The Good News Sunday Edition

Good Things Happening Around the World

• North Queensland’s Hidden Ruby, Groper Creek Caravan Park: Story of two best mates keeping it alive

• Lord Howe Island's Enchanted Cloud Forest Stages Remarkable Comeback After Vermin Eradication

• A Great Leap towards Big Cat Conservation: Discovery of Sabre-toothed tiger

• Operation Santa makes it Easier for Donors to Donate Toys to Children

• Smart Crystal: A Revolutionary Device that Sucks Water from Air 

• More Good News

• Words of Inspiration

North Queensland’s Hidden Ruby, Groper Creek Caravan Park:

Story of two best mates keeping it alive 

Nestled on the Burdekin River, Groper Creek is a small fishing village that’s long been cherished by locals—but thanks to two remarkable women, it’s now on the map for travellers.

Managed by lifelong friends Jeanette Garvey and Wendy Coplick, the caravan park has become a favourite for grey nomads and travellers from all walks of life, offering a slice of paradise.

Jeanette and her late husband Danny took over the park in 2019, facing an uphill battle with a dilapidated site and a bucket of keys with no locks. Then, as luck would have it, the pandemic hit. But far from shutting down, the park became the destination for Aussies stuck at home.

Tragically, in 2022, Danny passed away suddenly, but Wendy stepped in, and together, the duo faced grief and managed to turn the business into a beacon of success.

Despite facing scepticism and doubters—especially for being two women running the show—they’ve proven the naysayers wrong with their grit, determination, and a knack for building community.

Why it’s worth smiling about: After years of hard work, Jeanette and Wendy are ready to retire and enjoy the very park they’ve made famous—though they’ll still be there for a cold drink with any caravan-goer that visits. It’s a heartwarming tale of friendship, resilience, and an Aussie spirit that never gives up. Sometimes, the best things in life take time—and a bit of elbow grease.

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Lord Howe Island's Enchanted Cloud Forest Stages Remarkable Comeback After Vermin Eradication

Perched above 750 metres, Lord Howe Island is a rare ecological treasure where many species, such as plants and animals, exist nowhere else on Earth. The "sky island" effect means a delicate ecosystem that has developed in isolation over millions of years.

The Struggles

This biodiversity hotspot faced a significant threat from rodents and climate change in recent decades. Rodents, in particular, wiped out several species and severely impacted the environment.

Rodent Eradication Success

In a groundbreaking $15 million project five years ago, over 300,000 rats and mice were removed, leading to a dramatic recovery of local flora and fauna.

Thriving Species

Following the eradication, more than 30 species, including endangered plants, birds, and insects, have started to rebound. The little mountain palm, for example, is flourishing again, thanks to the reduction of seed-eating rodents.

Birds like the Lord Howe Island woodhen, once on the brink of extinction, now roam freely in greater numbers.

Researchers have flocked to the island, eager to study its pristine environment and its role as a 'canary in the coal mine' for climate change. The largely undisturbed forest, paired with the world’s southernmost coral reef, provides an invaluable window into the effects of climate change on isolated ecosystems.

Why it’s worth smiling about: The resurgence of life on Lord Howe Island is a heartening reminder of nature's resilience when given a fighting chance.

As the island’s biodiversity bounces back, it's a win for conservation efforts globally and a reason to celebrate nature's comeback tour.

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A Great Leap Forth towards Big Cat Conservation:

Discovery of Saber-toothed tiger

A 35,000-year-old mummified sabre-toothed cub was found preserved in permafrost in Russia's Indigirka River basin in 2020. Researchers released their groundbreaking findings in November 2024.

The cub’s soft fur, baby teeth, and nearly intact body provide a rare glimpse into the appearance of the extinct predator, which was a distant relative of today’s big cats.

Conservation Impact

While it’s uncertain how this will directly affect conservation efforts, palaeontologist Jack Tseng believes the find could hold a wealth of information, offering insights into the evolution of big cats and how they adapted to past environments.

A similar discovery of the snow leopard’s ancestor helped researchers understand big cat evolution and improve the conservation of snow leopards, which saw their status shift from "endangered" to "vulnerable" due to habitat protection and conservation efforts.

Why it’s worth smiling about: This extraordinary find shows how learning from the distant past can guide the conservation of modern species. The saber-toothed cub might hold the key to protecting today’s big cats, proving that the past and present are deeply connected in the fight for biodiversity.

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Operation Santa makes it Easier for Donors to Donate Toys to Children

For over a century, Operation Santa, an initiative run by the USPS, has rallied people to "adopt" letters from children and donate toys to brighten their holiday season. But this year, the program just got a major upgrade!

Now, letters are officially available for adoption online, and with the Postal Service’s new partnership with Toys R Us, gift-giving has never been easier. The launch of an online catalog lets donors browse and select the perfect present, and have it shipped directly to the child in need, all with a few clicks.

Why it’s worth smiling about: This collaboration makes it simpler than ever to spread joy to children around the world. With the convenience of shopping from home, more families in need will be supported during the festive season, proving that kindness and technology go hand in hand for a good cause.

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Smart Crystal: A Revolutionary Device that Sucks Water from Air 

Almost 4 billion people lack access to clean water, a challenge exacerbated by environmental factors, poverty, and injustice.

New Innovation

Researchers from Jilin University, NYU Abu Dhabi, and the Center for Smart Engineering Materials have developed Janus crystals—a material that can collect water from fog without any energy input.

The team drew inspiration from desert creatures that survive arid conditions by collecting moisture from the air. They replicated this with crystals that have hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) properties.

These Janus crystals capture airborne moisture, condense it, and store it in a receptacle, creating a source of potable water.

Unlike energy-intensive desalination methods, Janus crystals require no external energy, offering a potential endless supply of clean water.

Why it's worth smiling about: This breakthrough could transform the way we think about accessing clean water, with a sustainable, energy-free solution inspired by nature.

As global water scarcity becomes an ever-growing concern, innovations like this remind us that solutions are out there—and they’re smarter than ever.

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More Good News

• Eight Nations Unite to End Corporal Punishment in a Bold Move for Children's Rights 

• St. Paul, MN Forgives $40 Million in Medical Debt, Bringing Relief to Over 32,000 Residents

• Brazil Achieves Measles-Free Status Again After Overcoming 2018 Outbreak

• Mattel Unveils First Gender-Fluid Doll Inspired by Fashion Icon Harris Reed

• Bangladeshi Teen Invents Solar-Powered Water Purifier Made from E-Waste: Tackling waterborne illness and contamination in the wake of devastating floods

• Rock Climbing Eases Parkinson’s Symptoms; Singing Benefits Dementia Patients: Engaging activities show promising results in managing neurological conditions

Words of Inspiration

• "Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you." – Walt Whitman

• "The best way to predict the future is to create it." – Abraham Lincoln

• "In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity." – Albert Einstein

• "Believe you can and you're halfway there." – Theodore Roosevelt

• "It always seems impossible until it’s done." – Nelson Mandela

What I’m working on

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