No. 55, Nov. 22, 2018

Hello Revelator readers,

This is a week when we try to offer thanks to the things that make us grateful. That should include the world's indigenous peoples, whose stewardship has helped forests and biodiversity thrive for centuries and continues to do so. As we explore this week, indigenous peoples may be our last line of defense against climate change and extinction.

Speaking of forests, new research takes a close look at those little patches of habitat remaining after rainforests and other ecosystems get chopped away. According to the scientists, these fragments still play important roles in preserving biodiversity. Find out how — and why that makes it more important to save even the smallest patches.

In other news, did you know ocean conservation is also an environmental justice issue? Around the world, billions of people depend on healthy oceans. According to marine biologist Ayana Johnson, "Poor people and people of color in coastal communities will be most at risk" if we fail to protect ocean and coastal ecosystems. Check out our interview to learn more.

Have you ever noticed how some people just refuse to hear the truth about climate change? They're not necessarily climate deniers, but the news just goes in one ear and out the other. Turns out that's a common thought process for people when they're exposed to all kinds of threats — and there's a way around it.

In case you missed it:

Explore our archive of stories about environmental issues affecting indigenous peoples — and stay tuned for more in the future.

Subscriber bonus: The Wild 5

Welcome to "The Wild 5," an exclusive new feature for our newsletter subscribers where we'll profile five additional stories we're watching each week.

1. How are protected areas across the globe faring? National Geographic breaks down the most important findings in the latest Protected Planet Report. Here's one takeaway: Not nearly enough habitat is safe.

2. In a beautiful interactive story, The New York Times shows how Yellowstone National Park and its iconic wildlife will be inexorably altered by climate change.

3. If you've ever wondered what orcas may be talking about, Mongabay reports on a new app that allows people to listen in real time to whales in the Salish Sea between Washington and British Columbia.

4. Wombats are the only known species to have cube-shaped poop. If you want to know both why and how, IFLScience has the details.

5. Finally, scientists continue to study how animals and plants are adapting to climate change. For some species, warming temperatures could be an "escalator to extinction."

What should we cover next?

We welcome your ideas and inside scoops. Drop us a line anytime.

Coming up:

We're working hard on several new stories and essays, including articles about snails, roads and death. (Don't worry — we have several positive stories in the works, too.)

We'll have a fresh batch of links in next week's newsletter. If you don't want to wait that long, follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest headlines as they go live. And while you're on social media, we hope you'll share our stories with your friends — or your crazy uncle who you only see on the holidays. We like to bring people together.

That's it for this week. As always, we're thankful to you for reading.