Good News #20
Sheepdogs protecting penguins, rewilding a peat mine, Netflix partnering with the American Forest Foundation, the Vatican's eco-training centre, and the UK's first recycled EV battery cells
Here’s your weekly roundup of environmental good news stories from around the world. Enjoy!
Sheepdogs saved an endangered penguin colony
Maremma sheepdogs have played a pivotal role in saving the endangered Little Penguin colony on Middle Island, Australia. The colony had dwindled to fewer than 10 birds due to predation by non-native Red foxes. Then, in 2005, an environmental science student suggested using Maremma sheepdogs; they were used to protect chickens at the farm he worked at. Maremmas originate from central Italy, where they were bred to guard livestock from predators. City council agreed to test the idea.
The first dogs didn’t work out because they were mature and unfamiliar with the island — so conservationists raised Maremmas specifically for this purpose. The puppies were trained to bond with chickens, and had limited interaction with humans. When they were introduced to the island, they quickly adapted to life with penguins. There are now more than 100 penguins, thanks to their furry guardians.
A Finnish community rewilded a toxic peat mine
A former peat mine in North Karelia, Finland, has been transformed into a thriving wetland. In 2010, acidic runoff from the site polluted the nearby Jukajoki River, killing fish and seagulls. Snowchange Cooperative stepped in, purchasing the land from the mining company in 2013. They immediately began flooding the acidic soil to halt the toxic leaching. (Peat mining exposes iron-rich soil to oxygen, making it highly acidic. When this soil mixes with rain or snow, it creates toxic runoff.) Within a year, the peatland ecosystem began to heal, and wildlife returned. Renamed Linnunsuo (“Marsh of Birds”), the site now supports more than 190 bird species, along with moose and wolverines. And because peatlands can store three times more carbon than forests, it has turned from a carbon source to a carbon sink.
Netflix signed a deal with the American Forest Foundation to plant trees
The American Forest Foundation (AFF) has secured a 15-year agreement with Netflix to purchase carbon credits generated by the Fields & Forests project, which helps family landowners in the U.S. South convert underused fields into productive forests. Netflix's milestone-based prepayment financing has already enabled the enrolment of 2,500 acres, the planting of 1.4 million trees, and $2 million in payments to landowners, with the project aiming to expand to 75,000 acres and generate 4.8 million carbon credits by 2032 — all while providing technical and financial support to rural families and advancing natural solutions to climate change.
The Vatican opened an environmental education farm
The Vatican has inaugurated Borgo Laudato Si: a 55-acre sustainable farming and vocational education centre at Castel Gandolfo. Inspired by Laudato Si, Pope Francis’s ecological encyclical, the centre uses green infrastructure like a solar-powered greenhouse designed to mirror St. Peter’s Square, AI-driven irrigation, rainwater harvesting, and zero-waste policies using no plastics. It also hosts organic farming and olive-growing training programs, with proceeds reinvested to sustain its operations.
UK unveiled EV battery cells made from recycled materials
UK-based clean technology group Atilium has partnered with car manufacturer JLR to develop the UK's first EV battery cells made from recycled materials. Altilium’s EcoCathode™ process recovers over 95% of cathode metals and 99% of graphite from battery waste. They demonstrate significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions (32%), particulate matter formation (30%), freshwater ecotoxicity (58%), and mineral resource consumption (38%) compared to cells using virgin materials. They perform as well as conventional cells, and are now undergoing comprehensive validation studies. Pilot plants are set to process enough material to supply 20% of the UK’s battery needs by 2030.