The Weekly Theme
Each week, we feature a new theme of solutions for those passionate about learning in-depth on how we are building a better world!
Save water in your yard with these drought-resistant plants
With 17 countries around the world facing high water stress and drought, you might be asking yourself, what can we do to help save water? In addition to practicing water smart behavior in the home like saving wastewater and repairing leaky faucets, changing the way you look at the outside of your Read More...
North Carolina is turning old industrial buildings into new community spaces
As many industries shift to meet modern market demands, regions that used to be bustling centers for coal, oil, steel, and other raw materials are now falling into economic despair. Many experts have cited new renewable energy jobs as a solution to this problem, but in some North Carolina towns, Read More...
Meet Mia: The world’s first “bionic bird”
Mia is a female bearded vulture, the largest type of flying bird in Europe — but that’s not the most impressive thing about her. She is the first bird to receive a permanent prosthetic foot, and is described as the world’s first “bionic bird.” Mia was brought into the Owl and Bird Prey Read More...
New "bee vaccine" can help pollinators become immune to pesticides
Without pollinators, our food security and survival as a species would be seriously at risk. But even with this knowledge, humans continue to perpetuate practices that endanger bees and other pollinators, one of the biggest being the growing use of pesticides in agriculture. Pesticides in large Read More...
Citizen scientists step up to track cicada rising
Citizen science has been booming during the pandemic as curious adventurers seek out new ways to get involved in their local natural environment. As billions of cicadas rise up after their 17-year slumber, teams of citizen scientists are taking on the task of mapping their path and prevalence Read More...
Monarch conservation coalition launches huge milkweed planting initiative
Although monarch butterfly populations showed signs of recovery in recent years, these orange beauties are still highly threatened. The species’ numbers have fallen 99 percent since the 1980s, but a new collaboration between conservation groups, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Read More...
Onondaga Nation’s fire station brings sustainability and community together
As you probably have noticed by now, here at The Optimist Daily, we are major advocates of sustainable architecture as well as community-building, and we are elated whenever we come across an initiative that combines both. The most recent example that we’ve uncovered involves eco-friendly Read More...
This startup is transforming front lawns into neighborhood farms
American households use more than 7 billion gallons of water per day just to tend to their lawns. Some experts estimate that up to 50 percent of that water is wasted due to evaporation, wind, or runoff. But what if we could use those lawn spaces for something more meaningful, such as growing local Read More...
Pasturs Voluntaris program uses shepherding to bridge a cultural gap
Back in March, we shared a story about a Spanish village keeping its tradition of shepherding alive with a school for female shepherds. Now, a Swiss program is taking a similar approach to preserve its cultural history and protect its remaining flocks. The newly-established Pasturs Voluntaris, Read More...
Cooperative Extension programs could better prepare us for the next pandemic
The pandemic has highlighted the need to improve medical and public health systems around the world, but in addition to infrastructure shortcomings, Covid-19 has also illuminated the fact that many families are not prepared to manage an emergency. Some academics believe a long-standing extension Read More...