The global movement to restore nature's biodiversity
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Biodiversity is the key to life on Earth and reviving our damaged planet, says ecologist Thomas Crowther. Sharing the inside story of his headline-making research on reforestation, which led to the UN's viral Trillion Trees Campaign, Crowther introduces Restor: an expansive, informative platform built to enable anyone, anywhere to help restore the biodiversity of Earth's ecosystems.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
If you're interested in reforestation, rewilding, and restoration, check out Restor, the largest network of restoration and conservation sites across the globe. You could even start your own restoration site at your home, school, or place of work and upload your work to the Restor database.
A Trillion Trees
The Trillion Trees campaign has galvanized millions of citizens, scientists, and politicians. Check out this video to see what would happen if we could reach that goal and some of the science and process behind it. However, poorly managed reforestation can have a damaging impact on ecosystems. Even when properly executed, reforestation is certainly not the only solution to the climate and biodiversity crisis. And there are tried-and-true practices to restore a forest effectively. For a more in-depth explanation of the complexities of reforestation, how it can go wrong, and how to do it right, check out this video.
Countries Leading the Charge
Check out Senegal's massive forest restoration project. Senegalese farmers along the Casamance River delta have planted millions of mangrove buds to reforest the region. After decades of clearing the forests for firewood, saltwater has intruded into the delta, turning farmland into barren fields. Mangrove forests are a natural barrier against saltwater, host diverse ecosystems, and slow desertification. They also absorb significant amounts of carbon.
Costa Rica lost and regrew its forest and has become a global laboratory for decarbonization. Costa Rica is the world's only tropical country that has managed to reverse the process of deforestation: forests now cover more than half its surface. It’s also one of the few countries to get almost all its electricity (99 percent) from renewable sources.
Rwanda's reforesting project is seeing regrowth within a year. They plan to plant 2 millions hectares of new forests by 2030 and will help to combat desertification.
People Power
Jad Daley is the CEO of American Forests, a non-profit organization that works to restore forests and promote sustainable forestry practices in the United States. He has been a leader in advancing policies and programs to increase the scale and impact of reforestation efforts.
Dr. Jifunza Wright-Carter and Fred Carter co-founded the Black Oaks Center, a community-based organization that promotes sustainable agriculture and forestry practices in the Chicago area. They have promoted agroforestry to restore degraded lands and improve local food systems.
Tzeporah Berman is a Canadian environmentalist and activist who has led the fight to protect old-growth forests in British Columbia. She has worked with Indigenous communities and other groups to promote sustainable forest management practices and protect biodiversity.
A Trillion Trees
The Trillion Trees campaign has galvanized millions of citizens, scientists, and politicians. Check out this video to see what would happen if we could reach that goal and some of the science and process behind it. However, poorly managed reforestation can have a damaging impact on ecosystems. Even when properly executed, reforestation is certainly not the only solution to the climate and biodiversity crisis. And there are tried-and-true practices to restore a forest effectively. For a more in-depth explanation of the complexities of reforestation, how it can go wrong, and how to do it right, check out this video.
Countries Leading the Charge
Check out Senegal's massive forest restoration project. Senegalese farmers along the Casamance River delta have planted millions of mangrove buds to reforest the region. After decades of clearing the forests for firewood, saltwater has intruded into the delta, turning farmland into barren fields. Mangrove forests are a natural barrier against saltwater, host diverse ecosystems, and slow desertification. They also absorb significant amounts of carbon.
Costa Rica lost and regrew its forest and has become a global laboratory for decarbonization. Costa Rica is the world's only tropical country that has managed to reverse the process of deforestation: forests now cover more than half its surface. It’s also one of the few countries to get almost all its electricity (99 percent) from renewable sources.
Rwanda's reforesting project is seeing regrowth within a year. They plan to plant 2 millions hectares of new forests by 2030 and will help to combat desertification.
People Power
Jad Daley is the CEO of American Forests, a non-profit organization that works to restore forests and promote sustainable forestry practices in the United States. He has been a leader in advancing policies and programs to increase the scale and impact of reforestation efforts.
Dr. Jifunza Wright-Carter and Fred Carter co-founded the Black Oaks Center, a community-based organization that promotes sustainable agriculture and forestry practices in the Chicago area. They have promoted agroforestry to restore degraded lands and improve local food systems.
Tzeporah Berman is a Canadian environmentalist and activist who has led the fight to protect old-growth forests in British Columbia. She has worked with Indigenous communities and other groups to promote sustainable forest management practices and protect biodiversity.
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- Speaker Thomas Crowther
