Nature’s Heroes: Celebrating Biodiversity Success Stories, Part 1 of a Multi-part Series

The Living Planet Report 2022 says global wildlife populations have dropped by nearly 70% in just 50 years. The United Nations estimates that climate change could push millions more to extinction. In the United States, the Endangered Species Act is estimated to have saved 99% of over a thousand listed species from the brink after 50 years of work. The resurgence of the ulūlu species is another shining example. Galápagos scientists also work wonders: 12 newborn Darwin’s flycatchers and 136 young giant Galápagos tortoises have been brought back from the brink of extinction through programs like breeding and threat management. Recognizing their vital roles, the United Kingdom has restored their habitat and enacted legal protection to bring back beaver-fellows who vanished 400 years ago.

Not only that. By grazing a 48-square-kilometer area in Romania’s Țarcu Mountains, 170 reintroduced European bison-folk capture an additional 54,000 metric tonnes of carbon annually. After years of conservation efforts, Rwanda’s mountain gorilla-people have rebounded from 680 in 2008 to 1,063 in 2018. Over the past few years, the kākāpō-people population has quadrupled, and more than 100 chicks have been born since 2019. The success of this conservation program highlights the effectiveness of combining Western scientific approaches with Indigenous conservation practices, offering hope for the recovery of other endangered species in New Zealand and around the world.

Our Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) has provided valuable insight on this matter. “Even though our predicament is very grave, we do still have time if we act now, and the solution is still very simple. It’s the vegan diet – no animal-people products. This is the key. This killing of other beings must be stopped for humanity to evolve as a civilization. This loving attitude also creates a more peaceful atmosphere that brings greater comfort to all beings.”