Nature is Climate
At Bio4Climate, we contribute to planetary regeneration through research, education, collaboration and action to restore essential global biodiversity . . . and create a new climate story.
Biodiversity loss is not just the result of climate change, it is a primary driver of climate change. Only solutions that prioritize this web of life will create a truly livable climate for all.
Upcoming Events and Courses
The Bio4Climate Film Club Presents Thinking Like Water
January 20 – February 17
Tuesdays at 7:30 pm ET / 5:30 pm MT
Join us this January to be part of a very special screening of Thinking Like Water, a five-part docuseries which follows restoration pioneer Bill Zeedyk and his collaborators, as they transform degraded watersheds into more resilient ecosystems – girding against the ravages of drought and climate change.
The docuseries and conversations with filmmaker Renea Roberts and other featured speakers begin on January 20 and continue for five Tuesdays. Registrants can choose how they’d like to participate—watch each documentary episode in advance and join the live conversation, or come together for a weekly viewing party with discussion shortly after. Each session will also make space to connect with others in your watershed and discover ways to learn more about the local waterways that connect us.
Registration is now open! Reduced rates and scholarships are available.
How Trees & Forests Shape Our Climate
February 5 – March 26, 2026
Thursdays — 12:00 Noon ET
Recently, Brazilian forest advocate Antonio Nobre wrote: “Deforestation is climate action’s blind spot.”
In this course, you will examine the ways in which trees and forests benefit our climate, while preventing flooding and drought and also providing habitat for a myriad of wildlife species. Hart brings his unique perspective and values to an exploration of the false notions, narratives and mythologies that are used to justify cutting down trees.
You will also engage with a range of highly qualified experts, and we will ask and answer questions like these:
- What are the mechanisms within forests that cool our climate—through shade, water evaporation, water cycling, and sponge-like absorption that prevents floods, droughts, wildfires and extreme heat?
- What role do microbes, fungi and wild species play in the climate-regulating mechanisms of a forest?
- What is the difference between a forest and a tree plantation?
- What is the extent of logging in North America?
- How do we choose between a forest and a solar array?
and many others…
Restore Nature – Cool the Planet
Only nature has the ability to both cool the planet and lower greenhouse gas levels. Our planet is already too hot and too dry to maintain a stable climate and support life. These 4 Climate Keys are interlocking pieces of the cycles we must repair to quickly stop warming and start cooling the planet.
Cool
Healthy ecosystems full of biodiversity create direct cooling effects for our hot planet. More Nature = Less Heat.
Hydrate
Keeping water in the ground supports plants, crops and people. Beavers, insects and microbes are part of the Infiltration Team
Plant
Planting for biodiversity creates healthy ecosystems. Forests sequester carbon and use water vapor to move heat away from the Earth
protect
Indigenous leadership and wisdom can help us. Stop deforestation, industrial ag, mining, and pollution that kill off biodiversity.
Replace with regenerative practices
Q:
What about atmospheric Carbon Dioxide – you know – the greenhouse effect?
A:
It’s an important part of the story, but not the whole story. Learn More.
Who We Are
Bio4Climate Tells the Hidden Stories
For nearly a decade we have looked behind, around, and under the prevailing climate narratives for the missing pieces of the puzzle. We continue to bring you authors, ecorestoration specialists, and scientists from around the world who explore the interlocking systems that create a livable climate.
Stay on top of the
Climate Conversation
Through education, policy and outreach, we promote the great potential of inexpensive, low-tech and powerful Nature solutions to the biodiversity and climate crises, and work to inspire urgent action and widespread implementation of many regenerative practices.
This Week
News and Insights
Restoration Led by Locals Deemed Most Successful
“Degraded lands and seas are nearly always occupied, most often by farming communities,” which is why it’s of the utmost importance to include locals in the restoration process. Restoration led by non-locals often “fail to achieve lasting results because of the mismatch with the lives and livelihoods of those most connected to the landscape.”
“Restoring the ability of local communities to be the custodians of nature is a promising approach to both ecological and social recovery – and ultimately environmental justice.” Bio4Climate is aligned with this approach, as our Miyawaki Forests are planted by locals and have shown us the power of doing so.
Keep reading to learn about the four levels of local involvement researchers have identified.
Beaver Dam-Building Supports Local Bat Populations in Switzerland
Beavers have a rightful reputation for increasing biodiversity in rivers and wetlands, but scientists have found that local bat populations have been found to benefit, too! Researchers studied eight streams with active beaver dams and found that bat activity increased by nearly 60%.
“According to the study, bats are drawn in by a combination of better habitat and more food. Beaver activity creates standing dead trees that bats use for roosting, along with more open, varied forest edges that make hunting easier. These areas also support larger numbers of insects, giving the bats a more reliable source of food.”
Events and Community
Basil Camu joins guest speaker lineup for How Trees & Forests Shape Our Climate!We’re excited to welcome Basil Camu, co-founder of Leaf & Limb a tree care company in Raleigh, NC, and Project Pando, a non-profit that aims to connect people to trees. He is also the author of From Wasteland to Wonder: Easy Ways We Can Help Heal Earth in the Sub/urban Landscape. A master arborist and “Treecologist,” Basil brings hands-on insight into how caring for trees, soils, and urban forests strengthens ecosystems and helps regulate climate at the local and regional scale.
FREE WEBINARS: You can join course instructor Hart Hagan for two free introductory webinars open to anyone interested in taking a course with Bio4Climate!
Join us on Monday, January 26 at 7 pm ET for Wildfires: Fact, Fiction, and Misinformation or How Industry and Government are Destroying Bird Habitat on Friday, January 30 at 3 pm ET. You are welcome to attend both sessions!
RETIRE YOUR LAWN: PLANT HOPE
Thirty to forty percent of all land is privately owned. Faith communities, businesses, schools, universities, local governments, and individual land owners can be part of the movement to transform their conventional lawns into regenerative landscapes—to promote ecosystem health, community well-being, and planetary repair. These models can meet the needs of various communities offering everything from naturalized yards, to deep rooted grasses, to moss for your shady earth.
Winter is the perfect time to get started! You can transform your lawn to a diverse ecosystem based on healthy soil.
Judith Black, a Symbiosis Team member and student of Jim Laurie’s Biodiversity Deep Dive courses, has put together the resources you need to get started! Imagine the impact we can have if neighbors, churches and businesses transform their square of dirt into thriving, regenerative ecosystems!!
If you’d like a presentation, would like to review this slide deck, or you simply want to explore the possibilities, reach out to Judith Black at storiesalive@gmail.com.
A Moment For Art
We are delighted to share a piece of artwork from one of our community members, Ann Barrett! Ann Barrett works in watercolor and oil on a variety of supports. With roots in observational drawing, her imagery fluctuates between figuration and abstraction, and celebrates human interconnectedness with all of life.
Ann is a six-year member of Jim Laurie’s symbiosis team, a Biodiversity for a Livable Climate financial supporter, and on the board of directors of East Quabbin Land Trust in Hardwick, MA. Ann has graciously shared a few pieces with us, so stay tuned for more of her beautiful work in the coming weeks!
Share Your Art!
If you have artwork you’d like to have showcased in this newsletter, please respond to this email to get in touch with our team. We are accepting submissions for artwork, which can be anything from a poem to a painting—use your imagination! We are also accepting book recommendations.
What’s Your Favorite Creature?
Lastly, we want to invite you to write your very own Featured Creature article. If you are passionate about a specific creature that you have a personal connection to, we want to hear from you!
We look forward to receiving your artwork, book recommendations, and Featured Creature proposals.
This week’s book recommendation comes from Jonas Davulis, a member of the Symbiosis Team and active participant in Bio4Climate courses and events. His pick is Becoming Earth: A Journey Through the Hidden Wonders That Bring Our Planet to Life by Ferris Jabr.
The 2025 Northeast Miniforest Summit featured more than a dozen speakers across two virtual half-days and an in-person bus tour, bringing together practitioners, researchers, and leaders from diverse fields to unpack the Miyawaki Method from root to canopy.
Recordings Are Now Live! Learn more and stay connected at miniforests.bio4climate.org
Tell nature’s climate story, the story of connection and life.
― Beck Mordini
Transformation in Mexico
Eco Restoration Works
Watch what happens! A degraded landscape in Mexico is transformed by regenerative management. It took only two years (the arrow points to the same tree).