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📚 Today is Independent Bookstore Day! A.k.a. there's a huge party happening at local bookstores across the country — celebrate by visiting yours in person, supporting online, and more!
✝️ Pope Francis' funeral is also today — throughout the week, tributes to his life and legacy have rolled in, with many reflecting on the many ways he made the world a better place.
Environment
Photo: Andrew Mangum / The New York Times
Maryland has now become the first state to reach its pledge to protect 30% of the state's land — six years ahead of schedule
Part of a global initiative to protect 30% of the Earth's land and waters by 2030, nine U.S. states joined the "30 by 30" effort on a local level — and Maryland just met the landmark conservation goal six years early.
Maryland joined the effort in 2023 and achieved it just one year later, permanently protecting 1.9 million acres of land from development — including a one-acre fish hatchery, the Green Ridge State Forest, shorelines, farms, and wooded areas.
And it's just getting started: The state has set a new target to conserve 40% of its land by 2040.
Why is this good news? Research shows that nature conservation really works in protecting biodiversity and ecosystems — it also has bipartisan support at the state level. Maryland was able to reach its target sooner than expected thanks to the collaboration of federal and state agencies, nonprofit groups and land trusts all sharing the same goal.
A federal judge ordered Florida to address water pollution that led to a record number of manatee deaths
In 2021 and 2022, nearly 2,000 manatees died in the state of Florida, a two-year record caused by widespread water quality problems that killed seagrass, starving the "sea cows."
Now, a federal judge has ruled that Florida's wastewater discharge regulations violated the Endangered Species Act by failing to control nutrient pollution in the Indian River Lagoon, one of the most biodiverse estuaries on the continent.
The ruling instructs the state to develop a plan to address the pollution that caused the unprecedented die-off of manatees and restore the ecosystem.
Why is this good news? Accountability for law-breaking matters, and this precedent helps make sure that would-be polluters know there will be consequences for it. It also puts the responsibility for cleaning up the mess where it belongs: on the original perpetrator.
Plus, protecting critical ecosystems that support threatened species like manatees is important, and letting them — or worse, causing them to — suffer, negatively impacts all of us.
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Show off your love for national parks and public lands
National Parks are under threat — budget cuts, staffing shortages, and shrinking protections are putting the lands we love at risk.
Defend The Parks isn't just a statement — it's a flag to fly. Parks Project believes that protecting our public lands is about more than just enjoying them — it's about standing up for them. All of their products are a symbol of that commitment.
Shop for apparel, accessories, and gear that serve as a reminder to advocate, donate, volunteer, and make noise for the places that need us most. Because when we stand up for the parks, we protect something bigger than ourselves. Together, we can Leave It Better™.
Goodnewsletter readers can celebrate the rest of National Park Week & Earth Month in style. Use code GOODGOODGOOD15 to save 15% on your Parks Project purchase!
Two first-year teachers are biking across Vermont to raise money for classroom necessities and support immigrant students
Earlier this year, Tennessee lawmakers introduced a bill (SB836) to the state's legislature that would give the state's public schools the right to refuse enrollment to undocumented children.
While the bill is dead (for now), two first-year teachers in Chattanooga — Grace Miller and Kate Livesay — said they couldn't "sit and do nothing" when they heard about it.
Together, they founded Pedals for Pencils. Their mission is to bike 300 miles across Miller's home state of Vermont while raising funds to buy essential supplies for their classrooms and support and advocate for migrant students.
Why is this good news? In the United States, educators spend an average of $500-$750 out of their own pockets to pay for classroom supplies every year. Not only does this initiative raise actual money — it helps raise awareness about that reality beyond their own classrooms.
Plus, it's a creative way to protest harmful legislation that excludes students and dismantles the very foundations of public education.
Firefighters successfully managed a 60-acre fire that could protect an area of Rocky Mountain National Park for the next decade
Earlier this week, firefighters and forestry technicians set fire to some of Rocky Mountain National Park's most visited terrain, with more than 60 acres of the park set aflame as part of a prescribed burn.
Prescribed burns are planned fires that are often utilized to manage vegetation, restore natural woodlands, or to research a given area
This particular prescribed fire is part of a larger 1,800-acre area in the park that the NPS hopes to burn within the next five years in order to protect the park and the nearby town of Estes Park from future wildfires.
Why is this good news?Because it's worked before! When a wildfire threatened that town five years ago, it stopped at a burn line from a previous prescribed burn. Not only do they protect communities, they keep forests and parks "resistant to wildfire and help the ecosystems thrive."
Featuring 300-year-old trees, a wildlife refuge along the Detroit River was recognized as old-growth forest
The Old Growth Forest Network has officially recognized 32 acres of old-growth forest within the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, which contains trees estimated to be 300 years old.
The newly designated area is part of Humbug Marsh, which is considered the last undeveloped mile of the Detroit River along the U.S. mainland.
The network now has its sights set on the rest of the state, aiming to recognize and preserve one old-growth forest per county in Michigan — as well as ancient forests across the U.S.
Why is this good news? Old-growth forests store much more carbon than young tree saplings, so finding and preserving them is a critical part of fighting climate change. Plus, the recognition raises awareness for old-growth forests, helping people appreciate and enjoy the feats of nature.
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