Conservation
2 SOURCES
≈GLOBAL, WITH NET LOSSES REDUCED TO ~849 SQ KM FROM PRIOR ~12,000 SQ KM CLEARED
Reasonably substantiated
Jun 27, 2026
A study led by Dr. Zhen Zhang at Tulane University used Landsat satellite imagery to track global mangrove cover and found that gains have outpaced losses since 2010. The researchers attribute the shift to stronger legal protections and natural regeneration. Globally, net mangrove losses since the 1980s now stand at around 849 sq km, down from roughly 12,000 sq km cleared in earlier decades. This is a single study using a new satellite methodology the authors say may detect changes that prior research missed, and it has not yet been independently corroborated.
Conservation
3 SOURCES
≈BRAZILIAN AMAZON (BIOME-SCALE)
Reasonably substantiated
Oct 16, 2026
Deforestation across the Brazilian Amazon biome has fallen to its lowest level since 1988, according to new Brazilian government data. The future trend for this biome-scale decline remains uncertain ahead of the 25 October presidential run-off.
Conservation
3 SOURCES
≈NATIONAL
Jul 29, 2026
A national survey estimates Nepal's wild tiger population reached 429 individuals. This figure represents a 20% increase over four years. The data comes from wildlife officials and is an estimate rather than a full census. Reports also note a concurrent rise in human-tiger conflict.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈NATIONAL
Reasonably substantiated
Aug 9, 2026
According to satellite data from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), deforestation alerts in the Brazilian Amazon have fallen to their lowest level since 2013. This national-level decline comes from the DETER near-real-time alert system, which is used for rapid detection and not for calculating the official annual deforestation rate.
Conservation
2 SOURCES
≈LOCAL (ONE BAY)
Reasonably substantiated
Sep 21, 2026
Eco-moorings in Studland Bay, Dorset, have led to the near-complete healing of anchor scars in seagrass meadows and an increase in seahorse numbers. The seagrass recovered over roughly five years, and the seahorse increase is reported qualitatively rather than as a specific count. These results are local to one bay and come from a single study.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈ONE PROTECTED AREA
Sep 11, 2026
Mozambique has added a new protected area. The government established the 9,341-hectare Mount Mabu Community Conservation Area through a decree on August 24. This action formally protects Mount Mabu.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈REGIONAL: KLAMATH RIVER BASIN (SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA)
Oct 12, 2026
Chinook salmon are spawning in historical habitat on the Klamath River following the removal of four dams. This return is documented across the Klamath River basin in Southern Oregon and Northern California. A recent study reports this finding, but notes that long-term recovery to pre-dam levels depends on continued monitoring and habitat resilience.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈NATIONAL
Reasonably substantiated
Jul 20, 2026
The Malaysian government has implemented a total ban on the import of electronic waste. The ban is a national policy intended to stop the country from being a destination for the global toxic trade. The long-term enforcement and results of the policy are not yet known.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈NATIONAL
Reasonably substantiated
Aug 18, 2026
Nepal's wild tiger population has grown to an estimated 429 individuals in 2026, up from 355 in 2022. This national increase is a near four-fold jump from the population 16 years prior. The updated figure is an estimate, and officials note that emerging concerns threaten this progress.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈OCEAN BASIN / REGIONAL POPULATION
Reasonably substantiated
Aug 28, 2026
The South Atlantic humpback whale population has recovered to about 35,000 individuals, with the Abrolhos archipelago off Brazil serving as its largest breeding ground. This regional population represents nearly half of the species' global total. The population estimate is from Brazil's Humpback Whale Institute and has not been reported in an independent scientific publication.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈SINGLE WETLAND SITE / NATIONAL SPECIES POPULATION
Reasonably substantiated
Aug 28, 2026
Woolston Eyes in Cheshire, a former dumping ground for Manchester Ship Canal dredgings, restored since 2021 into freshwater pools and reedbeds, now hosts 64% of Britain's breeding black-necked grebes. The finding comes from a single survey by the RSPB and Woolston Eyes Conservation Group. Absolute breeding pair numbers were not provided.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈NATIONAL SPECIES RECOVERY
Oct 2, 2026
A 15-year captive breeding and translocation program improved the conservation status of New Zealand's wētāpunga from Threatened, Nationally Endangered to Threatened, Nationally Increasing. This national species recovery effort shifted the insect's official trajectory. However, this success is documented in a single journal paper, and the species remains classified as Threatened while recovery continues.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈LOCAL
Jul 24, 2026
Controlled burns saved an estimated 1,900 giant sequoias during the 2020-2021 wildfires in Sequoia National Park. This local finding is based on a single retrospective study using aerial and satellite imagery. While effective here, prescribed burns carry their own risks, as demonstrated by a burn that escaped control in 2022.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈ONE SITE (HOADS WOOD, KENT)
Oct 9, 2026
The illegal waste site at Hoads Wood in Kent has been fully cleared. The operation removed nearly 40,000 tonnes of waste at a cost of £15 million. However, the site's ecological recovery is expected to take decades, and a risk of re-dumping remains.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈COUNTY
Oct 19, 2026
Volunteers planted more than 109,000 trees across Lancashire, UK, in the last year. This county-level effort contributed to new woodlands, orchards, and micro-forests. The tree count comes from the Lancashire Woodland Partnership and has not been independently verified.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈ONE AUSTRALIAN STATE (NSW); A SINGLE LARGE PROTECTED AREA ON THE NSW MID-NORTH COAST
Reasonably substantiated
Oct 29, 2026
On 23 October, the New South Wales parliament passed legislation creating the Great Koala National Park, 10 days after Premier Chris Minns tabled the bill. The park is a single large protected area on the state's mid-north coast. What has been delivered is the law. Details such as the park's area, boundaries, timeline and funding could not be verified from the source, which reported the funding as controversial, and the park's establishment, management and any end to logging in the area may still be in progress.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈ONE NATURE RESERVE
Aug 3, 2026
A new wild population of nearly 200 Sumatran orangutans has been established in Jantho Pine Forest Nature Reserve. The population was built by translocating rescued animals since 2011. The long-term viability of the group is still being monitored, according to a conservation program report covered by Mongabay.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTS OF NORTH AMERICA
Reasonably substantiated
Jul 20, 2026
American oystercatcher populations rose by 45 percent between 2008 and 2023 on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America. The increase is linked to a coordinated conservation effort and is based on data from conservation partners. The absolute population size was not provided and ongoing monitoring is needed to confirm the trend's stability.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈GLOBAL (SINGLE SPECIES)
Reasonably substantiated
Oct 8, 2026
The global conservation status of green turtles was reclassified from endangered to least concern on the IUCN Red List last year. This assessment covers the single species on a global scale. Recovery is uneven, and some regional populations remain endangered or declining.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈ONE SPECIES
Sep 1, 2026
The population of the kākāpō, a critically endangered flightless parrot, has grown to 325 birds. This is the first time the species has surpassed 300 individuals in 75 years. The increase follows a record breeding season that added 90 chicks, which was triggered by an irregular mass fruiting event.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈ONE 9,500-ACRE UPLAND ESTATE IN NORTHUMBERLAND, ENGLAND
Reasonably substantiated
Oct 30, 2026
The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust have bought the whole Rothbury Estate, a 9,500-acre upland site in Northumberland, England, following a two-year public appeal of roughly £30m. A low-interest bridging loan covers pledged money that has not yet been received, so the fundraising is not fully collected in cash. What has been delivered is the land purchase, not any measured recovery of nature. Plans for a 40-mile wild corridor to Kielder and the Scottish border are aspirations, and some local farmers have called the purchase 'a folly'.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈LOCAL
Reasonably substantiated
Jul 21, 2026
Eight artificial canopy bridges installed in Alta Floresta, Brazil enabled 15,000 safe crossings for arboreal wildlife. A 15-month study recorded zero roadkill at these specific sites. This local project shows promise, though the zero roadkill figure applies only to the monitored bridges and not the entire road network.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈ONE LAKE/WETLAND (~85 KM²)
Reasonably substantiated
Oct 18, 2026
Huangqihai Lake in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, has been restored from a dry lakebed to an 85.22-square-kilometer wetland. Fish have returned after a 27-year absence and 168 bird species have been recorded. The restoration figures and wildlife counts come from local authorities and have not been independently verified.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈50,000 ACRES IN GRAND COUNTY, UTAH
Reasonably substantiated
Jun 18, 2026
FOX 13 reports that Utah's School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration sold more than 50,000 acres of Book Cliffs land in Grand County to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources for roughly $30 million. The land is intended to be managed as a wildlife management area and open space. The report describes the sale as complete and as a first-of-its-kind deal, but it relies on a single outlet and quotes from involved parties, with no independent corroboration.
Conservation
1 SOURCE · UNCORROBORATED
≈ONE SEABIRD COLONY
Reasonably substantiated
Oct 19, 2026
The sandwich tern colony at Pagham Harbour in West Sussex has grown to 756 breeding pairs. This recovery for one seabird colony happened over three years after it was wiped out by avian flu in 2022. The figures come from RSPB monitoring and document the recovery at this single site, not the wider regional population.