It’s Earth Day! Established in 1970, the annual celebration is now the “largest civic event on Earth” and mobilizes over 1 billion people around the world to protect our planet. It also means that, per Nice News tradition, each of today’s featured stories showcases a positive environmental move — like the bevy of endangered tortoises that were rereleased into the wild and a Vermont couple who let their lawn go wild. Of course, it’s always an ideal time to give Mother Nature some TLC: Here are 74 tips for living sustainably on a daily basis.
Must Reads
A pill-shaped robot that can detect disease was revealed during a TED Talk — and one scientist swallowed it on stage
The sounds of nature abound in recorded music, from the twittering bird in The Beatles’ “Blackbird” to the backdrop of chirping crickets in Missy Elliott’s “The Rain.” And now, the contributing artist is being officially recognized by the industry. Thanks to an initiative called Sounds Right, musicians who use natural sounds can list “Nature” as a featured artist on all major streaming platforms, and royalties from the tracks will go toward environmental causes. The project also works with big names in the business to create new songs that highlight nature. Sounds Right expects to raise over $40 million for conservation efforts in its first four years. “It’s a way of saying to artists, ‘We all use sounds like seagulls and waves and wind. Why don’t we pay nature a royalty?’” famed producer Brian Eno told the BBC. “I feel like music has the ability to make contact with nature seem desirable again,” added Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora, who collaborated with Sounds Right to release a new track. “Because, somewhere deep inside our soul, we are really yearning for it.”
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Mowing the lawn is a dreaded chore for many. It certainly was for Jonathan Yacko and Natalie Gilliard, whose 5.5-acre property in Vermont required an entire day to mow and trim. So they opted to abandon the task altogether. Instead, they tilled their land, purchased a 50-pound bag of wildflower seeds, spread them out, and waited. Per The Washington Post, the idea came from the couple’s neighbor Hadley Mueller, with whom they’d shared their plan to look into new landscape options — and who happened to work at a seed company. “Wildflowers,” she suggested. “I thought they had the perfect spot for a beautiful meadow.” So they got to work. “We had no idea what we’d be looking at after we first planted the meadow, but that was part of the fun,” Yacko told the Post. Soon enough, white baby’s breath started to bloom. Then came blue forget-me-nots, orange cosmos, purple foxgloves, red poppies, and more. The couple had planted a total of 27 species. Their colorful plot attracted songbirds, butterflies, and bees. It also attracted the attention — and gratitude — of nearby residents, who started dropping by with baked goods and thank you notes. “The meadow became thiswonderful way to develop new friendships and feel like we belonged to something and were part of a community,” said Gilliard. Check out the couple’s flower-filled property.
Environment
After Being Reintroduced Into the Wild, 70 Desert Tortoises Are Thriving
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Six months after they were reintroduced into the wild, 70 young Mojave desert tortoises are thriving thanks to the care of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Per a press release from the Wildlife Alliance, the endangered tortoises were released to their native habitat on Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California following time in a headstart program. This involved rearing the hatchlings indoors and in a protected environment outdoors with the goal of increasing their chances of survival. Now, half a year after their release,the tortoises are continuing to succeed. “They have emerged after winter brumation — a state of deep sleep specific to reptiles — and are spending more time basking at burrow entrances,” the release explains. “Scientists are currently conducting health assessments and replacing radio transmitters on the tortoises to continue monitoring their success and better understand the juvenile age class.” The results are a good sign for the tortoises and potentially the species as a whole. Although the species is at risk of extinction, scientists are hopeful successful efforts like this will change that. “There is hope this trend can be reversed,” the release reads. See photos of the tortoises navigating life in the wild.
In Other News
Social Security is expanding benefits nationwide for its rental subsidy policy claimants.
A portrait of Winston Churchill — by an artist whose work the British prime minister detested — went on display last week and will soon hit the auction block.
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Inspiring Story
A mother’s instinct
Taco Bell Manager Becky Arbaugh sprang into action when she heard a panicked voice outside during the lunch rush. A desperate mother had pulled into the parking lot and started yelling for someone to call 911 after noticing her 11-week-old baby boy was struggling to breathe. Arbaugh, a mother of four herself, immediately exited the restaurant and began performing CPR on the infant — which was caught on tape via the store’s surveillance cameras. Her heroic act made all the difference: “The EMT said I saved his life,” Arbaugh recounted.
What better way to celebrate Earth Day than with a rainbow — and a double arch one at that. Lucky visitors to the Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River in Shaanxi, China, were treated to this glorious sight late last week.
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🦮 Forest the service dog meets Pluto the Disney dog
Quote of the Day
“Knowing that you love the Earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the Earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.”
