ConservationOptimism

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2025 was a challenging year for environmental targets and fundraising, but there were still stories of success and skills to be shared, and an inspiring short-film festival. Read the #ConservationOptimism Annual Report... conservationoptimism.org/annual-reports/ #wildlifeconservation #2025

This week also brought us three Andean condor chicks hatching in Colombia (the "salvation of the species!") & a bumper rimu fruit crop in New Zealand that could spark a record breeding season for critically endangered kākāpō parrots buff.ly/VLqwRuu #ConservationOptimism

The high seas just got historic protection! A game-changing international ocean treaty, covering nearly 60% of our oceans, came into force this week, legally binding 81 nations to protect marine life in international waters. Read this & more stories: buff.ly/VLqwRuu

Much conservation involves trying to elicit human action. Hear from Conservation Optimism's Reshu Bashyal & Jon Taylor about the lessons we’ve learned through our work. Feb 11, 2026 1:00 PM (13:00) GMT Register for free at us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regist… #conservationoptimism

This week also brought us rare twin mountain gorillas born in DRC's Virunga National Park, 18 North Atlantic right whale calves (a great breeding season), and a "Christmas miracle" chick raised by a previously infertile takahē couple in New Zealand! buff.ly/kERDpOt

The ocean's gentle giants are bouncing back! Green sea turtles have increased by 28% since the 1970s, moving from Endangered to Least Concern thanks to global conservation efforts. Explore all the seven stories on our website: buff.ly/kERDpOt #ConservationOptimism

Yes, the environmental crisis is urgent—but constant emergency messaging only leads to paralysis. And yet, there's a global community of conservationists proving every day that we can turn this around. Conservation Optimism exists to rebalance the story. #ConservationOptimism

Thank you for reading, sharing, and believing that better futures are within reach. Here’s to even more conservation success stories in 2026. See you on the other side. Happy New Year! #ConservationOptimism buff.ly/O6R5LsF

From community-led conservation across Africa to treaties protecting the high seas, 2025 reminded us that progress is possible when people, policy, and passion align. The last Conservation Optimism Round-Up of the year brings together 12 powerful wins: buff.ly/O6R5LsF

Love wins in the wild! A mama polar bear in Manitoba adopted an orphaned cub—and now you can track this growing family as they roam Hudson Bay together. Read these and more stories of optimism roundup here: buff.ly/QSNiNxB #ConservationOptimism

Bethany (Bee) Smith was a passionate shark conservationist and a member of Conservation Optimism. She passed tragically earlier this year. Members of the Conservation Optimism family who knew Bee have written their tribute to her conservationoptimism.org/tribute-to-bet… #conservationoptimism

Now she leads jaguar research and promotes coexistence between communities and large carnivores. What keeps her hopeful? Watching communities transform from fearing wildlife to becoming its guardians. Read her full story here: buff.ly/7ZyZf4F #ConservationOptimism

Meet Yara Barros, 2025 Whitley Award winner and Executive Coordinator of Project Jaguars of Iguaçu in Brazil's Atlantic Forest. Her conservation journey began with witnessing the last wild Spix's macaw—a moment that changed everything. Full story: buff.ly/7ZyZf4F

Our seventh Good Natured Film Festival brought together storytellers, conservationists and artists at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History Relive the magic or experience it for the first time on our YouTube channel: buff.ly/LLm1jFs #ConservationOptimism

This week brought us solar-powered lights reducing sea turtle bycatch by 63% in Mexico, miniature mouse-deer bouncing back in Singapore after an 80-year absence, and otters thriving in nearly every UK waterway after decades of decline. Read on: buff.ly/iSTMWPV

This week also brought us thriving jaguars in Colombia's protection corridor, Ecuador's empowered communities reviving 98,000 hectares of mangrove forests, and wild turkeys whose recovery story helped restore wildlife across North America! Read on: buff.ly/onEPuqc

Historic shark news! For the first time ever, a shark species—the critically endangered oceanic whitetip—received full protection against international trade under CITES. Elsewhere, England's ambitious "forest city" plan may become a reality. buff.ly/onEPuqc

Grab your favorite snack, settle in, and immerse yourself in these powerful stories that remind us why our planet is worth fighting for. Each of these films is a testament to what's possible when we choose optimism over despair. Watch here: buff.ly/THseUES

Conservation Optimism's Film Festival 2025: The winners! Congratulations to all our winners and every filmmaker who shared their vision with us. Now it's your turn to experience the magic! Our Virtual Screening is now live on our YouTube channel: buff.ly/THseUES