donated

In 2024, Texas biologists turned more than 160 donated Christmas trees into an underwater reef at Granger Lake, where fish can use them as habitat within 15 minutes

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In 2024, Texas biologists turned more than 160 donated Christmas trees into an underwater reef at Granger Lake, where fish can use them as habitat within 15 minutes

The Christmas season is around the corner, and the must-have Christmas tree often ends up on the curb once the holidays are over, needles trailing down the driveway. They rarely get a second act. In 2024, more than 160 of them got a second act. None of them were headed for a living room, but … Read more

Jeopardy’s Alex Trebek donated 74 acres in 1998; his $2 million gift helped protect wildlife and open space

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Alex Trebek's 1998 gift of 74 acres in the Hollywood Hills to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy created a vital wildlife corridor for bobcats and coyotes. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

Los Angeles is a city of traffic, freeways, and nonstop noise. Despite all of this, bobcats and coyotes still call the area home. According to a 2003 study in Conservation Biology, researchers radio-collared 50 bobcats and 86 coyotes between 1996 and 2000. The authors note that for bobcats, protecting enough good open space for adult … Read more

A Texas oil geologist first saw McKittrick Canyon in 1921, later bought the land for a private retreat; 38 years later he donated 4,942 acres and his home, helping create Guadalupe Mountains National Park

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A Texas oil geologist first saw McKittrick Canyon in 1921, later bought the land for a private retreat; 38 years later he donated 4,942 acres and his home, helping create Guadalupe Mountains National Park

When petroleum geologist Wallace Pratt first visited McKittrick Canyon in 1921, he had been sent to West Texas on a trip with oil brokers to acquire leases for Humble Oil and Refining Company. Local land brokers offered to show him what they called the most beautiful spot in Texas, a hidden oasis of clear streams, … Read more

In 1999, Pennsylvania teacher Ronald Sakolsky donated $5,000 to farmer Yin Yuzhen to fund her tree-planting efforts in Inner Mongolia; 27 years later, his contribution helped transform China’s Maowusu Desert into a forest of 50,000 trees

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In 1999, Pennsylvania teacher Ronald Sakolsky donated $5,000 to farmer Yin Yuzhen to fund her tree-planting efforts in Inner Mongolia; 27 years later, his contribution helped transform China’s Maowusu Desert into a forest of 50,000 trees

Pennsylvania teacher Ronald Sakolsky’s $5,000 donation helps transform China’s desert into a forest of 50,000 trees. (Photo: Getty Images) Ronald Sakolsky, a 69-year-old retired teacher from Pennsylvania, recently returned to China for the first time in 26 years and was stunned to see what had become of the once-barren landscape he had helped support. A … Read more

A Seattle shipbuilder sold his company for a reported $3.5 million in 1906 and built an Orcas Island estate; 15 years later he donated more than 2,700 acres to Washington to create Moran State Park

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A Seattle shipbuilder sold his company for a reported $3.5 million in 1906 and built an Orcas Island estate; 15 years later he donated more than 2,700 acres to Washington to create Moran State Park

When former Seattle mayor and shipbuilding businessman Robert Moran was told by doctors in 1905 that he had only a few months to live because of a failing heart, he decided to spend his remaining time building a peaceful home on Orcas Island in the Pacific Northwest. That diagnosis turned out to be wrong. Moran … Read more

An Illinois thrift store has collected more than 100,000 donated items and runs with 200 regular volunteers, using every resale purchase to support local families in crisis

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An Illinois thrift store has collected more than 100,000 donated items and runs with 200 regular volunteers, using every resale purchase to support local families in crisis

An Illinois thrift shop run by a team of 200 regular volunteers has processed more than 100,000 donated items, putting every dollar earned from second-hand sales toward helping local families going through financial hardship. House of Hope Resale, located in Barrington, Illinois, turns unwanted household goods, clothing, and furniture into direct emergency help. Run under … Read more

In 2014, Leonardo DiCaprio’s foundation donated $1 million, helping save African elephants who were being killed for their ivory tusks at a rate of 100 per day

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In 2014, Leonardo DiCaprio's foundation donated $1 million, helping save African elephants who were being killed for their ivory tusks at a rate of 100 per day

Illegal hunting and the ivory trade have reduced the populations of elephants in Africa drastically over the past century. Millions of these mammals once roamed the iconic jungles, but their long ivory tusks made them targets of big game hunters and poachers who have decimated their numbers by roughly 95% over the past 100 years. … Read more

A teenager who survived childhood cancer started collecting LEGO for the hospital that treated him; his drive has now donated 573 mini-figures and raised $2,575

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A teenager who survived childhood cancer started collecting LEGO for the hospital that treated him; his drive has now donated 573 mini-figures and raised $2,575

Sometimes a small act of kindness goes so far that it touches your heart for an entire lifetime. Alexander Ackled-Dold still remembers the little things when he was receiving treatment for leukaemia as a child at Southlake’s pediatric oncology clinic. The teen recounted how the staff were always kind as he was in and out … Read more

Since 2000, Marc Benioff and his wife bought more than 600 acres in Hawaii worth nearly $100 million; they later donated 440 acres for affordable housing, starting with 43 homes

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Since 2000, Marc Benioff and his wife bought more than 600 acres in Hawaii worth nearly $100 million; they later donated 440 acres for affordable housing, starting with 43 homes

Benioff had been buying property in Hawaii for years, but his focus changed after the pandemic began (Bloomberg photo) Since 2000, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and his wife, Lynne Benioff, have bought more than 600 acres of land in Hawaii worth nearly $100 million. Much of the land is in and around Waimea, a rural … Read more

EBay’s first full-time employee left the company after its IPO and built a $5.9 billion fortune; he has now donated about $1.2 billion into social-change projects

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EBay's first full-time employee left the company after its IPO and built a $5.9 billion fortune; he has now donated about $1.2 billion into social-change projects

Jeffrey Scholl. Image Credit: Scoll World Forum Jeff Skoll, eBay‘s first full-time employee and president, played a crucial role in building the company before leaving after its 1998 public offering. He helped turn an online auction business into one of the defining technology companies of the internet boom, then chose a different path from the … Read more