The world seems dark and grim. These 5 links are about bringing a little light. 💡

  1. 'They're baaaack!': Eco herd of goats return to Toronto for grazing project (2.5 minute video):

    Goat grazers have returned to the city as part of an eco-friendly project to get rid of invasive species at a popular Toronto park. Afua Baah reports.

  2. Kids learn dog safety lessons, as roaming attacks continue:

    A pre-school in south Auckland is teaching its tamariki how to be safe around dogs as roaming pets continue to attack and harass families.

    Recent run-ins with dogs have left locals shaken and some children afraid to go to school.

    Youngsters at the Barnados Early Learning Centre in Clendon went hands-on with a group of friendly pups this week to build their confidence and learn animal safety skills. …

    the most important lesson for kids was not to panic if they encountered a dog.

  3. Tara iti recovery: Record fledgling numbers, daring journeys offer hope - NZ Herald:

    DoC surveillance of the sites revealed the 2024–25 breeding season saw 19 fledglings successfully take flight, a dramatic improvement from just nine last year and only three the year before.

    There are estimated to be fewer than 45 adult tara iti remaining in New Zealand so each new chick represents a critical step forward for the survival of this fragile species.

  4. How a bushcraft programme helped turn a 13-year-old life around:

    his bad behaviour started with getting in trouble at his intermediate school.

    That then progressed into small crimes, from petty stealing to encounters of verbal and physical abuse... trying things that, you know, 12-year-olds shouldn't... running away from home, driving cars long distances... being expelled from school. …

    [after the programme] there was no changing his mind that he wanted to be on the right path and that he could see that there were many ways to be a powerful man and without hurting others and without causing chaos in his wake.

  5. Via Fix The News (article may be paywalled).

    Kiwi scientists accidentally cut cow manure emissions by 90%. Researchers discovered that adding polyferric sulfate, a chemical that's widely used in wastewater treatment, [to the waste ponds] cuts methane emissions by up to 90%. The innovation is now being rolled out across 250 farms, and has the potential to ultimately reduce New Zealand’s dairy farm emissions by between 7% and 9%.