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In 2013, a UK beach began planting discarded Christmas trees to trap blowing sand; by 2026, the project had created 90 metres of new dunes that help defend homes from flooding

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In 2013, a UK beach began planting discarded Christmas trees to trap blowing sand; by 2026, the project had created 90 metres of new dunes that help defend homes from flooding

More than 2,000 Christmas trees were planted at St Annes beach in February 2026. (Photo: .visitstannes.info) Discarded Christmas trees are being used to help protect homes and businesses along the Fylde Coast in Lancashire, UK. Since the project began in 2013, old Christmas trees have been placed on St Annes beach to trap wind-blown sand … Read more

In 1842, a North Carolina mission school began on mountain farmland; 184 years later, an 86.7-acre easement completes protection of land stewarded there for 130 years

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In 1842, a North Carolina mission school began on mountain farmland; 184 years later, an 86.7-acre easement completes protection of land stewarded there for 130 years

High in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, a quiet story of faith, education and land stewardship has unfolded over nearly two centuries. In 1842, a mission school opened on what was then rugged mountain farmland in the Valle Crucis valley, near present day Boone. For more than 130 years, religious and educational … Read more

Benton Heights residents began asking for a playground in 2012; $1 million later, the community has opened its first park, and local children helped design it

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Benton Heights residents began asking for a playground in 2012; $1 million later, the community has opened its first park, and local children helped design it

Benton Heights Celebrates First Developed ParkPhoto credit: New Heights CCDA/ Facebook For more than a decade, families in the Benton Heights neighbourhood of Benton Township, Michigan, watched children play in yards, on street corners and in schoolyards, but had no local park of their own. Residents first began formally asking for a playground in 2012, … Read more

Scientists removed just 20–40% of fish from a degraded Chinese lake; underwater plants and water clarity began recovering

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Scientists removed just 20–40% of fish from a degraded Chinese lake; underwater plants and water clarity began recovering

Representative Image of a pristine highland lake transitioning from murky water to clear, with submerged plants thriving (AI Generated Image) Caohai Lake, a highland lake in southwest China, began losing its underwater vegetation after 2016. By 2019, submerged plants covered less than 10 per cent of the lake, down from around 70 per cent just … Read more

At 15, Jim Bishop bought 2.5 Colorado acres with $450 he earned mowing lawns and delivering papers; 10 years later, he began a stone castle that he spent 50 years turning into the world’s largest one-man project

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At 15, Jim Bishop bought 2.5 Colorado acres with $450 he earned mowing lawns and delivering papers; 10 years later, he began a stone castle that he spent 50 years turning into the world’s largest one-man project

Nestled in the Wet Mountains of Colorado, at an elevation of 9000, is the world’s largest one-man project, The Bishop Castle. From 1969 to 2019, the monument was constructed by one man, all by himself, James Roland Bishop, also known as Jim Bishop, the Castle Builder, according to the website. Laying the foundation Jim Bishop … Read more

In 2003, crews began removing non-native fish from the Grand Canyon; by 2006 rainbow trout’s share of the catch had fallen from about 90% to under 10%

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In 2003, crews began removing non-native fish from the Grand Canyon; by 2006 rainbow trout’s share of the catch had fallen from about 90% to under 10%

In the depths of the Grand Canyon, scientists were trying to give native fish a better chance of survival, by taking other fish out of the Colorado River. A four-year fish-removal experiment conducted between 2003 and 2006 dramatically changed the composition of fish being caught in one section of the river. According to a 2011 … Read more

In 2005, carpenter Isaiah Robertson began covering his Niagara Falls home inside and out with brightly painted religious art; after his 2020 death, the house was preserved and is now open for guided tours

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In 2005, carpenter Isaiah Robertson began covering his Niagara Falls home inside and out with brightly painted religious art; after his 2020 death, the house was preserved and is now open for guided tours

Carpenter Isaiah Robertson’s homePhoto: Discoverniagara.org In 2005, Isaiah Henry Robertson, a Jamaican-born carpenter and devout Christian living in Niagara Falls, New York, began transforming his modest house into what he believed was a preparation site for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Convinced that God had told him the world would end in 2014, Robertson … Read more

In 2008, Czechia began flooding the lignite mine created after the old city of Most was demolished for coal; by 2014 the pit held 70.5 billion litres of water, forming a 309-hectare lake up to 75 metres deep

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In 2008, Czechia began flooding the lignite mine created after the old city of Most was demolished for coal; by 2014 the pit held 70.5 billion litres of water, forming a 309-hectare lake up to 75 metres deep

The flooding started in 2008, and by 2014 the former mine had filled with about 70.5 billion liters of water, forming a lake 309 hectares in area and a maximum of 75 meters deep. Eventually the lake was opened for public recreation. What does it take to give a landscape carved by decades of coal … Read more

In 1908, an unschooled Indiana widow began a 20-year fight to defend 120 acres of Lake Michigan dunes from a steel giant; 72 years later, 212 acres including part of her tract joined Indiana Dunes to remain open space forever

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In 1908, an unschooled Indiana widow began a 20-year fight to defend 120 acres of Lake Michigan dunes from a steel giant; 72 years later, 212 acres including part of her tract joined Indiana Dunes to remain open space forever

Carr remained determined to defend what she believed was hers (Photo: NPS) In the early 1900s, an Indiana widow spent more than two decades fighting to defend her claim to 120 acres along Lake Michigan. Drusilla Carr had lived on the land for decades before it became valuable. As the city of Gary, Indiana, grew … Read more

50 years ago, this California sanctuary began saving some of the world’s rarest gibbons, today, their morning songs are a remarkable story of survival

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50 years ago, this California sanctuary began saving some of the world’s rarest gibbons, today, their morning songs are a remarkable story of survival

Gibbon Conservation Center director Gabi Skollar feeds one of the little apes Every morning, as dawn breaks over the dry hills north of Los Angeles, a chorus of sirens, deep hoots and high-pitched calls echoes across the Santa Clarita Valley. The sounds come from the Gibbon Conservation Center, a sanctuary that has spent half a … Read more