Mid week round up of good news nuggets.
Cranes, which became extinct in the UK 400 years ago, have continued their recent comeback with a new high of 64 pairs recorded in a survey. The common crane, which stands about 1.2m (4ft) tall, vanished from Britain in the 1600s as a result of hunting and a decline in their wetland habitat. But the natural return of a few birds to Norfolk in 1979, and conservation work, including restoring peatland, protecting wetlands, and a reintroduction programme, has helped the species stage a comeback.
Areca butterfly palm tree: This plant is so good at filtering air that NASA declared it the best purifying plant in 1989. Why not pop one inside your house? For a couple more ideas, see Plants for a Healthier Home [OGN - January]
Neesha, an 8-year-old Golden Retriever, is one lucky dog. She got separated from her owners after chasing a deer. After spending a fortnight on her own in Ireland’s Wicklow Mountains in January without food or real shelter, the plucky pooch was serendipitously spotted by a couple, who in spite of the wintry weather, was hiking the range and happened upon her. They picked her up and carried her 6 miles back to base camp. Neesha’s owners could scarcely believe it when they learned their dog had been found alive.
Clock of the Long Now: 10,000 year clock is currently being prepared for a mountain in Texas. Ten thousand years is about the age of civilization, so the clock would measure out a future of civilization equal to its past. That assumes we are in the middle of whatever journey we are on - an implicit statement of optimism.
If further proof were needed that Brits are drinking a lot more wine during lockdown, Virgin Wines - the home delivery service - said it saw revenues jump 55 percent year-on-year to £40.6m in the second half of 2020, with underlying earnings leaping 196 percent thanks to surging sales.
The topic of vitamin D never stops cropping up as ever more evidence comes along about its benefits in helping combat covid. Since, sadly, most of us aren't getting enough sunshine to top up our vitamin levels at the moment, it's recommended to take a vitamin D supplement.
Turbo-Charging your daily walk: It’s arguably the best way to exercise during lockdown. Experts explain how to make a stroll even better for your body.
An Estonian company, called Milrem Robotics, has developed a robot forester that can plant and nurture young trees. The tree-planting robot can carry up to 300 saplings and plant a hectare of forest in less than six hours. Although the mechanic foresters were initially designed to work on commercial forests, the creators are now looking to support reforestation efforts around the world, with tree planting being one of our most efficient nature-based solutions to capturing CO2 emissions.
Hydrogen powered cars to be built in Wales: The start-up, Riversimple, is teaming up with Siemens, the German industrial giant, to get zero-pollution cars on British roads.
A study from BBC Earth and the University of California has revealed that watching nature documentaries can make you happier. Like this one, explaining their findings: