Climate & Biodiversity News (May 2026)

Caroll Street Eco-Basin, Brooklyn, New York. SCAPE Landscape Architecture / Ty Cole, courtesy of SCAPE

By Jared Green

How a 'Model' for Climate Migration Became a Cautionary Tale, May 16, The New York Times
Facing rising seas and erosion, the Indigenous community of Isle de Jean Charles decided to relocate to New Isle, a development funded with a $48 million grant from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Many residents now say moving was a mistake because they are no longer able to pursue their way of life. The World Bank estimates 216 million people worldwide are at risk of displacement from climate change.

Once Dismissed as Weeds, Native Plants Are Now Flying off the Shelves, May 15, Grist
Plant nurseries across the Midwest report significant increases in demand for native plants, because more home gardeners understand these plants are resilient to climate change and support pollinators and other wildlife. "I've watched this for 44 years, from almost zero to now," said Neil Diboll, president of Prairie Nursery. "It's not a fad. This is a long, steady climb."

Amazon Deforestation at Eight-Year Low, Report Shows, May 14, Inside Climate News
Between August 2025 and March 2026, 1,460 square kilometers (564 square miles) of rainforest was cut down, a decrease of 36 percent in comparison with the previous year and the lowest amount since 2018. But with drier forests, wildfires in the Amazon also increased by more than 30 percent in the same period.

Plugging Away at the Millions of Derelict Oil and Gas Wells in the US, May 10, Inside Climate News
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. has approximately 3.7 million abandoned and orphaned oil and gas wells, out of the 4-5 million that have been drilled since 1859. Nearly 60 percent of these abandoned wells haven't been plugged. In addition to being a climate problem, it is also a public health problem: 13 percent of Americans live within a half-mile of one of these wells.

Green Blocks Are up to 4 Degrees Cooler Than Treeless Streets, May 7, Planetizen
New research from the Healthy Green Spaces Coalition highlights the importance of tree canopies in reducing urban heat islands. The study finds that city blocks with the highest tree canopy experience 9 percent lower temperatures than those with the least.

A Waterfront Glow-up Is Transforming Brooklyn's Polluted Gowanus Canal, May 4, Fast Company
"The Gowanus as an ecosystem and as a neighborhood is so interesting..." said Gena Wirth, FASLA, PLA, design principal and partner at SCAPE. Fast Company looks into two new public spaces designed by SCAPE Landscape Architecture along the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn that help revitalize the polluted waterway and community. One space is a waterfront plaza and esplanade that weaves between residential and office development, and the other is a waterfront park with a playground and gardens. The canal is an EPA Superfund site that is expected to be cleaned up by the mid-2030s.

Point of No Return: New Orleans Relocation Must Start Now Due to Sea Level, Study Finds, May 4, The Guardian
"Even if you stopped climate change today, New Orleans's days are still numbered," said Jesse Keenan with Tulane University. "It will be surrounded by open water, and you can't keep an island situated below sea level afloat. There's no amount of money that can do that."