Today’s good news story comes from YouTube and was sent to me by Maria Olimpieva. Thanks Maria.

For fifty years, Dolores Lopresti  greeted generations of second graders at St. Margaret’s School with a smile, a lesson, and a heart full of love. Standing before students, parents, and former classmates on the day of her retirement, she admitted a surprising truth: during her first year of teaching, she cried every day and nearly quit. Fresh out of college, she felt overwhelmed. But with the encouragement of fellow teachers, she discovered her calling—and never looked back.

Mrs. Lopresti believed learning should be joyful. Whether she was dressing up as the unforgettable “Mrs. Pepperoni” to teach math or preparing children for their First Communion, she filled every lesson with laughter, patience, and kindness. To her, the students were never just pupils; they were family.

All the children wore Miss Lopresti buttons

Over the decades, she taught not only children, but eventually their children as well. Former students returned to thank her for changing their lives, inspiring careers, and giving them confidence when they needed it most. Her influence reached far beyond the classroom.

Flowers for the teacher

Although retirement marked the end of her full-time teaching career, Mrs. Lopresti knew her mission would continue. “Every day is a new day,” she reminded everyone. “Don’t give up. Be kind. Be loving. It’s not how you start—it’s how you finish. And once I’m your teacher, I’m always your teacher.”

Just a few who came to say farewell.

The good news in this story is when one loves what they do they can have a positive impact on all those they meet.

Today’s JohnKu talks about how other see us. I hope you have a lovely weekend

Impression by John W. Howell © 2026

People remember,

Kind and considerate help . . .

They repeat learning.

Here is a video of her retirement.

Today’s good news comes from @Massimo on X. Thanks to Noelle Granger for sending it to me.

U.S. farmers are intentionally flooding their fields to revive ancient “prairie potholes,” creating temporary “pop-up” wetlands that deliver a huge boost to migratory birds while improving soil health.

In regions like California’s Central Valley and the Mississippi Delta, innovative programs—most notably BirdReturns (launched by The Nature Conservancy in 2014)—pay farmers to strategically flood low-lying or post-harvest fields at precise times during bird migrations. These short-term wetlands mimic the natural prairie potholes and seasonal marshes that once dotted the landscape but were largely drained for agriculture.

By timing floods to align with peak migration periods (e.g., spring and fall for shorebirds, waterfowl, and sandhill cranes), farmers provide essential stopover habitat: shallow water, mudflats, and abundant food for millions of birds traveling along flyways like the Pacific Flyway. The approach has transformed tens of thousands of acres of working farmland into critical refueling stations, with studies showing dramatic increases in bird use and numbers—sometimes 3.5 times higher in these managed pop-up wetlands compared to standard fields.

Farmers also gain practical benefits. Seasonal flooding enhances soil structure, boosts nutrient cycling (as bird activity and water help break down residues), recharges groundwater, reduces erosion, and supports long-term land productivity—often without hurting crop yields in subsequent seasons.

The good news in today’s story is an active program to help birds during their migrations while helping the soil as well.  Today’s JohnKu talks about assisting nature. I hope you have a lovely weekend.

A Hand by John W. Howell ©2026

Times present themselves,

To extend a helping hand. . .

Do not miss the chance.

Today’s Good News story comes from the Good NewsJul 2ork

A week after two magnitude 7 earthquakes struck Venezuela’s capital of Caracas, search and rescue teams from around the world are still rescuing people from the jaws of death.

This includes Aaron Levi Cantillo, who was trapped under rubble for more than 4 days, and a 3-year-old named Klieber Moran, who was rescued by Jordanians visiting to aid in the rescue effort.

It took 43 hours to rescue Cantillo, who had already been trapped for more than 2 days under a collapsed building.

Footage released by the office of the Acting President of Venezuela also showed 3-year-old Moran face down and covered in dust when he was located by snake cameras operated by rescue teams above.

The boy was underneath the Caracas building for 6 days.

The video, filmed on June 30th, 6 days after the earthquakes occurred, shows members of the Jordan International Search and Rescue Team carrying the child to safety after pulling him from the debris.

The U.S. has provided over 2000 personnel and  $300 million in humanitarian assistance since the disaster. Shortly after the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes, the U.S. military helped fly in about 310 specialists from urban search and rescue teams who are now on the ground.

Among international calls of solidarity, South American leaders from both sides of the political spectrum—who often have nothing good to say about one another—stepped up to help as well.

Brazil’s President Lula Da Silva dispatched a team of 71 firefighters, 4 National Civil Defense technicians, 6 specialists from the National Telecommunications Agency, and 6 firefighter dogs, as well as at least 12 tons of search and rescue equipment, 100 water purifiers, 6.5 tons of medical equipment, and a Brazilian Navy portable hospital, operated by 93 Marines and medical specialists.

Chilean President José Antonio Kast sent a Chilean Air Force plane carrying 37 members of the Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue Group. The following day, a second plane was sent with 16 rescuers, three tons of humanitarian aid, and two tons of firefighters’ equipment.

The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management of neighboring Colombia deployed more than 60 rescuers, 4 rescue dog teams, and 12 metric tonsJun 26ipment.

Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa said he had ordered the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid, the deployment of 46 urban search-and-rescue personnel, search dogs, and 6 metric tons of equipment.

More than 150 Salvadoran rescue workers and supplies arrived in Venezuela on 26 June as part of El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele’s pledge to send 300 rescue workers and paramedics and 50 tons of medical supplies.

Mexican authorities provided 250 military rescue crew, rescue dogs, medical supplies, and rescue equipment on board 4 aircraft.

The National Emergency Commission of Costa Rica announced a deployment of 48 specialized rescuers along with approximately 12 tons of rescue equipment and humanitarian supplies.

Other nations, such as Italy, Czechia, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, India, Vietnam, Thailand, the UK, Qatar, Jordan, and even Syria, also deployed emergency rescue personnel.

The good news in this story is that countries around the world are pitching in to help. Today’s JohnKu talks about the world as one. I hope yo have a great weekedn and a happy 4th of July

Aid by John W. Howell © 2026

A disaster calls,

The world responds with action . . .

We are all family.

Today’s good news story comes from Mongabay.com and was sent to me by my correspondent Noelle Granger. Thank you, Noelle.

Former poachers guard Cabo Verde’s endangered sea turtles

by Sonam Lama Hyolmo

Former sea turtle hunters in Cabo Verde, off the coast of West Africa, have shifted to loggerhead turtle conservation work along the archipelago nation’s main nesting beaches. The change was propelled by 2018 legislation that criminalized killing threatened turtle species, Sonam Lama Hyolmo reported for Mongabay.

Rangers, around a dozen of whom used to poach or hunt turtles, now patrol key beaches where turtles lay their eggs, walking several kilometers each night during the nesting season, which runs from June to October. Turtle meat has historically been consumed in Cabo Verde and many other regions, creating a conflict between conservation needs and local customs. However, awareness campaigns and employment opportunities are helping to bridge that gap.

“I had turtle meat for personal consumption and never realized I could make a living out of conserving them,” Roni Nelson Batista Ramos, a ranger and camp coordinator at the Turtle Foundation, told Mongabay. “But now, I guard them against the poachers, and it’s motivating to see how these efforts have driven positive impacts for their conservation.”

Ramos and others monitor around 31 kilometers (19 miles) of coastline, patrolling the beaches on foot, and using drones and dogs for added assistance.

Roughly two-thirds of loggerhead turtle nesting activity in Cabo Verde happens on the eastern island of Boa Vista, which has seen a dramatic decline in illegal turtle hunting, according to the Turtle Foundation. In 2007, 1,253 female loggerheads were illegally caught on the island; by 2024, there were just 20. Over the same period, loggerhead turtle nests on Boa Vista increased more than sevenfold.

Cabo Verde’s loggerhead turtle population is the largest in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the third largest in the world, after Oman and southeast Florida.

Another four of the world’s seven sea turtle species roam the waters of the Cabo Verde archipelago: the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), the Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), and the critically endangered hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata).

Bycatch in fishing is another significant threat to sea turtles in the region. In 2024, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) renewed a five-year allowance for 56 fishing vessels from Spain, Portugal, and France to fish in Cabo Verdean waters.

Read the full story here. Warning: some photos are disturbing

The good news in this story is that those who hunt turtles are now protecting them, benefiting both. Today’s John Ku talks about reversing trends. I hope you have a beautiful weekend.

Turning a New Leaf © 2026 by John W. Howell

Once there were hunters,

Who saw their game disappear . . .

They turned to help save.

Today’s good news story comes from Econews and was sent to me by Noelle Granger.

Thank you, Noelle.

A solar farm in southern England put 40 native sheep under 20,000 panels across about 30 acres to graze in winter, and the twist is that the flock didn’t just “mow the grass”, it helped protect wildflowers and pollinators while using the panels as a storm shelter, turning a power site into a two-job landscape called agrivoltaics

ECONews

At first, it sounds like a rural oddity. A solar plant places 40 native sheep near its panels, lets them graze through winter, and suddenly the field is doing more than producing electricity. At Westmill, the flock became part of a larger experiment in how clean energy, farming, and wildlife can coexist in the same landscape.

The lesson is simple but surprisingly important. Clean energy does not have to mean treating land as a blank sheet of metal and gravel. In practical terms, it can also mean wildflowers, soil life, pollinators, and yes, sheep using solar panels as shelter when the weather turns rough.

A solar farm built for nature

Westmill sits near Watchfield on the Oxfordshire and Wiltshire border in southern England. Its solar cooperative was formed to show that ordinary people can help build renewable energy, and its 30-acre site carries more than 20,000 panels that generate enough electricity for about 1,600 homes a year.

This is not just a power site with grass around it. The Westmill Sustainable Energy Trust, known as WeSET, was set up by the Westmill wind and solar cooperatives to promote sustainable energy through education, visits, and community projects.

Why sheep changed the field

The sheep were not brought in as decoration. They act like living lawn crews, eating a mix of plants and helping stop one aggressive species from overrunning more delicate wildflowers. That matters because a diverse field is better for insects, birds, soil bacteria, and fungi.

Westmill says the animals graze in winter, when they are less likely to disturb nesting birds and when the flowering plants that feed pollinators are not in bloom. It is a small timing choice, but that is where a lot of good land management lives.

There was another bonus hiding in plain sight. The sheep used the panels as protection from wind and rain, and the broad mix of plants helped them gain weight more effectively. For the flock, the solar farm was not an obstacle. It was shelter, food, and a quieter field.

What agrivoltaics means

The idea has a name, agrivoltaics. It means using the same piece of land for agriculture and solar power instead of forcing farmers and energy planners to pick only one. In everyday language, it is a field that works two jobs.

Can a solar farm also become a small nature reserve? To a large extent, Westmill suggests it can, but only when design and management come first. Planting wildflowers is a start, but the site still needs grazing, mowing, monitoring, and restraint to prevent one species from taking over.

The land question

Solar farms often trigger a familiar concern. Are panels taking land away from food? Westmill’s educational materials say about 44.5 million acres in the United Kingdom are used for agriculture, while about 44,500 acres are currently used for solar, meaning the solar footprint is still small compared with farming overall.

Solar Energy UK also reports that solar farms occupy less than one tenth of one percent of UK land today. Its 2024 fact sheet says a build out aligned with net zero targets would still put solar farms at about six tenths of one percent of UK land by 2050. That does not erase local conflicts, but it does put the scale in view.

Science backs a careful approach

Researchers are not saying every solar project is automatically good for nature. A 2025 Lancaster University review of 167 articles found both positive and negative effects, depending on climate, ecosystem, and the stage of the solar park’s life. In other words, location and management are not details. They are the whole game.

Professor Alona Armstrong of Lancaster University has helped lead work on agrivoltaics and solar park management. With Professor Piran White of the University of York, she helped develop the Solar Park Impacts on Ecosystem Services tool, which uses evidence to guide decisions on wildflower meadows, hedgerows, wetlands, soil health, and other habitat choices.

Better design from the ground up

Blending animals and panels also changes the engineering conversation. Once sheep are part of the system, a solar site has to think harder about cable protection, frame height, maintenance access, and hardware tough enough to handle real animals in real weather. That may sound simple, but simple details are often what decide whether a project works.

The result is a model that can be easier to maintain and more accepted by nearby communities. People worried about the electric bill may see the electricity. Farmers may see grazing space. Local residents may see fewer noisy mowers, less exhaust, and more life between the rows.

What Westmill shows

Westmill is not a magic fix for every solar debate. Some land should remain focused on food, some habitats need extra protection, and experts warn that poor design can still harm soil or wildlife. But the project shows that solar farms do not have to be single-purpose places.

At the end of the day, what it is trying to do is rewrite the field’s job description. A site can produce power, feed sheep, support pollinators, protect soil, and teach visitors what community energy looks like up close. That is a quieter kind of energy transition, but maybe a more durable one.

The good news in this story is that animals and technology go well together. Today’s JohnKu talks about co-existence. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Together by John W. Howell © 2026

Solar panel farms,

With sheep as cohabitants . . .

Today’s Good news story comes from the Good News Network.

A globally-important colony for seabirds has been sold to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to ensure the 100,000 gannets and 10,000 puffins that live there will benefit from top-notch conservation management.

Owned by the Scottish noble Dalrymple family for 320 years, Bass Rock and the neighboring uninhabited island of Craigleith have long been famous worldwide for the epic colony of gannets which nest there.

Located in the Firth of Forth, the gannets live among the remains of a 14th century castle and a 17th century prison dubbed “Scotland’s Alcatraz.” The ‘Rock’ has been a figure of inspiration in song and literature for generations.

Sir David Attenborough described it as one of the “12 wildlife wonders of the world.”

Today though, the royals have decided to call time on their stewardship of the island after rising numbers of Scottish seabird fatalities brought Sir Hew Dalrymple around to the idea that conservationists will be better able to protect the magnificent colony with unfettered management of the island.

“I made the decision to do this because of the risk these birds are now facing,” Sir Dalrymple told reporters from the island. “I thought an organization like the RSPB would be better equipped to protect the islands and their wildlife than a private individual.”

“Hence, we have been in discussions and I am glad to say, although with some emotional regret, they are now custodians of these two islands.”

The Dalrymple family had long collaborated with the Scottish Seabird Center to carry out conservation measures on Bass Rock, which The Scotsman credited with supporting the growth of the island’s puffin colony to 5-figure numbers, and with eliminating an invasive tree species.

However with a massive offshore wind farm being recently approved nearby that is estimated to have an impact on the gannet colony, the decision was made to sell.

RSPB bought the islands for around £449,906 ($680,000) with the help of the National Heritage Memorial and Lottery funds.

“For the Memorial Fund, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to secure the islands for the public and ensure that, with RSPB Scotland and the Scottish Seabird Centre at the helm, their role as seabird sanctuaries is protected for the future,” said Simon Thurley, chairman of both funds for the National Trust.

The good news in this story is that unselfish action took the place of tradition to the benefit of these birds. Today’s JohnKu talks about how nature’s benefit trumps saving family tradition. I hope you have a super weekend.

Royalty by John W. Howell © 2026

Royal tradition,

Gives way to good stewardship . . .

Of nature’s treasures.

Today’s good news comes from the Good News Network.

A huge area of the Everglades that was drained in an attempt to convert it to suburbia has been restored to a somewhat native ecosystem after 2 decades of reverse-landscape engineering.

Picayune Strand is a large, almost perfect rectangle of South Florida wetland, located northwest of Everglades National Park and northeast of Thousand Islands Nat. Wildlife Refuge, and west of the Florida Panther Nat. Wildlife Refuge.

It was part of an enormous land package bought by the real estate company Gulf American in the 1950s in an attempt to create America’s largest suburban housing development, called Golden Gate Estates.

But their effort to tame the swamp failed, even though substantial landscape alterations were made to try to dry out the area. Picayune Strand is 2 feet lower in elevation than the Golden Gate Estate land to the north, and this little difference made it virtually impossible to prevent flooding. The company went bankrupt.

One of the first projects identified and pursued by conservationists under the Everglades Restoration Plan of 2000, Picayune Strand has changed significantly over the years. Since 1985, conservationists have been buying up all the private, often unbuilt-on land that Gulf American had managed to sell. It was tedious lawyer’s work, but by 2004, it was all consolidated into a conservation package.

Gulf American built 4 large canals to channel water off the land they wanted to develop, while the earth and stone they churned up were used to crisscross the area with causeways, atop which roads ran. These were the first targets for groups like the Everglades Foundation, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, and the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The hydrology of the Everglades is defined by water flowing across the once-7 million square miles all in the same direction at roughly the same snail’s pace, a phenomenon described as “sheet flow” through a “river of grass.” Huge areas remained flooded all year, and plugging the canals was the first step towards restoring the natural hydrology.

To restore this, the roads were torn up, and the materials were chucked back into the canals from whence they came.

From macro to micro

“Picayune is as good a place in South Florida as there is, in terms of getting it back to what it was before,” Michael Duever, an ecologist who has been monitoring the Picayune project, told Yale News. “We’re feeling that we’re in the range of 90 plus-or-minus percent of restoration.”

There had to be some compromises, as people still live in Picayune Strand. Part of that 10% is missing; Duever refers to it as 3 pumping stations that pull rainwater out of the closed canals on the northern boundary of the Picayune project and dump it into large basins that will leak it out in many directions. The water level at times is higher than natural, however, and at other times drier.

Vegetation is coming back in a big way—not always ideally, but upland plants cannot now spread further south because of the continual water bodies. More native species that have missed the continual wetness are also returning—like a native, wild sunflower.

The restored Picayune is expected to help several endangered species, including the red-cockaded woodpecker and the Florida panther, while studies have already shown that increased insect abundance is benefiting the bonneted bat, the largest of its kind in Florida, with a wingspan greater than a foot.

“I kind of view Picayune Strand as a microcosm of the entire [Everglades] plan,” Stephen Davis, chief science officer at the Everglades Foundation, told Richard Mertens at Yale.

The good news in this story is that once a mistake is realized, many hands helped make it right again. Today’s JohnKu talks about rectifying mistakes. I hope you have a terrific weekend.

Mistakes by John W. Howell © 2026

A mistake is made,

That threatens wildlife and Earth. . .

All hands are on deck.