#restorenature — Public Fediverse posts

‘This place wanted to be a #wetland’: how a farmer turned his fields into a #WildlifeSanctuary

Once, Karl Wenner’s #Oregon land leaked pollution into a nearby lake. Now, 70 acres are home to waterfowl, turtles and endangered fish

by Gabrielle Canon in #KlamathFalls
Sun 22 Oct 2023

"#Birdsong hums over the rumble of Karl Wenner’s truck as it bounces along the dusty trails that weave through his property. For almost 100 years, this farm in southern Oregon grew barley, but now, amid the sprawling fields, there lies a wetland teeming with life.

"Wenner installed the wetland on 70 of the farm’s 400 acres to help deal with phosphorus pollution that leaked into the adjacent Upper #KlamathLake after his land flooded each winter. With support from a team of scientists and advocates, the project has become a welcome sanctuary for migrating and native birds that are disappearing from the area.

"Today, this corner of #LakesideFarms looks far different from a typical American farm. Waterfowl nest among the vegetation, joining pond turtles and even endangered native fish near rows of sprouting barley.

"Looking out at the swaying cattails and wocus plants peeking through the water on an afternoon in June, Wenner beams: 'This place wanted to be a wetland.' "

Learn more:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/22/farm-wetland-bird-animal-sanctuary-oregon

#SolarPunkSunday #Rewilding #EndangeredSpecies #RestoreNature #Wetlands

This #FirstNations horticulturist Indigenizes plant spaces in B.C.

#ShaylaChalifoux sub-consults for landscape architects on incorporating #NativePlants

Edzi'u Loverin · CBC News · Posted: Nov 14, 2025

Excerpt: "According to the province of B.C., plant biodiversity in #BritishColumbia is unmatched in Canada, with at least 2,500 native vascular plant species, in addition to thousands of lichens, mosses and fungi.

"Individuals can help support the land by planting native plants in pots on their balconies and gardens, said Chalifoux.

" 'Why would you plant a native plant here? Because host nations have a relationship with that, or this specific plant is a host plant for a larva, a native butterfly, that needs to eat only this plant to survive,' said Chalifoux.

" 'The land is hurting. One way we can help the land is by incorporating native plants.'

"Chalifoux said though things are changing, not many municipalities have policies to ensure a percentage of native plants are included in city landscaping.

"#CBCIndigenous asked the City of #Vancouver if it had any policies around the number of native plants required to be planted in urban planning.

"A City of Vancouver spokesperson said in a statement that the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation is working to increase native plants in #UrbanSpaces and considers a number of factors in planning, including maintenance, resilience, and canopy cover, and consults with local #FirstNations.

"A prime example of this is the addition of #PacificYew to the Stanley Park Restoration initiative, upon receiving feedback from local First Nations," said the statement.

"The city said it has also provided native plants for #EcologicalRestoration in Vancouver parks to non-profits and community groups that hold community planting events."

Full article:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenize-plant-spaces-in-b-c-9.6978056

#SolarPunkSunday #VancouverBC #FirstNations #GreenerCities #GardeningForPollinators #Biodiversity #Canada #RestoreNature #ContainerGardening

#MangroveForests are healing after decades of human destruction

by Matt McGrath and Esme Stallard
June 4, 2026

"The world's coastal #mangrove forests, which protect millions of people from storms - and soak up vast amounts of planet-warming gases - are staging an unexpected comeback, scientists find.

"For decades these swampy trees had been declining rapidly as they were cleared for fish farms and housing.

"But a new study shows that since 2010 the world has been gaining more mangroves than it has been losing - driven by stronger #LegalProtections and increased #PublicAwareness of their importance, sparked by disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

"The researchers say the key factor though is the remarkable capacity of these forests to #regenerate naturally once humans stop chopping them down.

"Mangroves are one of the world's unsung #environmental heroes.

"Not only do they store up to five times more #CarbonDioxide than land-based forests, but their tangled roots can also slow down waves and protect coastal communities from #StormSurges and #tsunamis.

"These same roots provide a perfect nursery for many species of fish and other #MarineLife - protecting them from predators and providing ample food.

"These benefits, though, have come under serious threat over the past century as the rise of fish farming, agriculture and the expansion of coastal cities and towns have seen mangroves chopped down and rapidly removed.

"From the 1980s to 2010, over 12,000 sq km (4,600 sq miles) of mangroves were cleared or destroyed across #Asia, #Africa and the #Americas - an area the size of Jamaica.

"However, the new study shows a real reversal of that trend, particularly over the last decade. The total net losses - the forest lost and not replaced - since the 1980s have now been reduced to around 849 sq km (328 sq miles)."

Read more:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4pk07npvvo

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/EX19Y

#SolarPunkSunday #FishNurseries #Mangroves #RestoreNature #CoastalRewilding #RestoringMangroves
#PreserveNature #OceansAreLife

A funny but powerful contradiction 🌳
A truck carrying cut trees, yet the message says “Plant More Trees.” It makes us smile but also think. Let this remind us: cutting without restoring harms our future. If we must use trees, let’s replace them, protect forests, and act responsibly. The joke becomes a lesson when we choose action over words.
#PlantMoreTrees #Reforestation #ProtectOurForests #ClimateAction #GreenFuture #RestoreNature