Quote of the Day: “What I love about Thanksgiving is that it’s purely about getting together with friends or family and enjoying food. It’s for everybody, and it doesn’t matter where you’re from.” – Joyce Giraud
Photo by: Jed Owen (cropped) – Joanna Kosinska (featured image)
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Rising directly out of the water of a lake in the Finish Lakeland region, tall granite cliffs are believed to have acted as a musical element in Neolithic Finns’ socio-religious activities.
That’s because their unique shape, and boundary shared with the water, create powerful single echoes back at whomever made a sound in their direction.
Now, a new study has aimed at exploring the connection between these cliffs’ unique properties and the people who painted images of humans, elk, drummers, boats, and human-animal hybrids on its surface.
The Finnish Lake District emerged after the recession of the Continental Ice Sheet, leaving as many as 35,000 small and large lakes behind. Like the granite massifs in Yosemite, the ice rubbed the surfaces of the cliffs smooth, creating a unique acoustic profile.
Hunter-gatherers approached them either on the ice in wintertime, or on canoes, and painted images on their surface. Underwater archaeology has revealed offerings were left by the cliffs. Any soundwaves sent toward them would rebound dramatically.
“So, people heard the painted elks talking and the human figures responding with a voice that resembled their own,” said study author and archaeologist Riitta Rainio.
As these reflections appeared to emanate from invisible sources behind the paintings, the auditory and visual images overlapped, merging into one multisensory experience, Univ. of Helsinki press wrote of the study.
Although the sounds and music of prehistoric people are beyond our reach, the study shows that the physical environment actively participated in their activities, co-vibrating and creating reciprocal tangible encounters between the human and more-than-human worlds.
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“The possibility to communicate reciprocally with the physical environment or more-than-human reality may have been an essential reason why these cliffs were visited and painted, and why offerings were left to them. For the history of sound and music, the study provides an example of how significant a role sound reflections could have in past societies.”
MORE NATURALISTIC SOUNDTRACKS: A Mathematician Just Made a Musical Album Entirely Composed of Black Hole Wavelengths – Listen
Reverbarative landscape features have also been acknowledged to have played a role in socio-religious practices in the Andes Mountains, where a pre-Incan site called Viejo Sangayaico was found to have a large hollowed-out “dance floor” that would have produced a resonance that echoed through the surrounding hills.
LISTEN to the researchers’ experiment near the cliffs…
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In a historic step toward the first-ever restoration of the tiger population to a nation where they were once extinct, two captive Siberian tigers have been translocated from Anna Paulowna Sanctuary, Netherlands, to the Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve in Kazakhstan.
This remarkable event is part of an ambitious program led by the Government of Kazakhstan with support from WWF and the UN Development Program to restore the Ile-Balkhash delta ecosystem and reintroduce tigers to the country and region, where the species has been extinct for over 70 years.
“It is a high priority for Kazakhstan to work on the restoration of rare species. For ecological value it is important that our biodiversity chain is restored. And that the tiger that once lived in this area is reintroduced here,” said Daniyar Turgambayev, Vice-minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan.
In the early 21st century, genetic studies were carried out on bones and furs held in national collections which revealed that the population of tigers living between Iran, southern Russia, Central Asia, and the areas around the Caspian Sea was extremely similar to Siberian tigers.
This led scientists to conclude that Felis vigrata, the former name of the Caspian tiger, was simply the Siberian tiger that developed into a distinct population, but not a new subspecies, over generations of being separated by habitat fragmentation.
Bodhana and Kuma, the male and female tigers, will be housed in a spacious semi-natural enclosure of three hectares within the Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve. Any of their offspring will be released into the wild and will become the first tigers to roam Kazakhstan in decades, and potentially the first-ever international tiger reintroduction.
They will play an important role in the establishment of a new tiger population in the region where they had previously been wiped out as a result of excessive hunting.
“Today marks a monumental conservation milestone to bring tigers back to Kazakhstan and Central Asia,” said Stuart Chapman Leader of WWF Tigers Alive. “This tiger translocation is a critical step to not only bring back the big cat to its historic homeland but also to rewild an entire ecosystem.”
Progress towards restoration of the area is already well underway with recovering and reintroduction of critical tiger prey species like the Kulan (Asiatic wild ass), and reforestation of over 120 acres with native trees. Being the apex predator, tigers will play a significant role in sustaining the structure and function of the ecosystem on which both humans and wildlife rely.
Ile-Balkhash has been the center of rewilding in Kazakhstan. The rich mixture of forested hills, mountains, lakes, and plains makes it exceptionally biodiverse. This includes an effort in 2019 to begin reintroducing Bukhara deer.
“With the launch of the tiger reintroduction program, we have witnessed a significant change—the revival of nature and our village of Karoi,” said Adilbaev Zhasar, the head of the local community group Auyldastar.
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“This project not only restores lost ecosystems, but also fills us with pride in participating in a historic process. Because of small grants from WWF, we have the opportunity to do what we love, develop small businesses, and create jobs in the village, which brings joy and confidence in the future.”
From the very beginning, the local community around Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve has been closely involved in the project. This includes support for improved agricultural techniques and the future development of nature tourism in the area.
MORE CENTRAL ASIAN WILDLIFE: Wild and Wonderful Saiga is No Longer Endangered with a Million Roaming Now in Central Asia
The translocation of these tigers is the first of several planned in the coming years, with a goal to build a healthy population of about 50 wild tigers by 2035, starting with this pioneering pair for breeding. This initiative is not only a testament to the resilience of the species but also a powerful example of governments, conservation organizations, and local communities cooperating in wildlife and nature conservation.
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In 2023, GNN reported that the world’s first ‘flying’ electric ferry boat had entered into mass production after sailing through its performance and safety tests.
Well now, the Candela P-12 hydrofoil ferry boat is bound for these shores, having already begun service inside Stockholm.
With Lake Tahoe attracting over 15 million outdoor enthusiasts year-round, road congestion has become an ever-increasing problem. Travelers often find themselves stuck in long car lines, especially in winter, due to road closures caused by heavy snowfalls.
However, local company FlyTahoe is set to solve this by introducing a revolutionary zero-emission vessel that will make its US debut: Candela hydrofoil electric ferry. FlyTahoe, a ferry company specifically set up to introduce the Candela in America, will feature a 30-minute cross-lake service, cutting the travel time in half compared to the daily 20,000 car trips along the same route.
This 30-seat vessel, designed to accommodate both skis and bikes, uses hydrofoil technology—computer-guided underwater wings—to fly above the water’s surface at high speeds, unaffected by waves and winds.
The wings lift the hull above the water, significantly reducing drag and cutting energy consumption by a staggering 80% compared to conventional vessels. This is what allows the P-12 to be fully propelled by renewable electricity instead of fossil fuels, while providing a smooth ride above the waves even at high speeds.
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“It’s ironic that while millions, myself included, drive around Lake Tahoe to admire its beauty, the road sediment we generate contributes to the largest threat to the lake’s famous cobalt blue clarity. Our service will provide a faster transport than cars or buses, while keeping Tahoe blue,” says Ryan Meinzer, Founder & CEO of FlyTahoe.
Since Lake Tahoe, the second deepest lake in the US, never freezes over, the ferry can operate year-round. This added mobility convenience will enhance business and improve the lives of both locals and tourists, providing a versatile zero-emission solution to reduce traffic during both summer and winter seasons.
MORE AWESOME LOW EMISSIONS TRANSPORT: 100-Year-old Dreams of Airship Travel Through Europe are Revived With This Modern Zero-Emissions Dirigible
The FlyTahoe ferry will connect the northern and southern parts of the lake in under 30 minutes, while driving around the lake often takes over two hours in the winter. FlyTahoe will create a vital link to the 14 world-class ski resorts encircling the lake, making it an ideal option for tourists and locals alike.
WATCH the Candela cruise through Stockholm’s waters…
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Because a stranger had the mixture of compassion, bravery, and instincts to speak up, a little boy will live to become an adult.
Little did Sarah Love know, but her newborn baby was suffering from a rare genetic disease that might have taken his life. Yes, he was jaundiced at birth, but pediatricians at a wellness checkup were reticent to ascribe it to anything serious, and suggested she get 6-week-old Lincoln a bit of sunlight.
It was at a trip to an amusement park with their big beautiful family, of which Lincoln was the 6th addition, that Love noticed a stranger taking inordinately long glances at her newborn.
Before they could move on, the stranger decided to act on his instincts.
“He introduced himself and mentioned that he was a first responder,” Love told Good Morning America. “He said he noticed Lincoln and how very jaundiced he was, and he didn’t want to scare us … but he just thought it might be a good idea for Lincoln to get some medical attention.”
Love would later say he only gave up that he was a firefighter in a neighboring county, but she took his advice seriously even though he didn’t say his name.
Calling the same pediatrician who earlier had dismissed Licncoln’s jaundice, she referred them to a nearby hospital for some blood work. After arriving, little Lincoln was hooked up to IV fluids, before it was eventually recommended that he be transferred to a specialty hospital, Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando.
At Nemours came tests and several misdiagnoses, until it was identified as Alagille Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects the liver and heart, and was responsible for Lincoln’s deep-set eyes, pointed chin, and yellowed skin.
There is no cure for the condition, but pharmaceuticals can help patients live long lives in spite of it. Love had always been slightly on edge over Lincoln’s appearance, but said it was the stranger’s comments that pushed her over it.
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“It was that extra added bit of encouragement that we needed,” she said, adding to GMA that she’s learned from the experience how there are “no silly questions when it comes to your baby’s health.”
Depending on how he responds to medication, Lincoln may eventually require a liver transplant, but will have to work alongside a nutritionist for the rest of his life to ensure he and his family can address nutrient deficiencies that he may develop.
MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Little Boy Meets the Stranger Who Saved Him by Donating Her Liver (WATCH the Touching Video)
Love said that she uses this story to raise awareness online and in her community for Alagille Syndrome, and how to look out for it in infants. Her outreach is also meant to try and find the stranger who stood up to say something when he believed he ought to.
“I don’t think there are enough words that can honestly describe how thankful our family is. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Love said of her message to the stranger. “It was a tough thing to go through, but because of that one small thing that he did, look at how much of an impact he had on Lincoln, on our family. I just want to say thank you.”
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A maintenance worker at a care home has begun bringing his pet pig to work, putting smiles on the faces of many of the residents.
Brett Martin, from the Good Samaritan Society in Olathe, Kansas, first got the idea over the summer, 10 years or so after his children surprised him on his birthday with a pet house pig the size of a tennis ball tube.
After that pig passed away, Martin was smitten, and went to a licensed breeder of Juliana pigs, one of the smallest pet pig breeds, for a new family member.
He asked the nursing home’s administrator Fred Pitzl, who was hesitant at first, but his misgivings were mainly down to misconceptions about what kind of pig it was. Though bearing a fierce name, Odin the pig is as gentle as a lamb.
“I gave him some Cap’n Crunch cereal and he really seemed to enjoy it,” Mindy Howell, a 62-year-old resident, told the Washington Post. “I’d never fed a pig before, and I’d never petted one either. But he loved it, and he gave me a good oink.”
Pitzl reckoned that many of the residents grew up on farms and would probably really appreciate taking an unexpected trip down memory lane.
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“He’s an instant stress reliever for everyone who interacts with him,” Martin said. “A few of the nurses will come and get him from the office and take him to our memory care center, where he really brightens the day.”
Odin wallows around the care home most days, relieving himself in the litter box and sleeping in Martin’s office. He loves to snack on cereal like Cheerios, which the residents readily offer him along with scratches.
The Washington Post, providing this loving story, added that he gets along with the resident cats, and a dog that is routinely brought in.
MORE POSITIVE NURSING HOME STORIES: Watch Seniors Come to Life When Puppies Flooded Their Nursing Home
As a result of this pampering, Odin is reticent to leave, and Martin usually has to trick his hog into leaving the building. If he suspects it’s time to go home, he’ll go hog wild and hide away.
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Quote of the Day: “More than kisses, letters mingle souls.” – John Donne
Photo by: Anne Nygård
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
An annual fundraiser for charitable organizations and schools Minnesota has broken its record for donations after it received $37 million in just 24 hours.
The donations will be sent to 6,556 charities, non-profit firms, and schools.
GiveMN, the fundraiser’s organizers, launched in 2009 as a collaborative venture led by Minnesota Community Foundation and other associations committed to helping make the state a better place.
They organized something called Give to the Max Day. That spark touched off an outpouring of generosity—$14 million in 24 hours. Since that trial run in 2009, Give to the Max Day has become an annual tradition. Every year thousands of organizations raise money to improve the quality of life in Minnesota and communities around the world.
CBS News, covering the marathon give-away day, spoke with organizers at the Prop Food Shelf, who had a fundraising goal of $125,000 for that period, but were struggling to meet it.
Then, an anonymous check of $50,000 arrived in the mail, and check and check followed during the fundraising period, until a quarter million had come through the door.
GiveMN has said this is a record for donations received, which came in from more than 150,000 people, all 87 counties of MN, all 50 states in the US, and, if it can be believed, 36 different countries around the world.
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“I think what we’re seeing right now in our communities is an interest to try and support one another, have a place where we can come together and give together,” said Jake Blumberg, executive director of GiveMN. “That is a lot of people giving $5, $10, $100 where they can.”
Over the last 16 years, the St. Paul non-profit has channeled $350 million during Give to the Max Days.
WATCH an explanation story below from KTTC…
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In 2022, GNN reported on the return of wildlife seen on Lord Howe Island of Australia following an extermination campaign of rats.
Now, an expedition to the island’s high forests has revealed stunning imagery of a one-of-a-kind ecosystem where 85% of plants are found nowhere else on Earth.
“Ascending into this rare island cloud forest is like stepping into a fairytale—a hushed and secret world, carpeted in a tapestry of rich greens, rare palms, and twisted trees veiled in lichens,” writes ABC News Australia in a special report.
A UNESCO Natural Heritage Site in the East Tasman Sea, the island may have housed mice as early as the mid-1800s, with the rats arriving later in 1918. As is so often the case with biodiversity Down Under, the native animals suffered.
Their absence, which took three years of eradication, is revealing a diverse landscape—with fruiting trees, returning numbers of land invertebrates, and one of Australia’s rarest birds, the flightless woodhen—whose population has doubled to 565 in the past three years.
“What is unfolding is an ecological renaissance, since the rodents have gone, the catchphrase is: ‘I’ve never seen that before’,” Hank Bower from the Lord Howe Island board told the Sydney Morning Herald, in 2022.
The remains of an extinct shield volcano, the two peaks of the island are often shrouded in clouds, shading and moisturizing a forest of mosses, lichens, ferns, palms, and rare flowers.
“There are not many islands in the world with very tall mountains that stick up so high into the atmosphere they create their own cloud, so it is pretty special,” the island’s resident biologist and naturalist, Ian Hutton, said.
Now that renaissance mentioned by Bower has gone into overdrive, with the woodhens reaching 2,000 individuals. Providence petrels, a cliffside nesting seabird, has seen the success rate of its chicks rise from 2% to 50%.
Ian Hutton, an ecological researcher on the island since the 1980s, told ABC News that 30 threatened species of plants found nowhere else on Earth are rapidly redistributing to the slopes of the two mountains.
The Critically Endangered little mountain palm, once reduced to just 4 kilometers of range, is now thriving again.
Invertebrates are also thriving again with no rats to gobble them up. Photographing insects and snails during the nights, Sutton has found a weevil thought to have gone extinct in 1916, and 10 new species of land snail, including another 4 that hadn’t been seen for decades.
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Back in the 1950s, the island government made the decision to cap visitors at any given time to 400 people, a decision that has been retained now that the island’s reputation for unspoiled wilderness has been restored.
Only 25 houses have been approved for construction over the last 10 years, and every person, ship, flight, or animal is prevented from coming ashore until they have been scrutinized by a sniffer dog.
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Visitors to the island, ABC reports, routinely familiarize themselves with local species through de-weeding tours to clear invasive plants from the island’s habitations.
The piece from ABC includes stunning photography from all over the island, documenting the incredible resurgence of life, as well as the pride of the locals who live there.
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In India, a pair of police officers have reunited 104 children and minors with their families in just 9 months, the Times of India reports.
Head constables Seema Devi and Suman Hooda of Delhi Police Outer North District, have been lauded for their accomplishment with the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (ATHU).
“We don’t have fixed duty hours. Whenever we receive information about missing kids, we just leave our homes,” Hooda told the Times. “There are days when I don’t see my kids,” she smiled.
Their marathon of cases took them across northern India’s states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana, dealing with bad photographs, reticent locals, unfamiliar locations, and language barriers.
Under the banner of Operation Milap, the searches took place between March, when Hooda joined the AHTU, and November.
At times they’ve dealt with cases where the child hasn’t been seen in years, and outdated photographs have been the officers’ only lead, which is when they typically have to conduct door-to-door searches with the help of willing locals—even beggars, in one instance.
At other times they’ve relied on the cyber division to track mobile phone locations, and walked across wide rural distances in completely unknown locales.
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“We have walked for kilometers because of lack of transportation in such areas. Many people are ready to help us, but there are also those who think assisting police can lead to legal trouble,” said Hooda.
During the operation, most of the cases were down to elopement, drug addiction, or insufficient parental care.
A SIMILAR OPERATION STATESIDE: U.S. Marshals Find 200 Missing Children Across the Nation During 6-Week Special Operation
“We are extremely proud of the exceptional work done by Seema and Suman in Operation Milap. Their achievement reinforces our resolve to combat child trafficking and guard our communities,” said the Director General of Delhi Police, Nidhin Valsan.
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“Walk in and give us your BEST dance moves for 5 seconds,” read a sign displayed on the entrance door of a coffee shop in Massachusetts.
In our world, as it exists today, social media virality ensued.
Coffee Milano Cafe in Middleborough got the idea from a pizza shop that pulled off a similar promotion—to help get people through the door and see the lovely, comfortable interior and great coffee.
But they never imagined it would go viral, with 7.6 million views on TikTok alone.
“We just thought it was going to be a small thing for the people that come in every day,” Olivia Svenson, barista and social media director of Coffee Milano Cafe, told ABC News.
“Everybody likes to see people happy,” she continued. “It wasn’t that (the coffee) was free. It is that people were able to express themselves.”
They’re now planning a similar event for Black Friday, brainstorming various ideas, including a “dance with your dog” version.
WATCH the joy and java below…
@coffeemilanocafe Dancing is good for the soul.. and a free coffee! This made our day! Thank you! #dancing #freedrinks #cafe #coffeeshop #event #fyp #restaurantlife #baristalife #barista #coffee #coffeetime #dancechallenge #viral ♬ original sound - Christina Dean
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Quote of the Day: “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Aristotle
Photo by: William Felipe Seccon
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
New insights into the First Nations of British Columbia show how these resourceful people cultivated hazelnuts across hundreds of miles of their forest homes.
The study comes as certain indigenous nations in Canada are attempting to assert land claims by arguing their ancestral use.
Tribes such as the Gitxsan, Ts’msyen, and Nisga’a, have oral histories of cultivating beaked chestnuts in a way that bisects the traditional divide between hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists.
Like many trees west of the Rocky Mountains, beaked chestnuts release their seeds following forest fires, which native cultures once used to exploit this nutritious crop.
Chelsey Geralda Armstrong of Simon Fraser University wanted to see if this interaction with the chestnut trees left a genetic imprint that would be detectable in the plants today.
Armstrong and her colleagues sampled 219 individual hazelnuts representing three distinct regions in and assessed 9,650 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). SNP is the technical term for all those little genetic differences that make individuals of one species different from another.
In their study, Armstrong et al. found that clusters of shared genetic lineage could be mapped onto a landscape inconsistent with natural processes.
For example, a tree drops its own seed and it germinates, or a bird picks up a seed and stashes it somewhere. By these standard occurrences one would expect trees with shared genetic lineage to appear in groups, and to a degree, that’s what the study authors found.
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However, among 5 different tree groups with shared genetic heritage, individuals were found clustered in various areas across more than 400 miles of terrain.
“These trees fan out around an archaeological site called Temlaxam, where ancestors of some Ts’msyen, Gitanyow, Gitxsan, and Nisga’a people lived for thousands of years, until a series of natural disasters wiped out the city about 3,500 years ago,” writes Sierra Bouchér in Science Magazine.
“Hazelnut pollen found in layers dating to about 7,000 years ago suggests Indigenous peoples had deliberately brought the hazelnuts north from multiple different locations, then tended and cultivated them here.”
SIMILAR STORIES: Canada Agrees 200 Islands Belong to the Indigenous Haida Nation
Similar findings have been found regarding the distribution of Brazil nut trees in the Amazon, and Bouchér adds that there is a suggestion that forest cultivation was a widespread practice in North America, even before the domestication of crops like maize.
As regards the First Nations of BC, experts suggest this study could serve as proof of land use claims for a case currently on the docket for the Canadian Supreme Court.
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From New Jersey comes a story you have to hear to believe—a college sports know-it-all who landed a full scholarship in order to join his university broadcast team.
If you saw him behind the broadcast desk and behind his big Ray Charles glasses, you might think the game was passing him by—after all, Allan Wylie is blind.
But you’d be fooled, because he doesn’t miss a play.
“I’m reacting to what I hear,” Wylie told CTV news, which originally covered Wylie’s story when he was just a high school senior, and aspiring commentator.
However this year he was accepted as a freshman into the Rown University sports broadcast program to call the Philidelphia 76ers development league team, the Delaware Bluecoats.
Wylie wasn’t given it outright, he auditioned, got the role through a selection process, and is now one of the four on-air commentators.
MORE INSPIRING SCHOLARS: Legally Blind Texas Student Defies Odds, Gets Accepted into Veterinarian School: ‘Anything is possible’
Neil Hartman who runs the broadcast program at Rowan, said Wyle deserved it, and that he has personally never met a commentator like him.
“‘He’s amazing on the radio, how does he do that?!'” Allan’s father Scott said, reading out a comment made by a listener after his son’s first live game.
WATCH the story below…
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Could a multivitamin boost the health and resilience of coral reefs? Preliminary testing says that, like humans, these critical ecosystems rely on nutrients in the environment surrounding them.
Researchers at the prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have been lab testing nutrient-infused tiles to determine whether they would boost the immune system of corals, helping them withstand stressors like warming ocean temperatures that lead to coral bleaching, and better recover from extreme climate events such as hurricanes.
The team plans to embed these nutrient-infused tiles in the concrete structure of a 20 sq. meter (216 sq. ft.) artificial reef, designed by experts at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI).
“We are studying how corals react when grown on substrates that have been infused with essential metal micronutrients, like manganese, zinc, and iron,” explained Colleen Hansel, a senior scientist and marine chemist at WHOI.
“The rapidly warming waters coupled with an active hurricane season has made it difficult to conduct field trials of our substrates. But preliminary data collected during more than a year of lab experiments shows that corals that had the early benefit of multivitamins were more resistant and resilient to heat stress.”
The structure will provide a solid foundation to plant juvenile corals and for coral larvae to settle on, while the tiles will disperse essential nutrients and vitamins into the surrounding waters for them to absorb, building their resilience toward environmental stressors.
“The artificial reef we’re building is going in next to a natural reef that has been severely impacted by marine heat waves and extreme storm events,” explained Marilyn Brandt a coral disease ecologist at the University of the Virgin Islands. “The artificial reef will protect the shoreline from storm surge and erosion while providing habitat for corals struggling from climate change, as we work toward restoring natural reefs in the area.”
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Field testing is still needed to ensure that additional nutrients in the environment don’t cater to one specific type of coral or promote the growth of undesired or invasive species. Brandt, Hansel, and their colleagues hope utilizing these nutrient tiles, alongside an artificial reef structure, will create a diverse environment for reefs and species that rely on them.
“It is important to create an ecologically sound, diverse coral reef,” Hansel continued. “We need to be sure an artificial reef looks and sounds as similar to a natural reef as possible. That doesn’t consist of just coral, but also sponges, anemones, and other biogeochemical components of the reef ecosystem. These interactions and feedback are necessary to make the whole habitat healthy.”
The WHOI has been behind a number of coral breakthroughs in recent years. This spring, the institute found that broadcasting the sound of a healthy coral reef actively accelerated coral growth in a degraded reef.
“A healthy coral reef is noisy, full of the croaks, purrs, and grunts of various fishes and the crackling of snapping shrimp. Scientists believe that coral larvae use this symphony of sounds to help them determine where they should live and grow,” a statement from the institute read at the time.
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Quote of the Day: “Sometimes we are blessed with being able to choose the time, and the arena, and the manner of our revolution, but more usually we must do battle where we are standing.” – Audre Lorde
Photo by: Ave Calvar / Unsplash+ (cropped)
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
These cute pictures show a rare giant anteater pup riding on its mother’s back, after being born at a UK wildlife park last week.
Named Antony, it was born to a mating pair of anteaters at Cotswold Wildlife Park in West Oxfordshire, England—and is the third breeding success for the parents since their arrival in 2010.
And the birth surprised caretakers just days before World Anteater Day, November 19.
The park is just one of only two collections in the UK to have bred giant anteaters in the last 12 months.
Senior mammal keeper Jenni Maxwell discovered the new pup during her morning keeper duties.
“Zeta very proudly sat up in her bed at 7am on Sunday morning and lifted her tail to show off her newborn pup.
“She is a brilliant mother, is very patient, and allows the youngster to climb onto her back before making her way out of bed.
“Antony has a bright white stripe down his back and his tail, which is rather unusual for Anteater pups.
“The pup will stay on her back for the first few months of his life, and he will align his stripe markings with hers to provide camouflage.”
LOOK: Polish Zoo Celebrates ‘Globally unprecedented’ Birth of 4 Critically-Endangered Sumatran Tigers
After a gestation period of around 190 days (27 weeks), the female gives birth to a single pup while standing up—and the young anteater which weighs around 2.9 pounds (1.3kg) immediately climbs onto her back.
The pups are born with a full coat of hair and adult-like markings, aligning with their mother’s camouflaging. Its mother will carry the baby on her back for six to nine months, until it’s almost half her size.
The young suckle for two to six months and become independent after roughly two years, or when the mother becomes pregnant again.
CUTENESS ALERT: Britain Celebrates Birth of Baby Bongo Antelope–with Fewer Than 100 Left on Earth
Giant anteaters are listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is one of the most threatened mammals of Central America, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Generally solitary animals, except during the mating season, their population in the wild is estimated to be about 5,000 individuals, and is affected by habitat loss, road accidents, hunting, and wildfires.
But with the help of zoos, new babies are being born that boost overall numbers and raise awareness of their plight.
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Four in 10 Americans are actively doing more good deeds before the end of 2024, says a new survey of 2,000 Americans.
It revealed that 43% are using the end of the year to boost the amount of giving this year, increasing their good deeds, volunteering more, or donating.
Commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress and conducted by Talker Research ahead of Giving Tuesday, the poll revealed younger generations reported doing more good throughout the year than older generations reported.
59% of Gen Z and millennial respondents agreed that they are doing more good as we approach 2025, to make up for the rest of the year, compared to 37% of Gen X and baby boomers agreeing.
Of the Gen X and baby boomers surveyed, 47% said they did as much good as they wanted to within their community this year.
Results also revealed that one-fifth (19%) of younger generations gave themselves an “A” for the amount of good they’ve done so far in 2024 — versus 10% of older respondents.
The survey looked at what held people back from doing more and the top answers were: Financial constraints (45%), health issues (34%) and time limitations (25%).
Respondents shared some of the best thing they did in 2024.
“Sometimes, it’s the small stuff, like checking in with a co-worker who seems down or helping someone figure out a solution,” said one. “You might not realize the impact right away, but later, it clicks that maybe that small act brightened their day.”
“Even a small deed can have such an incredible ripple effect,” said Julie Murphy, a director at Avocado Green Mattress. “Sometimes all someone needs is a little reminder that many of us have so much to give.”
From now to the end of the year, on average, respondents plan to spend eight hours a week on pursuits of “good.” And for 44%, that includes participating in Giving Tuesday this year.
When asked what drives them to give back to their community, respondents highlighted the satisfaction of giving (47%), a sense of purpose (43%) and wanting to make the world a better place (40%).
Thirty-eight percent of respondents said it’s easier to do good at the end of the year, with the holidays.
WHAT MOTIVATES RESPONDENTS TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY?
● Satisfaction of giving — 47%
● A sense of purpose — 43%
● Wanting to make the world a better place — 40%
● Emotional well-being — 33%
● Community connection — 23%
● Showing my children how to support their community — 19%
● A concern for responsible, ethical practices in my community — 18%
● Physical health benefits — 12%
● Skill development — 8%
● Networking opportunities — 7%
Hoping the holidays inspire you to be more generous and kind…
A group of fun-loving friends have recreated a photo from their first girls getaway—more than 50 years ago.
The four gal-pals, who are now nearly 70, recalled their week-long stay in a seaside resort so fondly that they vowed to do it again to celebrate their 70th birthdays.
Carol Ansbro, Marion Bamforth, Susan Morris, and Mary Helliwell all went on holiday together in 1972 to the town of Torquay, in Devon, England.
The women from West Yorkshire returned to the town this year to recreate their cherished getaway—and they wore outfits as close to the original as possible.
“Our first holiday in Torquay was truly amazing,“ said grandmother-of-five Susan.
“We were only kids and so excited about staying in a cramped caravan and sharing each other’s clothes.
“It felt really exotic and grown-up being on our own without parents in the English Riviera.”
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“The picture was taken by those photographers who used to roam the promenade preying on unsuspecting tourists like us.”
Mary, a grandmother-of-four, said the pals struggled at first to find the exact location of where the 1972 snapshot was taken.
“Nobody could remember where the photo took place but, luckily, a member of staff at the hotel where we were staying, guided us to the exact spot.
“The white building in the 1972 photograph had been demolished but the same bridge is still in the background.”
The seniors, who’ve been friends since primary school, changed into their 1972-inspired outfits in a public toilet.
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Carol said it was worth it, because “the photo is amazing.”
Marion said taking the second photograph was really emotional for them.
“It truly was an emotional moment. I still can’t believe it actually happened.”
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A man has created the ultimate fantasy treehouse and cottage inspired by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe—and it’s just two doors down from where the famous author lived.
The property in Oxford, England, features rooms inspired by the beavers’ den and Mr. Tumnus’s cave from the Narnia books written by C.S. Lewis. And, to engage anyone’s imagination, there is also a ‘magic’ wardrobe that leads to the surrounding countryside.
Some of the lights are switched on by placing the ‘One Ring’ atop the copy of The Lord of the Rings—a whimsical nod to Lewis’ old drinking buddy, the author JRR Tolkien.
There is also a magic mirror people can talk to, built with generative AI that speaks as if it is the White Queen—and only responds in verse. (See the video below…)
Dr. Yaz Romahi created the magical buildings especially for children with life-changing diseases, but recently decided to open them also as short-term rentals—and he loves how people are easily transported back to their childhood.
“The adults feel like they are re-living their childhood and their children are enjoying their space – and that obviously gives us the satisfaction,” said the engineer, who is a big Narnia fan.
The treehouse was created six years ago to hold events and to entertain children as part of the Congenital Anaemia Network, a UK charity focused on children and families with inherited anemias, such as sickle cell anemia.
“It can feel quite lonely,” he said referring to children with diseases. “At these events children can make friends who are going through the same things.
The charity, founded by his partner, Dr. Noémi Roy, a Hematologist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, has grown in popularity and hosts patients from all over Britain who come to the events. Seeing potential for charitable revenue, Romahi decided to make the two rental properties available to Narnia fans.
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“C.S Lewis’s old house and garden is actually two doors down, so we share the same woodland.
“I am a member of the Magic Circle and I am an engineer so I built all the magic props. The kids love the fantasy so it was a labor of love.”
Much of the magic on the private 12 acre estate is found in an ‘escape room’ called Beavers Den that Romahi built for his daughter’s birthday party,
For the talking mirror he used his daughter’s face as the white witch. Using generative AI, the mirror will talk back, saying something different every time. Fortunately, he had friends to lend their creative support to the projects.
“I was quite lucky because my friends have very complimentary skill sets. For example one of them is a sculpture artist and very good with his hands building mechanical things.
“I am very good with electronic things and I have a friend who also works on designing sets and the builder we found was also incredibly talented.”
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“Without this team we couldn’t have pulled off what we did.”
The Cedar Hollow Treehouse is 750 sq-ft and sleeps 2 adults and 4 children—or 4 adults—and costs £350 per night. The Faun’s Hideaway, steeped in the Narnia lore of Mr. Tumnus, sleeps 2 and costs £220 per night. Visit their website to learn more…
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