BY JESSICA LOPEZ

Many people would say “2016 has been the worst year ever!” but instead of focusing on the negative things that happened in 2016, let’s focus on the positive. Here is a list of positive things that happened in 2016:

• Tiger numbers are rising
  The tiger population was 3,200 in 2010 but has increased by 22%. The number of tigers living around the world is 3,890 and growing.

• Veteran homelessness has dropped 50%
  The numbers of U.S veterans being homeless have been cut in half since 2010

• 50 year war ends with peace treaty signed in Columbia
  After 4 years of negotiations, Columbia signed a peace deal with the government which ended a 50 year long war.

  

• India plants 50 million trees in one day
  800,000 volunteers planted trees in India. The volunteers planted over 80 different species of trees.

• World’s largest marine reserve was established in Antarctica
  European countries and 24 other different countries stepped in to help build this reserve on Antarctica’s Ross Sea

• Graduation rates increase
  The graduation rates for all races increased 83.2%

• Did we mention that tiger numbers are rising? 

• America finally declared measles free
  This was a disease that caused many health problems in America. After 22 years of vaccinations, the measles are no more in America.  

Although this is just a small list of positive things that happened in 2016, there is still a lot more of great things that happened this past year.