Melissa Gilkey

Melissa Gilkey is the VP, Growth at Good Media Group. She is an analyst, writer, and growth hacker, who is obsessed with using data to create irresistible digital media. Melissa leads Upworthy's traffic growth and distribution strategy, as well as the data-driven intelligence that help shape current and future editorial products. She attended Davidson College in North Carolina, where she received her degree in Economics.

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Striking photos of 15 animal species you might not know exist.

GAH. I can't choose my favorite one!

1. The emperor tamarin

Two words: HOLY MUSTACHE.

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Melissa Gilkey

It's an undeniable fact that Dolly Parton is America's sweetheart.

First of all, she's a hilarious meme queen.

She's also not afraid to poke a little fun at herself.

It's no wonder she's got some pretty famous friends.

Not to mention she's the (fairy) godmother to the one and only Miley Cyrus.

And it's not all about glitz and glamour. For decades, Dolly has been using her platform to give back to her community.

She's also quick to support natural disaster victims — and she encourages others to do the same.

Dolly's even won two Emmys for her outstanding public service efforts.

But beyond her humor, her A-list friends, and her generous spirit, Dolly is a G*DDAMN inspiration.

Here's to you, Dolly. And here's to many more years of making us smile.

GAH. I can't choose my favorite one!

1. The emperor tamarin

2. The spirit bear

3. The quokka

4. The bat-eared fox

5. The sand cat

6. The sloth bear

7. The Bengal slow loris

8. The rock hyrax

9. The cotton-top tamarin

10. The Patagonian mara

11. The jerboa

12. The dhole

13. The golden snub-nosed monkey

14. Pallas's Cat

15. The sun bear

Did you know there are several success stories of humans saving endangered animals from extinction?

Your plastic water bottles deserve more.

Do you know how much plastic waste the U.S. generates each year?

I'd like to introduce you to the born-again plastic bottles that are recycled.

1. Cozy Patagonia fleece

2. Winter jackets, too!

3. Check it out: Luxury bedsheets designed by will.i.am

4. Plastic bottle denim jeans by a company called Dirtball? Sign me up.

5. You can also root for your favorite NFL team in these plastic bottle football jerseys.

6. Do yoga (or just be comfy) in these plastic bottle yoga pants.

7. You could also look fly in these New Balance NewSky sneakers.

8. Plastic bottle UNDERWEAR, y'all

9. Designer handbags, backpacks, and luggage by Matt & Nat

10. Red (or green?) carpet fashion

11. Plastic bottles can also strut their stuff on the runway.

12. Pet beds!

13. And pet toys, too!

14. And you've probably walked on a plastic bottle rug.

15. Plastic bottles can also get a second chance with these "B2P" pens by Pilot.

16. Rainy day? Try a plastic bottle umbrella.

17. You probably want to buy this awesome bat backpack.

18. Or this pink dump truck.

19. Be fancy with a fancy plastic bottle chandelier!

20. Stare in awe at some ridiculously creative plastic bottle artwork.

21. And don't forget to check out this artwork ... made with plastic bottle "paint."

22. You can even make an entire HOUSE from plastic bottles.

23. A bus stop?! Yeah, a bus stop.

24. These people are riding solar-powered recycled-plastic-bottle BOATS.

25. Even the roads of the future are paved in plastic bottles!

26. No big deal, just a man-made plastic bottle island here.

27. Or, you know, 1.5 million bottles could get you AN ENTIRE FREAKING BUILDING.

How scared should we really be?

Shark attacks are super scary, but how common are they really?

Here's the thing that doesn't get enough attention, though: Humans are killing tons of sharks.

But why is this a problem? Because oceans need sharks. And we need oceans.

Clearly, there's a lot more to know about sharks than their rare attacks on humans.