Pelecanus Radio

Rights of Nature Waccamaw Tribe becomes first SC government body to recognize the ‘Rights of Nature’ https://www.postandcourier.com/rising-waters/waccamaw-tribe-rights-nature-south-carolina/article_dc2287c7-2ca3-4a5d-a696-e87c8458cac2.html Protections Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp among new additions to join UNESCO's World Heritage List https://apnews.com/article/unesco-world-heritage-okefenokee-tidal-flats-3a531f2704d4806b3013c22c23247246 Rewilding 15 super-rare pygmy hogs released into Indian grasslands https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/pygmy-hog-release-kuribeel-india Endangered red wolves rebound in NC with four litters of pups born this year https://ncnewsline.com/2026/07/15/endangered-red-wolves-rebound-in-nc-with-four-litters-of-pups-born-this-year/ 'Fifty years of work': Hawaiian stilt brought back from the brink https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/fifty-years-of-work-hawaiian-stilt-brought-back-from-the-brink/

Drawdown California produced over half its May electricity from solar, a world record https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-07-31/california-produced-over-half-its-may-electricity-from-solar-world-record Rewilding After Almost a Century, Wolves Return to Peloponnese, Greece https://greekreporter.com/2026/07/30/wolves-return-peloponnese-greece/ Water After Decades of Drought, Water Is Rising in the African Sahel https://e360.yale.edu/features/sahel-groundwater-climate-monsoon

Biodiveristy New species named after Cape Verde keeper Vozinha https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cn8kdxgxlkeo Guatemalan zoo breeds rare lizards in bid to save endangered species https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/guatemalan-zoo-breeds-rare-lizards-bid-save-endangered-species-2026-07-08/ Critically Endangered White-Rumped Vulture Returns to Cambodia Refuge After Years of Effort https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/critically-endangered-white-rumped-vulture-returns-to-cambodia-refuge-after-years-of-effort/ Numbat conservation efforts pull native species from brink of extinction https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-12/numbats-pulled-from-immediate-extinction-risk/106903786

Drawdown California solar surged ahead of gas in the first 5 months of 2026 https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/california-solar-surged-ahead-gas-073000508.html Biodiversity Scientists Capture First-Ever Images of Cozumel Dwarf Fox https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-first-ever-photographs-of-cozumels-elusive-dwarf-fox-one-of-the-rarest-canids-in-the-world-180988961/ US to create genomic and cellular 'BioVault' for endangered species https://www.ksl.com/article/51545832/us-to-create-genomic-and-cellular-biovault-for-endangered-specie

On this episode we talk with Allison Kreis, our 2026 Carrie Wilson Memorial Scholarship winner, Project Dragonfly student, and cofounder of La Tierra Del Jaguar, a non-profit based in Sonora Mexico for the conservation of Jaguars and Jaguar habitat. We talk about conservation in Sonora, the organization she’s started and the work she is doing for her master’s degree within her community. Please check out the social media pages and website for La Tierra del Jaguar and see how you can help. @latierradeljaguar latierradeljaguar.org Also here is an article about Sonora being a food destination for Bacanora that Allison provided: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/best-of-the-world-2026/article/best-food-destinations Hosts is Austin Parker Producer is Austin Parker Music was provided by A Picture Book studio

Drawdown Solar power beats coal for electricity generation in US despite Trump policies https://apnews.com/article/trump-solar-coal-mining-climate-electricity-50250099a4e94384af4aa9f197d62403 Biodiversity Critically endangered scalloped hammerhead sharks just won full protection https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/critically-endangered-scalloped-hammerhead-sharks-105800036.html? California Condor Flies Into Oregon for First Time in More Than a Century https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/california-condor-flies-into-oregon-for-first-time-in-more-than-a-century/ar-AA25mns5 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Designates 1.5 Million Acres of Critical Habitat for Rusty Patched Bumble Bee https://xerces.org/news/organizational-news/us-fish-wildlife-service-designates-15-million-acres-of-critical-habitat Mangrove forests are healing after decades of human destruction https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4pk07npvvo

Drawdown IUCN launches IslandPlas plastic recovery network in Zanzibar, Tanzania https://iucn.org/news/202605/iucn-launches-islandplas-plastic-recovery-network-zanzibar-tanzania Rewilding IUCN SSC and Fundación Parque Jaime Duque launch a new Center for Species Survival to aid endangered wildlife in Colombia Wolf enters Sequoia National Park for 1st time in more than 100 years https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/wolf-enters-sequoia-national-park-for-first-time-in-more-than-100-years/ar-AA23rk1L Record Release of 842 Critically Endangered Corroboree Frogs in NSW https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-14/northern-corroboree-frogs-released-into-the-wild-nsw-taronga-zoo/106670248 Plant believed extinct for 60 years suddenly reappears https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260517211447.htm

Drawdown Scientists Unveil Hemp Alternative to Plastic That Can Withstand Boiling Water and Stretch to 1,600% its Size https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hemp-based-thermoplastic-greener-alternative.html Biodiversity Rare Dove Extinct In The Wild Hatches At San Diego Zoo Safari Park https://patch.com/california/san-diego/rare-dove-extinct-wild-hatches-san-diego-zoo-safari-park Kenyan conservationists reintroduce rare, critically endangered Bongo into the wild https://apnews.com/article/endangered-kenya-mountain-bongos-reintroduced-wild-ebb168684b408dbd34d663e88c17bc53

Awards Nigeria's Iroro Tanshi wins Goldman Environmental Prize for trying to save bats https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0krm128mgyo Biodiversity New Orleans aquarium rescues and rehabilitates 35 of the world's most endangered sea turtles https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/new-orleans-aquarium-rescues-and-rehabilitates-35-of-the-world-s-most-endangered-sea-turtles/ar-AA20YzEw Critically endangered Borneo orangutan born at Madrid zoo https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260415-critically-endangered-borneo-orangutan-born-at-madrid-zoo Critical Habitat Protected for Four Mussel Species Across 17 Eastern, Midwestern States https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/critical-habitat-protected-for-four-mussel-species-across-17-eastern-midwestern-states-2026-04-24/

Rewilding Second hazel dormouse reintroduction planned at Bradgate Park https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpvxkdlkegno Endangered gray wolf from SF Zoo heads to New Mexico for conservation breeding https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/endangered-gray-wolf-from-sf-zoo-heads-to-new-mexico-for-conservation-breeding/ar-AA20cdJn Drawdown Analysis: UK emissions fall 2.4% in 2025 as coal hits 400-year low https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-emissions-fall-2-4-in-2025-as-coal-hits-400-year-low/ Hawaii is turning ocean plastic into roads to fight pollution https://www.sciencenews.org/article/hawaii-plastic-pollution-recycle-roads

Drawdown Plastic bottles recycled into Parkinson's drug using bacteria https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/plastic-bottles-transformed-into-parkinsons-drug-using-bacteria-410719 How we turned plastic waste into vinegar: A sunlight‑powered breakthrough https://theconversation.com/how-we-turned-plastic-waste-into-vinegar-a-sunlight-powered-breakthrough-276735 Biodiversity Mexico's monarch butterfly population jumps 64%, offering hope for at-risk species https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/20/mexico-monarch-butterfly-population-increases Aotearoa (New Zealand) Tohorā Oranga Bill: legal personhood of whales https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/new-zealand-bill-seeks-personhood-for-whales/

Biodiversity Kazakhstan plants tens of thousands of trees in giant effort to reintroduce tigers https://www.livescience.com/animals/cats/kazakhstan-plants-tens-of-thousands-of-trees-in-giant-effort-to-reintroduce-tigers Critically endangered kākāpō parrot has standout breeding season https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/critically-endangered-kakapo-parrot-has-standout-breeding-season/ Marsupials previously thought extinct for millennia discovered in New Guinea https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/05/marsupials-discovered-new-guinea?share=reddit Large tortoiseshell butterfly confirmed no longer extinct in UK https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/09/large-tortoiseshell-butterfly-no-longer-extinct-uk Critically Endangered Okapi Calf Born at Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center https://newsroom.audubonnatureinstitute.org/critically-endangered-okapi-calf-born-at-freeport-mcmoran-audubon-species-survival-center/

Deforestation Amazon deforestation on pace to be the lowest on record, says Brazil https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/amazon-deforestation-on-pace-to-be-the-lowest-on-record-says-brazil/ Biodiversity 158 Giant Endangered Tortoises Released on Galápagos Island Where They'd Been Extinct for 200 years https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9wn1jrzk4go Once on the edge of extinction, stork found in Georgia to be removed from endangered species list https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/once-on-the-edge-of-extinction-stork-found-in-georgia-to-be-removed-from-endangered-species-list/ar-AA1Wq17N Milestone for Rewilding as Ostriches Return to Saudi Desert After 100-year Absence https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/milestone-for-rewilding-as-ostriches-return-to-saudi-desert-after-100-year-absence/ Mountain lions gain protection under California’s Endangered Species Act https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/13/california-mountain-lions-endangered-species-act Panama's golden frogs beat extinction https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/r

Drawdown World’s first hydrogen heating system warms buildings without carbon emissions https://interestingengineering.com/energy/world-first-hydrogen-based-heating-system Biodiversity Wild European bison are roaming the Carpathian Mountains for the first time in 100 years https://reasonstobecheerful.world/rewilding-european-bison-gentle-giant-returns/ Wolf Found in Los Angeles for the First Time in a Century https://e360.yale.edu/digest/wolf-los-angeles Bermuda snail thought to be extinct now thrives after a decade’s effort https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/07/bermuda-snail-thought-to-be-extinct-now-thrives-after-a-decades-effort

Protections Critical wetland in Angola gets formal Ramsar recognition https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/01/critical-wetland-in-angola-gets-formal-ramsar-recognition/ Drawdown Solar met 61% of US electricity demand growth in 2025 https://electrek.co/2026/01/16/us-electricity-demand-surged-in-2025-solar-handled-61-percent/ Biodiversity Federal Judge Protects Desert Tortoises From California Off-Road Vehicles https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/federal-judge-protects-desert-tortoises-from-california-off-road-vehicles-2026-01-26/email_view/ Bronx Zoo Debuts Endangered Pygmy Slow Loris Baby, First Primate Born in New World https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/25831/Bronx-Zoo-Debuts-Endangered-Pygmy-Slow-Loris-Baby-First-Primate-Born-in-New-World-of-Darkness-Exhibit.aspx

Desal Norway: World’s first subsea desalination plant set to launch in 2026 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506884-worlds-first-subsea-desalination-facility-will-start-running-in-2026/ Biodiversity Stingless bees from the Amazon granted legal rights in world first https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/29/stingless-bees-from-the-amazon-granted-legal-rights-in-world-first Saudi Arabia to reintroduce lions after more than 100 years https://neom.directory/neom-news/saudi-arabia-to-reintroduce-lions-after-more-than-100-years#google_vignette Rare North Atlantic right whale see uptick in births https://www.msn.com/en-us/science/biology/rare-north-atlantic-right-whale-baby-boom-stuns-scientists/ar-AA1Uc7Ow Endangered Lake Sturgeon released in 3 Ohio rivers https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/lake-sturgeon-released-in-cuyahoga-river-as-ohio-expands-recovery-effort Incredibly Rare Mountain Gorilla Twins Have Just Been Born In The Wild https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86v3y45pyyo.amp Sierr

Decoupling Economic growth no longer linked to carbon emissions in most of the world, study finds https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/11/economic-growth-no-longer-linked-to-carbon-emissions-in-most-of-the-world-study-finds Rewild Flat-headed cats reappear in Thailand after 29-year absence https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/year-end-good-news-as-flat-headed-cats-reappear-in-thailand-after-29-year-absence/ Cleanup Environmentalists claim a victory in efforts to clean up Long Island Sound https://gothamist.com/news/environmentalist-claim-a-victory-in-efforts-to-clean-up-long-island-sound

Wow EU strikes deal on climate target to cut emissions by 90% by 2040 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20251208IPR32091/2040-climate-target-deal-on-a-90-emissions-reduction-in-eu-climate-law Ecosia invites Nobel Committee to establish inaugural Climate and Planetary Health Prize https://news.cision.com/communication-works/r/ecosia-invites-nobel-committee-to-establish-inaugural-climate-and-planetary-health-prize,c4279491 Rewild Maryland Zoo Announces Birth of 8 Critically Endangered African Penguin Chicks https://www.marylandzoo.org/news-and-updates/2025/12/maryland-zoo-announces-birth-of-african-penguin-chicks/ Reforestation and wild pig decline spark surge in miniature deer in Singapore https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/reforestation-and-wild-pig-decline-spark-surge-in-miniature-deer-in-singapore/ Jaguar spotted at watering hole in Arizona, 5th endangered cat seen in area over last 15 years https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jaguar-spotted-arizona-5th-endangered-cat-seen-last-15-years/

Tech CRISPR wheat that makes its own fertilizer https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251123115435.htm Water conservation 5.5 Billion Gallons of Water Captured During Recent Storms, Enough to Serve Almost 68,000 L.A. Households Annually https://mayor.lacity.gov/news/mayor-bass-announces-nearly-55-billion-gallons-water-captured-during-recent-storms-enough Land Back 10,000 acres north of Lake Tahoe to be returned to California tribe in historic land deal https://www.sfgate.com/renotahoe/article/california-washoe-tribe-loyalton-land-deal-21202731.php Rewilding Endangered bandicoots given new home free of feral predators in regional NSW https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-16/bandicoots-given-a-new-home-mallee-cliffs-national-park/105995106

Rewilding Scientists Are Releasing the Lovingly Nicknamed 'Snot Otters' Into Ohio Waterways in a Big Success for Conservation https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-elusive-snot-otters-are-being-released-into-ohio-waterways-180987663/ Forests Exclusive: Norway to invest about $3 billion in forest conservation fund https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/norway-invest-3-billion-tfff-forest-conservation-fund-2025-11-06/ Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon hits 11-year low ahead of COP30 https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/brazils-amazon-deforestation-falls-11-12-months-through-july-2025-10-30/