Drone reforestation in Madagascar, Egypt’s desert forest plans, wireless on wheels

Photo: Theme Inn / Unsplash (CCO)

In today’s edition of Squirrel News, we’re talking about Madagascar’s plans to reverse deforestation, how Egypt is building forests on desert land, and the initiative making internet accessible to rural regions in Virginia.

Madagascar’s large-scale reforestation plans

Madagascar, which lost 23% of its forests in the last two decades is acquiring 10 drones. The drones should help with wide scale reforestation efforts by dropping 400,000 tree seeds daily.

Source: Mongabay

Egypt is growing forests in the middle of the desert

Having built 200 hectares of forest in Ismailia city, Egypt is further taking advantage of its climate through planting on more desert land.

Source: Al-Monitor

Solar powered internet hotspots are making remote schoolwork accessible in Virginia

The ‘Wireless on Wheels’ initiative delivered 22 hotspots in Louisa county, which have become an asset for schools and the community at large.

Source: The Daily Yonder

Colorado has become the gold standard for mail elections

The switch from traditional precinct polling places to 350 voting centers has seen the cost of running elections plummet by 40%.

Source: The Fulcrum

Doe your bit: Japan invents bags deer can eat after plastic-related deaths

To keep animals safe from rubbish discarded by tourists, a bag has been devised made from milk cartons and rice bran.

Source: The Guardian

La Rambla: plans to transform Barcelona’s tourist rat run into a cultural hub

An ambitious project is under way to turn one of the world’s most overrun streets into the immersive art centre of southern Europe.

Source: The Guardian

From ancestors to descendants – Pakistan’s ingenious solutions to life

The centuries-old hacks passed down stretched limited portions, normalised selfcare and made healthcare attainable.

Source: BBC

This man is tackling punitive justice starting in school hallways

Through restorative justice, Eric Butler uses each intervention with both students and teachers as a lesson. The benefits from such systems include higher graduate rates as well as reduced suspensions.

Source: Mother Jones

New faces in contemporary African portraiture

The artists, from Gabon, Nigeria, Namibia, Kenya and Mozambique, are united by a desire to challenge traditional ideas and narrow interpretations of Africa, African art, and African society.

Source: The Guardian

The Flaming Lips and their fans pulled off a concert encased in plastic bubbles

The musicians from Oklahoma city made sure safety came first by incorporating inflatable human-sized bubbles at a concert for their supporters and themselves.

Source: Pittsburgh Post Gazette

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