creativity

The 2026 Winter Olympic Mascots Have a High-Tech Biomimicry Secret

Christa Avampato

Meet the stoat: A master of soft robotics and adaptive camouflage who has been refining their technology for 5 million years.

An ermine with a white winter fur coat peaking out from the snow.
Ermine in winter. Photo by National Park Service.

If you’ve been watching the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina this week, you’ve likely seen the mascots: two adorable, ferret-like creatures named Tina and Milo.

They are stoats (also known as ermines when they have their winter white coats!), and they were chosen to represent the games because of their liveliness and resilience. But biologically speaking, the stoat isn’t just cute. They are engineering marvels that have been refining their technology for over 5 million years.

While athletes are pushing the limits of human performance on the slopes, the stoat offers a masterclass in biomimicry—inspiring everything from search-and-rescue robots to “smart” clothing.

Here are three ways this little creature is shaping the future of technology:

1. The Soft Robotics Revolution

The stoat’s superpower is their shape. They’re elongated, highly flexible body allow them to navigate complex, burrow-like environments that other predators can’t touch.

Engineers are now studying this slender agility to design soft, maneuverable robots. Unlike rigid machines, these stoat-inspired bots can twist and flex to navigate narrow, restricted spaces—making them perfect for search-and-rescue operations in collapsed buildings or inspecting intricate pipeline infrastructure.

2. Adaptive Camouflage (Smart Materials)

We know the stoat changes their coat from rusty brown to snowy white in the winter. But biomimicry looks deeper than just the color change.

Researchers are studying the ermine transformation to develop adaptive materials that can change their properties based on environmental cues. Imagine stealth technologies or outdoor gear that doesn’t just insulate, but actively responds to temperature shifts and visual surroundings, mimicking the stoat’s ability to blend seamlessly into a snowy landscape.

3. Algorithms of Efficiency

Stoats are specialized hunters. Their movement is fast, fluid, and incredibly efficient.

Computer scientists are now analyzing their hunting dynamics and even their playful behavior to write better code. The way a stoat moves—making split-second decisions to navigate obstacles while maintaining speed—is informing movement algorithms for autonomous vehicles and drones.

The Togetherhood Takeaway

It is easy to look at nature as sweet and poetic. Nature’s that, and so much more. When we look at a stoat, we are looking at 5–7 million years of R&D and adaptation through experimentation.

As we cheer on the athletes this week, let’s give a little applause to Tina and Milo, too. They aren’t just mascots; they are blueprints for the next generation of adaptive, resilient technology.

Nature doesn’t just survive the winter. She engineers her way through it.

creativity

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Christa Avampato
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is a stunning novel. There is a small handful of books that I have wanted to hold close to my chest when I finished them. When I read (or heard) the final word, I was sad. I felt I had lost a friend. Not wanting them to be over, I had the impulse to read (or listen) to them all over again. These are books that make me want to keep being a writer. They are books that make me hope one day I will write one sentence that reaches someone in a way that these books have reached me. The Correspondent is one of those books.

I got the audiobook from the Brooklyn Public Library because so many people I know said how much they loved it, and in particular how much they loved the audiobook. Rather than being read by one narrator, this book has a different reader for nearly every character and I loved that as much as I loved the letters themselves. It felt more like the reading of a play than a book.

Rather than defining my to-be-read list by formal book reviews, I tend to read books that are recommended to me by people who know me. The fact that The Correspondent has become such a breakout success almost made me skip it because many times books that are this popular have left me wondering what everyone else sees that I don’t. So I got The Correspondent out of curiosity, but not expecting much from it. I was absolutely wrong.

A handful of minutes into the audiobook, I found myself being unable to do much else until I finished it. I found myself imagining the settings and the characters as my neighbors and friends even though the book has very little physical description. It is a series of letters (and emails and postcards) to and from different people in the book, most of them originating from or addressed to the main character, Sybil Van Antwerp, a forthright and articulate retiree in her 70s with steadfast opinions and deep, secret regrets.

By the end of the book we understand the arc of Sybil’s life that led to her talents, flaws, and circumstances. I laughed out loud, cried heavy tears, and learned so much about the human condition. The book made me want to give myself and others more grace, forgiveness, and love. It made me want to write more letters. It made me want to keep journaling. It reminded me that worlds don’t need to be fantastical to be poignant or wonder-filled. Our ordinary every day lives hold a magic of their own.

In the end we all become stories, as Margaret Atwood so beautifully articulated, and The Correspondent has that theme at its heart. It made me think about which stories people will tell about me. By the end of my time, what will I have done that will be worth remembering? Can living with the end in mind make our days more meaningful for us, and also for the people who will live beyond our last day?

I don’t have any answers to those questions. But I am enormously grateful to author Virginia Evans for planting those seeds in my mind and heart, and I will be thinking about them for a very long time. Perhaps I’ll write her a letter to let her know.

creativity

Breathe Like a Bird (Without Growing Wings)

Christa Avampato
The Golden Tanager, a yellow bird flying in a bright blue sky with wings outstretched.
The Golden Tanager, a high-flying bird native to the Andes Mountains in South America. Photo by Bird Bird on Unsplash.

Last week we looked at why our dogs are sensitive to toxins. This week, we look up. Why birds are the most efficient breathers on Earth—and what they can teach us about stress, stamina, and clearing the air.

Last week, I wrote about how our dogs act as “biological sentinels” in our homes. Because they live on the floor and groom their fur, they are often the first to show the effects of the invisible toxins in our home environment.

But there is another biological sentinel we have relied on for centuries: The canary in the coal mine.

We often use that phrase to describe a warning sign. But have you ever stopped to ask why the canary dies first?

It isn’t just because they are small. It’s because they are superior breathers.

As I was digging into the research on environmental health last week, I learned that birds extract significantly more oxygen from the air than mammals do. While that makes them more vulnerable to pollution, it also makes them athletes of the sky.

The bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) is renowned for its ability to fly directly over the Himalayas during its biannual migration between Central Asia and India, with sightings recorded at altitudes exceeding 28,000 feet, nearly reaching the peak of Mount Everest. The air is so thin at that altitude that it would kill a human. Birds can not only survive but can exert themselves that high in the air because of the unique way they process breath.

Since February is often a month where we feel stifled by the cold of winter (especially this year!), I wondered: Can we learn to breathe like a bird?

The Science: The Circle vs. The Tide

The difference comes down to flow.

Humans breathe like the tide. We have a tidal breath system. We breathe air into an enclosed sac (our lungs), and then we have to push it back out the same way it came in. The problem? We are terrible at emptying the tank. We often leave “stale” air trapped in the bottom of our lungs, mixing fresh oxygen with old carbon dioxide. It’s inefficient.

Birds breathe in a circle. Birds have a system of air sacs that act like bellows. They push air through their lungs in one continuous direction.

  • When a bird inhales, it gets fresh oxygen.
  • The Mind-Blowing Part: When a bird exhales, it moves stored air from a rear sac into the lungs, meaning it gets fresh oxygen again.

They get oxygen on the inhale and the exhale. They never stop fueling the engine.

(If you want to see this in action, watch this 2-minute animation. It completely changed how I visualize breath: https://youtu.be/_NnBgM41jp0)

How Can We Adapt the Breath of a Bird: Focus on the Exhale

We cannot physically grow air sacs (unfortunately). But we can mimic the bird’s efficiency by changing one simple habit.

Most of us are shallow breathers. When we are stressed, we take tiny sips of air, leaving that stale air stagnant in our lungs.

To breathe like a bird, we don’t only need to inhale more; we need to exhale more.

Try this Biomimicry-inspired Bird Breath:

  1. Empty the Tank: Instead of just letting your breath go, actively push the air out until your lungs feel completely empty. Squeeze the abs. Get rid of the “tidal” leftovers.
  2. The Recoil: Once you are truly empty, your body will naturally reflexively gasp for a deep, full breath of fresh air.
  3. Repeat: By focusing on the out, the in takes care of itself.

Nature designed birds to never waste a breath. We might not be able to fly over the Himalayas, but by clearing out the stale air, we can definitely navigate our day with a little more altitude.

creativity

Math, Not Myth: A Clear-Eyed Guide to NYC’s $12 Billion Crisis

Christa Avampato

We’re seeing a lot of headlines and finger pointing about NYC’s budget crisis. Here’s a clear-eyed breakdown I wrote of what’s actually happening and why, and what we can do about it.

A picture of the NYC skyline as seen from the water looking at Lower Manhattan
Photo by Jermaine Ee on Unsplash

New York City is currently staring down a projected budget gap of $12.6 billion over the next two fiscal years ($2.2 billion for 2026 and $10.4 billion for 2027). While headlines often focus on political blame, the math behind this crisis is driven by three specific, documented factors:

1. The “Funding Cliff”

During the pandemic, the city received billions in one-time federal aid. This money was used to launch or expand recurring programs, such as 3-K, mental health services, and summer youth employment. Now that the federal funds have dried up, the city must either find its own tax revenue to pay for them or shut the programs down. This “cliff” accounts for roughly $700 million to $1 billion in new annual costs.

2. Chronic Underbudgeting

Non-partisan watchdogs like the IBO have flagged a trend of “underbudgeting” known expenses. This occurs when the city’s budget lists a cost (like police overtime or housing vouchers) far below what history suggests will actually be spent.

  • The Reality: In FY 2026 alone, unbudgeted costs for rental assistance (CityFHEPS), uniformed overtime (NYPD/FDNY), and special education legal cases are projected to create a $3.8 billion hole that wasn’t fully accounted for in initial plans.

3. State Mandates

New York State laws often require the city to spend more without providing the full funding to cover it. The most significant example is the Class Size Mandate, which requires smaller classes in NYC schools. The IBO estimates this will cost the city an additional $700 million to $1.6 billion annually by 2027.

What Can Be Done? (Mamdani & Levine’s Path Forward)

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Comptroller Mark Levine are now tasked with closing this gap. Here is what they are proposing (or could do) to mitigate the crisis in both the short and long term:

Short-Term Fixes (Closing the 2026 Gap)

  • Targeted Efficiency (PEGs): The Mayor can implement a Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG). Rather than across-the-board cuts, this targets “administrative efficiencies”—like consolidating back-office functions or reducing the $1 billion spent annually on vacant positions that haven’t been filled in years.
  • Re-evaluating the “Rainy Day Fund”: The city currently has billions in reserves. While monitors warn against using these for recurring costs, a one-time draw could prevent immediate, “destabilizing” service cuts while more permanent solutions are negotiated.
  • Revenue Generation: Mayor Mamdani has proposed taxing the city’s highest earners and most profitable corporations. This would require state approval and is a central part of his strategy to avoid “austerity” cuts to services.

Long-Term Solutions (Stabilizing the 2027+ Gaps)

Healthcare Savings: The Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) has suggested that rebidding the city’s massive health insurance contracts for employees could save upwards of $1 billion annually without reducing benefits, by leveraging the city’s massive size to get better rates.

Budgetary Transparency: Comptroller Levine has pushed for a “Truth in Budgeting” approach. This means accurately budgeting for overtime and housing vouchers from day one, rather than pretending the costs will be lower. This prevents mid-year “surprises” and allows for more honest long-term planning.

State Level Negotiation: The city is currently pushing Albany to foot more of the bill for the Class Size Mandate and to increase the city’s share of state tax revenue. (Currently, NYC provides over 50% of state revenue but receives back much less in aid).

For further reading and raw data, visit these non-partisan resources:

creativity

Uncovering the secret stories of Prohibition at NYC’s Secrets & Lies

Christa Avampato

What a night! Last night, we gathered in a hidden speakeasy in the heart of the city for a sold-out edition of NYC’s Secrets & Lies: Prohibition.🥂

There is nothing quite like the energy of a room full of New Yorkers leaning in to hear the hidden histories of their city. I am so proud of the community we are building with this show. 🌐

A massive shoutout to our storytellers Melissa, Bethany, Margo, and Taylor who were phenomenal! 👩‍🎤 And as always I have unending gratitude for our amazing audience, and my friends Ashley, Vicki, and Erin who care so deeply about this show 🫶 and always provide me with such excellent advice, input, and counsel. 🙌

If you missed this one, don’t worry! We have two shows coming up in March and April, both back at the South Street Seaport Museum 🛳️ – the history of NYC sports 🏀 and the history of women who defined the NYC waterfront! 👷‍♀️ Your $15 ticket includes our storytelling show, the museum exhibit, drinks, & snacks. Links to buy tickets:

March 29th – NYC Sports History:
seaportmuseum.org/sports-secrets-lies

April 30th – Women of the NYC Waterfront:
seaportmuseum.org/waterfront-secrets-lies

Check out some of the photos from our Prohibition show below! Which one is your favorite? 👇

creativity

How Our Pets Warn Us About Toxins (And What To Do About It)

Christa Avampato
Phineas at our home in 2016. Photo by Christa Avampato.

Why our pets are getting sick in our homes and neighborhoods—and the changes we can make today to protect their health and ours.

We often talk about saving nature as something that happens out there—in the rainforests or the ocean. But for millions of us, the most intimate connection we have with the animal kingdom is sleeping at the foot of our bed.

As many of you know, I lost my soul dog, Phineas, two years ago. Today is the 2-year anniversary of his passing.

In his honor, I spent the last year fostering 11 dogs (and counting!) with Muddy Paws Rescue, giving them a safe landing place before they found their forever families. Now, I’m beginning the search for my heart dog—a companion I plan to train as a therapy dog to visit oncology wards and participate in public library programs where kids read to dogs to boost their confidence and literacy skills.

As I prepare my home for my heart dog, I’ve been reading a lot about canine health, training, and cognition. I never expected this reading to overlap with my passion for creating a more sustainable planet.

A fascinating body of research has emerged recently, framing our pets as modern-day “biological sentinels.” By observing their sensitivity to the air, water, ground, and floors of our shared environments, they provide us with powerful warnings about invisible hazards that are impacting our health and theirs.

The Science: Why They Get Sick First

Because our pets share our exact environment, they can detect risks we can’t with our senses alone.

Researchers like Heather Stapleton at Duke University and Matthew Campen at the University of New Mexico have found that our pets often carry significantly higher loads of environmental toxins—including flame retardants, microplastics, and heavy metals—than their human families. This is because they are in much closer and constant contact with the ground outside, the floors in our homes, and unfiltered tap water.

Why? The answer is simple geometry and biology:

  1. Gravity: Toxic chemicals in our homes (from furniture foam, electronics, and cleaning sprays) eventually settle as dust. Gravity pulls that dust to the floor—exactly where our dogs live, sleep, and play.
  2. Grooming: Unlike us, dogs “clean” themselves with their tongues. This means they are essentially ingesting a concentrated dose of whatever dust has settled on their coat from their walks and while relaxing at home.
  3. Time: Because pets have shorter lifespans and faster metabolisms, they often develop diseases years before their human families do, effectively acting as an early warning system for the household.

What Are Researchers Finding?

The specific findings are both eye-opening and concerning. But the good news is we can do something about this.

  • Flame Retardants: Stapleton’s team found dogs had notably high levels of flame retardants commonly used in sofa foam and electronics—chemicals linked to cancer and hormone disruption in animals and humans.
  • Microplastics: In a separate study, Campen’s team found microplastics in the reproductive organs of dogs. Crucially, the dogs living in human homes mirrored the types of plastics found in humans, confirming that we’re all breathing and ingesting the same synthetic “dust.”

The Fix

This research is sobering, but I view it as data we can use to help everyone—animals and humans alike. As I look for my heart dog, I’m taking steps to make sure my apartment in Brooklyn is a safe ecosystem for them.

Because the primary vector is dust at home, the solutions are low-tech, highly effective, easy, and inexpensive. Here are three changes we can make to protect our animals and ourselves:

1. The “Wet Dust” Rule: Stop using dry dusters. They just kick the toxic dust back into the air, where it settles back down on the floor. Instead, use a damp microfiber cloth. The water traps the dust particles so we can actually remove them from the home.

2. Wash Your Hands (After Petting): If a dog’s fur is a dust magnet, petting them transfers those chemicals to our hands. If we then eat a sandwich, we’re ingesting those chemicals. Washing our hands protects us. I also wipe my dogs’ paws when they come inside to keep my home as clean as possible. Now I know wiping their paws and coat with a damp cloth protects them, too.

3. Vacuum with a HEPA Filter: Standard vacuums often just recirculate the finest (and most dangerous) particles. A vacuum with a sealed HEPA filter actually captures the chemicals associated with that dust.

We share an ecosystem with our pets. By making our homes safer for them, we are inevitably making them safer for ourselves, too.

creativity

Why We Need Chill Hours (According to an Apple Tree, a Squirrel, and a Bear)

Christa Avampato
Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash

We feel guilty for being tired in January. But for apple trees, squirrels, and bears doing nothing is the most productive thing they do all year.

I grew up on an apple farm in New York State’s Hudson Valley.

Because of that, my relationship with winter is a little different than most. To the casual observer, an apple orchard in January looks unproductive. The branches are bare, the ground is frozen, and it appears that nothing is happening.

But if you ask a farmer, they’ll tell you January is one of the most critical months of the year. It’s the month that decides the harvest.

We have a tendency in our culture to treat rest as a sign of weakness—or at best, a reward you get only after you’ve burned out. But nature has a different rulebook. She doesn’t ask herself to earn her rest. In the wild, winter isn’t a pause button; it’s an active biological process of repair.

If you’re feeling slow, foggy, or tired this week, I have good news: there’s nothing wrong with you. In fact, you’re doing everything right according to nature. You are just wintering.

Here are three examples of how nature uses the cold to build the future—and how we can adopt a few pages of her playbook.

1. The Apple Tree: Counting the Cold

On the farm, nature and farmers alike live by a concept called “Chill Hours.”

We tend to think trees just “shut off” when the temperature drops. In reality, they’re actively counting. Apple trees have a strict biological requirement to endure a specific number of hours (usually 800 to 1,000) between 32° and 45°F (0° and 7°C.)

If they don’t get those hours—if the winter is too warm or too short—the hormone that suppresses blooming won’t break down. They literally cannot produce fruit in the spring unless they have rested enough in the winter.

The lesson? The productivity of the harvest is biologically impossible without the stillness of the winter. You aren’t losing time by resting; you’re banking your Chill Hours for when the light and warmth of spring return.

2. The Arctic Ground Squirrel: Renovating the Brain

If you’ve felt a bit of “brain fog” lately, you’re in good company.

When the Arctic Ground Squirrel hibernates, their body temperature drops below freezing, and they essentially disconnects their neural pathways. Their brain synapses wither and retract—like pruning a tree—to save energy.

This sounds destructive, but it’s actually a renovation. Research shows that when they wake up, their brains undergo a massive “regrowth” phase. They regenerate those connections stronger and more efficient than before, similar to how muscle fibers when broken down by exercise knit themselves back together when we rest to become stronger.

The brain fog isn’t a failure; it’s a remodel. Sometimes the brain needs to disconnect to clear the clutter and build new pathways for the year ahead.

3. The Black Bear: The Miracle Healers

Finally, there’s the bear. We know they enter a deep sleep in the winter, but what happens while they sleep is the real miracle.

Research from the University of Minnesota found a stunning capability in hibernating black bears: they are super-healers. If a bear goes into hibernation with a wound, the bear will heal faster and with less scarring during their dormant state than they would during the active summer months.

Even with a metabolism running at a fraction of normal speed, their immune system shifts into a specialized repair mode.

It’s a powerful reminder: We heal best when we rest.

A Permission Slip for January

If nature—in all her wisdom and efficiency—requires a season of dormancy to prepare for fruit, rewire the brain, and heal wounds, why do we think we are exempt? Why do we insist on pushing through when what we really need is the sleep and rest that will help us be better versions of ourselves in the long-run? Sleep and rest are powerful tools. Use them. Appreciate them. Luxuriate in them. Your future self will thank you.

So, if you’re struggling to get into high gear this winter, stop. Take a nap. Read a book. Laugh with friends. Eat nourishing food. Breathe. Let the ground freeze knowing you’re giving yourself your necessary Chill Hours. Spring will be here soon enough. Don’t rush it. Rest.

creativity

The Ocean Gets a Shield This Saturday (and Weeds Get a Win)

Christa Avampato

From a historic treaty to a policy change for “messy” farms, here are the big and small wins for nature this week.

Photo by Todd Cravens on Unsplash

The biggest conservation win of the year is happening this Saturday. 🌊

But the story I can’t stop thinking about this week comes from a farm in Northern Ireland.

Nature is already racking up big and small wins in January 2026:

  • The High Seas Treaty goes live this weekend (finally!).
  • A new rule in Northern Ireland stops punishing farmers for having “messy” land.
  • And 7,000 tiny snails pull off the greatest comeback in history.

Sometimes the best news is found in the weeds. 👇

—

Last week, we looked at the major dates on the horizon for nature in 2026. This week, the first one is already knocking on the door.

This Saturday, January 17, the High Seas Treaty officially becomes international law. It is a massive moment for global conservation—perhaps the biggest of the decade. But while the world focuses on the giant blue expanse of the ocean, there was another win this week for the tiny, messy corners of the Earth that deserves just as much attention.

Here are the wins—big and small—that are making me smile this week.

1. The Global Win: The High Seas Treaty Goes Live

Mark your calendars for this Saturday, January 17.

That is the day the High Seas Treaty finally enters into force. It transforms the “Wild West” of the open ocean into a managed, protected space.

This treaty provides the legal power to create marine sanctuaries in international waters for the first time. It has been a decades-long fight involving complex negotiations and 60+ country ratifications, but this weekend, it finally crosses the finish line. As of Saturday, the legal mechanism to protect half the planet is officially “on.”

2. The “Messy” Win: Scrub is No Longer a Crime

We often think of conservation as planting trees or saving whales, but sometimes it is just about updating a spreadsheet.

This month, a quiet but revolutionary policy shift kicked in for farmers in Northern Ireland. For years, farmers there faced financial penalties if their land had too much “scrub”—things like bracken, bog, or wild corners that weren’t “productive” for crops. The old rules literally incentivized them to clear-cut nature just to keep their funding.

As of January 1, that rule is gone. Under the new Farm Sustainability Payment scheme, “soft features” like scrub and naturally regenerating land are no longer treated as a liability. They are now recognized for what they are: vital homes for biodiversity. It is a small policy tweak that sends a huge message: Nature doesn’t have to be neat to be valuable.

3. The Comeback Win: 7,000 Snails Go Home

Finally, a story about resilience that proves it is never too late to go home.

In a historic milestone, 7,000 Partula snails were recently flown back to their ancestral home in French Polynesia. These tiny snails were wiped out by invasive species in the 90s, but zoos around the world (from London to St. Louis) kept a backup population alive in specialized terrariums.

Now, after decades of careful breeding, they are back in the forests of Tahiti and Moorea. Why does this story about snails matter? It is the largest reintroduction of a species officially declared “extinct in the wild” in history. It’s a slow, steady victory brought about by a group of people passionate about saving wildlife—and a reminder for all of us that we can fix what we’ve broken.

A Thought for the Week

Whether it is a treaty covering half the planet or a patch of scrub on a farm in Ireland, the goal is the same: making space for life to thrive.

creativity

4 Wins for Nature in 2026

Christa Avampato
A sea lion swims past a starfish, highlighting the vibrant marine life the High Seas Treaty aims to protect. Photo: © Ocean Image Bank/Hannes Klost (via UN News https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/09/1165901)

Last week, we closed out the year by looking at the victories nature secured in 2025 that didn’t get enough coverage. Today, let’s look forward.

It is easy to dread the headlines this coming year. We know the challenges we face—political headwinds, climate tipping points, and the sheer noise of it all. But if we only look for the fires, we miss the flowers.

2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for the wild world. From the icy steppes of Kazakhstan to the open ocean (and even the sun itself), there are massive moments on the horizon worthy of celebration.

Here are three dates I’m circling in red on my calendar this year.

1. January 17: The Ocean Gets a Shield

We don’t have to wait long for the first massive win. On January 17, the High Seas Treaty officially enters into force.

You might remember we talked about this last year when it hit the ratification threshold, but next week it becomes international law. This is the legal “go” signal that finally allows the world to establish Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in international waters—the vast blue “wild west” that covers nearly two-thirds of our ocean. For the first time, we have a mechanism to protect life in the deep sea from unregulated exploitation.

2. Spring 2026: The Return of the Tiger

This spring, a roar is expected to return to Central Asia for the first time in 70 years. In a historic reintroduction project, conservationists are scheduled to release Amur Tigers back into the Ili-Balkhash Nature Reserve in Kazakhstan.

This project has been years in the making. It involves not just moving cats, but restoring an entire ecosystem—bringing back the prey species (like Bukhara deer) and the riparian forests the tigers need to survive. It is a powerful reminder that we can do more than just protect what is left; we can rebuild what we’ve lost.

3. August 12: The Sun Disappears (in a good way)

On August 12, nature is putting on its own show. A Total Solar Eclipse will sweep across the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain.

This will be the first total eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 1999. While it’s a celestial event, I always view eclipses as a profound “nature check.” They are one of the few things powerful enough to make millions of people stop, look up, and realize we are all connected and standing on the same spinning rock.

4. The Theme for 2026: Rangelands & Resilience

Finally, the UN has officially designated 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.

It doesn’t sound “sexy,” but rangelands cover nearly half of the Earth’s land surface. They are the carbon sinks, biodiversity hotspots, and cultural heartlands that sustain millions of people and animals (including our friend the Jaguar!). Expect to hear a lot more about the grasslands this year—they are finally getting their moment in the sun.

We have a lot of work to do this year, Togetherhood community. But we also have a lot to look forward to.

Let’s get to it.

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Thank you for being part of this community and helping it grow!

creativity

When a Being Needs You: Meeting Tony

Christa Avampato
Me and Tony today

Yesterday, I volunteered at the Muddy Paws Rescue adoption event because they needed some last-minute help. Afterward, I was supposed to pick up two 4-pound puppies who needed a temporary foster overnight. I had my apartment all set up for them; I was so excited. I haven’t had puppies since Dorothy and Sophia, my bloodhound babies, and I’ve never had puppies quite that small. I even caught myself wondering if one of them might be “the one.”

But at the event, plans shifted. A foster arrived and explained they wouldn’t be able to pick up their foster dog if he didn’t get adopted. As excited as I was for those puppies, I knew it would be much harder to find an emergency placement for this 50-pound adult dog who suddenly had nowhere to go.

So, meet Tony: my first foster of 2026.

Tony is a total “hidden gem.” He is an expert snuggler, a master of the “lean,” and a dog who clearly just wants to make his person happy. In the short time he’s been with me, I’ve discovered he is housebroken, a fantastic napper, and surprisingly unphased by other dogs or city noises. While he’s a big boy, he has no prey drive—he’s just a curious guy who is very eager to please, especially if you have a pocket full of treats!

Truthfully, I wasn’t ready to take a foster. I am personally looking to adopt, and I have a massive week ahead with work. I definitely wasn’t looking for a foster this big and strong—I actually had to get a mini-lesson on the best ways to walk a dog of his size while protecting my back, since I’m quite petite and still mindful of my back injury recovery and physical limitations.

Because of my own physical recovery, Tony is looking for a “takeover” foster or—even better—his forever home! He would thrive with someone who has experience with bully breeds and the physical stature to handle his curiosity on walks. He’s already making great progress on the leash and loves working on his brain games, Kongs, and lick mats.

Sometimes, when a being really needs us, we do things before we’re ready. If we all step up just a bit when we see a way to help, the whole system gets better. Every foster dog I’ve had has taught me something. None of those lessons were ones I anticipated; they were lessons I didn’t even know I needed. I’m sure Tony is here to teach me something that will make me a better person, and I’m so happy to be the bridge to his forever home.

Tony is available for adoption through Muddy Paws Rescue.