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NATIVE TREES
In the mid-1980s, a New Zealand botanist left gorse on abandoned farmland; native trees gradually grew through it and shaded it outA botanist left gorse to restore farmland on New Zealand's Banks Peninsula. This spiky shrub provided shelter and moisture for native seedl...
Billionaire Ian Wace bought a $2.2 million Scottish island in 2017. Now, his $135 million Tanera Mòr revival has restored 50+ buildings, planted 100,000 trees and rebuilt a lost communityBillionaire hedge fund manager Ian Wace bought Scotland’s remote Tanera Mòr island for about $2.2 million in 2017, when its historic buildi...
In the 1800s, Americans planted tamarisk for windbreaks and erosion control; by 2005, the tree had spread across western river systems and become a major management concernTamarisk was originally brought in for various practical applications, but it has since proliferated across western waterways. This invasiv...
The parrot on America’s El Yunque quarter once had only about 13 birds left in the wild; biologists bred and released new flocks across Puerto RicoFeatured on the 2012 US quarter, the Puerto Rican parrot symbolizes a triumph over extinction. In the 1990s, a genetic analysis unveiled a ...
In 1981, only 5 black robins remained. Check how scientists used other species to save them from extinctionIn 1981-82, the Chatham Island black robin faced dire straits, with just five birds remaining. To combat this decline, wildlife officials i...
In 1990, U.S. conservationists repurposed thousands of discarded Christmas trees to slow coastal erosion. Thirty-six years later, the unusual experiment produced thriving wetlands, healthier wildlife habitats, and stronger natural defenses against stormsHow Recycled Christmas Trees Are Saving Louisiana’s Coastline: Louisiana has lost over 2,000 square miles of coastline since the 1930s. But...
In 2021, Leonardo DiCaprio and a biologist met Jeff Bezos, wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos, meeting led to $200 million mega project to revive 100 of Earth’s most threatened speciesLeonardo DiCaprio and biologist Wes Sechrest met with the Amazon-founding billionaire Bezos and his wife, former TV news reporter and host ...
The hidden danger inside Spain's eucalyptus forests that worries scientistsSpain's eucalyptus plantations appear green but support fewer native birds and insects. These monocultures lack the diverse vegetation and ...
In 1996, British publisher Felix Dennis began a tree-planting mission; his Heart of England Forest has grown to more than 2 million treesMagazine mogul Felix Dennis created a forest legacy by planting millions of trees. He transformed farmland into a woodland, which continues...
In 1986, Scottish ecologist Alan Watson Featherstone pledged to restore the Caledonian forest; volunteers later helped plant 1 million native treesAlan Watson Featherstone promised to restore Scotland's ancient Caledonian forest in 1986. His initiative, Trees for Life, began planting n...
2008, Spain destroyed susceptible pines within 3 km after finding pine wood nematode in one tree; that outbreak was eradicatedA microscopic worm, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, caused a severe pine tree outbreak in Spain. Officials initially eradicated one infestation...
The Story of 'Toughie': How the last known gliding tree frog vanishedThe last known Rabbs' fringe-limbed tree frog, named Toughie, died in 2016, marking the species' likely extinction. Researchers collected a...
In 1837, New Zealand fur promoters released Australian possums to build a new industry; the first attempt failed, so settlers kept trying until the animals invaded the countryNew Zealand settlers introduced Australian possums in 1837 for a fur trade venture. This initial plan failed, but subsequent attempts event...
In the 1930s, a Florida nurseryman scattered Australian tree seeds from an airplane to dry wetlands; the trees later invaded more than 400,000 acres of Florida wetlandsIn the 1930s, melaleuca trees were introduced to Florida's Everglades. These trees were intended to drain wetlands for development and farm...
150 years ago, Britishers brought a South American tree to stop desertification in Thar, now it has become a thorny issue in IndiaVilayati babul, introduced during colonial times, remains a subject of ongoing debate. This invasive tree provided fuelwood and livelihoods...
In 2001, a USDA scientist released beetles to destroy an invasive tree, but they eliminated 94% of an endangered bird's habitat along one riverAn invasive beetle introduced to control tamarisk trees has devastated flycatcher nesting grounds. This beetle, released by the USDA, succe...
In the 1770s, Captain Cook released pigs and goats in New Zealand to feed future sailors; their feral descendants began destroying native bushCaptain Cook introduced pigs and goats to New Zealand's Ship Cove in 1770 for future sailors. These animals became significant threats to n...
In 1778, Captain James Cook’s crew released goats in Hawaii as a future food source; their descendants damaged native plants and worsened erosionCaptain Cook introduced goats to Hawaii in 1778, which then proliferated rapidly. These animals severely damaged native plants and altered ...
How Australia’s Brown Tree snakes reached Guam after World War II and left biologists baffled by the invasionBrown tree snakes, an invasive species on Guam, have baffled biologists for years. Their population is believed to have started with only a...
From a 1937 garden planting to an ecological crisis: One Miconia tree now spreads 8.9 million seeds, endangering Queensland's iconic rainforestsToday, a single mature Miconia tree can produce over 8.9 million seeds in one season. What began as a 1937 garden introduction in tahiti ha...