Published

2 years ago

January 19, 2024

Alice Rush

“Mojo,” a 500+ pound leatherback sea turtle, stranded on Miami’s South Beach just before the new year. He’s estimated to be 30 to 35 years old.

According to NOAA, leatherback sea turtles are the largest turtles in the world. They’re the only species lacking scales and a hard shell and have existed in their current form since the age of dinosaurs. Their build allows them to dive deeper than most marine mammals – with the deepest recorded dive reaching nearly 4,000 feet. They’re highly migratory and can swim over 10,000 miles a year between their nesting and foraging grounds.

^{A rare and endangered leatherback sea turtle stranded on Miami’s South Beach, likely due to entanglements in marine debris. The Turtle Hospital}

“Leatherbacks act as keystone species within the pelagic, or open ocean, ecosystem, as they control jellyfish populations,” said Callie Veelenturf, the founder and executive director of conservation organization The Leatherback Project. “Jellyfish consume fish and fish larva, so sea turtles contribute to healthy ocean ecosystems and also support local fishing communities by controlling blooming jellyfish populations.” Veelenturf was not involved in Mojo’s rescue or rehabilitation.

Miami-Dade Sea Turtles responded to the emergency call for Mojo on Dec. 29. In an Instagram post, the conservation group detailed how the male sea turtle struggled in the shore break of Miami’s most famous beach. Eventually, they brought him ashore for an initial assessment. In pictures, Mojo appears with wounds on his upper carapace and head. A capture shows the magnificent reptile staring at the lights of the big city.

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A post shared by Miami-Dade Sea Turtles (@miamidadeseaturtles)

Mojo was transported via Turtle Ambulance to the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida for further assessment and treatment. Manager Bette Zirkelbach told EcoWatch, “The best guess based on his condition is he suffered a severe entanglement, got himself free, got caught in the inshore current and then was not strong enough to swim back out through the surf.” He ended up beached on South Beach and eventually under Zirkelbach and her team’s care.

^{Turtle rescue technicians tend to Mojo, a leatherback turtle, in the Turtle Ambulance. The Turtle Hospital}

Unfortunately, this is a common challenge for leatherback sea turtles worldwide. Once prevalent in every ocean except the Arctic and Antarctic, leatherback populations are now in rapid decline, NOAA reported. The agency estimates that the global population has declined over 40 percent in the last three generations, with some nesting populations “essentially disappeared” and others “at risk of extinction.”

Florida’s Atlantic coast constitutes some of the main nesting areas for the Atlantic leatherback in the continental United States. However, “significant decreases in recent years” have also been observed in the sunshine state. See the Endangered Species Act’s 2020 Status Review for additional information on leatherback sea turtle abundance and population trends.

So, what’s taking down these “dinosaurs”? According to NOAA, the greatest threat to leatherbacks is becoming bycatch (incidental capture in fishing gear), hunting of sea turtles and collection of eggs for human consumption. Marine debris makes NOAA’s top five list of threats to leatherbacks, with entanglement in lost or derelict fishing gear leading to serious injuries, drownings and even death.

Veelenturf explained, “Sea turtles are air-breathing reptiles and can only hold their breath for up to 2 hours, so they are specifically susceptible to drowning via entanglement in fishing gear that is set for many hours at a time.” She launched several unrelated projects to combat fisheries bycatch of leatherback sea turtles but was not involved in this rescue.

Luckily for our sea turtle, the veterinary staff at The Turtle Hospital helped him get his mojo back. He received fluids, a long-acting, broad-spectrum antibiotic, vitamins and an anti-inflammatory. With treatment, he regained strength and passed his swim test. Leatherback sea turtles do not do well in captivity and often deteriorate in tank settings, Zirkelbach said. Therefore, when Mojo proved he could swim strong and dive as normal, he was cleared for release – just a few days after his rescue.

^{After treatment and swim tests, Mojo was released into the Gulf Stream off the Florida Keys. The Turtle Hospital}

“We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome to end the year on!” Zirkelbach celebrated. “Mojo made a big splash returning to his ocean home in time for the New Year! Swim free, Mojo!

All sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation activities were conducted by authorized personnel under FWC marine turtle permits.

^{A group of people and organizations worked together to rescue, rehabilitate and release Mojo, an endangered leatherback sea turtle that stranded itself on Miami’s South Beach. The Turtle Hospital}

The post Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release: A Sea Turtle Success Story to Kick off 2024 appeared first on EcoWatch.

https://www.ecowatch.com/sea-turtle-rescue-rehabilitation-miami-south-beach.html

Green Living

Earth911 Inspiration: Time Is but the Stream

Published

2 days ago

February 27, 2026

Alice Rush

Thoreau wrote in Walden that “Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in,” which reminds us that life is short and nature fills it beautifully. What are you looking for that can’t be found during an afternoon in nature?

Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. Click the poster to get a larger image.

The post Earth911 Inspiration: Time Is but the Stream appeared first on Earth911.

https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-time-is-but-the-stream/

Green Living

Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute’s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action

Published

4 days ago

February 25, 2026

Alice Rush

Turn back the clock with this classic interview that will get you ready for Spring yard care planning. A lawn may be beautiful but it can take a heavy toll on the environment, accounting for between 30% and 60% of residential water use in the United States. Rob Moir, Ph.D., is president and executive director of the Ocean River Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ORI works with residential lawn owners to heal damaged ecosystems by restoring coastal areas to lessen the destructive impacts of climate change. The benefits of a natural lawn reach far beyond reduced local water pollution, eliminating chemicals that can contribute to cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and other cellular diseases. Natural lawns are also better for local pollinators and store much more carbon than heavily fertilized lawns. If you considered removing your lawn to play a part in the battle against climate change, this interview may change your mind — a healthy lawn is a powerful carbon sink.

Rob Moir, Ph.D., president and executive director of the Ocean River Institute, is our guest on *Sustainability in Your Ear*.

The Ocean River Institute is recruiting Massachusetts communities, town by town, to take a pledge to follow natural lawn practices in the Healthy Soils for Climate Restoration Challenge. You don’t need to live in Massachusetts to participate and learn about the alternatives to the traditional, chemical-intensive lawn practices that use Roundup, a source of glyphosates that kills soil-dwelling fungi and local pollinators, and fast-acting nitrogen fertilizers. You can learn more about the Ocean River Institute at www.oceanriver.org.

Rob has contributed many articles about climate change and the history of environmental change since this interview, including:

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Editor’s Note: This episode originally aired on May 30, 2022.

The post Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute’s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action appeared first on Earth911.

https://earth911.com/podcast/earth911-podcast-the-ocean-river-institutes-natural-lawn-challenge-for-climate-action/

Green Living

7 Best Sustainable Wedding Dresses for Your Special Day

Published

5 days ago

February 23, 2026

Alice Rush

Choosing your perfect gown can be one of the most exciting decisions for your special day, but for the eco fashionista, it can be a challenge to find a dress that fits your values and style — but these brands have exceptional sustainable wedding dresses you’ll swoon over!

Using earth-minded materials like hemp, cruelty-free peace silk, deadstock recycled fabrics and vintage lace, and producing consciously, either in small batches or handcrafting each individual piece made-to-order, the brands below meet high standards for transparency, ecological sustainability, and fair labor.

[For more sustainable wedding dresses, check out this guide to secondhand wedding dress sites!]

Note that the guide contains affiliate links. As always, we only feature brands that meet strict criteria for sustainability we love, that we think you’ll love too!

1. Christy Dawn

sustainable wedding dresses from Christy Dawn

Dreamy dress brand Christy Dawn does not disappoint with their romantic bridal collection! Each piece is more swoon-worthy than the next.

Their three sustainable bridal gowns are made from regenerative silk charmeuse —sourced through BOMBYX, an innovative silk producer using best practices — and colored in a beautiful pearl silk with non-toxic dyes. Each dress is ethically cut and sewn by makers in Los Angeles earning living wages, as with the rest of Christy Dawn’s collections.

The Britta Dress and Fitzgerald Dress are 1920s inspired while the Athena Dress is a more modern (but equally romantic) option. All of these dresses are made-to-order with an estimated timeline of 4 weeks.

Conscious Qualities: Regenerative silk and organic non-toxic dyes, ethically made-to-order in Los Angeles

Price Range: $2,500 – $3,000

Size Range: XS – XL

Check Out Christy Dawn Bridal

2. Pure Magnolia

Classic sustainable wedding dresses from Pure Magnolia

Blending the traditional with the modern, Pure Magnolia designs classic-inspired sustainable wedding dresses with contemporary touches. And each dress is made in their Canadian studio by seamstresses earning fair wages from eco-fabrics, such as organic cotton and hemp silk.

The brand sources recycled fabrics whenever possible as well, and recycles their scrap fabric through FABCYCLE.

Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, locally and fairly made, recycles scrap fabrics

Price Range: $845 – $3,300 CAD

Size Range: 0 – 28

Check Out Pure Magnolia

3. Lost in Paris

Bohemian-inspired gowns ethically made by Lost in Paris

Lost in Paris crafts each of their creatively designed bohemian-inspired gowns ethically in their Sydney, Australia studio. Unconventional yet undeniably striking, Lost in Paris’ dresses are made from vintage lace and cotton.

Investing in a dress from Lost in Paris is seamless — the brand offers at-home sample try-ons, offers train and sleeve adjustments on several styles, ships their dresses worldwide for free, and even accepts returns. Oh, and, if one of their ready-made sizes doesn’t work for you, you can get a dress designed to your measurements.

Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, uses vintage lace, locally made

Price Range: $950 – $3900 AUD

Size Range: XXS – XXL + custom sizing options

Check Out Lost in Paris

For More Slow Fashion Content:

4. Wear Your Love

Ethical wedding dresses made with organic cotton from wear your love

Wear Your Love creates feminine, effortless dresses in their Northern California studio that are — in contrast to the majority of wedding dresses on the market — actually comfortable! The brand’s free-spirited designs are made with soft, earth-minded fabrics like organic cotton and each dress is made to order for each bride to their exact measurements.

There are also customizations available for each eco-friendly wedding dress such as train or no train, skirt or sleeve linings, back coverage, skirt style, and more.

Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, made-to-order model, locally and transparently made

Price Range: $680 – $1,700

Size Range: N/A; dresses are made to your measurements

Check Out Wear Your Love

5. Larimeloom

Custom-made ethical wedding dresses from Larimeloom

Based in Reggio Emilia, Italy, Larimeloom crafts exceptional custom-made dresses by hand in their atelier. The brand creates comfortable minimalist dresses from durable natural fabrics and colors them with natural or non-toxic dyes.

Larimeloom has also implemented zero waste design techniques, cutting their patterns strategically in order to minimize fabric waste.

Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, zero-waste designs, natural fabrics and dyes

Price Range: 650€ – 2,650€

Size Range: XS – XL

Explore Larimelume

6. Sister Organics

Lace wedding dresses made with earth-friendly natural fabrics from Sister Organics

Sourcing quality earth-friendly natural fabrics like organic hemp and cotton, Sister Organics creates classic, eco-friendly wedding dresses for UK-based brides.

Each dress is made to order in England, so you can select a pre-defined size, customize the length of a size, or get an entirely different dress made for your measurements.

Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, made-to-order model

Price Range: £125 – £390

Size Range: XXS – XXL + custom sizing

Check Out Sister Organics

7. Indiebride London

Vintage-inspired eco wedding dresses from Indiebride London

Indiebride’s vintage-inspired sustainable wedding dresses are delicate and romantic yet free-spirited, offering a unique collection for the bride that wants to skip the conventional wedding gown and choose a piece that fits their individual style.

The brand’s conscious wedding dresses are handmade in London using majority natural fibers and can be altered or customized to your specifications.

Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, uses many natural fabrics, locally made

Price Range: £1,200 – £1,700

Size Range: 8 – 16 (UK sizes)

Check Out Indiebride