What went right in March 2026?
We hit 10,000 subs! Plus 10 of the best stories of progress from March, and several more that have already come through in April...
Hey fam,
Happy April! Bring on the fleeting rainy days, blooming flowers, and new beginnings.
By the way, we just hit 10,000 subscribers of this newsletter!
I’m blown away as this community continues to grow. We’re elevating underrated stories & underreported solutions, we’re making our own positive impact through monthly community missions, and we’re reframing dread & fear into hope & action.
As promised, I opened up a subscriber-only chat on here so we can share good stories we find while celebrating each other’s wins.
Join the chat, and let’s keep building a better future together!
10 good things you probably forgot happened from March 2026 (recap)
🤝 7.5 million acres of lands and waters or about 7% of California will finally be given back to Indigenous Tribes 175 years after it was promised.
🏞️ No company placed any bids on an Alaskan oil and gas lease sale, showing no interest in destroying the 1 million acres of pristine land.
🎸 A basic income program for 2,000 artists became permanent in Ireland.
🌞 Virginia became the second US state to legalize plug-in balcony solar panels with 24 others working on similar laws for people to easily generate their own power.
🦑 38 new deep sea species were discovered off the coast of Japan, each one more bizarre than the last.
💰 A “millionaire’s tax” passed in Washington state as their first income tax at 9.9% for earnings over $1 million.
🐧 Vulnerable Humboldt penguins won in court again, blocking a huge mine in Chile which would have jeopardized their home and existence.
🇺🇦 Even in the middle of a war, Ukraine has rewilded 45,000 acres of land and waters around Lake Kartal with plants, fish, and birds returning in record numbers.
🧲 A plan to replace 10,000 gas stoves that leak asthma-causing pollutants with induction stoves that heat using magnets is starting in New York City public housing.
🧑🧑🧒🧒 And our community made a free seed board outside their home, went back to college at 35, sprouted 30 keystone species oak trees, and much more…!
This week’s stories of progress
5. What happens when your ideas actually make it out of the group chat
I originally shared this story last year, but it’s one of my favorites, and I thought you all deserved to hear about it again! Jo Leen Yap took an idea from a Facebook Group into real life, using old fire hoses to create bridges that connect tree canopies, allowing dusky langur monkeys to safely cross the road. And it’s working even better than expected! (Instagram)
4. The farthest a human being has ever traveled
Four astronauts are so sick of us that they hopped on a rocket ship and are flying farther away than any human in history! This is NASA’s Artemis II mission heading to the far side of the moon 252,000 miles away, to test equipment for future missions. Unlike this one, those missions coming later on will actually land on the moon for the first time after more than 50 years. (NASA)
3. Sperm whales work together for births
A new study found that sperm whales actually help each other out in ways we previously didn’t know. Researchers observed two female-led groups helping a baby calf being born, lifting and holding the newborn near the water’s surface. No one really knows why, but it’s maybe it’s so they could get a better view of that Artemis II rocket ship taking off? ;) (Jackie Flynn Mogensen|Scientific American)
2. Electric planes start delivering mail
A fully electric plane that recharges in about half an hour is now flying along mail routes in Scotland by using existing runways in a test to see if the mail service can use electric flights to deliver in the UK. (Press Release)
1. Our community took action
marcaleigh from our community is hurting the feelings of our corporate overlords by growing and making their own food from local ingredients to share and barter.
Let’s keep building towards a solarpunk future, together!
This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.