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Science Daily

While hiking through Morocco’s rugged Dadès Valley, paleontologist Rowan Martindale noticed something odd etched into the rock beneath her feet.

The patterns were small ridges and wrinkles layered across a beautifully rippled rock surface. To most hikers they might have looked like little more than texture in the stone. To Martindale, a paleoecologist and geobiologist at the University of Texas at Austin, they looked like something far more intriguing.

"As we're walking up these turbidites, I'm looking around and this beautifully rippled bedding plane caught my eye," Martindale said. "I said, 'Stéphane, you need to get back here. These are wrinkle structures!'"

Martindale and colleague Stéphane Bodin of Aarhus University had been exploring the Central High Atlas Mountains to study ancient reef ecosystems that once existed there when the region was covered by ocean water.

The rocks they were crossing were layers of turbidites, sediments formed by underwater debris flows that sweep down the seafloor.

Ripple patterns are common in those deposits. But the wrinkles Martindale spotted looked different.

Wrinkle structures are tiny ridges and pits that form when microbial communities grow across sandy seafloors. These mats of algae and microorganisms can leave delicate textures in the sediment beneath them.

But those textures rarely survive in younger rocks.

Once animals evolved and began burrowing through ocean sediments, they started disturbing and destroying these fragile microbial patterns. For that reason, wrinkle structures are usually found only in rocks older than about 540 million years.

When they do appear, they are typically discovered in shallow waters where sunlight allows photosynthetic algae to thrive.

The Moroccan wrinkles seemed to break all those rules.

The rocks containing them formed roughly 180 million years ago, long after animals had begun churning up the seafloor.

Even more puzzling, the turbidites where they appeared formed at depths of at least 180 meters below the ocean surface, far beyond the reach of sunlight.

In other words, the wrinkles should not have existed there at all.

Recognizing how unusual the discovery was, Martindale and her team set out to confirm what they had found.

"Let's go through every single piece of evidence that we can find to be sure that these are wrinkle structures in turbidites," Martindale said, noting that such structures "shouldn't be in this deep-water setting."

The team carefully examined the surrounding rock layers and confirmed that the sediments had indeed formed from turbidite flows.

Next, they searched for signs that the textures were biological rather than geological.

Chemical tests revealed a key clue. The sediment beneath the wrinkles contained elevated levels of carbon, a signal often linked to biological activity.

Researchers also compared the rocks to modern environments in the deep ocean. Footage from remotely operated submersibles shows that microbial mats can grow far below the reach of sunlight.

But instead of relying on photosynthesis, these deep-sea microbes survive through chemosynthesis, a process that generates energy from chemical reactions.

By combining their field observations with chemical evidence and modern ocean data, the researchers concluded the Moroccan structures were formed by chemosynthetic microbial mats.

Turbidite flows may have helped create the right conditions.

These underwater debris flows can deliver nutrients and organic material into deeper waters while also lowering oxygen levels in nearby sediments. Those conditions can support communities of chemosynthetic bacteria.

During calm periods between debris flows, microbial mats could spread across the seafloor, forming the wrinkled textures observed in the rocks. Most would eventually be wiped away by the next sediment flow.

Occasionally, however, the mat would be buried quickly enough to be preserved in the geological record.

The discovery could reshape how scientists search for evidence of ancient life.

Martindale hopes future laboratory experiments will help researchers understand how wrinkle structures form in these deeper environments.

She also believes the finding may prompt geologists to revisit places that were previously dismissed as unlikely habitats for microbial life.

"Wrinkle structures are really important pieces of evidence in the early evolution of life," Martindale said.

By assuming they only form in shallow, sunlit environments, she added, scientists may be overlooking key clues hidden in deeper parts of the ancient ocean.

And those overlooked wrinkles, quietly preserved in stone, may hold a much larger story about how life once thrived far below the sunlight.

Scientists Just Discovered Signs Of Ancient Life In an Unexpected Location

The Guardian

Cancer still claims more lives in Britain than any other disease. But the odds of dying from it are far lower than they were a generation ago.

The rate of people dying from cancer in the United Kingdom has fallen by almost one third since the late 1980s, according to a new analysis from Cancer Research UK.

Today, about 247 people out of every 100,000 die from cancer each year. That marks a 29% drop from the peak in 1989, when the death rate reached about 355 per 100,000.

Researchers say the decline reflects decades of progress in prevention, screening and treatment.

“These figures represent decades of crucial scientific breakthroughs,” said Dr Sam Godfrey, science engagement lead at Cancer Research UK. “From vaccines that prevent cancer to kinder, more targeted treatments. Because of this, thousands more people today can make memories, reach milestones and spend precious time with their loved ones.”

The downward trend has continued in recent years. Over the past decade alone, the overall cancer death rate has fallen by 11%.

Some cancers have seen particularly sharp improvements.

Deaths from ovarian cancer dropped by 19% between the periods 2012–2014 and 2022–2024. Stomach cancer deaths fell by 34%, while lung cancer deaths declined by 22%.

Other major cancers also showed progress. Death rates for bowel cancer decreased by 6%, breast cancer by 14%, cervical cancer by 11% and leukaemia by 9%. Oesophageal cancer deaths dropped by 12%.

Despite the overall progress, some cancer death rates have risen in the past decade. These include kidney cancer, which increased by 5%, liver cancer by 14%, eye cancer by 26% and gallbladder cancer by 29%. Rates for thyroid cancer, pancreatic cancer and melanoma have remained relatively stable.

Cancer still causes about one in four deaths in Britain, making it the country’s biggest killer. Survival rates also trail behind several European countries, including Romania and Poland.

But health experts say public health policies and medical advances have played a major role in reducing mortality.

Smoking bans, early detection programmes and improved treatments have all contributed to the long-term drop in deaths.

Screening programmes in particular have made a difference. The NHS cervical screening programme has helped drive a dramatic decline in cervical cancer deaths, which have fallen by about 75% since the 1970s.

Vaccination has also played a role.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, introduced in the UK in 2008 and offered to schoolchildren, is helping prevent cervical cancers before they develop. About 6.5 million people have received the vaccine since it was introduced.

Advances in treatment have also improved outcomes. In prostate cancer, for example, death rates have fallen by 11% over the past decade. One contributing factor is the drug abiraterone, developed by scientists funded by Cancer Research UK, which blocks testosterone from fueling prostate tumors.

Godfrey said Britain remains a global leader in cancer research, but continued progress will depend on sustained investment and support for clinical trials.

“It’s essential that the government makes it easier and faster to set up clinical trials, as well as providing NHS staff with the time and space to carry out life-saving research,” he said.

Even as the risk of dying from cancer falls, the number of diagnoses is rising.

Because the UK population is growing and ageing, more people are developing the disease. On average, one person in Britain is diagnosed with cancer every 75 seconds.

That means the total number of deaths from cancer continues to increase even as individual survival rates improve.

The pressure on health services remains significant. Last year, an analysis found that three quarters of NHS hospital trusts were failing to meet key cancer care targets.

In response, the government recently pledged £2 billion to improve cancer services. Officials say the funding will help deliver faster diagnoses, quicker treatment and better support for patients.

Under the national cancer plan, ministers say all three NHS waiting-time targets for cancer care should be met by 2029.

For researchers, the long-term trend still tells a hopeful story.

Decades of prevention efforts, vaccines, early detection and more precise treatments are steadily shifting the odds for millions of people facing cancer.

Cancer Death Rate In Britain Drops By Almost A Third Since The 1980s

GoodGoodGood

For years, Jane Ferguson reported from some of the world’s most dangerous places. Conflict zones across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia became her workplace during a 15-year career with PBS NewsHour and The New Yorker.

But despite the awards and experience, one question followed her everywhere.

“How do you cope in such a male-dominated industry?”

Her answer is simple.

“Women have been doing this work for over a century.”

Ferguson says she has noticed more women reporting from conflict zones in recent years. While she has not conducted a formal study, she believes several factors have helped shift the balance. The constant demand for news, the rise of freelance journalism and broader progress on gender equality have all opened more doors.

Yet she believes the biggest change is not just who is reporting from war zones, but how the stories are told.

Traditional war coverage has often focused on combat and battlefield strategy. Ferguson says many female reporters have helped expand the lens, highlighting the people whose lives are reshaped by conflict.

While some journalists still focus on the “bang bang” of war reporting, she says many women reporters emphasize the communities living through those moments.

“We get so much rich imagery and storytelling now,” she said in 2023 after releasing her book No Ordinary Assignment.

“I really believe that this acceleration of women into the field has been the leading contributor to enriching what the public gets to see. What do they see from war? They see children with their pets. They see families saying goodbye. I just think there's much more nuanced, imaginative thinking about how to tell these stories.”

Ferguson sees that shift as a product of diversity in the newsroom and in the field.

“It’s important for me to celebrate the additive qualities of female reporting beyond just having women out there because it’s the right thing to do,” she said. “[Journalism] organically begins to reflect who we are.”

Now she is trying to reshape another part of the industry: how journalism reaches audiences.

After years of reporting abroad, Ferguson grew frustrated watching the news industry struggle at home. Newsrooms were shrinking, trust in media was declining and the financial model supporting journalism was under pressure.

The experience pushed her toward a new idea.

She launched Noosphere, a video-first platform designed to connect audiences directly with reporters on the ground.

The concept grew out of her own experience as a freelancer. While reporting from crisis zones, she often shared updates on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram. Those posts reached large audiences, but they generated little income for the journalists producing them.

According to a description on the Noosphere website, Ferguson saw a different path.

“The answer, she realized, was in disintermediation,” the website says. “The world's best journalists could reach people, together, without a news organization. They could build a real community around them, fund their work, and keep telling stories that connect people around the world to our shared humanity.”

Instead of subscribing to a publication, users subscribe directly to reporters.

The platform focuses on video updates from journalists reporting in the field. Each reporter maintains editorial independence and can pursue stories without the direction of a traditional newsroom hierarchy.

Subscriptions for readers currently range from about $15 to $20, according to the Columbia Journalism Review.

The project is still in its early stages, but several established journalists have already joined the platform, including Hind Hassan, Matthew Cassel and Joyce Koh.

Reporters receive half of the subscription revenue they bring to the platform.

For Ferguson, the goal is not just to build another media outlet. She wants to reduce the barriers that have long shaped who gets to tell global stories.

“My whole career, I had needed either a network or a newspaper to have a career and reach an audience,” Ferguson told NiemanLab in March 2025.

“If that’s what it was like for me — an incredibly privileged, white, Western reporter — the gatekeeping was even worse for all the local reporters, producers, and fixers I worked with all over the world.”

She believes technology offers a chance to rebuild how journalism works.

“It occurred to me that, actually, technology is going to allow us to solve for a number of issues here,” she said. “When we build the new iteration of distribution of news, we’ll build it better and way more equitable.”

Jane Ferguson Launches Noosphere App to Revolutionize War Reporting and Empower Journalists

Good News Network

At first, it seemed like a quirky habit. But for Colleen Ferguson, her dog’s strange obsession turned out to be lifesaving.

The 60-year-old from Kent, England says her German shepherd, Inca, kept sniffing her breath for weeks. The two-year-old dog would lean in, smell her mouth, then pull back with a puzzled look.

Something about the behavior did not sit right.

For weeks, Inca continued the routine. Ferguson visited the dentist and doctors ran tests related to her gluten intolerance. Everything came back normal.

Still, the dog would not stop.

Eventually, Ferguson decided to go further and booked a full body scan. The results stunned her.

Doctors found a “golf ball sized tumor” in her left lung. It was stage one cancer.

“She just had this focused intent on my mouth,” the former science teacher said. “She would give me such a look and walk away.”

“In no way did I expect lung cancer. It was such a shock because I am a non-smoker, and I had absolutely no symptoms at all, apart from being tired.”

Because the cancer was caught so early, surgeons were able to remove the tumor. Ferguson did not need chemotherapy or radiation afterward.

Her doctor left little doubt about the outcome.

“The surgeon told me, ‘we never catch it at stage 1, your dog has saved your life.”

Ferguson says the early diagnosis changed everything.

“I was just so lucky. To catch it that early was just remarkable. People need to listen to their dogs.”

Her story might sound extraordinary, but scientists say there is real evidence behind it.

Dogs possess an extremely powerful sense of smell, capable of detecting tiny chemical changes in the body. Researchers in the United Kingdom are studying how those abilities might help detect disease.

The nonprofit Medical Detection Dogs launched a major study in 2024 training seven dogs including Labradors, cocker spaniels and a retriever. The animals are learning to identify tumors by smelling urine samples placed in containers.

Claire Guest, the group’s CEO and chief scientific officer, says the animals repeatedly demonstrate that illnesses carry specific odors.

“Dogs have shown us time and time again that diseases have an odor,” Guest told The Times. “We are not sure whether that is the odor of the tumor itself, or the body’s response to the tumor.”

Previous trials have already shown dogs can reliably identify several conditions. Studies suggest they can detect prostate cancer, bladder cancer, Covid-19 and Parkinson’s disease by smell alone.

Now researchers are trying to translate those abilities into technology.

Scientists are developing what they call an electronic nose, or “e-nose,” designed to mimic how dogs detect disease.

The device is being developed with the help of Dr. Andreas Mershin, a quantum physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, working alongside Medical Detection Dogs.

The system uses chemical sensors that can “smell” urine samples and detect volatile organic compounds. These are microscopic odor molecules that circulate in the air and can signal disease.

Researchers are currently testing the device using 500 urine samples from patients at Milton Keynes University Hospital near London. Some samples come from people diagnosed with prostate cancer, while others are from healthy volunteers.

The goal is to see if the machine can reliably identify cancer the same way trained dogs do.

“This is a major milestone,” Mershin said. “We’ve worked to emulate the dogs’ abilities and train machines in a similar way—rewarding them for correct identifications.”

If successful, scientists hope the technology could become a routine medical screening tool in hospitals within the next two years.

Eventually, similar sensors might even make their way into everyday devices.

“Our devices already have eyes and ears,” Mershin said. “It’s like giving our devices a new sense: a nose.”

The idea has been a long-term goal for the researchers working with detection dogs.

“When I trained our first cancer detection dog over 15 years ago, the goal was always to inform scalable technology—not to have a dog in every hospital,” Guest said. “Seeing that vision start to come to life with this E-nose is an incredibly proud moment.”

For Ferguson, though, the credit belongs to the dog at her side.

Without Inca’s persistence, doctors might never have discovered the cancer until it was too late.

Instead, a curious sniff led to an early diagnosis, a successful surgery and a second chance at life.

Dog Detects Owner's Lung Cancer, Saving Her Life With Early Diagnosis

BBC News

Most days at a builders’ yard start the same way: a massive 26-tonne lorry squeezes into a tight space, reversing with practiced precision. But when Nerys Mitchell climbs down from the cab, the routine moment often turns into something else entirely. People stare. Some look surprised. Others look unsure.

Mitchell has grown used to it.

The 50-year-old driver from Driffield, East Yorkshire is the only woman among the 75 HGV drivers employed by her transport company. And when she pulls up to a site, she can usually tell exactly what people are thinking.

"Watching people see you arrive on a Monday morning, you can kind of judge that they're not really expecting a woman," the mum-of-one says.

For Mitchell, confidence comes with the territory. Operating heavy machinery, delivering building materials, and navigating busy roads across the country demands it.

"You've got to be confident in what you're doing... I have had occasions where I've had to empower myself to ensure that I can do my job."

The initial skepticism rarely lasts long. Once people watch her work, attitudes shift quickly.

"As one or two days go by, you can see that you've changed their attitudes, and their attitude towards you is friendlier and warmer," she says.

Women have been driving trucks for decades. Still, they remain a tiny minority in the profession. According to the Nomis Annual Population Survey covering the 12 months ending September 2025, only about 1% of HGV drivers in England are women.

Simon Pritchard, managing director at Specialist Driver Resourcing, the company that employs Mitchell, says one reason is simple: visibility.

"I think it's difficult to recruit women into this industry because that of age-old saying of you can't be what you can't see," he says.

"Traditionally, it's not seen as a job that's suitable for women. Obviously, there are a lot of outdated stereotypes around the physicality of the job that perhaps aren't true anymore."

Pritchard says Mitchell’s performance speaks for itself.

"Nerys is an excellent driver for us... one of our highest performing drivers and one that we get some of the best feedback on."

Before getting her HGV licence, Mitchell worked in construction as a bricklayer and groundworker. Driving a lorry had been on her mind for years.

"Seeing different parts of the country, driving, meeting new people – every day is different and I enjoy every aspect of it," she says. "I was just made to do it."

The job often means long stretches alone on the road. At depots and construction sites, Mitchell is usually the only woman around.

Working in such a male-dominated environment can bring extra pressure.

"I feel like I have to work much harder to prove myself, which can be challenging and it also can be exhausting," she explains. "I do feel like I have to work much harder to break down these barriers."

Still, the reactions she gets when she arrives on site motivate her to keep going.

"It can be quite intimidating but it's also quite rewarding knowing I'm changing people's attitudes towards this kind of line of work," she says. "It feels empowering."

Long hours and unpredictable schedules are another hurdle in the industry.

Ellie Shores, a 30-year-old driver who runs DA Shores Transport in Hull, says the lifestyle can be demanding.

"I lose out a lot from doing this sort of job," she says.

"If I need to get my eyebrows done, have a facial or a doctor's appointment booked in... I've missed so many appointments because you just don't know when you're coming home."

Even so, both women say the biggest obstacle is still perception.

"I don't think many women do this job because you don't see many women around building yards like this, so they don't see that this could potentially be a role for women," Mitchell says.

Some women may also find the industry intimidating.

Road Haulage Association policy lead Sally Gilson says trucking has long been viewed as a male-dominated field.

"Road transport, much like construction and manufacturing, has long been perceived as a male domain," she says.

"There is no inherent reason for this, but changing perception takes time."

She adds: "Until people can see someone who looks like them in a role, preconceptions are difficult to shift."

The challenge comes at a time when the industry needs more drivers across the board.

Mitchell’s boss says recruitment remains a growing concern.

"The first thing that needs addressing is the fact that there's an overall shortage, male and female, of HGV drivers," Pritchard says.

In September 2025, Logistics UK reported an annual 1.9% decline in HGV drivers. The drop has been linked to an ageing workforce, training gaps and fewer new recruits entering the profession.

Training organizations say the industry is now trying to widen the talent pool.

A spokesperson for HGV Training Network in Hull says companies are working to attract more women by improving welfare facilities and offering more flexible working patterns.

Women still make up a small portion of drivers, but interest is growing. The network says about 8% of the inquiries it receives now come from women.

For Mitchell, that shift cannot come soon enough.

"I think it's a brilliant sector to work in," she says. "I thoroughly enjoy my role in what I do here."

And if her presence on job sites causes a few raised eyebrows along the way, she is happy with that.

"I love that fact that we're breaking boundaries, and I'd love to encourage more women to do this role."

This Trailblazing Truck Driver is Breaking Gender Barriers in a Male-Dominated Industry

People

The flamingo flock at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas is growing, and it’s making quite a splash. The zoo recently welcomed eight new lesser flamingo chicks, adding to its already impressive record of breeding these charming pink birds. 

“Hip hip hooray, flamingo hatching season is here!” the zoo shared in an Instagram post on February 26, alongside a video of one of the fluffy newcomers strutting around. This excitement isn't without reason; since launching its breeding program in 2022, the Fort Worth Zoo has successfully hatched 454 lesser flamingo chicks. This achievement makes it the top breeding program for this species globally.

Lesser flamingos might be smaller than their greater flamingo cousins, but they hold a special place at the zoo. These birds are considered near threatened due to habitat changes, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). To help combat this issue and provide optimal care for these chicks, zoo staff use a specialized hand-rearing process. This includes daily feeding with a nutrient-rich formula that replicates the crop milk they would receive from their parents, along with regular veterinary check-ups and guided walks.

Once these young birds reach about three months old, they join their adult counterparts. Despite the lower reproduction success rate typical for lesser flamingos compared to other species found in U.S. zoos, Fort Worth Zoo’s dedication has led to a stable and self-sustaining population. When necessary, some of these birds are sent to other zoos across the country. As one spokesperson noted with pride: "They carry a little piece of Texas with them wherever they go!"

Flamingos come in six species spread across various continents including Africa, Asia, Europe, and America. Lesser flamingos may not be as widespread or large as their greater cousins but play an essential role in biodiversity.

Interestingly enough, about 40 percent of all lesser flamingos residing in U.S. zoos have origins tracing back to Fort Worth Zoo's breeding efforts. These chicks have made their way into 17 different institutions nationwide.

For those interested in more delightful stories like this or keeping up-to-date on other human interest pieces and celebrity news alike, PEOPLE offers a free daily newsletter that captures highlights from around the globe.

As Fort Worth Zoo continues leading efforts in preserving lesser flamingos within captivity while sharing them among other institutions across America — it's clear they're committed not only locally but also nationally towards conservation initiatives surrounding these unique creatures' survival rates today!

Texas Zoo Welcomes Adorable Baby Flamingos During Hatching Season

A dog named Rocky was rescued and reunited with his owner after surviving 43 days alone in Summit County, Colorado.

Rocky, age 10, had gone missing in late December after escaping from a pet sitter while his owner was traveling.

According to local media, volunteers from Summit Lost Pet Rescue and members of the local community helped search for the dog for weeks, eventually locating and capturing him using a tip from a homeowner who spotted the dog on her Ring camera and a trap set with the owner’s scent.

According to Summit Daily, Rocky had gone from 50 pounds to 28 pounds during the time he was lost.

Video posted by Summit Lost Pet Rescue shows the heartwarming moment Rocky is reunited with his owner, Steven Maa.

“It takes partnership, a village, and donations to save lost pets,” the organization wrote on social media.

📸 Summit Lost Pet Rescue via Storyful

The Heartwarming Moment a Dog Reunited With His Owner After 43 Days in the Wilderness

Train drivers are trained for many situations. But few ever imagine stepping off their own train to help save the life of the person it just struck.

That is exactly what happened to Helen Donagher. And now, she is being recognized for her actions with a star at York railway station.

Donagher, from Newcastle, had been working as a train driver for LNER for just three months when her train struck a person near Durham. Instead of waiting on board, she immediately got off the train to help.

She called for an ambulance and stayed with the injured person while emergency services made their way to the scene.

“Thankfully they were okay,” Donagher said.

The moment left a deep emotional mark.

“As an individual it's quite hard because you've potentially ended someone's life and it's a hard feeling to take in,” she said.

Incidents like this are among the most difficult experiences train drivers can face. But Donagher says the support from her employer helped her through it.

“The company were great about it,” she said. “The support was there and they came down and helped out and they were actually really happy with the way the incident was dealt with.”

Now, her actions are being publicly recognized.

As part of celebrations for International Women's Day, Donagher has been honoured with a star embedded in the concourse floor at York railway station. The display is designed to resemble the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame and highlights women who have made a difference in the rail industry.

“To see my name down there is quite special, to be representing all the women train drivers out there, it means a lot,” Donagher said.

She is one of ten women recognized through the installation, which includes both modern railway workers and historic pioneers.

Among them is Gladys Garlick, one of the first female train guards who served during World War Two, a time when many women stepped into roles traditionally held by men.

LNER says the goal of the installation is to celebrate the past, present and future of women in rail.

“We have looked at historic women who have had an impact in our industry as well as some current and future stars, who we have recognised,” said Paula Bullock, people director at LNER.

Visitors walking through York station can learn more about each woman featured on the walkway. QR codes placed beside the stars allow travellers to read their stories and learn about their contributions.

For Donagher, the recognition is a reminder of a moment that could have ended very differently.

Instead, it became a story about quick thinking, compassion and a life that, thankfully, was saved.

A Heroic Train Driver Just Received a Prestigious Railway Star For Saving a Person Hit By A Train

Two years ago, George Collyer’s run through Cambridge ended with sirens and CPR. This weekend, he plans to cross the same finish line on his own two feet.

The 23-year-old architecture student from Loughborough University is returning to the Cambridge Half Marathon on Sunday, determined to complete the race where he suffered a cardiac arrest in 2024.

Collyer had been running the course when he suddenly collapsed. What happened next was the kind of coincidence that still feels almost unbelievable.

Three NHS staff who were also participating in the race stopped immediately to help. They began performing CPR on the roadside, keeping Collyer alive until further medical care arrived.

One of those runners turned out to be Dr Greg Mellor, a consultant cardiologist at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Later, Mellor would help care for Collyer again after he arrived at the hospital.

“It was a very unusual situation to be involved at both ends of George's care,” Mellor said.

He recalled the moment he saw Collyer collapse during the race.

“Instinct just kicked in,” he said.

After the emergency response on the course, Collyer was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge for tests before being transferred to Royal Papworth Hospital.

Doctors later implanted a device known as an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or ICD. The device can detect dangerous heart rhythms and deliver a life-saving shock if needed.

For Collyer, the treatment marked the beginning of a long recovery. But it also allowed him to return to something that mattered deeply to him: running.

“Since having the defibrillator implanted I've been able to continue running regularly and have finished other half marathons, so I'm confident going into this one,” he said.

Now, two years after the race that nearly killed him, Collyer is heading back to Cambridge to run it again.

This time, he is also running to raise money for Royal Papworth Hospital Charity, the organization connected to the hospital where he received treatment.

Collyer says returning to the race feels both exciting and emotional.

“I'm feeling fine now, but I know crossing the finish line will probably bring a mix of emotions,” he said.

He also knows he owes his second chance to the quick actions of the people who stopped to help.

“I'm incredibly grateful to all the NHS professionals who helped care for me two years ago. Without their swift actions, I probably wouldn't be here today,” he said.

The Cambridge Half Marathon has grown into one of the region’s biggest running events, with about 15,000 runners expected to take part this year. The course winds through historic streets and past some of the city’s most famous university buildings.

But for Collyer, the race has taken on a meaning that goes far beyond the route itself.

It represents the moment his life almost ended, the people who stepped in to save it, and the chance to reclaim a finish line that once seemed impossible.

For Dr Mellor, seeing Collyer return to the race is deeply meaningful as well.

“It was unique and a real privilege to be able to do that for him,” he said.

The two men first met under the most dramatic circumstances possible, on a race course where seconds mattered. Now, their connection continues through a story that has come full circle.

On Sunday, when thousands of runners set off through Cambridge’s streets, Collyer will be among them.

And when he reaches the finish line this time, it will not be the end of an emergency.

It will be the end of a race he finally gets to finish.

This Student Returned to Run the Cambridge Half Marathon, Two Years After Cardiac Arrest

Sometimes the future of nature looks a lot like the past. Just ask the team working beside a quiet lake in southwest England, where an old countryside craft is helping wildlife make a comeback.

At Blagdon Lake in the Mendip Hills of Somerset, workers are using hedge laying, a centuries-old farming technique, to restore struggling hedgerows and give birds, hedgehogs and insects a safer place to live.

The project is being led by Bristol Water, which manages the 178-hectare reservoir and trout fishery. The lake also carries special ecological status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, meaning it supports wildlife habitats considered important at a national level.

Instead of trimming hedges with heavy machinery, crews are carefully cutting and bending the base stems of shrubs so they lie horizontally along the hedge line. The stems stay partially attached, allowing them to continue growing while encouraging dense new shoots to rise vertically.

The result is a thicker hedge that provides shelter and nesting spots for animals that depend on hedgerows to survive.

“So many of our farmland and countryside birds are endangered, as are hedgehogs, so creating these spaces for them to live and nest in is more important than ever,” said hedge laying specialist Mike Reed, who is leading the team restoring the hedges around the lake.

The work has already covered about 1,800 metres of hedgerow, though the project will pause during nesting season so birds and other wildlife are not disturbed.

For Reed, the effort is about more than restoring habitat. It is also about keeping a traditional countryside skill alive.

“Hedge laying is a historical craft with a strong local tradition and I'm proud to be passing it onto the next generation through this work,” he said.

Hedgerows have long been part of the British countryside. Historically, they were planted to mark property boundaries, keep livestock contained and shelter crops from wind. Over time they also became important wildlife corridors, linking fields, forests and waterways.

But modern farming practices have changed how many hedges are maintained.

Conventional trimming methods often rely on large mechanical cutters that shape hedges quickly but repeatedly slice off the outer growth. Over time, that can leave the lower portions thin and gappy, reducing the shelter they provide for wildlife.

The hedge laying technique used at Blagdon Lake works differently. By partially cutting the stems and laying them sideways, more sunlight reaches the base of the hedge. That encourages thick regrowth from the bottom, creating a dense structure that animals can hide in.

Those thicker hedges can be especially valuable during winter months when food is scarce and shelter from cold weather becomes critical.

The two-year restoration effort is expected to gradually transform the hedgerows around the lake.

Simon Hughes, treescape officer at Bristol Water, said the changes should become visible fairly quickly as the plants respond to the new growth pattern.

“It won't be long before we will start to see a complete transformation in the hedgerows and it's exciting for all of us at Bristol Water to be a part of creating this significant and important change,” Hughes said.

Blagdon Lake already attracts anglers, birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts, thanks to its position within the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The hedgerow restoration adds another layer of conservation work to the site, helping strengthen habitats that support everything from small mammals to migratory birds.

And if the project succeeds, it could also demonstrate how traditional land management practices still have a role to play in modern conservation.

In a landscape where many natural habitats have gradually thinned or disappeared, sometimes the answer is not a brand new solution.

Sometimes it is simply remembering how things used to be done — and giving nature a little room to grow back.

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