An orphaned baby walrus gets a second chance
A 5-month-old Pacific walrus calf was found alone on a remote northern Alaska beach after his herd left during heavy surf, with scavenging birds already circling. A local wildlife intern and a US Geological Survey scientist cared for him until he could be flown to the Alaska SeaLife Center, and he has now made the 4,000-mile trip to a permanent home in Florida. He's named Annautaq, the Iñupiaq word for 'axe,' in honor of his rescuer's father.
Source: Good News Network →
Three young Italians spend days hunting for a stranger's lost wedding ring
While vacationing in Italy, Patrick Mohr watched his gold wedding band slip off his finger and vanish down a fast-moving mountain stream. His wife asked the only people nearby for help, and three young friends, Filippo, Nicola and Edoardo, kept searching for days until they found it and delivered it back to him. Mohr says the experience taught him that sometimes you just have to ask for help.
Source: Good News Network →
A first-grade teacher's daily affirmations catch on across his school
At Rex Elementary in Haysville, Kansas, teacher Tyler Richards ends each day by leading his first graders in a chorus of positive affirmations so they head home feeling safe and appreciated. The idea spread quickly, with teachers in other grades starting their own versions, and the principal says students are now coming up with fresh ways to keep the practice going.
Source: Good News Network →
Teenagers around the world are designing their own fixes for plastic waste
Through the Unplastify Challenge, 15- and 16-year-olds create and run projects to cut plastic use at their schools and in their communities. This year's winners in Singapore campaigned for reusable lunch boxes after counting 72,000 pieces of disposable plastic used in their cafeteria each year. Over eight years, more than 3,000 students in 25 countries have come up with over 1,000 ideas that have kept an estimated 72 tons of plastic out of use.
Source: Reasons to be Cheerful →
Grapevines grow bigger, healthier fruit under solar panels
University of Bari researchers installed solar panels over part of a Primitivo (Zinfandel) vineyard in sunny Puglia, Italy, to see how the vines would respond. The partial shade helped the plants put more energy into growing, producing bigger and healthier grapes while the panels generated clean power. The team says results will vary by region and variety, but it's a promising sign for farming and solar sharing the same land.
Source: Good News Network →