By chance, I came across the Fall 2026 issue of Nature Conservancy Magazine. The cover proclaimed, “Celebrating 75 Years.” I thought, certainly this milestone deserves a post on my blog, a blog that regularly promotes and celebrates various aspects of nature such as: water, trees, seeds, flowers, the sun, the moon, sea turtles, and Jesus’ great love for nature.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) began in 1951 when a small group of individuals joined together to try to protect nature in a new way–through direct action. Their first major opportunity came when they learned that 60 acres of the Mianus River Gorge near Bedford, New York was going to be sold to a developer. An hour’s drive north from Manhattan, the Mianus River Gorge is “lined with towering 350-year-old hemlocks that shelter flying squirrels, tree frogs, and bobcats.” Local community members protested the sale of this beautiful spot. The owner told them he would sell the property to them if they could come up with his asking price: $30,000. The people organized bake sales, pledged their life-insurance policies, and approached the newly formed TNC for help. Working together, the groups purchased the 60-acre property and forever protected it. In that instant, “a new kind of global movement was born.”
Today the TNC reaches all 50 states and is working in 83 countries and territories with a team of over 1,000 scientists. It has conserved more than 125 million acres of land and 2.3 billion acres of ocean area–“cumulatively protecting an area the size of the entire United States.” Such success has come despite growing threats “from geopolitical shifts to volatility in public funding,” says Jennifer Morris, CEO of TNC. “These threats are growing more urgent and more complex: Climate change and biodiversity loss are not distant, theoretical challenges–they are here and now.”
The fact that TNC has survived for 75 years is certainly good news. So I decided to search the web for other pieces of good news concerning conservancy and our environment. I found several websites that share a wealth of positive news in this area. One website is even called “Happy Eco-News.” Here are just a few items I found intriguing, encouraging, and even inspiring.
9,000 milkweed plants for migrating Monarch butterflies were recently planted along 6 roads in North Florida counties providing a new migration highway for these cherished and threatened butterflies. Thousands more milkweed plants will be planted in the future.
Iberian lynx rebounded from fewer than 100 individuals in 2002 to over 2,000 individuals today.
Solar power outstripped coal generation in the US this year for the first time on record.
Tap water in rural India: 6 years ago only 1 in 6 homes in rural India had a tap water connection. Today 4 out of 5 do. In 6 years, India has connected 124 million rural homes to tap water.
Rainforest biodiversity in Ecuador’s Choco region rebounded 90% in just a single generation.
The world’s first carbon-negative bus shelter was installed at Bangkok University. Bus shelters are usually made of steel and glass. But a Swedish solar company built one by combining solar energy panels with carbon storing wood. The shelter stores more carbon than was emitted during its entire manufacturing and construction process.
Combining noise barriers with solar panels. A company in Canada (Mitrex) is integrating noise barriers with solar panels. The barriers reduce traffic noise while the solar panels produce clean electricity. A one mile stretch of these unique sound barriers produces enough electricity to power 50 homes!
The European Union leads the world in producing electricity from renewable sources (wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal). In 2026, renewable sources produced 46% of Europe’s electricity. (The US produces about 26% from renewable sources. Two factors that challenge the U.S. are our “car culture” and our “sprawl.”)
Growing food under roof top solar panels. Jennifer Bousselet, assistant professor of horticulture at Colorado State University, leads pioneering research by growing food under elevated solar panels on city skyscraper rooftops. The technique (called rooftop agrivoltaics) works because the solar panels protect the plants from intense urban heat while the transpiring plants help cool the solar panels to improve their efficiency. On one rooftop, she and her research partners have a 3,000 square foot garden growing a variety of food-producing plants. Currently 1/2 of the world’s population live in urban areas. By 2050 an estimated 2/3 of the population will do so. Supplying food for those cities will be a major challenge. Bousselet says Denver alone has 5,000 acres of suitable rooftops for growing food in this way. Each acre is capable of producing 5,000 pounds of food. So even if only 1,000 acres of rooftops are used, they could produce 5 million pounds of food for the city’s inhabitants.
And finally, The Nature Conservancy preserves protected space for the environment and for people. California’s Marin Headlands is a ridgeline overlooking San Francisco Bay. It is now a preserved space for animals such as raptors and bobcats, while simultaneously being one of the most widely visited parks in the U.S. Today more than 13 million human visitors come to this recreation area each year. Hawk Hill in the park offers one of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
For reflection:
Did anything stand out for you in this reflection?
What other good “Eco-News” have you heard about recently?
Have you personally visited and enjoyed preserved areas near your home or elsewhere in your country or world? Would you recommend any of these areas to others?
Are you actively involved in preserving nature for future generations?
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PS: You’re invited to our annual Chricken BBQ & Boutique: at Notre Dame Cathedral Latin High School, 13000 Auburn Road, Chardon, OH. I’ll be in the “Book Nook” (in the cafeteria) from noon until 3:00. Stop by and say “hi.” I’d love to meet you!
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Here is a prayerful video that presents scenes of nature accompanied by this verse from scripture: “Be strong and courageous, for I am with you.” May you hear God saying these words to you today for whatever you need strength for at this time in your life.
I welcome your comments below!
