Four forestry specialists offer their views on how to reduce the wildfire risks. The Wildfire story that no one is talking about.  The media is full of stories about the causes and cures for the massive forest fires raging around the world.  Those fires have finally hit close to the Bio4Climate home in New England…

This article analyzes the policy context for forest ecosystem restoration, arguing that it is heavily shaped by the way we define a forest. The use of a forest definition lacking ecological considerations severely undermines conservation and restoration initiatives.   We live in an era of unprecedented environmental change, motivating equally unprecedented global actions to protect…

Understanding what makes forests thrive is important in light of mounting calls for reforestation and forest conservation as antidotes both to species loss and climate breakdown. Moreover, distinguishing between natural forest regeneration and timber plantations is critical to achieving intended goals. Intact forests, and especially tropical forests, sequester twice as much carbon as planted monocultures.…

Restoring natural forests is the best way to remove atmospheric carbon, Lewis et al. 2019 In order to keep global warming under the 1.5C threshold, the IPCC warns that not only must we cut carbon emissions nearly in half by 2030, we must also draw massive amounts of CO2 out of the atmosphere. The Intergovernmental…

BHS Mini-Forest at Belmont High School  Donate to Support Our Forest In Fall 2025, the Miyawaki Forest Action Belmont (MFAB), under the guidance of  Biodiversity For a Livable Climate (Bio4Climate), will be planting a mini-forest using the Miyawaki Forest at the Belmont High School. Join Us As a Volunteer Miyawaki Forest Action Belmont (MFAB) is…

Brief tribute to Elizabeth (Beth) L. Adams (1946-2019) of Leverett, MA. Beth was co-founder of the Massachusetts Forest Rescue Campaign and a life-long activist for peace, social justice and environmental conservation. She truly exemplifies the “Blessed Unrest” that is being celebrated as the theme of Biodiversity for a Livable Climate’s 2020 online conference. Learn more…

Danehy Park Miyawaki Forest Our Miyawaki Forest at Danehy Park in North Cambridge was planted successfully on September 25, 2021 with the help of many fantastic volunteers. The forest is the first example of a Miyawaki Forest in Cambridge, MA and in the Northeast US as a whole. It is wonderful to see the community…

Everyone needs a forest Forests are one of the most efficient means for sequestering carbon, and the most effective system for cooling the planet, especially on the local level. With the loss of green spaces, more and more people are feeling the effects of heat islands, localized hotspots that can be readily combated by planting and…

Thomas Goreau tells of the successful reforestation centuries ago of the mountains surrounding Rio de Janeiro, and will describe the workings of the “biotic pump” by which forest transpiration supports healthy precipitation across wide areas. Presented at the Restoring Water Cycles to Reverse Global Warming conference October 16th-18th, 2015 at Tufts University. Learn more about…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ The earth’s forests have been decimated by human overuse and development, leading to cascading effects of biodiversity loss, soil erosion and massive emissions of carbon into the atmosphere. Mark Leighton joined the Harvard faculty in 1983 and has…

Forests currently cover a quarter of Earth’s terrestrial surface, although at least 82% of that remaining forest is degraded by human activity. While a handful of international accords rightly encourage forest conservation and reforestation to limit global warming, these agreements fail to prioritize protection specifically of intact forests, or forests that are free from human…

Natick High School Forest Photos by Maya Dutta On Saturday September 30, 2023 we planted Natick’s first Miyawaki Forest at Natick High School! Sign up to volunteer here. We are so excited to bring another pocket forest to life with the help of the community, high school, and municipality. We will share information, updates, and…

This workshop follows Alfred’s talk “How Liberians Fought Big Palm Oil to Protect their Forests” Alfred Brownell: environmental and human rights lawyer and Executive Director of Green Advocates (GA). Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Connect with usFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bio4climateTwitter: https://twitter.com/bio4climateInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bio4climate/ Presented at Blessed Unrest conference via online, extending across weekends in…

How Indigenous Peoples, local communities and environmental rights activists stopped the world’s largest oil palm companies from causing deforestation and accelerating climate change in West Africa. Alfred Brownell: environmental and human rights lawyer and Executive Director of Green Advocates (GA). Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Connect with usFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bio4climateTwitter: https://twitter.com/bio4climateInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bio4climate/…

Across the South in the United States, frontline communities facing the devastation wrought by industrial logging are leading a movement calling for the protection of forests. Hit hardest by the effects of increasingly intense storms and flooding as well as facing threats of pollution, communities along the coastal plains of the Carolinas, as well as…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Perennial food systems can play a vital role in developing sustainable food supplies while restoring ecosystems. Food forests work WITH nature to restore carbon, water, and nutrient cycles, optimizing food production while minimizing requirements for external inputs. New…

Ebola virus disease outbreaks in West and Central Africa have been linked to spillover from potential disease reservoirs such as bats, apes, and duikers (an antelope-like animal). Spillover has been thought to be related to population density, vegetation cover, and human activities such as hunting, poaching, and bushmeat consumption. In this study, forest data from…

Somerville High School Forest Photos by Maya Dutta On Sunday October 22, 2023 we are planting Somerville’s first Miyawaki Forest at Somerville High School! Sign up to volunteer here. We are so excited to bring another pocket forest to life with the help of the community, high school, and municipality. We will share information, updates,…

Greene-Rose Park Forest Photos by Maya Dutta On Saturday November 5, 2022 we planted our second Miyawaki Forest in collaboration with the City of Cambridge in The Port at Greene-Rose Heritage Park. We are thrilled to bring another pocket forest to life with the help of the community. We will share information, updates, and photos…

Our community grows alongside our first Miyawaki forest! In September of 2021, we planted our first Miyawaki forest – the first in the Northeastern U.S. – in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As the forest turns two, and demonstrates signs of resilient, abundant growth, the Bio4Climate team gathered with local forest enthusiasts to reflect and celebrate the ecosystem…

Note: As mentioned in the Release notes, we have a small staff, and therefore have had to postpone some important material for the next release, scheduled for January 2018.  This is particularly true of forests and we will include a more thorough examination of their importance in addressing climate moving forward.  Nonetheless, we felt that the…

Sacred forests/groves are not uncommon in India, especially in the biodiverse Western Ghats mountain range. These groves are community-protected patches of forest ranging in size from less than a hectare to several hundred hectares, and they are often believed to house gods [Ormsby & Bhagwat 2010]. A particular temple in the Western Ghats just outside…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Foster Brown is a senior scientist for Woods Hole Research Institute, based in the State of Acre in the western Amazon. He explains the challenges of protecting Amazonia especially from fire, and of mobilizing local populations for ecological…

This study tested the Miyawaki method of rapid natural forest regeneration (which has been shown to work in Japan and elsewhere) in the arid Mediterranean. In this area, millennia of human civilization have resulted in degraded soils and reduced and changed forest cover, traditional reforestation efforts have often failed, and desertification is a looming threat. The…

What a thrilling week it has been! Since last Thursday’s New York Times article Tiny Forests with Big Benefits, my teammates and I at Bio4Climate have been buzzing with excitement at the recognition our forests and this type of restoration is getting. We are so thrilled by the enthusiasm of people’s responses, from interest in…

Despite their total area having increased by 10% since 1750, European forests have failed to achieve a net removal of CO2 from the atmosphere because of how they’ve been managed over that time. Eighty-five percent of Europe’s once largely unmanaged forest has been subjected to tree species conversion, wood extraction via thinning and harvesting, and…

“The tamarin is unable to do anything to save its own species. And we, human beings, are the ones who are destroying their environment,” says conservationist Gabriela Rezende. “So, when I got the opportunity to see this animal in the wild, I felt partly responsible for its future.” Rezende works with the Institute for Ecological…

As the year rounds out, it is time to reflect on the changes and growth we’ve seen in 2023. Nothing gives me quite as much pride, amazement, and faith in the power of change than our young Miyawaki forests. I was honored to share our work with the public in this short feature from the…

This study illustrates how ecosystem restoration enhances biodiversity and productivity. A one-time application in 1998 of 1,000 truckloads of agricultural waste (orange peels) to 3 ha of degraded pasture accelerated tropical forest regeneration in this Costa Rica study. The treatment led to a tripling in species richness (24 tree species from 20 families, compared to…

This June, Hannah Lewis visited the Cambridge Public Library to discuss her recent book, Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World. Hannah was joined in conversation with Maya Dutta, project manager for the Danehy Park Miyawaki Forest planted in North Cambridge in September 2021. Together, they discussed the Miyawaki Method and…

Everyone needs a forest, because not only are they one of the most efficient means for sequestering carbon, but the most effective system for cooling the planet, especially on the local level. With the loss of green spaces, more and more people are feeling the effects of heat islands, localized hotspots that can be readily…

In this interview hosted by Tania Roa, author Hannah Lewis discusses her new book “Mini – Forest Revolution.” In this book, Lewis presents the Miyawaki Method, a unique approach to reforestation devised by Japanese botanist Dr. Akira Miyawaki. She explains how tiny forests as small as six parking spaces grow quickly and are much more…

Using data from 130,210 forest plots across the US, this study examines the effects of tree diversity on pest invasions. The authors found that tree diversity increases pest diversity by increasing the variety of host species available (i.e., facilitation), while also decreasing establishment of pests by increasing the number of non-hosts for any given pest…

Jim Laurie, our staff scientist, restoration ecologist, and teacher of several Biodiversity Deepdive courses, will hold a field trip for students and community members at our Danehy Park Miyawaki Forest. Join us on Sunday, September 3 to gather with fellow budding eco-restorers and enjoy the mini-forest’s growth. Learn more about our Miyawaki Forests. The Danehy…

As renewable energy projects are implemented to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels, regulations suspended to help fast-track beneficial projects and combat climate change have allowed the deforestation of intact woodlands. This decreases our resilience, and makes very little sense in the long term. Simply put, we don’t need to cut down trees to put…

Vegetation cover affects the amount of solar energy a land area absorbs and/or releases, thus altering local temperatures and precipitation. Plants regulate local temperatures through shading, albedo and evapotranspiration, which releases latent[9] heat. The ability of a surface to shed energy through latent or sensible heat is key to determining that surface’s temperature – shifts in the…

This article describes three major types of microbial tree symbionts, why they matter, and maps their global distribution. Microbial symbionts strongly influence the functioning of forest ecosystems. Root-associated microorganisms exploit inorganic, organic and/or atmospheric forms of nutrients that enable plant growth, determine how trees respond to increased concentrations of CO2, regulate the respiratory activity of…

Planting day for our first Miyawaki Forest in Cambridge (and the Northeast) on Saturday, September 25 went beautifully. On a day predicted to hold thunderstorms, the sun shone down as volunteers gathered to put this historic forest in the ground. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to this project! Read more about the…

A transformation is underway in Worcester, MA. In this mid-sized city in Central Massachusetts long known for its industrial activity, city leadership has undertaken ambitious initiatives to address some of their climate resilience goals using the Miyawaki method. Together, Bio4Climate, BSC Group, and the City of Worcester planned and created two Miyawaki Forests in the…

Philip Tanimoto, The Cloud Forest Conservation Initiative Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Connect with usFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bio4climateTwitter: https://twitter.com/bio4climateInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bio4climate/ Presented at The Power and Promise of Biodiversity: Visions of Restoring Land, Sea and Climate conference at Harvard University on April 30, 2016 #guatemala #centralamerica #forest

Abstract: Human occupation is usually associated with degraded landscapes but 13,000 years of repeated occupation by British Columbia’s coastal First Nations has had the opposite effect, enhancing temperate rainforest productivity. This is particularly the case over the last 6,000 years when intensified intertidal shellfish usage resulted in the accumulation of substantial shell middens. We show…

Learn about the Miyawaki forest we planted in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Miyawaki method was invented by Dr. Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese botanist, and it involves planting native species in urban areas. View the slideshow, created in collaboration with SUGi, here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OfVy4DJfG9P_vMnxCzAL5F_Ndu807JcX/view Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem…

Christopher Haines, AIA, LFA, CPHC: Architect licensed in both MA and NY who applies expertise in regenerative architectural design, healthy materials, preservation, renovation and specification writing to small commercial and urban projects. Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Connect with usFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bio4climateTwitter: https://twitter.com/bio4climateInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bio4climate/ Presented at the Climate Reckoning conference November 17-19,…

This study illustrates the important role of soil fungi in tree population dynamics of temperate forests. In general, when a particular plant species dominates an area of land, it attracts species that feed on it. In an experiment conducted in this study, the roots of surviving seedlings had 60% fewer lesions when they were planted…

Given the dangerous, precipitous global decline in biodiversity, coupled with rapid urbanization, cities have a key role to play in protecting biodiversity. In fact, cities already do harbor a large share of biodiversity. This may be due to the fact that cities are often situated in places of large inherent biodiversity (along rivers, for example),…

On Wednesday April 26 at 6 pm ET, we are honored to present John Perlin and his book A Forest Journey: The Role of Trees in the Fate of Civilization. The first edition was recognized as a Harvard Classic in Science and World History and listed as one of the university’s One Hundred Great Books, and the…

This Spring, we are planting the first two Miyawaki Forests in Worcester, MA. These dense, biodiverse, native pocket forests will bring cooling, beauty, and resilience to the urban landscape. Join us for one additional planting day at Plumley Village Apartments on Wednesday, June 12 at 3pm. Come ready to get your hands in the soil…

The UN’s Decade of Ecosystem Restoration declaration aims to “prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide,” stating that “there has never been a more urgent need to restore damaged ecosystems than now” [UNEP/FAO Factsheet 2020]. Estimates of global land degradation range from 25% to 75% of Earth’s land surface. The uncertainty is due…

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…

Ecological restoration success is higher for natural regeneration than for active restoration in tropical forests, Crouzeilles et al. 2017 This meta-analysis comparing active restoration to natural ecosystem regeneration found the latter to be more effective. The authors conclude that “lower-cost natural regeneration surpasses active restoration in achieving tropical forest restoration success for biodiversity and vegetation…

In order to keep global warming under the 1.5C threshold, the IPCC warns that not only must we cut carbon emissions nearly in half by 2030, we must also draw massive amounts of CO2 out of the atmosphere. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggests that around 730 billion tons of CO2 (730 petagrams…

Soils This compendium is, if nothing else, a testament to the key role soils must play if we are to preserve life on earth through the anthropocene. Soils, the engine of every terrestrial ecosystem, are themselves wildly diverse subterranean ecosystems providing habitat to countless trillions of micro- and macro-organisms. These organisms themselves create the soil…

This meta-analysis comparing active restoration to natural ecosystem regeneration found the latter to be more effective. The authors conclude that “lower-cost natural regeneration surpasses active restoration in achieving tropical forest restoration success for biodiversity and vegetation structure[7]” [Crouzeilles 2017: 4]. This conclusion runs counter to conventional wisdom that active restoration is preferable despite being more…

We affirm the need to restore the five billion hectares of degraded land worldwide but we have also found a way to bring the power of eco restoration home. Home to our own communities; Home to those most in need of a healing shot of nature; By planting tiny forests in urban areas, using the Miyawaki method.

Trees & ForestsWildlife, Wildlife, Water and Climate Change December 5, 2024 – January 30, 2025 Thursdays: 12 noon -or- 7 pm ET Course Description Trees & Forests is an eight week online course (Dec 5 – Jan 30) that explores the many benefits and wonders of our trees and forests, as well as the threats…

What is the heaviest, oldest and one of the largest creatures on the planet?

Dr. Makarieva explains why protecting existing forests is one of the most important things we can do to stabilize the climate. Pending legislation in MA (USA) serves as a model for policy protections needed around the world. Learn more about taking action here, and find out more at Save Mass Forests. Our climate system is incredibly…

The subject of infectious disease became both fascinating and uncomfortably relevant with the global breakout of Covid-19 in early 2020. Are bats to blame, hunting and selling of wild game or seafood markets? It turns out that the destruction of nature is the root problem, according to the UN environment chief and lead scientists for…

A spatial overview of the global importance of Indigenous lands for conservation, Garnett et al. 2018 Indigenous people make up less than 5% of the global population, but their lands encompass 37% of the planet’s remaining natural lands and (partially overlapping with natural lands) 40% of Earth’s protected area, much of this in sparsely inhabited…

Increasingly frequent droughts are destroying food production levels in the more drought-prone half of sub-Saharan Africa. Although most people have attributed this gathering crisis to climate change, about 80% of the cause of the droughts is that fallowing–allowing the forest to grow for fifteen years or more to replace the soil’s organic matter–is on its…

Edible landscaping is the use of food-producing plants in the residential and public landscape. It combines fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, along with functional ornamental plants into aesthetically pleasing designs. Edible landscaping offers an alternative to conventional residential landscapes; edible plants can be just as attractive while producing fruits and…

Increasingly frequent droughts are destroying food production levels in the more drought-prone half of sub-Saharan Africa. Although most people have attributed this gathering crisis to climate change, about 80% of the cause of the droughts is that fallowing–allowing the forest to grow for fifteen years or more to replace the soil’s organic matter–is on its…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Jan Lambert introduces, by way of photos and illustrations, the richly varied ways in which rainwater is now being successfully restored into landscapes. From holistic green pastures in America to green roofs in Scotland, from using beaver dams…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Featuring Jonathan Bates, Permaculturist, Co-Author of Paradise Lot. A neglected Holyoke house lot is re-born as a thriving edible forest garden with a wide variety of edible plants and trees. Jonathan Bates offers an overview of how he…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Foster Brown, Amazonian ecologist, gives an introduction to the interactive methods he uses to teach forest ecology in the Peruvian communities he works with. Presented at Biodiversity for a Livable Climate’s “Restoring Water Cycles to Reverse Global Warming”…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Almost a quarter of all mammal species are bats. Some consume insects, others pollinate a wide range of plants, and some are highly effective seed dispersers in tropical rainforests. In sum, they provide people and the planet with…

Ethan Roland is an international expert on regenerative agriculture and permaculture design. He will introduce us to how carbon farming enhances productivity, increases profitability and combats climate change. Drawing from the best practices from holistic management, keyline design, agroforestry, living soils, biochar, permaculture design and restoration agriculture, carbon farming offers a whole toolkit for agricultural…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Soil remineralization is playing a crucial and vital role in improving soil fertility. Remineralize the Earth is a nonprofit that promotes the regeneration of soils and forests with finely ground gravel dust, an economically and ecologically sustainable alternative…

Industrialized forestry simplifies forest structure and harms biodiversity. To mitigate this harm, retention forestry has been adopted in places such as Sweden, where this study was conducted. “Retention forestry” avoids clearcutting and instead preserves some 5-30 percent of trees to benefit populations of birds, lichens, fungi and other types of organisms. The authors focused on…

As many people know through firsthand experience, we planted the Northeast’s first Miyawaki Forest last weekend. After several months of planning, discussion, and organization, we gathered in Danehy Park in North Cambridge to create the forest. This was the part I participated in, but like so much of our work at Biodiversity for a Livable…

Bio4Climate has been studying the Miyawaki Method of reforestation over the past several months. This 50-year-old technique involves densely planting native forest species from shrub to canopy layer to create tiny, fast-growing urban ecosystems[3]. Members of our staff have joined local efforts to establish Miyawaki “mini-forests” in Cambridge, MA, in Los Angeles, CA, and one…

Establishing ecological corridors is a way to mitigate the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation. Ecological corridors are linear landscape elements connecting otherwise isolated habitat patches within a larger matrix of environmentally degraded lands (urban or agricultural, for example). The corridors facilitate gene dispersal and migration, while also expanding habitat range for species constrained by…

The following articles lay out a few key ecological concepts and terms that may be helpful to become familiar with for the growing number of biodiversity-conscious people and organizations that are beginning to plant more native plants on their land. Native plants, native ecosystems, and native landscapes: an ecological definition of “native” will promote effective…

All over the world, from Australia to Europe to North and South America, wildfires have waged destruction on natural landscapes and human settlements alike. The devastation of these disasters is heartbreaking, and the images of catastrophe – walls of flame, scorched wildlife, a world gone red – are unforgettable. There is no more potent image…

Introduction by Jim Laurie Erling Jorgensen was a student in my “Systems Thinking and Scenario Building” course (Biodiversity 6) in the summer of 2022.  He is determined to learn how life processes work and develop a scenario of restoring these processes.  His goal is also to create a story that young people and adults with…

Highlighting the significance of Makarieva and Gorshkov’s “biotic pump” hypothesis (above), Sheil and Murdiyarso explain it in layman’s terms in this article for the benefit of a broader public, and examine its validity. They point out that the biotic pump hypothesis offers an explanation for a question not otherwise resolved in conventional climate theory. Conventional…

The importance of water retention (the rainfall absorbed or used within an ecosystem) for mitigating flood and drought conditions and contributing to clean drinking water, for example, has been increasingly recognized in Europe in the past decade. Along with wetland preservation, better agriculture practices and other measures, preserving and re-growing forests are seen as key…

Our results demonstrate that in the Amazon, forest height and age regulate photosynthesis interannual variability and are as relevant as mean precipitation. In particular, tall, old and dense forests are more resistant to precipitation variability. Tree size and age directly impact forest structure and thus the carbon cycle in the Amazon. This is especially significant…

While reforestation has been widely heralded as a means of sequestering carbon into the soil, there is growing evidence that it also serves to directly cool the land surface. But forests’ impacts on air temperature (measured over forests rather than within them) have been difficult to assess because of the confounding impacts of forest canopies on…

We, the undersigned organizations, are writing with the hopes of establishing a dialogue regarding the October 17, 2023 joint comment letter sent to Congress by the Outdoor Industry Association, Outdoor Alliance, and The Conservation Alliance concerning the Farm Bill.

Water and vegetation are climate heroes, co-starring in a story about as old as terrestrial life on Earth yet under-recognized in mainstream climate politics. Not only does the vegetation embedded in ecosystems act as a giant CO2-absorption machine, constantly removing the greenhouse gas from the air and storing much of it in soil and biomass,…

Our burning planet: why we must learn to live with fire, Pyne 2020 Steven J. Pyne is an emeritus professor at Arizona State University and the author of several books on fire history and policy. He wrote this opinion piece as a protest against the prevention and suppression of wildfires in our land management process.…

Evapotranspiration – A Driving Force in Landscape Sustainability, Eiseltová 2012 Vegetation cover cools Earth when it intercepts the sun’s energy. This is not just by providing shade, but also through evapotranspiration, which is how plants regulate their own internal temperatures. For a plant … transpiration[5] is a necessity by which a plant maintains its inner environment…

In this podcast interview, Dr. Chad Hanson, an ecologist and fire researcher, shares his perspective on the 2018 wildfires in the American West and some myths that have circulated about fire management in their wake. First, there is a perception that wildfires in forested regions are so devastating that they reverse the ‘carbon sink’ effect…

In continuation of the “blessed unrest” section of Compendium V3N1, the following sketches illustrate how people throughout the world are coming to recognise the enormous value of intact ecosystems, and are doing their part to protect and restore. Adopting Paul Hawken’s terminology and characterization of “blessed unrest” as a spontaneous, decentralized global social movement, we…

Anthropogenic environmental change and the emergence of infectious diseases in wildlife, Daszak, Cunningham & Hyatt 2001 Humans are not the only species to suffer global pandemics. Planetwide, fungal disease ravages amphibians, just as honeybees are ravaged by varroasis. A herpes virus caused mass mortality of pilchard fish off the coast of Australia and New Zealand…

A “Global Safety Net” to reverse biodiversity loss and stabilize Earth’s climate, Dinerstein et al. 2020 Currently, 15.1% of land on Earth is conservation protected. This article maps out an additional 35.3% of land needing near-term protection, along with ecological corridor routes connecting these areas. Half of the planet’s land is needed to serve as…

Earth is heating up: “Global surface temperature was 1.09°C higher in 2011– 2020 than 1850–1900,” according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s 6th Assessment Report.[3] Yet the mercury is not rising uniformly around the world – the Arctic is warming faster than are the lower latitudes, and temperatures over land are higher than over the…

​This paper takes the innovative and paradigm-shifting position that carbon is not the primary consideration in climate; rather, water should be the central focus, integrated with carbon and energy cycles: Forest-driven water and energy cycles are poorly integrated into regional, national, continental and global decision-making on climate change adaptation, mitigation, land use and water management. This…

The concept of “proforestation” presented here means letting existing forests continue to grow and reach their full ecological potential. Due to intensive management practices, most existing forests sequester carbon at only half (or less) of their potential rate. In addition to storing (embodying) more carbon than their smaller counterparts, large trees also sequester carbon at…

Biodiversity 4: Forests, Fungi and Living Shorelines Summer 2021, Wednesdays, June 16th – September 1st 12 weekly classes with our staff scientist, Jim Laurie, held at 1pm and 7pm ET on Zoom. The Excitement and Inspiration of Science for the Curious to the Serious and everyone in-between. A fully interactive online adventure with discussions, experiments…

Cloud cooling effects of afforestation and reforestation at midlatitudes, Cerasoli, Jin & Porporato 2021 Reforestation and afforestation (R&A) are well-established climate mitigation strategies in the wet tropics due to high carbon sequestration rates of forests/trees. However, at high latitudes (boreal regions), the low albedo of trees–compared to snow and other lighter land surfaces–leads to the…

What species is the tallest tree in the world, produces fog, and provides habitat for many organisms?

This workshop follows Sven’s talk “Edible Landscaping” Edible landscaping is the use of food-producing plants in the residential and public landscape. It combines fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, along with functional ornamental plants into aesthetically pleasing designs. Sven Pihl: Founder of CT Edible Ecosystems, LLC, Regenerative Land Planner/Designer and Permaculture…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ The importance of community farms Kannan Thiruvengadam: Eastie Farm Presented at Revitalizing Ecosystems in Greater Boston to Survive Climate Change conference at Harvard University on March 31, 2018 #farm #soil #food

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Transforming public spaces Maggie Booz: Cambridge Committee on Public Planting Presented at Revitalizing Ecosystems in Greater Boston to Survive Climate Change conference at Harvard University on March 31, 2018 #tree #community #greenspaces

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ John Reinhardt: President Mystic River Watershed Association Presented at Revitalizing Ecosystems in Greater Boston to Survive Climate Change conference at Harvard University on March 31, 2018 #river #restoration #reviving

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Anamarija Frankic: UMass Boston Green Harbors Project Presented at Revitalizing Ecosystems in Greater Boston to Survive Climate Change conference at Harvard University on March 31, 2018 #oysters #oysterbeds #livingshorelines

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Self-organization is a natural process—that, as a system grows it also becomes more complex. This talk focuses on how this process works in ecosystems via co-evolution to generate the incredible biodiversity we see in nature. Many examples of…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Ecosystems across our highly developed region are threatened by climate change. At the same time, local ecosystems can help us to weather the coming climate shocks. Ecosystems are our allies, and there is much that we can do…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ John Pitkin: Greater Boston Group of the Sierra Club Presented at Revitalizing Ecosystems in Greater Boston to Survive Climate Change conference at Harvard University on March 31, 2018 #ecosystems #boston #climatechange

FIX LINK AT BOTTOM Jan Lambert’s Quick Take: ‘Beavers As Partners’ is a community service focus of The Valley Green Journal in helping communities find non-lethal solutions to human-beaver conflicts, especially with the use of beaver deceiver flow devices to prevent flooding. Abstract: Beavers As Partners is a campaign to raise awareness of the critical…

We are excited to share with you the panel discussion from the Boston Premiere of the film Regenerating Life!  It was such a full day with three parts to the film, interesting exhibitors, and reconnecting with friends, that it was difficult to take it all in at once.   You can share some of that excitement from…

I’ve loved Chicago from the first day I set foot there, and I’ve missed the Windy City since I left after college in 2018. When I had a chance to visit two weeks ago, I made it a point to try to understand Chicago’s ecosystems better, and check in on the many ways communities across…

I bound through the trees with a colorful tail, From maroon to cream, I dazzle the trail. By day I’m alone, high up in the air, My nests are in branches, not down on the lair.

As one of China’s major cities, Shanghai’s natural sub-ecosystem[5] has suffered drastic damage due to human activities and urbanization. Although urban re-naturalization has gained attention from city leaders, urban tree planting has largely consisted of two methods with limited ecological potential. One favors fast-growing monocultures to produce timber products and other benefits, while the other approach…

Higher forest biodiversity (specifically plant functional diversity related to water, or hydraulic, transport) engenders greater ecosystem resilience to drought. This is because different species respond differently to water stress – some species slow down their release of water (and heat) through transpiration sooner than others do. Plants’ response to water availability in turn affects the…

This study combines archaeology, archaeobotany, palaeoecology and palaeoclimate investigation to shed light on the legacy of pre-Columbian land management practices on today’s Amazon rainforest. Evidence points to a millennial-scale cultivation practice that at once maintained ecosystem integrity while sustaining a large and growing human civilization. Here, we show that persistent anthropogenic landscapes for the past…

Let’s pull carbon out of the atmosphere and bring down the higher temperatures brought about by global warming – safely, inexpensively, low-tech, with a broad range of benefits. It was a great conference!  Video links are directly beneath the title of each presentation, below.Downloads: Conference Program,  Book List,  Take Action!, Carbon Unit Conversions Scenario 300: Making…

With the rise of civilizations, humans began having significant impacts on bodies of water and the water cycle.  The early “hydraulic civilizations” appeared along major rivers (Nile, Tigris-Euphrates, Indus, Yellow River and others), changed watercourses and built canals for agriculture and transportation.  As populations and cities expanded, demand for food led to soil depletion while…

Biodiversity refers to the outcome of 3.8 billion years of evolution since single-cellular life appeared on Earth. It is a concept embodied by an endless variety of life forms and strategies undertaken within the kingdoms of life. Biodiversity allows for a dynamic web of interactions, whereby countless organisms reliably supply one another with sufficient nutrients and…

Lincoln Smith runs Forested, a 10-acre forest garden in Bowie, MD. He tests forest farming methods, educates aspiring forest farmers, consults on new forest farms and brings forest products to market. He produces a forest garden farm share, has designed food forest parks planted in the DC region, and holds forest-to-table events. Check out the…

Solar panels on rooftops. Hybrid and electric vehicles. Meatless Mondays. What do all of these indicators of societal progress have in common? They are just some examples among the many widely attainable, lifestyle modifiers for reducing energy consumption in our fossil fuel-addicted world. But while replacing SUVs with hybrid cars and changing lifestyle habits to…

Biodiversity Mammal diversity influences the carbon cycle through trophic interactions in the Amazon, Sobral 2017 In a mixed forest-savanna landscape of tropical Guyana researchers found that mammal diversity is positively related to carbon concentration in the soil. The authors explain that this is due to increased feeding interaction associated with greater mammal diversity, and specify…

Mammal diversity influences the carbon cycle through trophic interactions in the Amazon, Sobral 2017 In a mixed forest-savanna landscape of tropical Guyana researchers found that mammal diversity is positively related to carbon concentration in the soil. The authors explain that this is due to increased feeding interaction associated with greater mammal diversity, and specify that…

We know how to enhance resilience to extreme weather where we live and work. Communities throughout the world are utilizing these approaches, and here we highlight several initiatives in a variety of habitats to illustrate potential paths forward. More information is included just below each project description. Following this section is a collection of summaries…

We Need a New Climate Story Nature is Climate 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. Join us for the 2025 Northeast Miniforest Summit! Featuring more than a dozen…

What creature grows backwards and can swallow a tree whole?

Wildfires Fact & Fiction:How to Prevent Wildfires by Rehydrating Our Land;How to Protect Homes and People Without Harming Our Forests May 1, 8, 15 & 22 Thursdays — 12:00 noon & 7:00 pm ET Featuring 2 Expert Guest Speakers: George Wuerthner — May 8 – 7:00 pm ET Chad Hanson, PhD — May 15 – 7:00…

I live where the forest is humid and deep, I chatter and mimic, I laugh and I weep. With feathers of gray and a mind that's quite bright, I talk with my flock from morning to night.

Conference Home    Speakers    Program    Sponsors and Partners Climate Reckoning – Program – Scroll down for links to videos . . .  Systems thinking takes on climate! The most powerful climate tool isn’t emissions reductions, regenerative agriculture, holistic management, biochar, soil restoration or any of a number of others.  Because global warming isn’t just about greenhouse gases,…

Scenario 300: Reducing Atmospheric CO2 to 300 ppm by 2061         by Jim Laurie, Staff Scientist Biodiversity for a Livable Climate bio4climate.org jimlaurie7@gmailcom  March 20, 2018 Danger in the Arctic: The Urgency of the Climate Situation Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased from 315 ppm in 1958 to 410 ppm in 2018. This is the…

Well-planned tree-planting projects are an important component of global efforts to improve ecological and human well-being. But tree planting becomes problematic when it is promoted as a simple, silver bullet solution and overshadows other actions that have greater potential for addressing the drivers of specific environmental problems, such as taking bold and rapid steps to…

What creature preys on ants and other insects, invading their bodies, seizing control of their minds, and killing them off to reproduce, all the while inspiring zombie stories that terrify us humans? Welcome to Zombie Ant Fungus, or Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis!

Here are the writings and paintings that made up my exhibit, “Gaia Songs: Seeking Equilibrium.” The exhibit included my essay, “Earth is a Person” and my article “Building Climate Stability” and six paintings with Artist’s Statements. The Artist Statements include two paragraphs for each painting about how they relate to the conference “The Uses and…

For upcoming events, please visit our Announcements page. Continue on to see some of our past events, many of which are available to watch on video. Past Events Visit our Life Saves the Planet series on GBH Forum Network and our Meetup pages to view more of our past events.

Philip Tanimoto is the Executive Director of the The Cloud Forest Conservation Initiative.  Tanimoto ‘discovered’ the little-known Cerro El Amay Cloud Forest Ecosystem during his doctoral research on cloud forest birds in 2006. He founded the Cloud Forest Conservation Initiative in 2009, and since then, he has guided its projects and expanded its conservation approach. CFCI builds lasting relationships with local…

The Cambridge Public Library and Biodiversity for a Livable Climate present author Hannah Lewis in a reading and discussion of her latest book, Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World. The Miyawaki Method is a unique approach to reforestation devised by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. In the book, Lewis explains how…

What furry feline has stealthy skills, built-in snow gear, and a surprising screech?  The Canada lynx!

Partners are organizations that help us get the word out.  Sponsors additionally contribute financially to our efforts.  These are our valued sponsors and partners who have supported our work during one or more years since 2014. Sponsors The vision of the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation is a world in which the boundaries between the human and…

Cultivated land covers 1.6 billion hectares globally [FAO 2011]. About 62% of cropland produces food directly for human consumption, while 35% is dedicated to producing animal feed, and 3% to biofuel feedstock, seed and other industrial products [Foley 2011: 338]. Agriculture is a major source of emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous…

The following articles were selected and summarized by Bio4Climate’s Compendium editors and writers. The purpose of this collection is to highlight the scientific evidence and argumentation showing healthy restored and protected ecosystems as a powerful (albeit under-recognized) tool for managing the weather extremes wrought by climate change.   Floodplains and wetlands: making space for water…

Turning lemons into lemonade, Sabajo et al. have used the great expansion of oil palm plantations and other crops in Indonesia to examine how such land-use change affects land surface temperature (LST). The authors observed a warming trend in the Jambi province of Sumatra of 1.05℃ and 1.56℃ in the morning and afternoon, respectively, between 2000 and 2015. The…

Redesigning Our Communities for Life After Fossil Fuels Community Engagement Events In-person and virtual eventshosted in Montgomery County, Maryland and the surrounding area Thank you for your interest to attend one or more Community Engagement Events in our series on Redesigning Our Communities for Life After Fossil Fuels in Montgomery County, Maryland and the surrounding…

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…

I flicker and float in warm evening air, Like nature’s own fireworks, more care than scare. No sound, just light as I drift and play What glowing insect lights up your way?

Joan Maloof: Founder and Executive Director of the Old-Growth Forest Network and formerly on the faculty of Salisbury University Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Connect with usFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bio4climateTwitter: https://twitter.com/bio4climateInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bio4climate/ Presented at the Climate Reckoning conference November 17-19, 2017 at Harvard University #blueplanet #forests #trees

Tropical ecologist Mike Hands and soil scientist Rattan Lal joined our Life Saves the Planet lecture series to discuss the Inga Alley Cropping technique and the promise of agroforestry for promoting biodiversity, sequestering carbon, and providing food security for farmers. 

When managed with both climate adaptation and mitigation in mind, tropical reforestation (TR) can serve multiple synergistic functions. TR mitigates regional and global climate change, not only by sequestering carbon but also through biophysical cooling (via evapotranspiration), by recycling rainfall regionally, and by reducing pressure on old growth forests. Furthermore, TR helps local communities adapt to climate…

Hearing of plans underway for a four-lane highway near their home in Nantes, France, local residents Jim and Stephanie responded by planting a small forest. The idea was not only to block out the added sound and air pollution, but also to try to compensate for the assault on the planet of any road expansion.…

In climate policy and financing, the goals of adaptation (helping communities and ecosystems adapt to the effects of climate change) and mitigation (reducing carbon emissions and increasing carbon sinks) are often separate. This is because “adaptation and mitigation are driven by different interests and political economies, with distinct international donors and national institutions. These differences…

Learn more and get involved

The Inga Foundation’s founder and director Mike Hands has been working to halt the destruction of rainforests from slash and burn agriculture for over 20 years. An experienced tropical ecologist and scientific researcher, Mike divides his time between his farm in Cornwall, UK, and the Inga Foundation’s Land for Life program in Honduras. Now in…

On Thursday, April 28 at 6pm ET, join Atossa Soltani, Rob de Laet, and moderator Jon Schull for Amazon Deforestation: Why it matters to us. The Amazon Rainforest is known as the “lungs of the earth” because it draws in carbon dioxide and breathes out oxygen. But it is also the biological heart of the…

This April, we hosted EcoRestoration Alliance members Atossa Soltani, Rob de Laet, and moderator Jon Schull for Amazon Deforestation: Why it matters to us. This is an essential discussion on the restoration that can repair this critical system of planetary regulation. If you didn’t catch it live, watch the recording here! The Amazon Rainforest is known…

This article (also highlighted in Compendium v2n1) reviews research on the benefits of tree cover in relation to water and energy cycles. Forests help produce rain. Vegetation releases water vapor through transpiration, increasing atmospheric moisture that is then transported by wind. In fact, “over most of the tropics, air that passes over forests for ten…

Tony Rinaudo is an Australian agronomist, who is widely known as the “forest maker.” Having lived and worked in African countries for many decades, he has discovered and put in practice a solution to the extreme deforestation and desertification of the Sahel region. Using an elegantly simple set of management practices, farmers can grow new…

To support efforts to stop deforestation, sign the Amazonia for Life pledge: https://amazonia80x2025.earth/declaration#déclaration The Amazon Rainforest is known as the “lungs of the earth” because it draws in carbon dioxide and breathes out oxygen. But it is also the biological heart of the planet’s hydroclimate system, the planet’s rain making machine. We have lost almost…

Forests are more important than most of us realize. Forests make rain, cool the temperature, and send moisture to regions around the world. In many cases, forests have become monoculture “tree plantations” for the timber industry, lacking biodiversity and moisture. In a biodiverse forest, the soil soaks up water like a sponge, preventing wildfires, drought,…

On Tuesday, June 18 at 7pm ET, we participated in a comprehensive forum on Miyawaki Forest adoption across the US. Watch the recording here! In this online event, Bio4Climate’s Director of Regenerative Projects, Maya Dutta, joined keynote speaker Douglas Tallamy and three other national leaders to explore how mini-forests of native trees and shrubs can…

Restoring Ecosystems to Reverse Global Warming, Washington, DC Promoting the power of nature to remove excess carbon from the atmosphere where it does untold damage, and restore it to the soils where it supports abundant life and helps reverse global warming. Source: http://bostongreenschools.org/ Saturday, September 26, 2015, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Moot Court RoomDavid A.…

Restoring Water Cycles – Program – Home     Speakers     Sponsors/Partners   Scroll down to view videos and slideshows! Our program addressed science, land management practices and activism.   There was ample time for Q&A, and attendees and speakers were encouraged to attend the entire conference in order to be available for thought-provoking dialogue and creative networking. On Sunday…

Signup for our Newsletter:Good news is on its way! Transformationin 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). Your browser does not support the video tag. Photos: Cuenca Los Ojos Upcoming Events and Announcements ‘ROADLESS RULE’ A RECKLESS ATTACK…

To reduce the severity of flooding in Lydbrook, Gloucestershire, England, where a 2012 flood did extensive damage, the UK Ministry of Environment released a family of beavers upstream of the village in a 6.5 ha enclosure in a publicly-owned forest. Scientists who have studied the stream believe the beaver dams could hold back some 6,000…

Hot days in the city? It’s all about location, NOAA 2018 In a project funded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), about two dozen citizen scientists measured temperatures in Baltimore and Washington DC on two of the hottest days of 2018. By measuring temperatures second by second with thermal sensors while driving prescribed routes…

https://news.mongabay.com/2019/09/sri-lanka-wields-mangroves-its-tsunami-shield-against-climate-change/?n3wsletter&utm_source=Mongabay+Newsletter&utm_campaign=a1cff7d467-Newsletter_2019_09_26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_940652e1f4-a1cff7d467-77145713 Sri Lanka is home to 82 lagoons and estuaries and is among the top five countries that will be impacted by climate risk. Thilakaratne De Silva, a 63-year old local fisherman, saw the Tsunami of December 2004 sweep off half his home village. He was among the first to join hands with other community…

Lincoln Smith runs Forested.us, a 10-acre forest garden research site in Bowie, MD.  He teaches or co-teaches all courses at Forested, and designs forest gardens. He is passionate about production ecosystems, and brings a background in agronomic science  and sustainable landscape design. Lincoln started Forested, LLC to develop and share research in forest gardening. He is…

What creatures navigate oceans, climb mountains, feed forests, and motivate us to destroy renewable energy infrastructure?

Which fungi creature gets its name from a bird, helps heal internal wounds, and benefits people worldwide?

What can hold more than 500 species, sequester more than 500 lbs. CO2/year, be 10F cooler than its surroundings, soak up lots of rainwater,and be made by and for children in a space no bigger than a tennis court? A “mini-forest” planted using the Miyawaki Method, of course! Hannah Lewis (Bio4Climate Compendium editor) and Daan…

Which creature is the largest Asian antelope, considered sacred to some and pest to others? The Nilgai!

What creature has large eyes, dexterous feet, and is the only venomous primate known to exist?? The slow loris (Nycticebus)!

What creature used to live on the ground but now hangs in trees, has hair that grows in the opposite direction than most mammals, and turns green because of the algae that thrives in their fur?

Bio4Climate partnered with a coalition of climate and native plant organizations to bring Doug Tallamy to Northern Virginia for an in-person talk and book signing.

Blessed Unrest– Speakers – Conference Home    Speakers    Program    Sponsors and Partners Conference Home    Speakers    Program    Sponsors and Partners

The Power and Promise of Biodiversity – Speakers – Home    Speakers    Program Home    Speakers    Program

Blessed Unrest – Program – Conference Home    Speakers    Program    Sponsors and Partners All sessions will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., EDT.  On each day at around 1:30 p.m. there will be an option to attend a free hour-long workshop with one of the day’s speakers, depending on speaker availability. 10:30  Welcome and…

Our Team Executive Beck Mordini Executive Director Beck brings 20 years of nonprofit experience including protecting the biodiversity of native plants at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and protecting undocumented workers from exploitation in Washington state. Her studies of International Environmental Law in Nairobi, Kenya were her first exposure to the issues of desertification and…

Although often overlooked, ignored or taken for granted, earthworms are nevertheless keystone soil species, mediators and moderators for rebuilding healthy, biodiverse, high carbon and moisture rich topsoil [Darwin 1881; Blakemore 2016c]. We depend on soils for more than 99% of our food and 100% of our timber and natural fibres [Blakemore 2012, Pimentel 2013].  As…

Agricultural production must produce enough food for almost 10 billion people by 2050 [FAO 2017],[10] and yet a third of all land is degraded [FAO 2015] and nearly all agricultural land has lost significant amounts of SOC (Soil Organic Carbon). So we have a puzzle to solve: how to produce more from less, and in the face…

Natural climate solutions, Griscom 2017 This is one of the most comprehensive mainstream studies to date of a broad spectrum of natural climate solutions by thirty-two co-authors and supported by The Nature Conservancy. The report examines “20 conservation, restoration, and/or improved land management actions that increase carbon storage and/or avoid greenhouse gas emissions across global…

Agrochemical companies argue that crops can’t be grown without their products. And in a sense, they are right, as long as we accept as inevitable a dysfunctional soil food web [LSP 2018: 16]. The importance of synthetic fertilizer for global crop production and the environmental consequences of its excessive use is often presented as a…

While previous issues of the Compendium have addressed ecosystem strategies to reverse global warming, here we discuss ecosystem restoration to adapt to the consequences of climate change. From drought in Cape Town and wildfire in California and Greece to flooding in Beijing, Paris, Houston and North Carolina, each new report of catastrophe makes climate change…

Natural environments have been devastated and destroyed worldwide by recent rapid development, urbanization and industrialization. It is no exaggeration to say that the basis of human life is now threatened (Miyawaki 1982a,b). We ecologists have been giving warnings against the devastation of nature through study results, and have produced some good effects. Besides criticism, however,…

One of the world’s largest corridor projects is the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC). Initiated in the 1990s, the MBC aims to connect protected areas between southeastern Mexico and Panama [Meyer 2019: 2]. The ecological functionality of the MBC has not been much assessed, in part because direct approaches to measuring connectivity are costly and challenging.…

Alfredo Quarto is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Mangrove Action Project. He is a veteran campaigner with over 35 years experience working on international environmental and social justice issues. His experiences range over many different countries and several environmental organizations, with a long-term focus on marine ecology, wildlife, forestry and human rights. Alfredo has spoken…

Joan Maloof is the founder and Executive Director of the Old-Growth Forest Network.  Formerly on the faculty of Salisbury University, She spends her time lecturing, writing, visiting forests, assisting private landowners, and supporting local groups trying to protect community  forests from development.  She began her journey into the American forest as a scientist, studying the natural workings of…

Nature’s Solutions as National Policy Code Red at Glasgow: What did they miss? November 20, 2021 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET This November, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate continued its series of mini-conferences on how we can leverage nature’s solutions to shape policy on climate action and resilience. We turned our attention to the Glasgow…

Youth Eco Restorers for Climate 17 September 2022 • 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET • Zoom Around the world, young people are organizing in a variety of ways to restore our ecosystems and heal planet Earth. View the conference recording below to hear from three remarkable youth leaders who are doing incredible work to…

Biodiversity 7: Rewilding Half the Earth to Create a Future We Want Fall 2022, Wednesdays, October 12 – December 28 12 weekly classes with our staff scientist, Jim Laurie. He will hold two sessions every Wednesday, from 12 – 2 pm ET and 7 – 9 pm ET to accommodate students’ different schedules. The Excitement…

Redesigning Our Communities for Life After Fossil Fuels A series of virtual and in-person community events in 6 locations in the U.S. and Canada Fifth Event: OREGON • on Zoom Saturday, November 18, 2023 1:00 – 4:30 pm Pacific Time  •  on Zoom Biodiversity for a Livable Climate is partnering with the Post Carbon Institute and…

What tree, the “Redwood of the East,” once dominated the forests of the Eastern United States, and the cultural landscape as well? The American Chestnut!

What statuesque organism is a champion of beauty, hardiness, and capacity to nurture life around it? The Northern Red Oak!

What Mediterranean tree is uniquely equipped to withstand wildfires with armor-like bark and high, out of reach, branches?

What creature often looks blue, but isn’t, is found on every continent but Antarctica, and inspired a train’s design?

 Conference Home    Program    Nature Walk    Sponsors/Partners   Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming to Reverse Global Warming-Speakers –  Conference Home    Program    Nature Walk    Sponsors/Partners

Climate Reckoning– Speakers – Conference Home    Speakers    Program    Sponsors and Partners Conference Home    Speakers    Program    Sponsors and Partners

Solutions – What You Can Do In your Home or Business: Restoring ecosystems stores carbon and reverses climate change. There are a number of approaches applicable to different ecosystems, and all of these methods can show remarkable results. Each of us has only limited time and resources to play our part, but we can also…

Resources Biodiversity for a Livable Climate and the EcoRestoration Alliance bring forth a dual-document appeal and action blueprint that unveils a groundbreaking perspective and tangible actions for ecosystem restoration as a viable solution to stabilize our climate. A United Call to Cool the Planet! Dive into scientific insights, explore a hopeful pathway, and join a…

The Power and Promise of Biodiversity– Program – Home    Speakers    Program     Scroll down to program for videos and slideshows!——————————We are telling the story of biodiversity. “Biodiversity, a contraction of ‘biological diversity,’ generally refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth. One of the most widely used definitions states it in terms of the…

Summer 2020, June 2 – August 18 Biodiversity, Symbiosis and Planetary Regeneration: Exploring Nature’s Possibilities for the Future! Weekly Classes with our staff scientist, Jim Laurie The Excitement and Inspiration of Sciencefor the Curious to the Serious and everyone in-between A fully interactive online adventure with discussions, experiments and explorations for independent thinkers of any age,…

Fall 2020, Wednesdays, September 16th – December 9th Biodiversity 2: Systems Thinking and Transformation – Building Teams for Planetary Restoration. 12 weekly classes with our staff scientist, Jim Laurie. The Excitement and Inspiration of Science for the Curious to the Serious and everyone in-between. A fully interactive online adventure with discussions, experiments and explorations for…

Alfred Brownell is an environmental and human rights lawyer and executive director of Green Advocates (GA), a Liberian NGO that he founded in order to represent communities seeking to protect their environmental and human rights. Brownell also established a network to connect community-based organizations throughout Liberia—the Alliance for Rural Democracy (ARD)—to collaborate on environmental justice…

Holly M. Paar is the Advancement Director for Dogwood Alliance, a Southern US based nonprofit mobilizing diverse voices to protect southern forests and communities from destructive industrial logging. Her work involves coordinating with frontline communities and partners at the intersection of climate, forests and justice, including Dogwood’s participation in the Justice First Tour, launched by Reverend Leo…

The nitrogen dilemma: food or the environment, Stewart & Lal 2017 Nitrogen (N) is the most important essential element for crop production because it is required in large amounts and is nearly always the first nutrient that becomes limiting after an ecosystem is converted to cropland. Cereal grains provide about 50% of the world’s calories,…

The concept of hydrological drought (as distinct from meteorological drought) helps explain the success of these age-old techniques to enhance surface and groundwater supply. Meteorological drought is the occurence of abnormally low rainfall for a given region. Hydrological drought is a consequence of meteorological drought – it happens when surface and ground waters run low thanks…

China’s Loess Plateau, roughly the size of France, lies between Tibet and Beijing just south of Mongolia, and is traversed by the Yellow River. Once covered in forest and grassland and the center of Chinese power and wealth, this area eventually became severely degraded by agriculture and unmanaged grazing. The fragile loess soils, composed of…

The 2011 drought in Texas was the worst in recorded history and it lasted until 2015. The ground was so dry that Jonathan Cobb, a 4th generation farmer in Blackland Prairie of central Texas, couldn’t even get crops planted. His 2,500-acre conventional row crop operation was already struggling financially through a treadmill of increasingly more inputs…

As in every edition of this compendium, here we assemble and summarize research offering evidence of the power of ecosystems to address climate breakdown. The themes presented: forest dynamics ecological intensification and transformative change  were chosen based on recurrent themes of mostly recent reports and studies. Not surprisingly given its centrality to ecosystem function, the idea…

This study models the total amount of land globally that is suitable for reforestation, finding that there is sufficient space to meet the IPCC’s recommendation of reforestation on 1 billion hectares to limit global warming to 1.5C by 2050. The potential forest land identified in this study excludes urban and agricultural land; rather, it “exists…

Red alder fix atmospheric nitrogen through a symbiosis with bacteria that colonize their roots. This study showed that when more nitrogen is produced than is needed by the plant, the resulting excess of nitric acid acts to dissolve bedrock minerals in the soil, making them available to plants. The substantial increase in mineral weathering by…

The industrialization that has built today’s splendid high-tech cities isolated us from the land and water sources of the materials fueling this progress. Our cities scarcely reveal that the oxygen we breathe, the food we eat, the purification of waters, and to some extent the bucolic weather patterns we have long relished have been gifts…

By Christopher A. Haines, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate Christopher Haines is a seasoned architect licensed in both MA and NY who applies expertise in regenerative architectural design, healthy materials, preservation, renovation and specification writing to small commercial and urban projects. He has spoken for years at US and international forums as well as formally…

The growth rate of trees – and thus their accumulation of carbon – increases continuously with tree size. Even though the leaves of smaller, younger trees are more efficient (more productive per unit area of leaf surface), larger trees have more total leaf surface area and thereby grow at a faster rate than their smaller…

https://news.mongabay.com/2019/09/for-one-indonesian-village-mangrove-restoration-has-been-all-upside/?n3wsletter&utm_source=Mongabay+Newsletter&utm_campaign=a1cff7d467-Newsletter_2019_09_26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_940652e1f4-a1cff7d467-77145713 Demand for firewood in recent years led to the depletion of the mangrove forest in the Indonesia village of Paremas. For years the people’s occupations were agriculture and fishing. Depleted fish stock, poor irrigation and challenges associated with land ownership drove most of the men to work overseas in order to raise money to…

In contrast to the Gao et al. [2017] article (above), this study maps out an ecological network spanning the entire nation of China. Most such ecological corridor analysis has previously focused at the local and regional levels, according to the authors. They note that in addition to protecting biodiversity, ecological corridors (ECs) purify air, regulate…

The concept of sustainable development presumes that human economic systems and overall wellbeing depend on functioning ecosystems. Therefore, ecological rhythms should not be transgressed to the point that they fail to provide the vital services needed today and in future generations. According to this model, economic development becomes a necessary but insufficient condition for society…

Jonathan Bates is an ecologist and permaculture consultant. He worked with his friend Eric Tonsmeier to turn a neglected tenth of an acre in Holyoke into an urban oasis, an edible forest garden with 160 carefully chosen varieties of plants and trees. They tell the story in Paradise Lot (Chelsea Green Books).  At Food Forest Farm they…

A vegetation type, or plant community, is identifiable by its distinct appearance compared to other landscape types within a landscape. For example, a grassland and a wetland differ in appearance from each other and from a forest, while a wetland-forest is yet another visibly different vegetation type. Plant species are recognizable by their form, which…

Symbiosis: Structure and Functions, Ecological and Evolutionary Role, Sélosse 2000 (La Symbiose : Structures et Fonctions, Rôle Écologique et Évolutif) Book review by Ehsan Kayal What is symbiosis? How is it defined? What does it involve? And how did it come to be? These are some of the questions French Biologist Marc-André Sélosse explores in…

A book review by Rachel West As I read the first chapter, Wilson brought me far into the forests of the Amazon Basin to encounter canopy-dwelling birds and frogs found nowhere else on Earth; he showed me the life cycle of a tiny moth so specialized that the adult lives only in the fur of…

After hosting a successful series of courses on Biodiversity and Symbiosis with staff scientist and restoration ecologist Jim Laurie, we at Biodiversity for a Livable Climate have recognized the need for a larger curriculum on ecosystem restoration, nature-based solutions to climate change, and the transformations required for our civilization to navigate the challenges ahead of…

This March, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate continues its series of mini-conferences exploring how we can leverage nature’s solutions to shape policy on climate action and resilience. Our fourth installment features global perspectives on the challenges and opportunities to restoring water cycles. View the recording below, and access the chat and related resources, including presentation slides,…

Which creature is a combination of two other organisms, comes in bright colors, and helps us measure air quality? Lichen!

This paper analyzes how land use and land cover change (LULCC) affects temperature and humidity. The authors examined the differential effects of forest versus deforested land on temperature and humidity by comparing different land-cover models. One model simulated the total potential vegetation (“PotVeg”) that would cover Earth in the absence of human interference, while the…

Local temperatures are affected not only by global climatic factors, but also by radiative (albedo) and non-radiative (evapotranspiration and convection) mechanisms related to local vegetation cover. Through evapotranspiration, solar energy is converted to latent heat and released from the planet’s surface, while convection refers to the turbulent mixing of air that dissipates sensible heat. The…

Cambridge Science Festival – October 6 at 3pm ET Wholehearted Regeneration: Boosting Communal and Climate Resilience One Pocket Forest at a Time On Thursday, October 6, we joined the Cambridge Science Festival’s climate hub to share insights on ecosystem restoration and urban rewilding. Maya Dutta, Assistant Director of Regenerative Projects at Bio4Climate shared her work…

Redesigning Our Communities for Life After Fossil Fuels A series of virtual and in-person community events in 6 locations in the U.S. and Canada Third Event: LOS ANGELES • on Zoom Saturday, January 21, 2023 1:00 – 4:30 pm PST  •  on Zoom Biodiversity for a Livable Climate is partnering with the Post Carbon Institute and…

What creature comes from Southeast Asia, is the biggest of its kind, eats animals we need, and  has been tried and convicted of murder in the court of public opinion? Meet the Asian Giant Hornet!

Which creature fights fires, creates wetlands, recharges groundwater, alters landscapes, and is a climate hero? Beavers!

What nocturnal creatures native to North America are known for their beauty and the fact that they don't eat at all in their adult life?  Luna moths!

Around the world, young people are organizing in a variety of ways to restore our ecosystems and heal planet Earth. Hear from three remarkable youth leaders who are doing incredible work to help protect and restore the Earth through ecosystem restoration, art, and regenerative agricultural advocacy. Sergio Esteban Lozano-Báez is from Colombia. In 2011, he…

What small but fearless songbird can astonish with its aerial acrobatics and is always ready to battle much bigger birds for dominance? The Black Drongo!

Plants Cool the Planet Key Concepts Plants mitigate climate change through transpiration, carbon sequestration, cloud formation, and cooling effects. Transpiration Plants release water to the air which has a cooling effect on the plant, and the environment. Plants regulate temperature, contributing to ecosystem health. Condensation The transformation of water vapor into liquid droplets aids in…

On Thursday, March 28 at 6pm ET, we dived into how agroforestry and eco-restoration initiatives advance environmental justice in frontline communities around the world. Our latest Life Saves the Planet lecture featured John Leary and Pam Agullo of Mother Trees, an organization working on agri-business in Senegal, and Mariama Fatajo of Teja Development, supporting eco-restoration…

On Saturday, April 20th from 11 am to 3 pm ET, join us for an Earth Day celebration at our Danehy Park Miyawaki Forest. We will gather at the picnic area of the park right next to the Miyawaki Forest, where we will share information and give tours of the site at 11am and 1pm. Come…

Understanding and Mitigating Wildfires Through Biodiversity In a hot dry world, it makes sense that forests are more flammable. Key policy discussions around forest thinning and prescribed burns miss the critical need to engage biodiversity. Working with nature as our partners could be the quickest and most effective way to put the breaks on runaway…

By Paul Barringer and Jean Devine of Native Plant Community Gardeners Our first Biodiversity Day festival was a success! On Saturday, May 4th, over 120 visitors came to Danehy Park, Cambridge, to join birding tours, Miyawaki Forest tours, learn about pollinator gardens, native plants, and ecosystem restoration from ten local environmental organizations who joined us…

What creature carves out little pieces of tree leaves to build its nest inside hollow stems? The Leafcutter Bee!

What tree has adapted to grow directly in lava rock and is a keystone species of the Hawaiian watershed?

What insect spends years hidden underground, preparing for a brief but spectacular emergence into the sunlight, filling the air with the deafening, iconic song of summer?

On Saturday, May 3rd from 3 pm to 5 pm ET Join Native Plant Community Gardeners, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate (Bio4Climate), and Boston Birding for an afternoon of nature, learning, and community fun. Featuring: 🎶 Live music🦉 Bird-watching tour with Mari Badger (Boston Birding)🌳 Miyawaki forest tour (Bio4Climate)🌼 Native plant walk🎲 Nature-inspired games for all…

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. – Beck Mordini, Executive Director of Biodiversity for a Livable Climate issued the following statement on the White House’s decision to declare “open-season” on 58 million acres of native forests, paving the way for road and development construction. “Just as tens of millions of Americans are experiencing a lethal, record-breaking heat wave, the…

In June, Bio4Climate Science Communications Intern Adrianna Drindak attended a congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., by The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Federation of American Scientists about how federal policies can bolster resilience to extreme heat at the state and community level, centered on the Federation of American Scientists’ 2025 Heat Policy Agenda.

Restoring Oceans, Restoring Climate– Speakers – Conference Home    Speakers   Program Conference Home    Speakers   Program

Listening to the Voices of Nature– Speakers – November 17-18, 2018 Conference Home    Speakers    Program    Sponsors and Partners Conference Home    Speakers    Program    Sponsors and Partners

Restoring Water Cycles – Speakers – Home   Program    Sponsors/Partners Home   Program   Sponsors/Partners

Jan’s Quick Take: This is a large and lavishly illustrated volume detailing the Slovakian “Landscape Revitalisation and Integrated River Basin Management Programme.”  The book is presented in Slovakian and English languages (in side-by-side panels).  This work is a unique reflection and photo-documentary, of sorts, of the insights and results from the Slovakian Program, while simultaneously…

Our Mission Introduction 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. Discussion Collaborating with organizations around the globe, we advocate for the restoration of soil, and of…

Conferences To view the videos from each past conference, please visit the main page or the program page of each conference . . . and check out our Introductory Playlist. Nature’s Solutions as National Policy In 2021, we kicked off a series of mini-conferences on nature’s solutions as national policy. Starting in June, we began fostering…

Home      Speakers       Partners and Sponsors Reversing Global Warming: Carbon Farming for Food, Health, Prosperity and Planet! Program and Home page A conference for farmers, gardeners, government officials, city-town councils, civic  leaders, school board members, educators at all levels, park/forest and environmental managers and stewards, nursery and landscape business owners, and all other folks…

Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming to Reverse Global WarmingProgram  Conference Home    Program    Nature Walk    Sponsors/Partners   Speakers Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming to Reverse Global Warming Sunday, May 3, 2015, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Morning session, 9:00 – 12:00: 9:00 Opening Remarks Quinton Zondervan, President, Green Cambridge and Michael Green, Program Director, Climate…

Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming to Reverse Global Warming– Nature Walk –  Conference Home    Program    Sponsors/Partners   Speakers Pre-Conference Guided Nature WalkSaturday, May 2, 2015, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.$20, sliding scale, limited to 15 participants David Morimoto, Associate Professor of Biology, Lesley University, will be our guide as we visit the Alewife Reservation near the Alewife…

Restoring Water Cycles toReverse Global Warming Conference Home   Program   Speakers    Sponsors/Partners Click here for videos and slideshows! Watch interviews with Michal Kravcik, Jon Griggs,Precious Phiri and Adam Sacks on Emerald Planet TV . . . . . . and one with Jim Laurie too! Even with elevated greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,water can cool the biosphere and…

Restoring Oceans, Restoring Climate– Program – Conference Home    Speakers   Program Program times are Friday, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday,  9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. 6:00 – Our Oceans, Our SelvesAdam Sacks, Biodiversity for a Livable ClimateVideoThe earth is a system and humans are currently a keystone species…

Co-Sponsored by the Greater Boston Group of the Sierra Club and Biodiversity for a Livable Climate Video links below! Saturday, March 31, 9 am – 4 pm Harvard University,* Geological Lecture Hall 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA Local ecosystems can help us to weather the coming climate shocks. Learn about current efforts and new possibilities…

Barn Swallows, birds who eat insects as they scurry across the sky, are disappearing. This isn’t surprising, I suppose, given that they are among the 2.9 billion birds lost across species in the United States – representing one third of the bird numbers we had 50 years ago. What did surprise me is how we got here, according to an intriguing explanation from a leading economist, Alfred E. Kahn.

Nature’s Solutions as National Policy June 5, 2021 9:00 – 11:00 am ET This June, join us at Biodiversity for a Livable Climate for a mini-conference exploring how we can leverage nature’s solutions to shape policy on climate action and resilience. This is the first in a series of mini-conferences on nature’s solutions as national…

Bob O’Connor: Forest & Land Policy Director for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Connect with usFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bio4climateTwitter: https://twitter.com/bio4climateInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bio4climate/ Presented at the Climate Reckoning conference November 17-19, 2017 at Harvard University #greencities #greenspaces #urban

Mari McBride and Alice Vandebrook co-created Save Tomorrow to help save the planet when they were in third grade. They lobbied their city council to pass a legislation to allow solar panels and protect the local forest. Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Connect with usFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bio4climateTwitter: https://twitter.com/bio4climateInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bio4climate/ Presented at Restoring…

Ridge Shinn: Founder and CEO of Big Picture BeefDidi Pershouse: Helps connect the dots between soil health and human health & authorJohn E. Carroll is professor of environmental conservation in the Department of Natural ResourcesPhilip Tanimoto is the Executive Director of the The Cloud Forest Conservation Initiative Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate:…

Roland Bunch is one of the most well-respected leaders in regenerative land management, both in terms of food security and for addressing ecological degradation and climate change. He has worked as a consultant in sustainable agricultural development for over 45 NGOs and governments in 50 nations, including Cornell University, the Ford Foundation, Oxfam, Save the Children,…

Sven Pihl, founder of CT Edible Ecosystems, LLC is a Regenerative Land Planner/Designer and Permaculture educator based in Connecticut. Sven designs multifunctional Edible Landscapes and Forest Gardens for homes, commercial properties, campuses and public spaces. He’s passionate about regenerative landscape design to create productive agro-ecosystems. Sven’s beginnings were with the financial crash of 2008 where he…

Discusses forest dynamics and ecological intensification in regulating ecosystems, managing ecosystem services, and enriching biodiversity. Offers several examples of eco-restoration work, “Blessed Unrest,” by individuals and organizations around the world.

This Compendium of Scientific and Practical Findings Supporting Eco-Restoration to Address Global Warming (the “Compendium”) is a fully referenced compilation of the evidence outlining the power, benefits and necessity of eco-restoration to address global warming. Bringing together findings from the scientific literature, government and industry reports, and journalistic investigations, this is a public, open-access document…

We have undertaken a far more ambitious enterprise than we had initially envisioned. One reason is that, just as in a forest, whenever you turn over a leaf or a log you discover a universe. The universe of knowledge about healing a devastated earth is vast, from indigenous wisdom to systems science and everything in-between.…

Grasslands have been estimated to cover approximately 40% of global land surface area, approximately 5.25 bn ha (~13 bn ac ), except for Greenland and Antarctica [Suttie 2005; White 2000:12].  Their deep soils are rich repositories of nutrients, especially carbon and water.  Many grasslands are anthropogenic, i.e., resulting from various land management techniques to maintain…

In a mixed forest-savanna landscape of tropical Guyana researchers found that mammal diversity is positively related to carbon concentration in the soil. The authors explain that this is due to increased feeding interaction associated with greater mammal diversity, and specify that animal abundance per se did not increase carbon content in the soil. “The lack…

Vegetation cover cools Earth when it intercepts the sun’s energy. This is not just by providing shade, but also through evapotranspiration, which is how plants regulate their own internal temperatures. For a plant … transpiration[5] is a necessity by which a plant maintains its inner environment within the limit of optimal temperatures. And at the level…

​The authors examine ecological and geophysical principles to explain how land far inland away from the ocean can remain moist, given that gravity continuously pulls surface and groundwater into the ocean over time. All freshwater on land originates in the ocean from which it has evaporated, is carried on air flux, and precipitates over the…

Under a microscope, tiny tunnels can be seen in mineral particles from conifer forest soil. Scientists believe it is mycorrhizal fungi penetrating these particles by excreting organic acids in order to mine nutrients for their plant hosts. An estimated 150 meters of pores are bored by fungi per year per liter of E-horizon (layer that…

In this study, long-term phosphorus fertilization limited the extent to which the genes and proteins of microbial communities were allocated to degrading recalcitrant soil phytate to acquire phosphorus. In phosphorus-deficient soil, on the other hand, the genes responsible for breaking down recalcitrant substrate to acquire phosphorus were more prevalent in microbial communities. In other words,…

Given competing interests for floodplain property, some have argued for strategic partial reconnection of floodplains to the river by allowing portions of floodplain to flood, so that pressure elsewhere along the river during a flood may be alleviated [Opperman 2009]. For example, California’s Yolo Bypass was created in the early 1900s after the Sacramento River…

Sustainable floodplains through large-scale reconnection to rivers, Opperman et al. 2009 The area of floodplains allowed to perform the natural function of storing and conveying floodwaters must be expanded by strategically removing levees or setting them back from the river. Floodplain reconnection will accomplish three primary objectives: flood-risk reduction, an increase in floodplain goods and…

This article emphasizes the global importance of protecting and restoring wetlands in the context of climate change and outlines policy strategies for wetland protection and restoration. Wetlands play a major though under-appreciated role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Wetlands enhance local resilience to climate change by providing: “flood storage, buffering of storm damage, protecting…

The concept of ecological intensification in agriculture offers a framework for handling the question of how to produce enough food for a growing global human population while simultaneously protecting biodiversity. It draws on the language of ecosystem services, which includes supporting services such as soil formation, regulating services (pollination and pest control), provisioning services (production…

One million of an estimated 8 million species on Earth are at risk of extinction in the coming decades, according to a May 2019 report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Children today will live as adults in a world without the Milky Stork, without the Caquetá Tití Monkey, and…

The following sketches are but a tiny sampling of the countless ways people throughout the world push back against the socio-economic and political forces of destruction both of ecosystems and of the social fabric of society. Adopting Paul Hawken’s terminology and characterization of “blessed unrest” as a spontaneous, decentralized global social movement, we here present…

Indigenous hunters have positive impacts on food webs in desert Australia, Penn State 2019 When Australian authorities removed indigenous Martu people from their traditional lands in the desertic center of the continent in the mid-1900s, endemic species there declined or went extinct. Researchers observed that the Martu’s hunting regime of small burning patches of land…

The Gaia hypothesis invites us to imagine Earth as an integral living system in order to explore the mechanisms by which life helps create and maintain the conditions for life, such as an oxygenated atmosphere. “The Gaia theory proposes that organisms contribute to self-regulating feedback mechanisms that have kept the Earth’s surface environment stable and…

Global change and the ecology of cities, Grimm et al. 2008 Whereas just 10 percent of people lived in cities in 1900, now more than half the global population is urban and that proportion continues to grow. Cities occupy less than 3% of the Earth’s land surface, but generate 78% of global CO2 emissions and…

This long-term experiment measured the difference in colonization and extinction rates of connected habitat fragments versus isolated fragments. The connected fragments were linked by a narrow (150m by 25m) strip of habitat. These habitat corridors increased the biodiversity of connected fragments by 14% after 18 years compared to their isolated counterparts. In a large and…

https://e360.yale.edu/features/the-science-and-art-of-restoring-a-damaged-wetland “It was a stink hole,” says Al Rizzo, the refuge manager of Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware Bay. Humans had messed with hydrology in an ill-conceived project aimed to convert salt marsh into a large open freshwater impoundment system to attract migrating waterfowl among others. Lines of dunes and tidal gates were…

Human activities are dramatically reducing biodiversity, and the frequency and severity of infectious disease outbreaks in human, wildlife, and domesticated species are increasing. These concurrent patterns have prompted suggestions that biodiversity and the spread of diseases may be causally linked. For example, the dilution effect hypothesis proposes that diverse host communities inhibit the abundance of…

This article very pragmatically addresses the question of whether biodiversity conservation could be an effective public health tool against infectious disease emergence and transmission. Determining whether biodiversity conservation is an effective public health strategy requires answering four questions: (1) Is there a general, causal relationship between host biodiversity and disease risk? (2) If the link…

Indigenous groups across the world have developed ecological knowledge linked to the places they inhabit, including prescribed fire practices used to maintain healthy ecosystems. Mistry et al. examine the challenges Indigenous communities in South America face in managing the landscape through fire and preserving such knowledge across generations in sometimes hostile political climates. However, there…

Changzhou is a city near the Yangtze River delta on the east coast of China that has undergone extensive urban development. “From 2006 to 2014, the built-up area in the city increased by 25.68%” [Gao 2017: 2]. This study is part of an effort to boost biodiversity and ecosystem services in the city, which, at…

‘Road verges’ are strips of land on either side of roads and highways that are on average 3-4m wide, but can be as narrow as a few centimeters or many meters wide. “Road verges are commonly grassland habitats, but can be shrubland, forest or artificial arrangements of trees and horticultural plants, and we use the…

Produced by a regional consortium on the environment in Brittany, France, this report describes the ecological value of woody strips encircling agricultural fields and enmeshing the countryside, their decline, and ways to incentivize their protection. Brittany is a heavily agricultural region that also features a long stretch of coastline where urban development and expansion is…

The fate of biodiversity within protected areas is therefore inextricably linked to the broader landscape context, including how the surrounding agricultural matrix is designed and managed [Harvey 2007: 8]. Rather than discussing ecological corridors per se, this article emphasizes the importance of a whole-landscape approach to biodiversity conservation. Pointing out that protected nature reserves are…

Foster Brown, senior scientist at Woods Hole Research Center and recipient of the Chico Mendes Forest Citizenry prize, is an environmental geochemist whose research interests focus on global environmental change and sustainable development in the southwestern Amazon Basin. He coordinates the Center’s program dealing with climate change and land use in the trinational southwestern Amazonia. Dr. Brown spent over…

Carol Evans, Nevada BLM fisheries biologist for the Elko District of the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada, joined the U.S. Forest Service in the late 1980’s and helped survey over 1,000 miles of streams in NE Nevada. She began her career with BLM in Elko in 1988 and since that time BLM and local ranchers…

David Morimoto is an ecologist, conservation biologist, and animal behaviorist by training. He has studied the effects of forest fragmentation on Ovenbirds in Massachusetts and performed basic bird inventories in the tropics, most recently on the Rupununi River in Guyana, South America. He is currently involved in urban bird research studying Cambridge birds and is working on the…

Musician and philosopher David Rothenberg wrote Why Birds Sing, Bug Music, Survival of the Beautiful and many other books,published in at least eleven languages. He has more than twenty CDs out, including One Dark Night I Left My Silent House which came out on ECM, and most recently Berlin Bülbul and Cool Spring. He has performed or recorded with Pauline Oliveros, Peter Gabriel, Ray Phiri, Suzanne…

Bob O’Connor is Forest & Land Policy Director for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs (EEA). Bob’s responsibilities for the Commonwealth encompass an extraordinary array of all things land conservation and forestry, plus all EEA grant programs, plus a variety of other important conservation-related initiatives, like the relatively new Land Conservation Tax Credit…

Pest Control with Wildflowers instead of Chemicals, Forest Foods, George Scarlett and Teaching Kids about Climate Change, Compendium Notes: Ongoing accumulation of plant diversity through habitat connectivity in an 18-year experiment, Damschen et al. 2019

Vijay Kumar on Community Managed Natural Farming, SUGi Spotlight, Jim Laurie’s Biodiversity and Symbiosis III: Mastering the Water Cycle, Adam Sacks’ Call Story, Ngā Uruora Book Review, The Hidden World of Fungi, Compendium Notes: Effectiveness of the Miyawaki method in Mediterranean forest restoration programs, Schirone, Salis & Vessella 2011

Mark Leighton is senior advisor in the Sustainability and Environmental Management Program at Harvard Extension School.  He joined the Harvard faculty in 1983 in the department of biological anthropology, having received his PhD from the University of California, Davis focusing on rainforest ecology. Since then he has studied topics in rainforest community ecology, vertebrate behavioral ecology,…

Jono Neiger is a founding partner of Regenerative Design Group with 24 years of professional experience in permaculture, ecological land design, site planning, community development, agroforestry, land management and conservation, and restoration. Mr. Neiger teaches widely around the northeast and southeast at colleges, workshops, and conferences on the topics of permaculture, ecological design, sustainable water use, and productive…

David Morimoto is associate professor of Biology at Lesley University, where he teaches ecology, ornithology, conservation biology, and animal behavior. He has studied the effects of forest fragmentation on birds in Massachusetts and is currently involved in research on urban birds.

Eric Olson is a senior lecturer in the graduate program on Sustainable International Development at the Heller School at Brandeis. He has a background in evolutionary biology, ecology, and forest science. Among his interests are global atmospheric circulation, climate change, the sources and maintenance of soil fertility, and the pathways of nitrogen through atmosphere, soils, and…

Nature’s Solutions as National Policy June 5, 2021 9:00 – 11:00 am ET This June, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate hosted a mini-conference exploring how we can leverage nature’s solutions to shape policy on climate action and resilience. This was the first in a series of mini-conferences on nature’s solutions as national policy, bringing together global…

This September, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate continued its series of mini-conferences exploring how we can leverage nature’s solutions to shape policy on climate action and resilience. Our second installment focuses on animals and their crucial role in shaping ecosystems and supporting healthy functioning carbon, water, nutrient, and energy cycles. Watch the video recording here: You…

Produced by the Native Plant Society of Oregon, this article argues that, while the use of native species is an accepted tenet of conservation, the term “native” is not necessarily well understood; they attempt to clarify the term. “Any definition of a native species, native ecosystem, or native landscape requires an historical benchmark” [Wilson 1991:…

Biodiversity V, which takes a deeper dive into forest ecosystems, is starting on October 6, 2021. The course will focus on maximizing photosynthesis and balancing the carbon cycle to cool the climate. It will run for twelve consecutive Wednesdays, with choice of afternoon (1-3 pm EST) or evening classes (7-9 pm EST). It builds his on…

What creature the size of a paperclip is lethal enough to kill ten grown men? The poison dart frog! What makes the poison dart frog so powerful? Poison dart frogs – so named because the Indigenous Emberá people of Colombia traditionally used the venom in blow darts – are some of the most toxic creatures…

Which creature existed before the dinosaurs, is an aerial genius, and can detect things we can only witness through slow-motion cameras?

What creature has no mouth, is known for colorful patterns, and is famous for mimicking a deadly predator?

Nature’s Solutions as National Policy Biodiversity for a Livable Climate has been hosting a series of mini-conferences exploring how we can leverage nature’s solutions to shape policy on climate action and resilience. Thousands of projects on six continents are endeavoring to cool our overheated planet and restore biodiversity loss by harnessing the power of photosynthesis,…

Increasingly frequent droughts are destroying food production levels in the more drought-prone half of sub-Saharan Africa. Although most people have attributed this gathering crisis to climate change, about 80 percent of the cause of the droughts is that fallowing – a process of allowing the forest to grow for fifteen years or more to replace…

Edible landscaping is the use of food-producing plants in the residential and public landscape. It combines fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, along with functional ornamental plants into aesthetically pleasing designs. Edible landscaping offers an alternative to conventional residential landscapes; edible plants can be just as attractive while producing fruits and…

Ecosystem Restoration Camps, Life Saves the Planet lecture series, The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery, The Secret Language of Trees, Calling Home, an e-zine from Doug Zook and the Global Ecology Education Initiative, Equinox by Tamiko Beyer, ‘Teeming with biodiversity’: Green groups buy Belize forest to protect it ‘in perpetuity’, Integrating Agricultural Landscapes with…

This July as Massachusetts, like many other parts of the world, reckoned with serious drought, we held a lecture to explore how we can address drought conditions on a local, regional, and global scale. Check out the recording and related resources here! Drought warnings in Massachusetts are a stark reminder that we are part of…

Nature’s Solutions As National Policy Mini-Conference, Danehy Park Miyawaki Forest Update, Bio4Climate Fall 2021 Course Updates, Featured Article, Featured Blog Post, Compendium Notes

Which creature enjoys social gatherings, is well adapted to its habitat, and can be very altruistic? The Banded Mongoose is a small mammal with a mass of approximately ≤2kg (or 4 lbs) found in (and indigenous to) various parts of Africa. While most other mongoose species live a solitary life, the banded mongoose is gregarious…

On Thursday, October 6 at 3pm ET, we joined the Cambridge Science Festival’s climate hub to share insights on ecosystem restoration, urban rewilding, and Miyawaki Forests. Come by for Wholehearted Regeneration: Boosting Communal and Climate Resilience One Pocket Forest at a Time with Maya Dutta, Bio4Climate’s Assistant Director of Regenerative Projects. She discussed the Miyawaki…

Redesigning Our Communities for Life After Fossil Fuels A series of virtual and in-person community events in 6 locations in the U.S. and Canada Fourth Event: CLEVELAND • on Zoom Saturday, March 25, 2023 1:00 – 4:30 pm EST  •  on Zoom Agenda Biodiversity for a Livable Climate is partnering with the Post Carbon Institute and…

Tropical peat swamp forest is a unique ecosystem that is under enormous threat by human activities, such as logging, conversion for agriculture, drainage, fire, and wildlife hunting. Peat-swamp forests in the tropics represent a high biodiversity ecosystem with thousands of species and are rich in endemic and endangered flora and fauna. To address the threats…

Drought warnings in Massachusetts are a stark reminder that we are part of a global climate system where warming trends are accelerating. Is there something we can learn from adding a global lens to our local and regional mitigation efforts? Danielle Dolan, Deputy Director of the Mass Rivers Alliance, and Beth Lambert, Director of the…

Thousands of projects on six continents are endeavoring to cool our overheated planet and restore biodiversity loss by harnessing the power of photosynthesis, carbon sequestration and regeneration of degraded landscapes. Most of these efforts are not by governments or corporations, but by coalitions of researchers, farmers, fishermen, forest-dwellers, and village cooperatives. What would happen if…

This Earth Day, Boston-area folks are invited to gather at Bio4Climate’s Danehy Park Miyawaki Forest for a community picnic (99 Sherman Street, Cambridge MA). We will get together on Saturday, April 22 from 1 – 3pm to celebrate our beautiful home planet and the work to restore it. Please bring your lunch, your friends, and your…

The more we disturb intact ecosystems, the less stable the climate that we have. Do we have systematic evidence-based resources to prove how natural ecosystems stabilize climate? Yes, we do! It would be helpful for science communicators and policymakers to have a resource with systematized evidence. For example:Primary forests have higher resilience against droughts than…

What organism can grow up to 35 inches in a day, conduct electricity, and survive an atomic bomb? Bamboo!

Our Programs Keeping nature and biodiversity  in the climate conversation has been the focus of our outreach and education, with annual conferences catalyzing new partnerships and research. Over time this experience has led us to be more directly involved in local communities and hands-on restoration work.  Each program is a strategic lever, creating experiential learning,…

On Thursday, November 9 at 6 pm ET, we welcomed Michelle Manion of Mass Audubon to our Life Saves the Planet lecture series to discuss the negative impacts of solar installations on forest land and the viability of alternatives. Check out the recording now.

Most of what you hear climate activists talk about when it comes to beef or cows is methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas and cows emit methane as part of their digestion process. What you don't hear is that this is primarily a problem of the commercial cattle industry and that nature has an ingenious way of balancing this methane production. Learn about this natural system and how cattle can be managed as part of eco-restoration and climate mitigation.

Cool A Quick Summary Nature plays a pivotal role in cooling the Earth, with plants being central to this process. Through transpiration, they release water vapor, which cools the air and aids in cloud formation. This mechanism is crucial in countering the urban heat island effect, where non-vegetated areas like cities absorb more heat. Water…

Halley’s Comet last hurtled around the Sun in 1986 and is expected to return in July of 2061. What will the Earth be like when the Comet returns?  What kind of world do we want to greet it?

What common bird possesses an uncommon intelligence, including diversified communication, excellent memory, and a talent for mathematics?  The crow!

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we invite you to experience a romantic journey in a winter wonderland. As the temperatures rise in February or earlier in our warming world, the snow melts, and we realize that the water cycle is a precious gift from the sun to all living creatures on Earth. Without the sun’s energy,…

On Saturday, May 4th from 11 am to 3 pm ET, join us for Biodiversity Day as we honor the importance and power of biodiversity through birding tours, pollinator searches, interactive games and art-making for kids, and native plant workshops. Experience sounds of nature and sensory spaces, live music performances, and free resources on native plants…

What creature is the engine of the Portuguese economy and works hard to delight wine-lovers around the world? The Cork Oak!

What creature is the world’s smallest ungulate? The chevrotain!

Regenerating Life Premiere: Saturday, Life Saves the Planet Lecture Series, Milestones – NYTimes, First Miyawaki Forest Turns Two & Field Trips, Education – Jim’s Biodiversity Course, Maya’s Miyawaki Minute, Redesigning Our Communities, Global Youth Ambassador Program, Voices of Water Supports Scientists, Eco Restoration Stories That Inspire Us, Compendium Notes

Biodiversity 11: Warming Oceans, Moving Shorelines & Sea Level Rise A 12-week course with Jim Laurie Fall Course 2024, Wednesdays, starts September 18 Are Antarctica’s glaciers stable?    Humanity may be facing the most challenging time in its history. The oceans are warming rapidly and causing larger storms and hurricanes. The polar regions are warming three times faster than…

Global Outreach Welcome to Bio4Climate’s Global Outreach page. Through our work at Bio4Climate and within the EcoRestoration Alliance we are deeply immersed in restoration issues and get to meet people and projects around the world who are directly engaged in restoration work. After extensive research conducted with Linsey de Jager, our Ecological Research Intern in…

What creature steals photosynthesis, can go a year without eating, and blurs the animal-plant boundary?  The Eastern Emerald Elysia!

What athletic creature can reach speeds of 45mph and cool itself down with large ears – all in a 2.5 kg frame?  The Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis)!

What berries grow in crimson towers, With tangy taste that puckers and sours?

With leaves shaped like a spade, what plant is known to invade and refuses to fade? 

I prowl the woods, both fierce and lean, With golden eyes and coat unseen. Once a ghost upon the land, Now brought back by careful hand. Who am I, wild and free, Yet bound by fate and history?

Wildfires are a very real threat, and we should be prepared. Unfortunately, we have been sold a range of false solutions (e.g., fuel reduction, forest thinning and prescribed burns), all at taxpayer expense. Wildfires Fact & Fiction will equip you with the most essential knowledge to protect homes and communities, while giving our forests what they…

Home   |  Program  |  Sponsors and Partners  Restoring Ecosystems to Reverse Global Warming– Speakers – Home   |  Program  |  Sponsors and Partners 

Home    Partners and Sponsors Reversing Global Warming:Carbon Farming for Food, Health, Prosperity and Planet! Speakers and Books BOOK RECOMMENDATIONSComeback Farms by Greg Judy  (Green Park Press, 2008)Restoration Agriculture by Mark Shepard  (Acres USA, 2013)Cows Save the Planet by Judy Schwartz  (Chelsea Green, 2013)Grass, Soil, Hope by Courtney White  (Chelsea Green, 2014)Teaming with Microbes by Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis  (Timber Press, 2010)Water:…

The Compendium This Compendium of Scientific and Practical Findings Supporting Eco-Restoration to Address Global Warming (“The Compendium”) is a fully referenced compilation of the evidence outlining the power, benefits and necessity of eco-restoration to address global warming and biodiversity loss.  Bringing together findings from the scientific literature, government and industry reports, and journalistic investigations, it…

Which creature is a master of architecture, contributes to human food sources, and has a mutually beneficial relationship with numerous plant species?

What instantly recognizable songbird holds seven state titles and has the crown to prove it? The Northern Cardinal!

What handsome creature dyes its feathers and almost exclusively eats bones? The bearded vulture!

What creature is mall and round  and with a shrill sound  it nests in the ground,  where it hopes not to be found?

As I wiggle through dirt I don’t make a sound, But I help all the plants grow out of the ground. Who am I?