conservatives

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has announced the official naming of Bill Dance Lake and the Herb Parsons Wildlife Refuge. The designations honor two prominent figures associated with Tennessee's outdoors heritage, and the announcement is drawing attention across the state's hunting, fishing and conservation communities.

The Monarch Festival has returned to Brackenridge Park in San Antonio, Texas, celebrating the city's place along the monarch butterfly's migratory route. San Antonio sits on the central flyway that monarchs travel between Mexico and the United States each year. The festival highlights the role local habitats and pollinator gardens play in supporting the species, which has faced declining populations in recent years.

The New England Aquarium has published a feature explaining keystone species: animals whose presence holds entire ecosystems together, profiling four examples and the outsized roles they play. The piece highlights how removing such species can trigger cascading collapses, and why protecting them is central to conservation, particularly in ocean habitats where the aquarium focuses its work.

Conservation groups in the Greater Yellowstone region are working to modify and remove fencing to restore wildlife migration routes across the landscape. The effort, highlighted by Montana Free Press, focuses on replacing old fencelines with wildlife-friendly designs so elk, pronghorn and other animals can move more freely between seasonal habitats.

Tucson's Reid Park Zoo has opened its Pathway to Asia expansion, bringing new exotic wildlife exhibits to southern Arizona. The project adds habitats showcasing Asian species, giving visitors a chance to see animals previously unavailable at the zoo. Local coverage highlights the addition as a major development for the region's main zoological attraction and its conservation education efforts.

The Wild West Gala has been held to raise funds for the Wildlife Coalition, an event covered with a photo gallery by Tehachapi News. The gathering brought supporters together for a western-themed evening benefiting wildlife causes, with proceeds going to the coalition's conservation work.

The World Wildlife Fund is highlighting the ecological relationship between elephants and baobab trees, two icons of the African landscape. Elephants feed on baobab bark and fruit, helping disperse seeds, but their stripping of bark can also damage ancient trees. Conservation groups use the pairing to draw attention to the pressures both species face from habitat loss and climate change.

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy has placed a permanent protection agreement on 116 acres of wildlife habitat in Kent County, Maryland. The deal ensures the land cannot be developed and will remain as habitat for wildlife. The announcement was reported by regional outlet MyEasternShoreMD, highlighting ongoing conservation efforts on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

A new piece by the International Fund for Animal Welfare argues that long-standing conservation traditions in the Middle East can inform and strengthen modern climate action across the region. It highlights how indigenous and historic practices of protecting land, water and wildlife offer locally rooted models for addressing today's environmental challenges alongside contemporary policy.

Lees-McRae College has profiled Jesse Pope, a 2002 graduate, as part of its 'Conservation Heroes' series recognising alumni working in wildlife and environmental protection. Pope's story highlights how his biology studies at the college led to a career in conservation. The feature celebrates his work and encourages current students to follow similar paths in environmental science.

Researchers suggest that identifying climate refuges—areas where conditions remain stable as temperatures rise—could be central to restoring threatened amphibian populations. Frogs, salamanders and other amphibians are among the world's most endangered animal groups, hit hard by habitat loss, disease and a warming climate. The proposal points to protecting and reconnecting these cooler, wetter havens as a practical conservation strategy.

PragerU has released a new profile of economist Thomas Sowell, presenting him as an 'economic myth buster' in its Economic Game Changers series. The video highlights Sowell's career challenging conventional economic thinking, including his work on inequality, markets and government policy, and has drawn hundreds of thousands of engagements. The conservative commentator remains a prominent reference point in American economic and political debate.