Island is Wonderland for Penguins Once Again After Dog Helps Eradicate 300,000 Invasive Rabbits:
A UNESCO Natural Heritage Site has been saved from a rabbit and rat rampage, and 8 years after being declared free of invasives, the island is looking like its old self again. This island, named Macquarie Island, is an extraordinary place with exposed rock from the Earth’s mantle and a vast network of bird species living on the island. However, just like every other island on Earth, sailors during the 1800s brought cats, rats, mice, and rabbits ashore which decimated the head-high endemic vegetation and insect populations, causing knock-on effects that seriously threatened to turn the island into a barren rock. Melissa Houghton was brought ashore as a dog handler with her black lab “Wags” as part of a $24.6 million effort by Tasmania and Australia to eradicate the invasive mammals from the island launched in 2007. By the end of 2014 native life on the island rebounded spectacularly and happy penguins can be seen in their new rodent-free home.
Owl Visits 98-Year-old Grandma Every Week And Family Believes it’s a Sign From Her Late Husband:
A grandmother has been receiving weekly visits from a chatty owl that her family believe is a sign from her late husband. The owl visits Ranna almost every day and sits on her balcony for hours. It even tries to hop on her lap and “chats” back to her when she hoots at it. The owl’s first visit to Ranna’s balcony was on February 24 of this year, exactly two years after her beloved grandfather’s memorial ceremony. Bob, who passed away in February 2020, was Ranna’s husband for nearly 70 years, but the 98-year-old widow has yet to fully believe that her visitor is really a sign from the after-life. However, her granddaughter says that the rest of their close-knit family is sure that Bob is keeping an eye on his love.
Solar Company Gets Bright Idea to Cover Storage Facilities in Solar Panels Brings Power to 1,400 Homes:
New Jersey’s largest community solar owner and operator had the bright idea to cover storage space with solar panels. The project was seen through to its conclusion, and now an Extra Space Storage site in Neptune, NJ, boats a 6.5-megawatt (MW) community solar array totaling 800,000 square feet that will power over 1,400 nearby homes. Solar Landscape, the solar operator, finished the project on August 1st, and it’s one of 10 sites owned by the company and the first completed one of 46 “community solar projects” approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) in year 2 of the Community Solar Energy Pilot Program. NJBPU’s Community Solar Energy Pilot Program expands access to renewable energy for those who previously could not install solar panels for reasons such as high costs, lack of roof control, or a shaded property. “The promise of community solar in New Jersey has arrived, and it’s bringing guaranteed savings to residents at a time when many other costs are increasing,” said Solar Landscape CEO Shaun Keegan. “We’re proud to be partnering with Extra Space Storage on this project, which connects business leaders with the local community and saves residents money.”
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