Every year, thousands of salamanders and frogs try to cross from their wooded winter homes in the U.S. state of New Hampshire to the swamps they breed in. But the road is a dangerous place — unless you have the help of New Hampshire’s Salamander Brigades.This article was originally published on Mongabay

Vast tracts of Thai farmland have been poisoned by chemicals linked to mining in Myanmar, With toxins carried into Thailand by at least six transboundary rivers. A Mongabay investigation has found more than 50 companies in Thailand importing minerals from Myanmar’s polluting mines. Antimony, copper, lead, manganese, tin, tungsten and other critical minerals worth millions of dollars are imported from Myanmar to Thailand And mostly sold on to China. Few Thai companies know where in Myanmar the minerals come from, If the mines are legal, whether they’ve contributed to river pollution or if the minerals imported are even what’s listed on paper. Thai, Burmese and Chinese companies are all profiting from mines that have contaminated rivers, leaving downstream communities with no clean water, food security or livelihoods as a public health crisis unfolds. Read the full story.This article was originally published on Mongabay

12 critically endangered Nubian Giraffes were recently relocated from their home at Murchison Falls National Park to a reserve over 100km away. One of the reasons? Murchison Falls is now being opened up for oil extraction, as almost half of Uganda’s oil reserves are thought to lie there. National parks are home to some of the world’s most important biodiversity, and they are increasingly recognised as vital tools in tackling both biodiversity loss and climate change. But around the world, these protected areas are increasingly being undermined by political and economic priorities. So how protected are they, really? Join Conservation Entangled’s Izzy Sasada to learn more.This article was originally published on Mongabay

A giant octopus devouring a jellyfish. An ultra-fast gossamer worm. These are just a couple of the 31 new species scientists discovered on a recent expedition off the coast of Brazil. They explored the ocean’s midwater zone — the vast space between the sunlit surface and the seafloor — which is the Earth’s largest and least explored habitable ecosystem. While it can take researchers decades to identify and describe new species, state-of-the-art technology like 3D lasers and advanced microscopes helped the team confirm these new species within a matter of days.This article was originally published on Mongabay

Fireflies are disappearing from the Indonesian island of Bali… but local Wayan Wardika is trying to bring them back. Fireflies in Southeast Asia are vanishing due to habitat loss, light pollution, pesticide use, and climate change—and the same is happening on this rapidly developing island. In 2020, he launched Bring Back the Light, Indonesia’s only firefly conservation initiative. He and his small team of scientists focuses on breeding fireflies to return to the wild. But through this work, Wayan has also gathered the importance of habitat protection – only by doing so will firefly numbers be able to grow sustainably. He is now focused on encouraging neighboring farmers to ditch the chemicals and go organic, in order to boost firefly numbers. Watch the full video.This article was originally published on Mongabay

BALI — Indonesia. Wayan Wardika used to see “clouds of fireflies” as a child growing up among the rice fields of Bali, Indonesia. But 40 years later, he realized that the fireflies in his village had all but disappeared. Fireflies in Southeast Asia are vanishing due to habitat loss, light pollution, pesticide use, and climate change—and the same is happening in rapidly developing Bali. Which is a loss for us all, as fireflies are both ecologically and culturally significant. In 2020, Wayan decided to bring the fireflies back, by launching Indonesia’s only firefly conservation initiative called Bring Back the Light. He and his small team of scientists focuses on breeding fireflies to return to the wild. But through this work, Wayan has also gathered the importance of habitat protection – only by doing so will firefly numbers be able to grow sustainably. He is now focused on encouraging neighboring farmers to ditch the chemicals and go organic, in order to boost firefly numbers. Mongabay’s Video Team wants to cover questions and topics that matter to you. Are there any inspiring people, urgent issues, or local stories that you’d like us to cover? We want to hear from you. Be a part of our reporting process—get in touch with us here! Banner image: Firefly over the Bali landscape, collage. ©Rizky Maulana Yanuar Natural bridges to reconnect the last Javan gibbonsThis article was originally published on Mongabay