(CNN Spanish) -
Restore ecosystems.
That is the slogan with which Environment Day is celebrated in 2021, which recognizes that, although we cannot go backwards, we can begin to reverse the damage we have caused.
Thousands of people around the world dedicate their time to caring for our nature, preserving the wonders that exist and recovering those that we are losing: here we review some of the initiatives that we have reported on CNN this year.
Preserving the wealth of the Galapagos in the midst of a pandemic
Giant tortoises, iguanas, sea lions, flamingos, boobies, albatrosses: the list of animal species that this archipelago is home to off the coast of Ecuador seems to have no end.
It is an exceptional site where many species of fauna and flora that are in danger of extinction are preserved.
The pandemic has not stopped the work of those who are dedicated to conservation tasks.
On the contrary, it has allowed them to study what happens when the island is 'closed' to tourism.
Ana María Cañizares shows us it from there.
Giant tortoise of a species considered extinct 100 years ago found
Veterinarians preserving endangered gorillas
In Volcanoes National Park, Gorilla Doctors care for endangered mountain gorillas.
Check out his work here.
Veterinarians care for endangered gorillas 4:08
Efforts for the return of Tasmanian devils to Australia
In recent weeks, Australia had some very good news: for the first time in more than 3,000 years, Tasmanian devils were born on the mainland.
Tasmanian devils became extinct on the mainland after the arrival of the dingoes, a species of wild dog, and were confined to the island of Tasmania.
However, its issue numbers took another hit from a contagious form of cancer known as Demon Facial Tumor Disease, which has killed around 90% of the population since it was discovered in 1996. Last September, an organization led 11 creatures back to the mainland and their efforts have paid off.
Read the full story here.
Tasmanian devils are born in mainland Australia 0:52
Tasmanian devils are not the only animals to have 'returned' from extinction.
From gray wolves to butterfly species, see here 20 animals that have also been recovered.
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| In the 20th century, the number of cheetahs fell by 93% due to hunting and habitat loss. The big cat became extinct in many of its historic territories, including India, and in 90% of its former range in Africa. A reintroduction program in Malawi's Liwonde National Park (pictured) caused the cheetah to return to the country for the first time in 20 years. See in this gallery other animals that reappeared after they were considered extinct or others that thanks to breeding programs were able to return to their natural habitats. (Brytta / iStockphoto / Getty Images)
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| The European smooth snake used to be common in rural southern England, but disappeared from large areas, due to habitat loss, and became the rarest snake in the country. After 50 years of absence, the harmless snake was reintroduced in Devon, in the west of the country, in 2009 as part of recovery efforts in the area. In 2019, the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust received over £ 400,000 for a four-year project, called Snakes in the Heather, to better understand the snake's habitat and enhance community awareness for its continued conservation. . (David Tipling / Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
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| In the 20th century, the marten (a close relative of the weasel) began to disappear from British forests, allowing populations of gray squirrels, the main predator of the species, to rise. Between 2015 and 2017, more than 50 animals were successfully relocated from their stronghold in Scotland to Wales, to reinforce the pine marten population there. In 2019, the project was replicated in England with 18 pine martens released in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. A new release is scheduled for late 2021. (Kevin Sawford / imageBROKER / Shutterstock)
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| Extinct from British rural life for 40 years, the spotted ant butterfly was successfully reintroduced into the wild in 2020. Experts spent five years preparing the Rodborough Common area in Gloucestershire, south-west England, for a return. of the butterfly, and last summer about 750 of these characteristic insects appeared. (Sarah Meredith)
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| Between 1995 and 1997, 41 gray wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park. His 70-year absence had a huge effect on the entire ecosystem of the park. As of January 2020, there were at least 94 wolves in the park and more than 500 in the area, but the program has struggled to manage the population beyond the park boundaries. There continues to be opposition from ranchers for concern for their livestock. (Jacob W. Frank / AP)
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| Extinct throughout Central Europe since the 19th century, the Eurasian lynx has returned to several countries, including Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, and Germany, thanks to a series of reintroduction programs that began in the 1970s. However, the Fragmentation of these populations remains an obstacle and experts are now exploring ways to connect dispersed animals in isolated groups across the continent. (Jean-Christophe Verhaegen / AFP / Getty Images)
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No New Guinea song dog had been seen in the wild in 50 years until 2016 when an expedition located and studied 15 wild dogs in the remote highlands on the western side of New Guinea, known as Papua, in Indonesia.
Further studies of the dogs were conducted in 2018. In 2020, they were confirmed to be New Guinea song dogs.
(New Guinea Highland Wild Dog Foundation)
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On May 26, 2021, it was revealed that seven Tasmanian devils were born in the wild on mainland Australia, more than 3,000 years after they disappeared from the country.
(Aussie Ark)
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What appears to be a giant tortoise of the Chelonoidis phantasticus species, which had been considered extinct more than a century ago, was seen in Santa Cruz, in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, on July 10, 2019. After studies, On May 25, 2021, it was confirmed that it was that species.
(Galapagos National Park)
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A team that took a study trip in 2019 to the "Lost City of the Monkey God" observed a pale-faced bat, last documented in Honduras in 1942. (Conservation International)
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The tiger beetle was believed to be practically extinct, having been recorded from only one place in Nicaragua.
The beetle was rediscovered during the expedition in the "Lost City" in Honduras in 2019. (Conservation International)
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It was known that the coral tree snake was extinct in Honduras, until it was rediscovered in the expedition in the "Lost City".
(Conservation International)
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The Przewalski horse, related to common horses, is native to central Asia, but became extinct in the wild in the 1960s.
Since then, captive-bred Przewalski horses have been released in Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan.
These horses live in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
(Genya Savilov / AFP / AFP via Getty Images)
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In the early 1970s, the Arabian oryx was hunted to extinction in the wild.
Now there are more than 1,000 specimens in the wild.
(Karim Sahib / AFP / AFP via Getty Images)
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| The Burmese roof turtle, whose mouth is crooked and shows a permanent smile, was believed to be extinct until 2001. It is only found in Myanmar, and its population was decimated by the collection of eggs and live turtles for food and the pet trade. In 2020, conservation organizations raised 1,000 of these turtles in a Myanmar facility, which will soon be released into the wild. (Myo Min Win WCS Myanmar Program / Wildlife Conservation Society)
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| The kakapo, a large, nocturnal bird, only lives in New Zealand. It is also the only parrot in the world that lives on the ground and cannot fly. Their numbers have plummeted over the years, as the kakapo is unable to protect itself from predators introduced since the European colonization of New Zealand in the 18th century. By 1995 there were only about 50 individuals left, but captive breeding has helped grow the number to about 210. (Ash Robinson / CNN)
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The black stilt is a wading bird found only in New Zealand.
By 1981, their numbers had been reduced to just 23 adult birds.
Conservation efforts in captivity have increased the number of individuals to 169 adults.
In August 2020, the show released 104 copies.
(Credit: Martin Pelanek / Shutterstock)
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In the 1960s, there were only 15 giant tortoises left on the Spanish Island of Galapagos.
A captive breeding program on the nearby island of Santa Cruz revived the species, and now more than 2,000 individuals roam Española.
(Credit: Andrés Cruz / GTRI - Galapagos Conservancy)
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| The angonoka tortoise, which is only found in the forests of northwestern Madagascar, off the eastern coast of Africa, has been driven to the brink of extinction by the loss of its habitat, its consumption as food, and the pet trade. In collaboration with local communities, the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust established a turtle conservation program in 1986. It has reared more than 600 captive specimens from 17 adults at its centers in Madagascar. (Conservation of Turtles)
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The Amur leopard, which is among the rarest big cats in the world, has been in trouble for decades.
About 220 Amur leopards are currently in zoos in Russia, Europe, Japan and the United States.
They are part of a breeding program run jointly by London Zoo and Moscow Zoo.
(Hendrik Schmidt)
Count all the animals in Kenya
For the first time in its history, Kenya will count all the animals and species of marine life in its 58 national parks.
This three-month census will be essential to protect the more than 1,000 indigenous species of the country and to understand what threats they face.
To do so, in addition to human resources, they will use GPS trackers and airplanes, among other tools.
The census will include species that have never been counted before, such as anteaters and hedgehogs.
Kenya to count its animals for conservation purposes 1:16
The recovery of the rainforest in Costa Rica
Three-quarters of Costa Rica was once covered by lush tropical rainforest, but excessive logging destroyed between a third and half of the forest in 1987. Yet a government initiative that rewards farmers for practicing forestry Sustainable and environmental protection has made Costa Rica the first tropical country to stop and reverse deforestation.
With 60% of the land once again forested, the country is now home to around half a million species of plants and animals.
Review in this gallery this and other restoration and conservation projects throughout the world.
The countries with the highest deforestation of their rainforest 1:04
In 2020 the world lost 12 million hectares of tropical forests despite confinement
An alliance to protect the oceans
This year a new initiative was launched that seeks to protect 5% of the oceans in the next 5 years: the Blue Nature Alliance.
And while you may think that the number is low, it is really a very bold project
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This figure is equivalent to more than 18 million square kilometers of ocean.
Or, put another way, an area larger than all of South America.
The alliance has already identified seven priority areas in which to begin its work.
These are found around Antarctica, Fiji, Canada, the Seychelles, Palau, the western Indian Ocean, and Tristan da Cunha, an island in the South Atlantic.
They seek to protect much of the oceans 1:25
What can we do?
You may read these stories and ask yourself: what can I do?
In fact, by adopting some simple habit changes in daily life you can contribute to reducing pollution and the carbon footprint of your actions, and to the preservation of ecosystems.
From the clothes we buy to the food we choose, here are some proposals for World Environment Day.
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Change the way you buy clothes.
According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the fashion industry is the second most polluting in the world and produces more carbon emissions than all international maritime flights and shipments combined.
Credit: Don Emmert / AFP via Getty Images
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What can you do?
Avoid “fast fashion”, buy less, buy clothes from sustainable brands, second-hand clothes or rent, donate and recycle clothes.
Some stores receive used clothing - from the brand - or take it to a textile recycling center.
Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
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Reduce your consumption of meat.
According to a study by the scientific journal Scientific Reports, if everyone in the US reduced their consumption of meat - beef, pork and poultry - by a quarter and replaced plant proteins, we would save about 82 million metric tons of GHG.
By opting for a vegetarian diet, we would save 330 million tons of GHG per year.
Credit: ROMEO GACAD / AFP via Getty Images
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Reduce your consumption of single-use plastics.
Reducing the use of single-use plastics is the most effective means of avoiding this waste.
Bringing your own cloth bags to the supermarket and using reusable bottles is one way to avoid these plastics on a day-to-day basis.
Credit: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / Getty Images
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Modify the way you transport yourself.
Private cars generate 18% of CO2 emissions, according to the World Health Organization.
So choosing any other means of transport, carpooling or using public transport, generates a positive change.
The bicycle is the best transport option because it does not generate emissions, beyond those produced in its manufacture.
Credit: Drew Angerer / Getty Images
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Choose efficient vehicles.
If you must use a car, a hybrid or electric type will help you save gas and money.
Before buying a new car, check your gas mileage on this page.
Credit: Spencer Platt / Getty Images
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Travel less by plane.
Aviation, including domestic and international passenger and cargo flights, contributes approximately 2% of global carbon emissions.
Reducing the number of flights and opting for the use of trains is a better alternative.
Credit: COOPER NEILL / AFP via Getty Images
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Use smart technology in your home.
Invest in more sustainable appliances, for example by using smart thermostats, more efficient air conditioners, and swapping incandescent bulbs for LED lighting.
Look for the Energy Star seal to find out which ones are the most efficient.
Credit: Scott Olson / Getty Images
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Opt for renewable energy.
If you have the option, change your electricity service to a company that generates at least half of its energy through renewable sources, or to one that has Green-e Energy certification.
Credit: Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP via Getty Images
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| Get informed and spread the word. Several organizations have educational resources so that you can actively participate within your community and help create change. For example, the Earth Day organization has several online resources. Credit: Hector Vivas / Getty Images