Laughter is the best medicine, according to an old adage. Now, new research suggests it also boosts child development. Making children laugh can help make their brains more resilient and open to learning, according to scientists. Laughter builds deep emotional connections and soothes youngsters’ nervous systems, making them more resilient—because laughter is not frivolous, but […] The post Helping Children Laugh Can Make Their Brains More Resilient and Learning Easier appeared first on Good News Network.

Deep in the Sierra Nevada foothills on the Tule River Indian Reservation, tribal member Kenneth McDarment had passed by an ochre-red pictograph countless times throughout his life—a simple yet unmistakable image of a beaver with four paws and a distinctive paddle tail. Estimated to be between 500 and 1,000 years old, this ancient artwork adorned the walls of a rock shelter alongside other paintings of wildlife, humans, and geometric designs created by the Yokuts people. To McDarment, this beaver image seemed like just another beautiful piece of Native art. That is until he looked at it again, this time seeing it clearly with fresh eyes. The answer had been on the wall all along When severe drought struck the reservation about a decade ago, McDarment and other tribal leaders began searching for innovative ways to conserve water. The answer, it turned out, had been staring at them from the cave walls all along. “Sometimes you need to just look at things more often,” McDarment told researchers. Glancing back up at the beaver, the pictograph suddenly took on new meaning as McDarment and the other tribal leaders began to recognize the ancient wisdom embedded in their ancestors’ art. If beavers had once thrived on these lands and helped manage water resources, perhaps bringing them back could address their contemporary drought challenges. This revelation prompted the tribe to pursue what would become California’s first beaver restoration program in over seven decades. From ancient wisdom to modern partnership The revelation sparked an unprecedented collaboration between California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and Native tribes. In the past, the Tule River Tribe and the Maidu Summit Consortium were dismissed, and told there was “no way to move beavers in California legally.” But after years of advocacy and preparation, in 2021, California finally launched its first beaver restoration program since the 1950s in partnership with both tribes. On October 18, 2023, seven beavers were released into their new home in Tásmam Koyóm, a 2,325-acre valley in Plumas County. By September 2024, the total number of relocated beavers had grown to 28, spread across five release sites. “You just saw this tiny brown furball, this little nugget, catch a ride on the back of his sibling’s tail, and it looked like he was surfing. I don’t think it set in for days afterward, but that moment will go down as one of the highlights of my entire career. I think we were very proud of what we had done, and really optimistic about the potential that this represents for us and the good we think we can do moving forward.” –  Valerie Cook, the beaver restoration program manager for the CDFW. Where did they find the beavers? Set a few traps and catch as many as they could? No. The efforts presented in this project represented a fundamental shift in how California approaches wildlife management and water conservation. The beaver relocation process involved identifying “problem” beavers in areas where they caused flooding, and then safely transporting them to new locations where their engineering skills could work environmental magic. For the first time in nearly 75 years, the state began relocating beavers. “We can make our future different from our past,” declared CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham during the historic first release. “Our past is one where we treated these animals and others as varmints, as nuisances, and our culture over time ran them off the landscape. That can’t be our future”. Nature’s ultimate engineers get to work The results have been nothing short of spectacular. At the Maidu Summit Consortium’s Tásmam Koyóm meadow, which means “tall grass” in the Mountain Maidu language, relocated beavers have constructed an impressive 328-foot dam, effectively creating a massive wetland complex that has increased water coverage by more than 22% according to CDFW’s April 2025 report. “They are really powerful ecosystem engineers,” Emily Fairfax, an ecohydrologist and assistant professor of geography at the University of Minnesota, told Mongabay. “The number of services they provide to us and ways that they build resilient landscapes is honestly too much to just rattle off all at once.” A beaver with a mouth full of sticks. Photo credit: Canva The benefits extend far beyond water storage, with those furry “ecosystem engineers” essentially transforming the landscape into a climate-resilient powerhouse: Wildlife defense system: Research shows that beaver-created wetlands burn significantly less during wildfires—experiencing only about one-third the vegetation loss compared to areas without beaver activity. The dams also create natural firebreaks by maintaining moisture levels that make vegetation much less flammable. Water quality improvement: Beaver ponds act like natural water treatment plants, filtering out pollutants, trapping sediments, and removing excess nitrogen through natural processes. The dams slow the rushing water, allowing contaminants to disperse and beneficial microorganisms to break down harmful compounds. Drought resilience: By storing water during wet periods and slowly releasing it during dry spells, beaver dams create what scientists call “drought buffers” that keep streams flowing when they would otherwise run dry. Cultural reconnection and sovereignty For the Mountain Maidu and Tule River tribes, the beaver restoration represents much more than environmental conservation. It’s a symbol of just how far they’ve come in reclaiming their relationship to the land. Nearly two centuries ago, Tásmam Koyóm Meadow was forcibly taken from the Mountain Maidu tribe and was not rightfully returned until 2019. Four years later, the beaver, which the Mountain Maidu call hi-chi-hi-nem and consider as family, finally returned to their land, marking a moment of healing and deeply profound spiritual significance. While the Tásmam Koyóm site has seen dramatic results, the Tule River site has faced greater challenges, with several releases since 2024 not yet leading to established beaver populations. Shannon Salem Williams, a Mountain Maidu program manager, said seeing the beavers slip into the water was a “full circle moment.” Then added, “It was like a big welcoming home.” A blueprint for climate resilience The success story of California’s beaver restoration program proves that sometimes, the most efficient solution to modern issues is simply to return to ancient wisdom. With climate change intensifying droughts, floods, and wildfires across the American West, beaver-based restoration is gaining recognition as a cost-effective, nature-based solution. The California program has become so successful that Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2196 in 2024 to make the beaver restoration program permanent. Scientists and activists remain hopeful that this trend will continue. “I think we’re in kind of an idyllic [stage of] beaver literacy,” advocate Heidi Perryman said. “People have begun to hear a lot of good things about beavers, and they’re very hopeful that beavers can fix everything that we’ve messed up.” This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated. The post California brought back beavers for the first time in 70 years, and the results are already amazing appeared first on Upworthy.

Teachers deserve all the kudos, high fives, raises, accolades, prizes and thanks for everything they do. Even if they just stuck to academics alone, they’d be worth far more than they get, but so many teachers go above and beyond to teach the whole child, from balancing equations to building character qualities. It’s impossible to overrate the importance of a truly great teacher. They make a permanent, positive mark on the students they care for. One way dedicated educators do that is by developing relationships and building rapport with their students. And one surefire way to build rapport is to dance with them. Or against them. A viral video shared in December 2022 by an assistant principal at Sumner High School & Academy in Riverview, Florida shows a group of students gathered around one of their peers as he challenges a teacher to a dance-off. “Our 8th grade Stingrays having a well deserved exam dance break,” wrote assistant principal Natalie McClain. “Of course our teachers are ending 2022 with a win.” The teacher, Ms. Yolanda Turner, a 20-year veteran and AVID educator, took the challenge, and the students went wild. Watch: What happened when she tapped in is everything The student really thought he had her after he completed his dance, didn’t he? It looked as if his soul left his body when he tapped her shoulders and then realized what he’d done. But to her credit, she took it in stride and took him out with her dance moves. The way the students lose their minds when she starts popping her shoulders is a work of art. “The music was on, all the kids were pumped,” Turner told Fox 13. “So it was like, let’s have a dance challenge. So I’m like, okay, all right, so everybody’s having fun. And I said, ‘I’m going to tap in. I’m going to tap into the dance.'” “I really try to emphasize for kids to be their authentic selves and to really never be afraid to express who they are no matter who’s watching,” she told the outlet. he internet completely lost it The story went viral to the tune of over 5 million views on Twitter/X, even catching the attention of Missy Elliott herself, who replied to the original post with fire emojis.. The video had everyone wishing they had a teacher like Ms. Turner, or reminiscing about the ones they did. He knew his fate was sealed the moment his hands accidentally touched her face! pic.twitter.com/mJraDbkiXo— LowerBackPain AkA Mister (@LowerBackPain04) December 25, 2022 “This is just one of the many POSITIVE Things students will remember about their teachers & school! School should never feel like punishment but a place of community, growth, learning, laughter, and love! BRAVO!!!” “They really do not pay teachers what they’re worth” “This teacher is in tune with her students. She will reach them and influence them in a positive manner. Communication is wide open here-she deserves an A+!!!” Ms. Turner gained so much viral fame and notoriety from the video, it eventually landed her a guest spot on the Jennifer Hudson Show. View this post on Instagram What this moment says about great teaching This dance-off video is a prime example of how schools can be places of joyful connection in addition to academic achievement. Gaining students’ respect doesn’t require being a stuffy authoritarian hard nose, and students generally respond better to teachers they genuinely care for. Meeting them where they are is one of the best ways to reach kids and creating experiences that include for silliness and fun is one of the best ways to keep them engaged. Plus, who doesn’t need to blow off a little steam in between exams? What a lovely example of striking a balance between academic rigor and modeling healthy stress relief. Well done, Ms. Turner. This article originally appeared four years ago. It has been updated. The post An 8th grader challenged his teacher to a dance-off. Her response made her famous. appeared first on Upworthy.

“How on earth can one person do it all?” This is a question so many mothers ask themselves. Especially after giving birth, when life seems to expect them to take care of their newborn, get their body back, return to work and keep a clean house all at the same time. It’s a question that had completely overwhelmed Monica Murphy, only one month into welcoming her third child, while still recovering from a C-section and taking care of her other children, who were also nursing, according to Today.com. Luckily for Murphy, her mom had the perfect piece of advice to ease her troubled mind. And luckily for us, it was all caught on the family’s doorbell cam. An overwhelmed new mother. Photo credit: Canva In a now-viral Instagram post, Murphy wrote her formidable to-do list, which included: Working Staying present on social media Maintaining a clean home Tandem breastfeeding Being present with my kids Eating a nutritious diet Making time for my husband Keeping in touch with friends Making time for myself Planning activities for kids Frick decorate for Christmas Followed by that burning question: “How on earth can one person do it all?” Of course, Murphy hadn’t expressed any of these stresses to her mom, who had been visiting. But still, her mom knew something heavily weighed on her daughter’s mind. Her mom’s simple words cut through the chaos So, as she was walking out, Murphy’s mom left her with these words of wisdom: “They aren’t gonna remember a clean house, they are gonna remember how much you loved them and hung out with them.” View this post on Instagram Murphy told Today.com that she “broke down” crying after her mom had left, and was instantly inspired to share the video for other moms who needed similar encouragement. Indeed, the message struck an emotional chord with thousands of viewers. The Internet responds with empathy and heartbreak “The way I would’ve just bawled if she said that to me,” one person commented. Another added, “I needed to hear this today.” Some shared how it was a sentiment they sadly would never hear from their own mothers, and how they are now re-parenting themselves. “My mom would just nag I’m lazy and how am I supposed to leave my house a mess. So I’m just easing my anxiety with gentle words from other people’s mothers. As I’ve been doing my whole life. Clean house was above happy children,” one person wrote. What this moment says about all of us It can be so easy for moms to lose themselves in the never ending cycle of responsibilities and, frankly, unrealistic societal expectations. But hopefully this sweet message can help moms everywhere go a bit easier on themselves, and actually enjoy the time they have with their kids. That’s part of what family is all about, after all. This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated. The post Overwhelmed new mother hears the perfect parenting advice from her mom on doorbell cam appeared first on Upworthy.

Most animals are meant to live outdoors. Their bodies are carefully designed to protect them from the elements and help them to thrive. Goats have strong hooves that help them climb rocks, hills, and other rough terrain. But sometimes even the most seasoned hiking goat might find himself in a bit of a pickle. A terrifying video filmed in Petra, Jordan, shows a goat on the edge of a cliff making a difficult decision. He’s high off the ground, but stuck, and there seems to be only one way out.   View this post on Instagram A post shared by @aaron.nz0 The Goat Was Very Brave and Went for a Dive Right Off The Cliff Even though the goat didn’t appear so certain about his choice, he knew it was the best decision to jump off the cliff. Two men attempted to coax the goat back toward them, but he had no interest. Instead, he quite literally took a leap of faith. He hit the ground like a gymnast sticking the landing and never looked back. The original post claimed the goat had been stuck on the side of the cliff for four days. We don’t know if that’s true, but he definitely didn’t want the men’s help to save him. “Nobody saves a goat on a cliff if anything the goat will save you fact,” someone commented. “They worried about an animal with natural skills in climbing,” another person agreed. A lot of people believe this goat went to the cliff for some peace and quiet because he just couldn’t get any time alone. “Wasn’t stuck he was trying to find a safe place away from these guys,” another person joked. We’re just glad this had a happy ending, from that distance it sure looked like cliff diving could have been the end of that goat. This story’s featured image can be found here