Everyone needs a forest…

Transformation
in Mexico

Watch what happens! A degraded Mexican landscape is transformed by excellent management. It took only two years (the arrow points to the same tree).

Photos: Cuenca Los Ojos

Upcoming Events and Announcements

Redesigning Our Communities – Cleveland

On Saturday, March 25 at 1pm ET, catch our latest installment of Redesigning Our Communities for Life After Fossil Fuels with national and local speakers from the Greater Cleveland area. 

It’s time to scale way back, redesign how we’re living and roll up our sleeves to restore our ecosystems, biodiversity and connections with our neighbors. Join in on this event series to find your place in this transition.

Dammed in a Hot Chaotic World

On Thursday, March 30 at 6pm ET, author Steve Hawley joins our Life Saves the Planet series to explore the ramifications of the extraordinary dam building boom of the last century that culminated in 800,000 dams worldwide today. In his book CRACKED: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Chaotic World, Hawley examines the effect of these dams on biodiversity loss, heat buildup and aridification of the land. Author and essayist David James Duncan will join Hawley in conversation and Q&A from the audience. Register here to join live!

Ecological Economics 2 – Course with Fred Jennings

Starting Monday, April 3, 2023 (with an open preview session on Monday March 27), join us for an insightful excursion into our economic culture and why it is doing us so much harm. Understanding ecological economics will give you a different perspective on on our planetary crises and how alternative social organization can better promote a general sense of well-being for everyone in society. Classes will meet each Monday from 12 – 2pm ET for eight weeks, through May 22, 2023. Read more and register now.

Biodiversity 8: Deepdive Into Symbiosis – March 1, 2023

How has conventional interpretation of Darwin’s survival of the fittest shaped not only our understanding of science and extinction, but also economics and cultural values? Are we genetically doomed to compete with nature and with each other until our species joins the long list of other species headed for extinction?

Starting March 1, 2023, join Jim Laurie for a 12-week deep dive into the science, history, and cultural implications of how we understand evolution and interspecies relationships. Read more and register.

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Out of sunlight, water and rock, living systems evolved and created this magnificent Earth.

Civilization is driving it to the brink.

Life can fix it – and you can help!

We are enthralled with our feats of technology (you’re reading this on your cool device, after all), but that doesn’t come close to the enormous power, complexity and subtlety of living systems.

Past Events

Developing Food Resilience for Hard Times Ahead

Thursday, January 26 at 6pm ET

In January, Ridge Shinn and Lynne Pledger joined us to discuss their new book, Grass-Fed Beef for a Post-Pandemic World.

While the last few tumultuous years have heightened uncertainties about our food supplies, there’s some good news coming out of the regenerative agriculture movement. Regenerative practices restore degraded land, increase soil productivity, sequester carbon and store water. These authors and practitioners explore how regenerative grazing can help build resilience in our food systems. Watch the recording here.

Redesigning Our Communities – Los Angeles

A series of virtual and in-person community events
in 6 locations in the U.S. and Canada

Our latest installment of Redesigning Our Communities for Life After Fossil Fuels took place on Saturday, January 21 with national and local speakers from Los Angeles. Check out the conference program and stay tuned for the recording and for our next event in Cleveland OH.

It’s time to scale way back, redesign how we’re living and roll up our sleeves to restore our ecosystems, biodiversity and connections with our neighbors. Join in on this event series…

Sweet in Tooth and Claw

Tuesday, December 13 at 6pm ET

In December, author Kristin Ohlson and restoration ecologist Jim Laurie shared their wisdom in Sweet In Tooth And Claw: Cooperation And Generosity In The Natural World.

They discussed Ohlson’s latest book, in which she explores the way symbiotic relationships between individuals and species fundamentally shapes our planet. In contrast to narratives of competition and dominance, understanding nature from a systems perspective can help us return to harmony and solidarity with other living beings that is crucial to restoring the Earth. View the recording now….

A New Generation of Change-Makers Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom

Thursday, November 17 at 6pm ET

We were honored to host Jess Alvarez-Parfrey, Nathan Lou, and William Wildcat (Coakí) for an exploration of ancestral connections, and transformative opportunities to nurture a truly regenerative, just, joyful, and climate resilient future. Bringing together diverse cultural backgrounds, skills, and experiences, our panel of practitioners shared their stories, and perspectives the theme of “regeneration” as it relates to our connection to place, purpose, and community.

View the recording of A New Generation of Change-Makers – Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom now.

No Trees, No Rain: How Plants Move Water, Weather – And Cool the World

Friday, October 21 at 12:15 pm ET

Droughts and flash floods are becoming a new normal in our warming world. What changed? Our landscapes are losing water as people alter the environment, cut trees, drain wetlands, and use chemicals that destroy the soil.

And we’re feeling the heat.

On October 21, we hosted Anastassia Makarieva, Jan Pokorny, Andrei Nefiodov, and Jon Schull to explore the ways we can support nature and a functioning water cycle to cool and rehydrate the Earth. View the recording now!

Youth EcoRestorers for Climate

Saturday, September 17 at 10am ET

Youth leaders across the globe are advocating for people and the planet in various ways including on-the-ground ecosystem restoration, artivism, and promotion of regenerative agriculture.

On September 17, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate hosted three youth leaders from Colombia, the United States, and Brazil to amplify their stories of regeneration and environmental advocacy. Check out the event recording to hear what inspired these leaders to join the climate movement and how they’re making a difference for their communities and the Earth.

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Recent Blog Posts

Primates and Peatlands: Restoring Indonesian Ecosystems in the Face of Flooding

Meet Eka Cahyaningrum, restorer of peatlands and advocate for primates. Her work in Indonesia restores wild animal populations and their habitats while uplifting local communities. Her youth-led efforts demonstrate the power of coming together under one goal: to create better living conditions for all living beings, so that we can all thrive. Eka Cahyaningrum, Primate…

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Environmental Activism and the Search for Purpose

By Carlos Mdemu Social Media, Writing, and Online Outreach Intern Since 2011, I have been working in the field of environmental and solid waste management. At the beginning of my journey, I remember visiting one of the famous local markets in Dar es Salaam for a community cleanup. The local market, in terms of waste management…

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Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild our Communities

Bulu mini-forest in Cameroon after 19 months; Photo: Agborkang Godfred Hannah Lewis, Compendium Editor for Biodiversity for a Liveable Climate and freelance writer The Miyawaki Method The Miyawaki Method is a way to grow natural, mature forests in a couple of decades rather than a couple of centuries. You do this by observing what happens…

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Our Underrated Climate Ally: The Small Water Cycle

Cabezon Peak after rain, Photo by John Fowler (CC BY 2.0) Although climate change is a global issue, it can and must be addressed locally. Our overall climate is shifting drastically, but local climates are also changing, and they don’t always get the same amount of attention. Local climates change when the environment is drastically…

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What We Do

Conferences

We’ve held thirteen conferences since 2013 from a wide range of speakers on how to regenerate biodiverse life on Earth. Our speakers are special: they aren’t famous, but in their own creative ways they’ve worked wonders. They are examples of what each of us can do when we’re inspired!

Solutions

There are so many solutions out there that are virtually invisible when we focus on a model of greenhouse gases and alternative energy. These solutions are available to restore living systems, cool the land and calm the climate. We bring these to you, here.

Compendium

Our Compendium is a selection of article summaries from the scientific and popular literatures on eco-restoration to address biodiversity loss and climate catastrophe. We bring material of interest from a wide variety of sources into one central publication. Check it out and discover some of the solid science behind nature solutions to biodiversity loss and climate.

Featured Videos

Some of our most widely viewed videos are on our Introductory Playlist. But don’t overlook hidden gems! You’ll see them on our conference pages or you can search by subject or keyword with our website Super Search.

Voices of Water

Voices of Water is a project, founded by Jan Lambert and currently led by Zuzka Mulkerin, dedicated to the work of innovative hydrologist Michal Kravčík and colleagues, who have developed a new and powerful paradigm for addressing floods, droughts and other disruptions of nature’s water cycles.

Newsletters

We have several years of informative and entertaining newsletters that you are welcome to browse. They include interviews, book reviews, excerpts from our Compendium and past event announcements. Sign up here to receive our newsletters personally delivered to your e-mailbox with only the highest quality electrons!

What You Do

Along with the speakers from our Blessed Unrest conference, you are part of a historic transition.

Hang out with us for a while, learn more, teach us, be inspired, inspire us!

Our most serious problems have their root causes in dying ecosystems. And people around the world have decades of experience bringing the Earth back to life.

Let’s do it!