barren

In 2002, an Australian couple bought a barren 26-hectare island; 17 years later, they moved in after clearing weeds and hauling 38 truckloads of materials

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In 2002, an Australian couple bought a barren 26-hectare island; 17 years later, they moved in after clearing weeds and hauling 38 truckloads of materials

Ram Island is situated in southeast Tasmania’s Little Swanport estuary. Image Credit: Peterswald The story of Ram Island began with a simple newspaper advertisement and grew into a 17-year project that turned a weed-covered, undeveloped piece of Tasmania into a private home. Ralph and Caralyn Mansfield bought the 26-hectare island in Little Swanport in 2002, … Read more

In 2013, California began removing millions of purple urchins from barren reefs; seven years later, more than 55 acres of kelp forest had returned

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In 2013, California began removing millions of purple urchins from barren reefs; seven years later, more than 55 acres of kelp forest had returned

Kelp forests are among the most productive ecosystems in the ocean. They provide habitat for fish and invertebrates while supporting marine mammals and other wildlife. [Photo credit: Enric Sala, National Geographic] Beneath the waves off Southern California, a once-lush underwater forest had been reduced to something resembling a desert. Kelp that had provided shelter and … Read more

In the 1970s, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet W.S. Merwin and his wife Paula bought a barren piece of land in Hawaii; planting one sapling at a time, they transformed the wasteland into a 19-acre forest with more than 3,000 palms

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In the 1970s, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet W.S. Merwin and his wife Paula bought a barren piece of land in Hawaii; planting one sapling at a time, they transformed the wasteland into a 19-acre forest with more than 3,000 palms

An acclaimed American poet laureate, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author, environmental activist and literary translator, W.S. Merwin held many titles throughout his life. But what he held even more closely was his love for nature. The poet who moved to Maui in the 1970s, to study Zen Buddhism ended up buying a barren parcel of land … Read more