The Big Oyster: New York City is an iconic place many of us feel we know well—from its towering skyscrapers and sprawling bridges to its streets teeming with traffic, commerce, and cuisine. The “city that never sleeps” is famous for being full of life—on land. Less well-known is that its harbor was once teeming with life too. Until centuries of pollution and misuse turned it into a cesspool. Today, an alliance of architects, restaurateurs, scientists, and high school students is working to restore New York

Canine Conservationists: Dogs are often thought of as humans’ best friends. But in Australia, they’re partnering with people to save other species from grave threats to the island continent’s unique fauna. In Brisbane, dogs are sniffing out koala scat (and the animals who expel it) in habitats fragmented by wildfires and urbanization. Pinpointing the marsupials’ whereabouts allows researchers to map out the forest tracts that must be restored and reconnected to protect them. Farther north, on Queensland’s Woongara Coast, canines are tracking down—and taking out—invasive foxes that have devastated sea turtle nesting sites. Across the country, these canine conservationists are being employed to do everything from protecting little penguins from predators, to detecting rare platypuses, to aiding Tasmanian devil breeding efforts.  WILD HOPE is a series that highlights the conservation changemakers who are sparking new hope for the future of our planet.

Beaver Fever: The surprise return of beavers to the British countryside brings benefits and controversy for humans and wildlife alike. The work of these famously busy rodents increases local biodiversity, reduces storm-induced flooding, and restores wilderness to a highly manicured landscape. It also injects some chaos into the lives of the beavers’ human neighbors. Can the British beavers regain their former glory as powerful ecosystem engineers, or is their new home too domesticated to return to the wild?  WILD HOPE is a series that highlights the conservation changemakers who are sparking new hope for the future of our planet.