnational criminal networks suspected of trafficking animals and plants were identified, with 365 arrests made.

Empty office desk and chairs

Two hundred U.K. companies sign up for permanent four-day working week

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Two hundred U.K. companies have signed up for a permanent four-day working week for all their employees with no loss of pay, in the latest landmark in the campaign to reinvent Britain’s working week. Together, the companies employ more than 5,000 people, with charities, marketing, and technology firms among the best-represented. Supporters say the four-day week is a useful way of attracting and retaining employees while improving productivity by creating the same output over fewer hours and fostering a more fulfilled, happy, and engaged workforce.

Karla Sofia Gascón at 2024 Cannes Film Festival

Karla Sofía Gascón just became the first out trans actor to score an Oscar nomination

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has made history by announcing that Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón has been nominated for an Oscar for her lead performance in Emilia Pérez. Gascón, who starred in the Spanish language musical as a Mexican drug lord who begins a new life after coming out as trans, is the first openly transgender performer ever to receive an acting nomination in the Academy’s 95-year history.

Rainforest canopy

The Democratic Republic of Congo to create the Earth’s largest protected tropical forest reserve

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An area covering the size of France will now be protected through partnerships with communities that integrates conservation and restoration with green economic development. This forms the world’s largest protected forest area and consists of a network of economic hubs built on sustainable agricultural production and powered by renewable energy derived from the hydropower potential of the Congo River. The initiative aims to create 500,000 new jobs and transfer a million tons of food annually to Kinshasa, Africa’s largest city.

Crane bird in the snow

Critically endangered Siberian crane populations have increased by nearly 50% over last decade

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The Siberian crane, known for its extremely long and arduous annual journeys, is one of the world’s rarest cranes. Its western and central populations are nearly extinct today. Most Siberian cranes that remain belong to the eastern population, which migrates between northeastern Russia and China. By 2012, researchers estimated there were around 3,500-4,000 individuals left in this eastern population. The latest bird counts from Russia and China suggest their numbers have nearly doubled to 7,000 individuals thanks to concerted habitat protection efforts.

Snow leopard

Kazakhstan’s snow leopard population reaches near-historic levels

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The snow leopard population in Kazakhstan has rebounded to near-historic levels, with an estimated 152 to 189 individuals now residing in the country. This marks a significant achievement in conservation efforts, as such numbers were last observed in the 1980s. Since 2018, Kazakhstan has implemented a snow leopard conservation project under the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). UNDP initiatives have improved protection in 14 natural areas across the country through the use of advanced technologies, including camera traps, drones, and thermal imaging devices. As a result, the snow leopard population has increased by more than 26% since 2019.

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