[Fatima99]

FROM SHEEP IN PARIS TO GOATS AT GOOGLE: THE BEST ECO LAWN MOWERS




heep are being used to cut grass in France as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional lawn mowers.

In 2013 Paris city council began a trial, allowing sheep to graze in urban parks in a bid to replace petrol-powered options. Four woolly ewes from Brittany were set to work around the Paris Archives building.

“It might sound funny, but animal lawn mowers are ecological, as no gasoline is required, and cost half the price of a machine,” explained Marcel Collet, Paris farm director, at the time.

“And they’re so cute!,” he added.

Sheep have become a regular occurrence in Paris since then too. In July, 25 animals made the journey from the suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis to the heart of the city.

Organised by the Urban Shepherds collective, this memorable sight of sheep roaming the streets was intended to highlight the future of urban agriculture at the close of the city’s first Agricultural Meetings of Greater Paris.

The Urban Shepherds collective have been herding sheep in the city since 2012 in Seine-Saint-Denis. From here the shepherds and their herd regularly cross on foot to a graze-worthy public garden in Paris.

“In reality, they are much more than these “green mowers” ​​to which they have sometimes been reduced,” says Guillaume Leterrier, co-founder of Paris cultural media Enlarge Your Paris.

“By grazing, they cut hedges, regulate lawns. Unlike goats, which eat everything, sheep eat only the greenest parts of hedges and meadows. They are indeed gardeners but also landscapers since they intervene in public spaces.”

[PennySerenade]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau falls for Greta Thunberg prank



Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fell hook, line and sinker for a pair of pranksters posing as environmental golden girl Greta Thunberg.

Jokesters Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov have released audio recorded in January of the PM believing he’s on a phone call with the activist.

Trudeau answered questions from the counterfeit crusader on NATO, Donald Trump and world peace. Standard fare.

“This is not the first prank call of a world leader,” the prime minister’s office said.

“The prime minister determined the call was fake and promptly ended it.”



The recording begins with the effusive PM saying, “Hello, Greta!”

The fake Greta replies: “I understand that you have a lot of work and not so much time to talk to a young girl, but I’m very concerned about the growing international crisis.”

The call was made in the wake of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 being shot down after takeoff in Tehran. Everyone on board was killed, including 57 Canadians.

For his part, Trudeau said he had taken “many, many phone calls” on the crisis and he called for “deescalation on all sides.”

“There are many, many more things to work on,” Trudeau said.

The bogus Greta then told the PM that world leaders “are adults, but you act like children.”

She added: “Leave NATO, drop your weapons, pick flowers, smile at nature.”

‘Greta’ also saluted the two great Canadians Terrance and Phillip, the farting duo from South Park. Trudeau appeared to miss the reference.



The PM thanked the joker for her “perspective” and “passionate words.”

And despite the prankster’s disdain for U.S. President Donald Trump, Trudeau said it was his job to “work with world leaders that other people choose.”

Trudeau added: “I can certainly understand that people can feel very, very strongly about him.”

The Russian pranksters have also stitched up Elton John, Prince Harry, and U.S. Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris.

[hija]

Giant pelicans earmarked for a UK return



One of the planet’s largest birds could be poised for a UK comeback. The enormous Dalmatian pelican, which has a wingspan of almost 12ft, has become the latest target of rewilding advocates.

Conservationists are already restoring the bird’s wetland habitat in East Anglia, where, according to environmentalist and author Benedict Macdonald, there are several sites at which the species could be reintroduced.

The Dalmatian pelican was a common site in the UK until about 2,000 years ago, when it was wiped out by hunting and habitat loss. “They were, and could be again, our greatest living bird,” said Macdonald.

[Fivetide]

Canadian Army promotes polar bear to honorary master corporal


Juno, a polar bear at the Toronto Zoo, was promoted to the rank of honorary master corporal by
the Canadian Army in honor of the animal's birthday, which falls on the country's Remembrance
Day. Photo courtesy of the Toronto Zoo

The Canadian Army celebrated the fifth birthday of a beloved polar bear at the Toronto Zoo by giving the animal a promotion to honorary master corporal.

The zoo announced Brig. Gen. Conrad Mialkowski, commander of 4th Canadian Division and Joint Task Force Central, visited the zoo to bestow Juno the polar bear with the rank of honorary master corporal.

Juno was born on Remembrance Day, the Canadian holiday for honoring armed forces members who died in the line of duty, and was named in honor of the Canadian landings on Juno Beach in World War II.

The bear was previously dubbed an honorary private by the army, before later being promoted to honorary corporal.

"We are truly honored that the Canadian Army has promoted Juno to master corporal as she continues to be an outstanding ambassador for her counterparts in wild," Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf DeJong said in a news release. "Juno and the other polar bears that call the Toronto Zoo home, play an integral role in educating our guests about the direct impact of climate change and the loss of sea ice that directly impacts polar bears in the wild."

[goldie0608]

American Dolls Covered in Crystals Raise Nearly a Million at Auction For Children of First Responders



American Girl has been busy auctioning off three exclusive holiday collector dolls made with thousands of Swarovski crystals.

These gowns and complementary accessories took couturiers over 330 hours to design and hand embellish, with 5,000 Swarovski crystals and crystal beads being added to the dolls.

The auction closed last night, and it’s been a ringing success, with the one-of-a-kind items raising $880,400 for charity.

One hundred percent of the net proceeds from this auction are going to support the First Responders Children’s Foundation Toy Express Program–an initiative designed to spread joy to the kids of people on the frontlines of COVID-19 across America.

Mattel is also donating more than $1 million in retail value of toys to the program this holiday season, so American Girl dolls and other popular Mattel products, from Hot Wheels to Barbie and Mega Bloks.

These toys will be distributed to thousands of first responder families— including nurses, firefighters, police officers, EMTs, paramedics, medical personnel, and 911 dispatchers who risk their health every day in service to their local communities across the country.

“As the holidays approach, we know it’s more important than ever to show our gratitude to our country’s dedicated First Responders who have contributed and sacrificed so much to help our friends, families, and communities this year,” said Jamie Cygielman, General Manager of American Girl, in a statement.

“We’re pleased to donate the proceeds of these three exquisite one-of-a-kind 2020 collector dolls, plus thousands of Mattel toys, to First Responders Children’s Foundation to say thank you to these hard-working frontline heroes and bring some much-needed holiday sparkle to their children and families.”

Thailand: Rare whale skeleton discovered



An almost perfectly preserved whale skeleton thought to be between 3,000 and 5,000 years old has been discovered in Thailand.

The bones were found in early November some 12km (7.5 miles) off the coast just to the west of Bangkok.
The 12m (39ft) long skeleton is thought to be that of a Bryde's whale.
Experts hope the find might provide "a window into the past," especially for research on sea levels and biodiversity.
The partially fossilised bones are "a rare find," mammal researcher Marcus Chua of the National University of Singapore told the BBC.
"There are few whale subfossils in Asia," he said, and even fewer ones are "in such good condition".
Pictures shared by Thailand's environment minister Varawut Silpa-archa show the bones apparently almost entirely intact.



According to the politician, more than 80% of the skeleton has so far been recovered, including vertebrae, ribs, fins and one shoulder blade.
The skeleton's head alone is estimated to be about 3m in length.
Mr Chua says the discovery will allow researchers to find out more about the particular species in the past, whether there were any differences compared to today's Bryde's whales.
The skeleton will also provide information about the "paleobiological and geological conditions at that time, including sea level estimation, types of sediments, and the contemporary biological communities at that time".
"So this find provides a window into the past once the skeleton has been dated," Mr Chua says.
The bones are yet to be carbon-dated to determine their exact age, with the results expected in December.



The gulf of Thailand has an interesting history in the last 10,000 years, the biologist points out, with sea levels possibly up to 4m higher than today and active tectonic activity.
The skeleton was found off the current coastline in Samut Sakhon.
Bryde's whales, which live worldwide in warm temperate and tropical waters, are still found in the waters around Thailand today.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55097088

[johngriffen]

I sometimes get REALLY DEPRESSED reviewing the news these days.
It's always about a global pandemic threatening life as we know it,
protests around the world, stupid politicians, natural disasters,
or some other really bad story.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Welcome to The mobi weekly news magazine
IN OTHER NEWS
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 27
What is it?
Here is your chance to become an "ACE REPORTER" for our weekly news magazine.
It is your job to fine weird, funny or "good feel" stories from around the world and share them with our readers in our weekly magazine

How do you play?
Just post a story that you have come across that made you smile, laugh, feel good...
BUT NOTHING DEPRESSING

EXAMPLE POST

​Naked sunbather chases wild boar through park after it steals his laptop bag

A naked sunbather was seen chasing wild boar through a park after it stole his laptop bag.
Amusing photographs from Germany show the man running after the animal to try and claim the plastic bag back.
But the cheeky boar and its two piglets appear to be too quick for the sunbather, who can't keep up with their speedy little trotters.
As the incident unfolds, groups of friends and family sat on the grass watch on and laugh.
Heads are seen turning in surprise and amusement in the hilarious photographs.
The incident happened at Teufelssee Lake - a bathing spot in the Grunwell Forest in Berlin, Germany.

Rules:
Each Edition of IN OTHER NEWS will be open for 7 days...
You may post One Story in any 24 hour period
So in other words, you can enter only once a day
Each news day will start when I post announcing it
OR at:
9:00 AM CHICAGO TIME (UTC -6)
3:00 PM GMT (UTC -0)
on those days I space out and forget to post or can't due to Real Life
Stories may be accompanied with images - but No big images, please! 800x800 pixels wide maximum
Videos are allowed, but please keep them to under a minute, and post a short summary for those that don't like to click on videos
No Duplicate stories - Where a post has been edited resulting in duplicates, then the last one in time gets disallowed.
And please limit this to reasonably family friendly stories

Reward:
Each news story posted that I feel is acceptable (must be a real story, too few words or simply a headline are not considered acceptable) will earn you 50 WRZ$
If you post multiple stories on any given day, you will only earn 50 WRZ$ for the first story of the Day
Special Bonus - Each week I will award "The Pulitzer Prize" for the best story of the week
The weekly winner of the "The Pulitzer Prize" will receive a 100 WRZ$ bonus
It's just my personal opinion, so my judgement is final

So help bring GOOD news to the members of mobi, and join our reporting team...

IN OTHER NEWS

[FRKJ]

Canadian Scientists Develop Eco-Friendly Substitute for Palm Oil That’s Good for Human Health

Providing a potential solution everybody was looking for, two Canadian food scientists have created a replacement for palm oil.



Their invention replicates how the body creates triglycerides, and can hold liquid vegetable fats in a solid form at room temperature—the key advantage of palm oil.

The researchers’ oil could be used as a replacement for the problematic palm product in a variety of pre-prepared foods like peanut butters, cookies and pizza crust, as well as in cosmetics and even toothpaste.

If you’ve ever seen the words “no palm oil” displayed proudly on a jar of peanut butter or other foodstuffs, it’s because palm oil is perhaps the largest isolated cause of tropical deforestation in the world.

Nations and companies often try and wash their hands of the oil palm crop due to its tendency to create deforestation. The English city of Chester proudly proclaims itself the first “sustainable palm oil city,” while Norway straight up banned palm oil imports from plantations linked with deforestation.

A combination of previous scientific findings and outstanding natural qualities created a 20-year explosion in the cultivation and use of palm oil in global food production. 34% of the world’s vegetable oil comes from the oil palm tree, of which 84% comes from merely two countries, Indonesia and Malaysia, where highly biodiverse tropical rainforest has been cut down to make way for oil palm plantations.

The advantages of palm oil became ascendent during the 1980s and 1990s, after nutritionists began broadly warning about the disastrous health effects of eating partially hydrogenated oils and trans-fats. Producers began substituting those harmful fats with palm oil for several reasons.

Capable of remaining as a solid in room temperature due to its high saturated fat content, palm oil rapidly became the prime choice for manufacturers, not least because production is nearly 500% more per-acre than the next most-productive vegetable oil crop, sunflower oil.

Looking inward
For Alejandro Marangoni, a food scientist at the University of Guelph, the challenge was how to create an oil that would stay solid at room temperature, and one that preferably didn’t contain as much saturated fat content as something like coconut oil.

Saturated fat, while necessary in many processes of our biology including the synthesis of testosterone, is capable of exasperating risks for coronary heart disease when consumed in large portions by individuals with unhealthy lifestyles such as sedentary days or late-night eating habits.

Marangoni is far from the first scientist to have given it a go. Last year two-former baristas attempted to synthesize a substitute from coffee grounds.

Marangoni on the other hand used a process he called enzymatic glycerolysis, inspired by the way the body naturally produces triglycerides. He combined enzymes with glycerin to produce solid vegetable oil without adding any additional saturated fats.

The process would allow food manufacturers to avoid the destructive oil palm plantations, while still being able to keep prices low, since Marangoni’s process could utilize most vegetable oils such as cottonseed, or peanut oil, which also happen to contain fewer saturated fats, leading to less of a public health burden.

[HogwartsExpress]

Florida man arrested after strapping downed light pole to car roof on highway


A Florida man who strapped a light pole to the roof of his car on a highway has been arrested on charges of grand theft, authorities said.

Douglas Allen Hatley, 71, was pulled over on a Tampa roadway on Monday after another driver reported that a maroon Toyota Camry was hauling a metal pole – nearly double the length of the car – on its roof, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Hatley said he found the pole on the ground by the side of the highway and wanted to sell the metal for scrap, according to troopers.



A driver told authorities they had seen Hatley tie the light pole to his car roof a few miles away on Interstate 4 near the Interstate 75 interchange.

Troopers told Hatley that a highway maintenance worker had reported the pole stolen, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

The 71-year-old Lakeland man said he didn't realize that it was illegal to remove broken utility and light poles from the side of the road.

Hatley was arrested and charged with grand theft. He was being held on $2,000 bond. A passenger in the car was not charged.



Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-man- ... hway-theft

[Fatima99]

Biker dog Bogie thrills fans as he cruises Philippine highways



IMUS, Philippines (Reuters) - With his black sports jacket, reflective aviator sunglasses and bespoke orange helmet with holes so his ears can stick out, Bogie the dog sure is one suave-looking canine, with an Easy Rider look that would earn him a place in any motorcycle gang.

The 11-year-old crossbreed from the Philippines takes daily motorcycle rides with his owner Gilbert Delos Reyes, balanced perfectly with his hind legs on the edge of the seat and paws straddling the handlebars. Bogie has become a neighbourhood celebrity and is a magnet for attention on mountain and beach road trips.

"The first thing I taught him when he was around four months old was how to ride a motorcycle. I would carry him whenever I rode," said Reyes, who owns a motorcycle shop in Cavite province outside the capital Manila.

"One day, he just started following me every time I left the house. As soon as I started the engine, he would get excited and jump on the bike."

Bogie is also good for business, helping to lure customers eager to take pictures with him to Reyes' shop, and doling out pawshakes as well.

He has even proven himself useful as a guard dog, once chasing after thieves who tried to steal his owner's gold necklace at an intersection.

Reyes purchased Bogie when he was just a month old for 100 pesos ($2), but says the dog has been a lucky charm, and is priceless.

"I think of Bogie as a son. He's been with me for 11 years and is a big part of my life," said Reyes.

"We've had so many adventures and been to many places together, I don't think I can ever replace him."

[Morgan2498]

Books by bike: Sri Lankan man runs mobile library for kids



Children look to borrow books from a mobile library run on a motorbike by Mahinda Dasanayaka, in a village in Kegalle district, about 85 kilometers (53 miles) northeast of Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo. Having witnessed the hardships faced by children in rural areas whose villages have no library facilities, Dasanayaka got the idea for his library on wheels called “Book and Me." Dasanayaka, 32, works as a child protection officer for the government. On his off days, mostly during weekends, he rides his motorbike, which is fixed with a steel box to hold books, to rural villages and distributes the reading material to children free of charge.

During his leisure time, Mahinda Dasanayaka packs his motorbike with books and rides his mobile library — across mostly muddy roads running through tea-growing mountain areas — to underprivileged children in backward rural parts of Sri Lanka.

Having witnessed the hardships faced by children whose villages have no library facilities, Dasanayaka was looking for ways to help them.

Then he got the idea for his library on wheels.

He started his program, called “Book and Me,” three years ago, and it has become very popular among the children.

“There are some kids who hadn’t seen even a children’s storybook until I went to their villages,” he said.

Dasanayaka, 32, works as a child protection officer for the government. On his off days — mostly during weekends — he rides his motorbike, which is fixed with a steel box to hold books, to rural villages and distributes the reading material to children free of charge.



“The children are very keen and enthusiastic, they are eagerly waiting for me — always looking for new books,” Dasanayaka said by phone.

His program is mainly centered in Kegalle, a mountainous region of the Indian Ocean island nation about 85 kilometers (52 miles) northeast of Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, with poor villages scattered among tea plantations. He visits the villages once or twice a week to distribute the books.

His collection includes about 3,000 books on a variety of subjects. “Boys mostly like to read detective stories such as Sherlock Holmes, while girls prefer to read youth novels and biographies,” he said.

So far, he said, his program has benefited more than 1,500 children, as well as about 150 adults.

He began the program in 2017 with 150 books — some of his own and others donated by friends, colleagues and well-wishers. He bought a second-hand Honda motorbike for 30,000 Sri Lankan rupees ($162). He then fixed a steel box on the bike’s pillion seat.

“I wanted to do something for children who are burdened with an exam-centered education. ... And to change the way kids look at society, to change their perspectives and broaden their imagination,” he said.

Apart from giving away books, Dasanayaka also speaks to the children for a few minutes, usually under a roadside tree, highlighting the value of reading, books and authors. He then conducts a discussion on books the children have read, with the aim of eventually forming reading clubs.

His program has spread to more than 20 villages in Kegalle. He also has expanded it to some villages in Sri Lanka’s former civil war zone in the northern region, more than 340 kilometers (211 miles) from his home.

The long civil war ended in 2009 when government troops defeated Tamil rebels who were fighting to create a separate state for their ethnic minority in the north.



Dasanayaka, who is from the ethnic majority Sinhalese, believes books can build a “bridge between two ethnic groups.”

“Books can be used for the betterment of society and promote ethnic reconciliation — because no one can get angry with books.” he said.

He also has established mini libraries at intersections in some of the villages he visits, giving children and adults a place to share books. These involve installing a small steel box that can be opened from one side onto a wall or on a stand. So far, he has built four such facilities and aims to set up 20 in different villages.

While Dasanayaka spends his own money on his program, he is not wealthy, with a take-home income of 20,000 rupees ($108) a month from his job. He said he spends about a quarter of that on gasoline for his mobile library.

He lives with his wife, who is also a government worker, and their two children.

“I live a simple life,” he said. “No big hopes, and I am not chasing after material values such as big houses and cars.”

Nuwan Liyanage, senior deputy general manager of local radio station Neth FM, called Dasanayaka “a hero of our time.” The station has been helping Dasanayaka collect books.

“He has set a real example for society,” Liyanage said. “With very little resources, he has done remarkable things, and his project has opened the eyes of many others to do similar things.”

Mohomed Haris Shihara, 48, a nursery school teacher in the village of Kannantota, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Dasanayaka’s home, praised the program, saying it has benefited about 100 children in her village.

“This is a great thing and it has helped to develop an interest among the kids to read books,” she said. “Also, the follow-up discussions on books have widened the children’s knowledge.”

Dasanayaka said he does not seek any monetary benefit from his program.


“My only happiness is to see that children read books, and I would be delighted to hear the kids say that books helped them to change their lives,” he said. “And that’s my ultimate happiness.”

Source: https://apnews.com/article/race-and-eth ... 9e982aab8d

[hija]

An implant enabled paralysed patients to send texts



Paralysed patients could gain more independence thanks to a wireless implant, which can translate brain impulses to a computer-based operating system.

When used in conjunction with eye-tracking technology for cursor navigation (pictured), the brain implant reportedly enables participants with restricted mobility to complete online tasks such a shopping, banking and sending emails.

A review of the technology, published by the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery, suggested it had the potential “to achieve digital device control… in people with paralysis and, when combined with eye-tracking, to improve functional independence”.

[PennySerenade]

’24 Good Deeds’ advent calendar supports Canadian charities



TORONTO -- It’s an advent calendar, but there’s no chocolate waiting behind the doors. Instead, the sweet surprise is learning what charity is benefitting that day.

“When you open one calendar door you will see exactly the effect that your donation for that day will have,” says Ute Shaw, who launched the Canadian edition of the 24 Good Deeds Calendar. “One day, you may vaccinate a child in Africa. The next day, you may plant a tree in Uganda.”

The 24 Good Deeds Calendar was first created in 2011 by German siblings. Ute received one of the calendars as a gift last year.


“I saw it, and realized that this only exists in Europe,” she tells CTV News Toronto. “So I was wondering, how about Canada!”

The concept is simple. Just like an advent calendar containing treats or toys, a door is opened on each day in December leading up to Christmas. Inside, details are shared of which social or environmental project is being helped that day as a result of the calendar’s purchase.



24 good deeds on 24 days and all that you have to donate is 24 dollars,” Shaw explains. “I am excited because I think it looks pretty special and of all the projects in there they are all very deserving causes and charities.”

Shaw’s efforts to create the first Canadian edition of the calendar came to fruition in October. This year, 11 Canadian charities, along with 13 international charities, will benefit.

One those included in the calendar is Toronto-based Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food recovery organizations.

“We’re pretty excited to be getting involved with this calendar,” says Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest. “On the 12, you’ll actually see the impact of your spend in that moment of how many people we can support with the wonderful purchase of this advent calendar.”

Shaw says she’s happy to play a role in helping charities, especially this year with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s a really a tough year for them,” she says. “I really hope that very many people want to help the world become a better place, 24 good deeds at a time.”

“It’s absolutely brilliant,” adds Nikkel about the advent calendar. “This teaches such important message to children, to families. It’s a great idea to bond around giving.”

[Fivetide]

Brief buzz: Danish Mayfly named 2021 insect of the year


This undated photo provided by the 'Senckenberg Institute' shows a 'Danish Mayfly'. The
Danish Mayfly has been selected by a German entomological society as the Insect of the
Year for 2021, but won’t have long to celebrate its 15 minutes of fame. The insect, whose
scientific name is Ephemera danica, only has a few days to fly, mate and lay new eggs.
(Wolfgang Kleinsteuber via AP)

The Danish Mayfly was selected Friday by an international group of entomologists and others as the Insect of the Year for 2021, but it won’t have long to celebrate its 15 minutes of fame.

The insect, whose scientific name is Ephemera danica, only has a few days to fly, mate and lay new eggs.

“What makes the mayfly unique is its life cycle: from the egg laid in the water to the insect capable of flight and mating, which dies after a few days,” said Thomas Schmitt, chairman of the commission of scientists and representatives from research institutions and conservation organizations from Germany, Austria and Switzerland that made the choice.

Mayflies have existed for about 355 million years and today some 140 species live in Central Europe, the commission said.

Despite their fleeting time on earth in their final form, their developmental cycle is quite long.

Female mayflies zigzag over water between May and September, laying thousands of eggs that then sink.

Larvae hatch within a few days, and eventually develop gills. Buried in riverbeds, they take between one to three years to develop.

“Shortly before the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life, a layer of air forms between the old and new skin of the adult larvae,” said Schmitt, who is also director of the Senckenberg German Entomological Institute in Muencheberg, east of Berlin. ”By reducing its specific weight, the larva rises to the water surface. Once there, the larval skin bursts and within a few seconds a flyable mayfly hatches.”

With no mouth parts nor a functioning intestine, the fully developed mayfly has only a few days then to mate and lay new eggs before it dies.

The commission has been selecting one unique insect each year since 1999 to “bring an exemplary species closer to people.”

[goldie0608]

Prison Camp Survivor is Casually Building and Donating a $50 Million Children’s Hospital in in New Zealand



When Mark Dunajtschik escaped Knicanin prison camp near the end of WWII, he was forced to flee his homeland of Yugoslavia. Five years after the war ended, he became an apprentice toolmaker.

The trade he mastered then may have shaped his career, but it was the life lessons he learned that ultimately forged the character of the man he’d someday become.

With housing in post-war Germany almost nonexistent, Dunajtschick’s only option at that time was living in a housing facility for the mentally and physically disabled. Seeing the daily challenges his housemates faced, he realized how just lucky he was.

“Because I was given the opportunity to live in that home, which was founded by an industrialist in the 1880s, now that I am in a position that I can also do something, naturally I want to do it,” he told the New Zealand Herald.

At the age of 85, as one of the most successful industrialists and real estate developers in New Zealand, Dunajtschik is indeed uniquely poised to deliver on his desire to give back.

Already known for his philanthropic works—having financed the country’s Life Flight Trust helicopter rescue service—Dunajtschik’s latest major humanitarian endeavor is overseeing the construction of a new children’s hospital in Wellington.

In 2017, he committed $50 million dollars of his own money toward building it.

“After a conversation between my business partner and my life partner we decided, why not build it?” he said. (Dunajtschik credits his life partner, 82-year-old New Zealand native, Dorothy Spotswood, with whom he shares a five-decade-long relationship—for much of his success.)

But Dunajtschik had no desire to simply throw money at the new hospital. He takes a hands-on approach to all his projects.

“By utilizing my expertise as a developer we would be able to produce more real estate than if we were to just write out a cheque and leave the bureaucrats to build it,” he explained.

Over the summer, construction passed a major milestone. As Dunajtschik and Spotswood looked on, the industrial support cranes were cleared from the site, signaling the exterior was complete.

“It’s exciting to see that in a little over a year the vision will be realized and we will have a magnificent new purpose-built facility that will help generations of sick kids to come,” said Bill Day, Chair of Wellington Hospitals Foundation.

“Those people that are born with a healthy body and mind can look after themselves and those unfortunate to be born with, or suffering ill health, need our help,” said Dunajtschik.

And that’s the lesson in compassion this man who puts his money where his mouth is—plus a whole lot more—hopes to pass along.