In the 1930s, US agencies planted bicolor lespedeza for erosion control and wildlife habitat; it later reached an estimated 115,550 forest acres

A fix that grew bigger than planned: Bicolor lespedeza, once planted to hold soil in place, now grows across an estimated 115,550 forest acres. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

Most generations have a magic fix they believe in. For us today, it might be planting millions of trees. For the agencies in the U.S. back in the 1930s, it was a tough little shrub called bicolor lespedeza. According to the USDA Forest Service’s Fire Effects Information System, it was promoted and widely planted for … Read more

Florida rebuilt a degraded offshore oyster reef with dolomite limestone in 2018; within six months live-oyster density rose from near zero to 91 per square metre, and by year five it had reached 244

Florida rebuilt a degraded offshore oyster reef with dolomite limestone in 2018; within six months live-oyster density rose from near zero to 91 per square metre, and by year five it had reached 244

Florida restored a degraded oyster reef in 2018; density rose to 91 per sq m in six months and 244 by year five (Image Credit: UF/IFAS) Florida’s Lone Cabbage Reef, once a productive oyster habitat that had deteriorated into a sandbar, began recovering after researchers and local oyster harvesters rebuilt it with dolomite limestone in … Read more

At 21, an Australian waitress quit with $100 and cooked meals for 10 gym friends from a Bondi apartment; the side hustle later reached $5 million in revenue and built a 100-acre farm

At 21, an Australian waitress quit with $100 and cooked meals for 10 gym friends from a Bondi apartment; the side hustle later reached $5 million in revenue and built a 100-acre farm

Monley’s company set itself apart by providing fresh meals delivered to homes and developing its own farm to create a direct link between food production and the customer. Bianca Monley was 21, had little more than $100, a tiny Bondi apartment and an instinct that healthy food could be more exciting than what was available … Read more

Scientists examined 13 insects trapped in 99-million-year-old amber and identified a new species whose flexible mouthpart reached nearly twice its body length, possibly letting it probe deep into tree bark for sap

Scientists examined 13 insects trapped in 99-million-year-old amber and identified a new species whose flexible mouthpart reached nearly twice its body length, possibly letting it probe deep into tree bark for sap

Not much in the world has survived to be known as old as the dinosaurs, but when it comes to a recently discovered insect species, the statement holds true. Some 99 million years ago, a tiny insect belonging to a previously unknown species became trapped in tree resin. The resin hardened and turned into amber; … Read more

Meet Ankith Burki, the Indian-origin San Jose seventh-grader who used low-frequency sound to boost an atmospheric water generator’s output by 117% and reached a national STEM final

Meet Ankith Burki, the Indian-origin San Jose seventh-grader who used low-frequency sound to boost an atmospheric water generator’s output by 117% and reached a national STEM final

Ankith BurkiPhoto: Society for Science For Ankith Burki, the global water crisis was not an abstract classroom topic but a challenge worth trying to solve. The seventh-grader from BASIS Independent Silicon Valley in San Jose designed an atmospheric water generator that pulls moisture from humid air, then tested whether sound could make it more effective. … Read more

Kentucky woman started a $300 eBay side hustle in 2011, left her $35,000 insurance job in 2014; 10 years later, Pink Lily reached $141 million

Kentucky woman started a $300 eBay side hustle in 2011, left her $35,000 insurance job in 2014; 10 years later, Pink Lily reached $141 million

In 2011, Tori and Chris Gerbig were not setting out to build a large fashion retailer. They were a young Kentucky couple with an interest in affordable women’s clothing and about $300 to put into a small online venture. Writing for CNBC in 2022, Tori revealed that she was still working in insurance, at that … Read more

At 10, Minnesota girl Natalie Flaherty began handing out Anne Frank-inspired bracelets; two years later, 100,000 have reached all 50 states and 50+ countries, earning her a $10,000 Young Hero Prize

At 10, Minnesota girl Natalie Flaherty began handing out Anne Frank-inspired bracelets; two years later, 100,000 have reached all 50 states and 50+ countries, earning her a $10,000 Young Hero Prize

Natalie Flaherty, a Minnesota teen is one of the recipients of the 2026 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. At just 12, the girl has been able to work towards and achieve something that generations before her struggled to. The Fairmont native founded ‘I Stand With Anne’, a campaign that aims to turn Holocaust remembrance … Read more

In 2018, Welsh adventurer Ash Dykes walked 4,000 miles along China’s Yangtze; 352 days, 8 million steps, wolves and bears later, he reached Shanghai

In 2018, Welsh adventurer Ash Dykes walked 4,000 miles along China's Yangtze; 352 days, 8 million steps, wolves and bears later, he reached Shanghai

Representative Image of the Yangtze River flowing from the Tibetan Plateau to Shanghai (AI Generated Image) British adventurer Ash Dykes became the first person to walk the length of China’s Yangtze River, covering 6,437 kilometres, or about 4,000 miles, from the river’s scientific source in southern Qinghai to its mouth near Shanghai. Guinness World Records … Read more

In the late 1980s, two explorers paddled the full length of the Amazon after walking its first 200 miles; they reached the Atlantic after a 4,200-mile journey

In the late 1980s, two explorers paddled the full length of the Amazon after walking its first 200 miles; they reached the Atlantic after a 4,200-mile journey

In the late 1980s, Polish explorer Piotr Chmielinski and American writer Joe Kane became the first people to paddle the full length of the Amazon from its source area to the Atlantic Ocean. Kane first walked 200 miles before joining the paddling journey. The expedition covered about 4,200 miles from the high-altitude headwaters to the … Read more

In 1957, a South American moth was released in the Caribbean to control prickly pear; by 1989 it had reached Florida and was attacking native and endangered cacti

In 1957, a South American moth was released in the Caribbean to control prickly pear; by 1989 it had reached Florida and was attacking native and endangered cacti

According to scientists, the South American cactus moth primarily attacks Opuntia species, commonly known as prickly pear cactus. It can also occasionally affect Nopalea, Cylindropuntia and Consolea species. A pest once deliberately moved around the world to solve an agricultural problem has become a problem of its own. According to a report by the USDA’s … Read more