CONSERVATION NEWS

The government of Peru signed a deal to redirect more than US$ 20 million it owes to the United States into the conservation of some of the most biodiverse areas on Earth.

For more than 50 years, UNESCO has protected cultural and natural wonders as World Heritage sites due to their “outstanding universal value.” Turns out, there's another big reason these marvels are irreplaceable: their biodiversity.

Following a decade-long fight led by Indigenous activists and environment leaders, Ecuadorians voted decisively to end oil drilling in one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth — a move heralded by supporters as “historic.”

A new species of snake has been named after Harrison Ford in honor of his decades-long environmental advocacy. Unlike the actor's famously ophidiophobic character Indiana Jones, Ford reportedly likes snakes — and found a quick kinship with this one.

More than six months ago, nearly every country signed on to the most ambitious plan ever to protect nature — a sweeping framework that aims to conserve 30 percent of the planet's land and waters by 2030. It’s an unprecedented agreement. So, what’s next?