Your weekly reminder of what's going right in the world
Indigenous Land Back after 175 years, 38 new deep sea species, "cockroach lord", and more...
Hey fam,
It’s our last newsletter of March 2026! I might be biased since this was my birth month, but as the days keep getting warmer and sunnier, I feel more and more energized and ready to charge forward. How about you?
I usually start with something of note in this intro, but for today, let’s dive right into the good stories I found this week.
Have a great weekend, and ring in April in style!
What’s going right in the world?
7. Indigenous tribes get Land Back after 175 years
7.5 million acres of lands and waters will be returned to Indigenous tribes across California thanks to new plans giving back 7% of the state, about the same amount that was promised to them back in 1850 but never honored. This will bring long overdue justice while allowing tribal stewardship to begin to right many wrongs against people and the land. (Noah Haggerty|LA Times)
6. 38 new deep sea creatures just dropped
In the deep ocean off the coast of Japan, 38 new deep sea species were discovered and confirmed by the The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census. Highlights include a glass sponge with symbiotic worms, new squat lobsters, and parasitic barnacles… and these researchers are continuing to uncover many more mysteries within the depths of the ocean. (Ocean Census)
5. Wales to require rooftop solar on new builds
Starting early next year, Wales is set to become the first UK nation to require new buildings to have their own built-in renewable energy generation. In nearly all cases, this will mean rooftop solar, and the policy will make energy cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable across the country. (Matthew Lynas|PV Magazine)
4. A contest launched to find out: how should we great aliens when they arrive?
Jordan, Carter, and Taylor launched a writing contest asking “when aliens arrive and we can only greet them with one letter, what should it say”? And they’re offering $2,000 for the best submission that’s physically mailed in, claiming they’re just doing this because they think it’s fun. I do agree! (Dear Aliens)
3. Cockroach Lord is giving them a fighting chance
Cristian AKA “Cockroach Lord” discovered 15 species of the hated-on insects and named many of them after Lord of the Rings characters like “Hobbitoblatta”, as he advocates for their research and protection given their essential role in breaking down dead organic matter to decompose into the soil. (Andrew Zinin|Phys)
2. One family is saving endangered Amazonian plants
Ramón and his family are saving endangered plants in the Amazon without any outside help by venturing deep into the jungle to find seeds, bring them to their “living laboratory” seed bank, grow the plants, and replant areas of the forest that were cleared away by logging and drought. (Gonzalo Solano|AP)
1. Our community took action
📚 katelynnehansen8115 went back to college at age 35 and is absolutely smashing their second semester.
🐝 Anna from our community is helping a group of volunteers raise $6 million to buy the 440-acre Sibling Prairie in Detroit and permanently preserve one of the last of its kind still remaining.
🧑⚖️ I teamed up with my partners at Climate Power to figure out what US law has saved the most lives. Take a guess, and then watch for the answer!
+ A few more bonus stories
🌊 San Francisco’s sea walls are alive!
🦋 Some populations of monarch butterflies are on the rise.
🥗 Having plant-based meals be the default at hospitals is working to cut emissions.
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.