The Birds and the Bombs

Invasive weeds are ruining the habitat of New York's wild bog turtles. In Hudson River Valley, domestic goats and cows are being used to save bog turtles by grazing on this foreign weed. So far, the plan seems to be working as the turtles have shown signs of not just returning but also laying eggs in the area.

Growing wolf populations in Wyoming are forcing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make hard decisions about culling the endangered species in order to preserve local wildlife and livestock.

The fate of the Southeast's longleaf pine forests, and the endangered woodpeckers that depend on them, is in jeopardy. Fort Bragg, a station of the US military, is trying to save their local environment.

There are only five northern white rhinos left in existence - all in captivity and unable to breed. Researchers work to identify the most valuable solution to rhino poaching in order to prevent the animal from going extinct.

Wolves and ranchers have a long history of conflict. Today, wolves are back in Oregon, and ranchers are learning how to coexist with them, using an array of nonviolent techniques to protect both their herds and the predators.

A robust population of grizzly bears can be an indicator of healthy land; however, the bears also can destroy grain bins, consume vegetation, and kill livestock. Ranchers work with the Canadian government and local conservation groups to protect their resources with bear-proof grain bins and electric fences.

Ivory poaching has decreased the number of live elephants by one-fifth in the past decade. Although Kenya has ratified laws that make ivory poaching and trafficking punishable, identifying smugglers at border security is still a challenge. Airports in Kenya and Tanzania have employed dogs to sniff out ivory hidden in transit with a high success rate of 18 busts in four months at the Kenya location.

Bucking the worldwide trend, Nepal continues its successful fight against poaching, thanks to a multilayered system of information gathering, enforcement, and swift justice.

Giving fishermen a business incentive to fish sustainably can “unleash their creative capacity” to help solve the problem, says one expert.

Grassroots organizations, Empowered by Light and Empower Generation, are killing two birds with one stone: bringing clean energy to rural Nepal, and creating jobs for Nepalese women in the environmental sector. By helping to install electricity-generating solar panels, which simultaneously prevents illegal animal poaching, women are provided not only with a stable income and a ladder to reliable economic growth, but also with a rich work-life balance, allowing them to become “clean energy entrepreneurs” while continuing to care for their families and tend to their village’s needs.