Field Notes

From colorful parades and soaring kites to student newscasts and Instagram Reels, schools and communities across Colombia found imaginative ways to celebrate the Month of the Cotton-Top Tamarin. Discover how more than 12,000 students joined teachers, families, and community leaders to turn creativity into a celebration of conservation!

This is a guest blog by Rodrigo Leitão, environmental lawyer and member of Coletivo Pororoka, and Alexandre Anderson, of Rede...

World Cleanup Day brings people together around a simple but powerful idea: protecting the environment begins with collective action. Every year, communities, volunteers, businesses, schools, nonprofit organizations, and governments participate in cleanup activities that address litter and waste pollution and raise awareness about responsible consumption and waste management. The United Nations Ge

Adam Currie is Campaign and Movement Support Manager at 350 Aotearoa. In this piece, prompted by a photograph of the...

New feature celebrates Healthy Corners’ 15-year history of increasing access to healthy foods in the District

The future starts in the classroom. Through Plastic Bank’s school program, students and teachers across the Philippines are building recycling habits that extend from classrooms to homes and communities. Schools also earn incentives from the plastic they collect, helping fund school programs, supplies, and other educational needs. Together, we’re raising the next generation of recycling champions.

The Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE) is a Lagos-based grassroots non-profit accredited by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). […] The post PAVE: Rooting collaboration in local relationships through the MAMRN Project first appeared on GAIA.

Samuel J has crewed Sea Shepherd ships. This fall his Constellations Tour plays nine shows for the ocean across Canada and the US.

Mariam has a 10-hour day. Today, she’ll collect the equivalent of 453 plastic bottles, helping keep plastic out of the environment while earning additional income to help provide for her four children. Across coastal communities, collectors like Mariam turn plastic collection into income opportunities and a future they can build on. 453 bottles. One day. Four children. One determined mother. Help

What can 10,000 cigarette butts tell us about the health of our ocean—and our ability to change it? The Cigarette Surfboard, directed by Ben Judkins, follows surfer and activist Taylor Lane as he transforms 10,000 cigarette butts collected from California beaches into a functional surfboard. What began as an unconventional creative project grew into a powerful platform for ocean advocacy, bringing

Makram begins collecting plastic before dawn, while his wife sorts the materials at home. Together, their work helps support their three children and keep their community cleaner. “Since joining Plastic Bank in 2020, the additional incentives have helped support my children’s education and cover unexpected expenses.” Learn how you can fund plastic collection and recycling heroes at: https://plasti

“The day that you spend with me, I will make sure that you get something out of here.”

10.09.2026 MiningWatch in the News Lac Simon First Nation evicts gold mine from its ancestral territory The community says neither Quebec or company Fresnillo sought consent from the community. Savanna Craig, APTN Lac Simon Chief Lucien Wabanonik stands looking over a sea of rock core samples a mining company left on his community’s territory. Work at this proposed mine has been at a standstill fo

Going on a deep-sea expedition is many things. For students climbing the gangway onto R/V Falkor (too) for the very first time, it is an adventure and a stepping stone to a future career. For the scientists in charge, it is the culmination of decades of research and expertise-building, and months of planning. For the crew, the journey is never ordinary, but it is filled with the predictability and

Eight reasons regenerative grazing can’t make beef climate-friendly Drawdown Admin Wed, 09/09/2026 - 16:25 September 11, 2026 by Nick Carter Nick Carter is a research fellow focused on solutions in Food, Agriculture, Land, Ocean, and Nature-Based Carbon Removal sectors at Project Drawdown. He has a decade of experience working with environmental organizations in research and communications and is

Deploy Agrivoltaics - Figure 1 Figure 1. Agrivoltaic configurations range from standard ground-mounted arrangements (top row) to more specialized alternative designs (bottom row), including elevated overhead systems, vertical mounts, stilt-mounted trackers, and solar-integrated greenhouses. These systems can support agricultural activities—including crop production, grazing, ecosystem services, an

For more than the last century, the flows of the Colorado River have been managed and dictated by the demands of a rapidly growing and changing West. There are founding legal documents, and then agreements stacked on those, often known as the “Law of the River.” These agreements are between states, between sovereign nations, including Tribal Nations and Mexico; between districts and companies and

This is a Bathypterois sp., a tripod fish. Solitary and stationary, these deep-sea denizens perch above the seafloor using specialized fin rays and face into the current. When an unsuspecting copepod or other tiny crustacean drifts by, this animal is set to snack. The #Doldrums science team recorded this footage at 2,040 meters — 1.3 miles beneath surface waters. They were surveying a large landsl

The ocean is vast, connecting every continent and touching the shores of most countries around the world. It provides food and livelihoods for millions of people and regulates the climate we all depend on. But who decides what happens in the ocean? Does anyone actually own it? The short answer is no. No single person, ... Read more

After an inspiring application process, four passionate young Bahamians have been selected as the 2026–2027 Bahamas Environmental Steward Scholars (BESS). This programme is a partnership between the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) and The Island School, and continues to produce well-rounded, eager, and educated students who leave ready to lead. For 2026, four scholars have

Eleuthera, Bahamas - The Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) team recently concluded their annual sea camp in Governors Harbour, Eleuthera. Under the theme “Reef Rescue: The Next Wave,” 30 campers convened at the Haynes Library in Governor’s Harbour to learn more about coral reefs and ocean conservation by experiencing the reefs first hand through this immersive experience. A h

By Leah Hays, Seatrees Program Director Last month, I attended the International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) in Auckland, New Zealand, along with Seatrees’ Lead Scientist Dr. Orion McCarthy. ICRS occurs once every four years and brings together the biggest names in coral reef science, making it akin to the “Coral Reef Olympics.” With its temperature climate, New Zealand may not be the first countr

We’re proud to share that Seatrees has officially earned The Climate Label certification for 2026, recognizing our continued commitment to measuring, reducing, and taking responsibility for our climate impact. The Climate Label, administered by The Change Climate Project, recognizes organizations that are taking meaningful, transparent action toward a lower-carbon future. For Seatrees, this commit

Meet Noora Westerlund, our first Finnish Skipper volunteer and second Skipper who calls the Baltic Sea home! Noora is the current Chair of both the Finnish Offshore Racing Association and the Race Management Committee at the Offshore Racing Congress. In these positions, she works to promote more sustainable regatta practices and encourage the sailing community ... Read more

What does the Pacific Ocean have to do with the electricity you need to charge your phone? Quite a lot,...

By Cyrus Malama, 2026 Africa Zero Waste Academy Participant When I boarded my flight on July 26, 2026, I was more than just a Junior Councillor; I was a young […] The post A Zambian Youth’s Journey to the Africa Zero Waste Academy 2026 first appeared on GAIA.

Produce Biochar - Figure 1 Figure 1: Example of a biochar production process. The conversion of 100% of biomass carbon to 50% biochar is specific to the pyrolysis process and can vary with different temperatures and methods used. Source: International Biochar Initiative. (n.d.). Why Biochar. Retrieved 6 March 2026. Image Drawdown Admin Wed, 09/09/2026 - 14:19

Open Letter to the Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution A Spanish language version can be found below. Your excellency, Amb. Julio Cordano, The release of the […] The post GAIA Response to the Aid to Negotiations first appeared on GAIA.

08.09.2026 Blog Entry Canada protects mining investors while scrapping its corporate accountability watchdog Ecuadorians have repeatedly rejected investor-state arbitration. Canada’s new trade deal would bring it back Two decisions by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government, made just weeks apart, lay bare Canada’s approach to corporate accountability. In June, Carney announced the abrupt closure

The #DeepWonders science team happened upon a squid along the seafloor at 1,045 meters deep. They spent a few moments marveling at the animal’s chromatophores, specialized cells in their skin. Each chromatophore is a tiny sac that contains pigment; as the squid relaxes and contracts their muscles, the pigment is either revealed or hidden — allowing them to camouflage and communicate. Dr. Diva Amon

Care for some agricultural training knowledge? 🤓🌱 Today, we're talking about the A-frame! This is a super popular technique across our programs, as it helps farmers plant to the natural contours of the land. #AFrame #Agricutlure #Erosion #PlantWithPurpose

Conservación Osa’s Movement Ecology team is using innovative techniques to understand vulture behavior like no one else could before. This is what we know now. Written by Giancarlo Velmarch.Contributions by...

🌿 On Bolivia’s National Protected Areas Day, we turn our attention to Tunari National Park. Through the Tunari Program, Armonía works to conserve this high-Andean landscape, which supports a remarkable diversity of species and ecosystems. Its water sources also sustain nearly one million people in the Cochabamba Valley. In an interview with BirdLife International, Rodrigo Wilber Soria, Executive

ONE FOREST; MANY GIFTS. 🎁 Açaí berries, Brazil nuts, and palma real all grow high in the Amazon canopy, on some of the tallest trees in the forest. In Bolivia, harvesters climb them with harnesses to reach the fruit, part of a cycle that repeats every season—that is, as long as the forest stays standing. 🌳 For more than a decade, our sister organization Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA has worked al

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Deaths raise urgent questions about captivity, while the industry’s so-called “rescue” of Marineland whales demands greater transparency.

Açaí berries, Brazil nuts, and the fruit of the palma real (royal palm) do more than nourish people worldwide. They sustain families and protect forests in the Amazon. These fruits appear in smoothies, supplement bottles, and skincare products powering healthy lifestyles around the world, but their greater significance lies in the rainforest. Harvesting and producing […]

Açaí berries, Brazil nuts, and the fruit of the palma real (royal palm) all come from the same place: a thriving forest that remains standing because of what it produces. These fruits show up in smoothies, supplement bottles, and skincare products powering healthy lifestyles around the world, but their real significance isn’t where they end […]

Clean air is easy to take for granted when the sky looks clear, but the air quality can still be severely affected without being noticed. It affects human health, climate systems, wildlife, water quality, and the economic activities that depend on healthy coastal environments. Every September 7, the United Nations observes the International Day of […]

Radio remains a powerful way to reach young people. But what does it take to create content that speaks to them and keeps them listening? Reaching young people doesn’t require a special formula. It starts with the same thing as reaching any audience: including them asking questions and listening to their feedback in order to…

Camera traps are giving us a rare glimpse into that journey—from a juvenile ocelot exploring on its own, to a young red brocket deer still learning beside its mother, and a tamandua developing the skills it needs to find food and survive. Discover what these young animals can teach us about growing up wild—and why protecting cotton-top tamarin habitat means protecting an entire community of life.