AI systems are learning to listen to and decode the sounds of nature, helping scientists to track species and spot ecosystem changes much faster than traditional field surveys. By Michael Allen Strolling through a forest, you may notice that the air is filled with sound. Birds sing, insects and small mammals rustle through the undergrowth, and at … Read more
More than half of Europe’s soils are degraded. Researchers are showing that restoring soil through better farming makes both ecological and financial sense. By Bárbara Pinho Soils feed us, filter our water and support most of the food chain on Earth. But they are also among Europe’s most neglected resources –quietly degrading beneath our feet … Read more
Across Africa, efficient use of water is increasingly crucial. Researchers and local communities have joined forces in six countries to restore land, water and livelihoods through nature-based solutions. By Helen Massy-Beresford In Ranerou, north-east Senegal, locals and environmental experts are working side by side to improve livelihoods and farming conditions, and protect the region’s biodiversity. … Read more
From city air to drinking water, microplastics are becoming impossible to avoid. EU-funded researchers are now exploring how these tiny particles interact with our bodies and assessing their long-term health impact. By Anthony King Visitors to Utrecht’s Wilhelmina Park in the summer of 2023 may have come across an unusual sight: volunteers on stationary exercise … Read more
From wildfire-resistant landscapes in Spain to flood warning systems in Denmark, researchers are working with local communities to find, test and deploy practical ways to live with climate change – and to share what works across borders. By Bárbara Pinho Many people expect a raging wildfire to leave a blackened, lifeless landscape in its wake. … Read more
From drones and smart cameras to biodegradable packaging, EU-funded researchers are working to remove plastic from rivers before it ever reaches the sea. By Tom Cassauwers From his bedroom desk in the Belgian town of Dendermonde, Gert Everaert used to watch the river Scheldt flow past. Barges and small boats drifted by. Birds fished. But the … Read more