Taryn Smith – Credit – The World’s Toughest Row The ocean dreams took hold of Taryn Smith when she was living in landlocked Nebraska, craving open-water adventures as a young adult in Omaha. Smith, who’s now 25, read an article about an all-female rowing team that set a world record in the Great Pacific Race … Read more
Adeline Sutich and Maeve Ritchotte in their igloo – reprinted with permission While millions of Americans hunkered down in their homes after ice storms encrusted the mid-Atlantic, two young teens got busy building community spirit—by building an igloo. They constructed their igloo in front of a house that was destroyed by a house fire a … Read more
– credit Jordan Crawford via Unsplash A herd of 6 American bison—3 males and 3 females—have been released onto native Illinois prairie. There, to the sound of drumming, songs, and cheers, they began to acclimate to their new surroundings—surroundings that had missed them for 200 years. A large crowd of Santee Sioux, herded together in … Read more
– credit Unsplash In what is being called a major milestone in American cancer research and treatment, 5-year survival rates averaged across all cancers have never been higher, with 7-in-10 cancer patients living past 5 years post-diagnosis. This average was pumped up by large survival rate increases in leukemia (20%), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (18%), and ovarian … Read more
Charlie Dalin celebrates victory with champagne – Facebook After all he’d been through, battling three-story waves didn’t seem that daunting. French sailor Charlie Dalin started feeling intense abdominal pains in 2023 and was diagnosed with a six-inch tumor on his small intestine. And it was cancerous. He’d been planning to race in the Vendée Globe, … Read more
Charlotte makes a home among the trees after being released back into the wild – credit, the Orangutan Project A female orangutan that was captured as a juvenile has been released back into the wild after four years of “jungle school.” Found chained to the rafters of a wooden cabin on the Indonesian side of … Read more
At 80, Betty became oldest woman to complete a thru-hike of Appalachian Trail -Courtesy of Betty Kellenberger The obstacles and excuses kept blocking Betty Kellenberger’s path, but she never stopped moving forward. Kellenberger, an 80-year-old retired schoolteacher from Carson City, Michigan, became interested in the Appalachian Trail in elementary school when she learned about it … Read more
Walk for Peace Journey – via Instagram An abandoned dog has joined a mission of peace across the world and, despite some mishaps, has stayed with it every paw of the way. During their opening 112-day peace walk in India, a group of Buddhist monks found an abandoned dog—or perhaps the dog found them. The … Read more
The Galapagos rail – credit, Carlos Espinosa Centuries after they were made famous by Charles Darwin, and a century after they had become plagued by invasive rats and cats, the Galapagos Islands are well on their way to recovery. Few events could better capture that recovery than the recent reappearance of the beautiful blue Galapagos … Read more
credit – The Student Loan Doctor When family medical troubles seemed to have struck down a top student’s hopes for university, the administrators took action to lift them back up again. Now the holder of a doctorate and a successful entrepreneur, she has given back to the school that did so much for her by … Read more