Good News #29
Award-winning restoration in Toronto, new conservation area in Bolivia, tree planting in Rwanda, restoration funding in Queensland, and WWF report on priority areas for restoration
I don’t often choose a theme, but sometimes a theme chooses me. This week, many of the stories I found were about conservation and ecological restoration: protecting natural areas or restoring them to their natural state. As we humans continue to multiply and expand our collective footprint, these initiatives are more important than ever. Protecting and restoring natural ecosystems supports biodiversity, captures carbon, mitigates the effects of climate change, helps us connect with nature, and supports Indigenous traditions.
I’m happy to share several initiatives happening around the world, from those that have just been announced to award-winning projects that are decades in the making. I hope, as always, that these stories give you hope — and maybe even inspire you to get involved in a project near you.
Toronto’s conservation authority wins global award for ecological restoration
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has been recognized with the 2025 New Sustainable Cities & Human Settlements Award for its transformative restoration of Tommy Thompson Park. The park is located on the Leslie Street Spit, a constructed landform made of construction debris and surplus fill from development sites around Toronto. Over the last three decades, TRCA has converted this industrial land into more than 70 hectares of urban wilderness: wetlands, forests, meadows, and coastal areas that support more than 300 bird species and other wildlife. The park now serves as both a critical urban wilderness and a public green space, with trails, environmental education, and community engagement programs. The award highlights TRCA’s innovative approach to urban ecological restoration, demonstrating how heavily altered landscapes can be revitalized for nature, climate resilience, and community benefit.
Communities plant thousands of trees in Rwanda
On 30 October 2025, RWARRI joined forces with the TerraFund for AFR100 team, district officials and hundreds of community members to launch a tree-planting campaign across the Rubavu and Rutsiro districts in Rwanda, aiming to plant 442,000 seedlings on degraded lands in several sectors of both districts. The seedlings include agro-forestry species native trees, bamboo for riparian restoration, and fruit trees — a diversified mix chosen to restore soils, boost biodiversity, support household nutrition, and create economic opportunities.
Queensland government funding ecological restoration
The Queensland Government has announced A$9.46 million in funding for the Fitzroy Basin Association to implement its Nature Positive Fitzroy Farms project — restoring biodiversity and boosting resilience across more than 17,000 hectares of Brigalow Country in Central Queensland. A further $200,000 will support the Marine Turtle Guardians programme, enabling volunteers to protect key coastal turtle-nesting sites. This funding, delivered via the Natural Resource Management Expansion Program, marks a significant boost in regional environmental support and jobs.
Bolivia creating a new conservation area
The municipal government of Mapirí in Bolivia, in partnership with Conservation International, has established Gran Paitití Municipal Park and Integrated Natural Management Area. Named after the legendary Incan city of gold, Gran Paitití, the park encompasses roughly 80,000 hectares stretching from the cloud forests of La Paz to the lowland Amazon. The conservation area will protect forest ecosystems, groundwater springs for local communities, and a wildlife corridor used by jaguars, Andean bears and several endangered frog species. Joining a vast “conservation mosaic,” Gran Paitití builds on a community-led movement to protect Bolivia’s forests.
WWF Canada reveals opportunities for restoration
A new study by WWF Canada and partner institutions has identified up to 3.9 million hectares of converted lands across Canada that present huge opportunities for ecological restoration — lands which, if restored, would benefit both biodiversity and carbon storage. The research comes at a timely moment as Canada is working to meet its commitments under the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Bonn Challenge. By using machine‑learning techniques and spatial data on carbon, biodiversity and land‑use conversion, the study highlights priority regions for high‑impact restoration. The analysis also emphasizes the importance of Indigenous and local community involvement in setting restoration goals and approaches.