In this study, the insect and bird populations of six pairs of suburban yards were measured. Each pair contained one conventionally landscaped yard containing native canopy trees and a mixture of native and non-native shrubs, grasses and understory trees; and one yard with native species only (canopy, understory, shrub and grasses). The level of plant…

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…

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…

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…

The study of urban ecology has grown rapidly over the past couple of decades as the planet becomes increasingly more urbanized. The field started as the study of ecology within the green spaces of cities, and has since evolved into a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the city itself as an ecosystem with interacting social, ecological…

Urban heat islands are created when solar energy is absorbed by non-reflective, impervious, and often rather dark surfaces, such as asphalt, stone, metal, and concrete, which are ubiquitous in cities. Exacerbating this solar energy absorption effect are abundant amounts of heat released from vehicles, factories and air conditioners, for example, as well as pollutants trapped…

Like vegetative and light or reflective surfaces, water bodies have a cooling effect on cities, reducing the Urban Heat Island effect. The average temperature at the river in this study was 1C less than at a reference point elsewhere in the city. Furthermore, the form of the landscape on the banks of an urban river…

With 66% of the world’s population predicted to live in cities by 2050, the challenge of reconciling urban growth with biodiversity conservation demands attention. Although the environment is altered by urbanization, there is potential for cities to support a great deal of biodiversity [Collas 2017: 1866]. This study shows that urban growth and biodiversity enhancement…

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),…

While the majority of people on Earth live in cities, the majority (60%) of the world’s largest cities are located within 100 kilometers of a coast. The pollution and urban infrastructure (such as marinas, sea walls, or oil/gas platforms) emanating from cities greatly stresses coastal marine habitats. Coastal infrastructure tends to be vertical and smooth,…

Jan Lambert’s take: This article by Charles Hegberg, talks about the importance of soil restoration in urban settings for optimal stormwater infiltration. He writes: “We have hundreds of years of experience in making ‘Dirt’ – It’s time we start re-making ‘Soils’ on a landscape level, quickly.“ “It’s no secret: Americans take their lawns seriously –…

Herbert Dreiseitl: Urban designer, landscape architect, water artist, interdisciplinary planner and professor in praxis. 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 #urban #design #architecture

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,…

Anamarija Frankic: Green Harbors Project, U Mass Boston, University of Zadar (Croatia), Biomimicry New England explains how we can help nature heal coastlines and, as a result, improve the well-being of human and non-human species. 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 Oceans, Restoring…

Biomimicry is sustainable innovation inspired by nature. Restoration of habitats and ecosystems can not only mitigate the effects of climate change, but also preserve the largely untapped library of solutions and opportunities to change the harmful way we make and do things. The Green Harbors Project and Biomimicry Living Labs are working with local communities…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ A welcome from Quinton Zondervan, President of Green Cambridge, and Lucy Alexander, Policy Coordinator for the Climate Action Business Association (CABA), on behalf of their organizations which sponsored our conference. Presented at Biodiversity for a Livable Climate’s “Urban…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Revision Urban Farm is an innovative community-based urban agriculture project that grows produce in its own fields and provides access to affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food to residents of the ReVision Family Home and its extended community.…

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/ Featuring Luisa Oliveira, Landscape architect, City of Somerville. Luisa Oliveira led the team that developed an urban agriculture ordinance for Somerville, the first in New England. She speaks on the traditions, benefits and value of growing urban food,…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Featuring David Morimoto, Biologist, Lesley University. The extraordinary wild spaces that still remain in our cities benefit our spiritual and mental health, not to mention the quality of the air and water. David Morimoto shares slides of the…

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…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Some of the benefits of urban agriculture are well known: increased access to healthy fresh food, reduced “food miles,” and building robust local communities. Looking through the carbon farming lens we also see more benefits: biodiverse landscapes, building…

   Program    Nature Walk    Sponsors/Partners   Speakers Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming to Reverse Global Warming Conference Home Sunday, May 3, 2015, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Science Center, Hall C, Harvard University 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts A conference for climate activists, gardeners, scientists, educators, homeowners, public officials, the business community and others concerned about our…

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…

Which ferocious, fuzzy creatures dominate the forest and help their ecosystems thrive? Grizzly Bears!

What would you get if you crossed a bear, a dog, and an otter? The Bush Dog!

I’d like to introduce this piece with a scenario. Suppose someone pointed out that you’d been looking at the climate through a pair of glasses with only one lens? Lifting them off your nose, they then provide you a new pair of glasses with two lenses. Suddenly, parts of the climate you couldn’t see before…

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,…

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…

What curious creature with its own built-in armor digs its way into trouble but floats right out? The armadillo!

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

HYDRATE: The Role of Water Key Concepts Water is the primary method of cooling the earth, but the earth has dried up.  Not just as a result of global warming but also: Fewer forests to hold water and send water vapor and heat up into the atmosphere.   Degraded soil cannot hold water to grow vegetation…

What tiny creature dwells in a unique coastal forest, where it is famous for its appetite? That would be Xenohyla truncata, or Izecksohn's Brazilian treefrog.

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!

What 100 million year old creature brought on the ice age but is so tiny that a cluster can fit on your finger tip? That would be Azolla!

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 Register Here Stay tuned for Part 2 with in-person and virtual Community Engagement…

This panel was one of several presentations hosted during Redesigning Our Communities for Life After Fossil Fuels on Saturday, January 21, 2023 with Los Angeles community leaders. This event is the third in a series of six events hosted virtually and in-person in communities throughout the U.S. and Canada – https://bio4climate.org/roc Stay tuned to register…

What plant generates energy without photosynthesis, thrives in darkness, is said to quell anxieties, and was cherished by American poet Emily Dickinson? That would be Monotropa, also known as "Ghost Pipes", "Ghost Plants", "Indian Pipes", and "Corpse Plants", among other names!

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

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 Stay tuned for Part 2 with in-person and virtual Community Engagement Eventshosted in…

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 Second Event: KANSAS CITY • on Zoom Saturday, November 12 1:00 – 5:00 pm CST  •  on Zoom Plus, in-person and virtualCommunity Engagement Eventshosted in or near Kansas City! Biodiversity for a…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 Inaugural Event: Saturday, September 10 1:00 – 4:30 pm ET  •  on Zoom Plus, in-person and virtualCommunity Engagement Eventshosted in or near Montgomery County, Maryland! Biodiversity for a Livable Climate is partnering…

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…

What creature is an ecosystem engineer, a hero of carbon capture, and a standout among its relatives for its unique environment?  Seagrass! Sorting out our relationships  Recently, I’ve been marveling at the strange science of taxonomy, and all of the examples of organisms that have defied classification or created challenging puzzles of how to name,…

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…

On Tuesday, July 12 at noon ET join us for an online lecture to explore how we can address drought conditions on a local, regional, and global scale. 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…

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…

Which creature is nonvenomous, changes color throughout its lifetime, and is native to the Nearctic region?  The Smooth Greensnake! (a.k.a. Grass Snake)  During Memorial Day weekend several weeks ago, I went on a camping trip with my partner and two friends, Sophie and Griffin. Griffin has a special affinity for snakes, and so as we…

Which keystone species creates intricate burrows, is aggressive towards its own species, and hibernates from October to May?  The European Hamster! Did you know that there are multiple species of hamster in the wild? I didn’t know this until recently, when I stumbled upon a BBC Earth video of a European Hamster foraging for food…

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…

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 Monday, May 30 at 12pm ET, we welcomed Miyawaki method advocates Hannah Lewis and Daan Bleichrodt to talk about Miyawaki forests and their role in climate resilience, urban beautification, and connecting all of us to nature. Stay tuned for the forthcoming talk recording! Hannah Lewis is the author of the upcoming book Mini Forest…

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…

Heat Planet: Restore Ecosystems – Restore Climate May 4 – June 8, 2022 Register “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” – Buckminster Fuller Course Format This online course will consist of 6 classes and be held live on Zoom. Classes…

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,…

This presentation, given by Hannah McDonald from NOFA/Mass and the Western MA Regenerative Food System, touches upon the state of our materials economy, how investing in food systems sets the stage for systems change, and why it’s important to have a bioregional focus. Recorded at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, the event concluded with…

This talk is a Q&A with activist Karen Washington. She touches upon the history of regenerative/nature-based climate solutions that are more widely adopted today by a variety of communities, but have historically been developed by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities and cultures. This talk also addresses actions the BIPOC community is taking…

Globally, oyster habitats are the most degraded habitats among coastal systems, with the loss of 99% in the last 150 years. These 350 million years old keystone species and their habitats are at the brink of total collapse from industrial harvesting and pollution of coastal areas. Today scientists understand the ecological value of oyster habitats…

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…

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…

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…

Animals contribute vitally to Earth’s water, carbon, and nutrient cycles. Every ecosystem is supported by uncountable animal species, ranging from birds to insects and mammals to fish, as well as microscopic organisms. The devastating news is that the Earth is losing about 150 animal, plant and microbial species every day, mostly due to human activities.[8] Understanding…

Can large herbivores enhance ecosystem carbon persistence? Kristensen et al. 2021 This article considers the overlooked role of grasslands and large herbivores in carbon storage. The principal question the authors pose is: what is the impact of large wild and domestic herbivores on the ability of ecosystems to absorb and store carbon over the long…

This article considers the overlooked role of grasslands and large herbivores in carbon storage. The principal question the authors pose is: what is the impact of large wild and domestic herbivores on the ability of ecosystems to absorb and store carbon over the long term? Their answer is that the activity of species like cattle,…

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…

“Climate Anxiety” has become a widespread theme lately.  As Bio4Climate began planning an event along those lines, I thought of my own anxieties about biodiversity loss and global warming, and wondered how to transform climate distress into a rich, meaningful and adaptive state of mind.  I’m finding that it helps when I embrace rather than avoid the emotions that flow through me in this time of growing personal, social and ecological turbulence...

Miyawaki Forests: Boosting Biodiversity and Climate Resilience with Ecosystem Restoration  December 9, 2021 Watch the webinar recording above, and check out the chat, slides, and related resources here. Event Description Learn about Miyawaki Forests and the newest example in Cambridge, MA, the first urban pocket forest of its kind in the Northeastern USA, which was planted this…

What beautiful but smelly tree has outlived its relatives and become an iconic species beloved across the world?  The Ginkgo biloba, also known as the “maidenhair tree.”  As the nickname suggests, the ginkgo is known for its beauty and unique leaf shape, which may look like a mane of unfurling golden hair when the tree makes…

What creature is a forest and swamp dweller, rarely seen in the wild, and treasured for its consummate beauty? The lady slipper, of course, or cypripedium reginae! The lady slipper is so named for its distinctive shape – its flowers have white upper petals and a little pouch, or labellum, of about 1-2” in length…

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…

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…

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…

This study examined whether non-native plants in residential Washington DC limited the presence of the Carolina chickadee, a local breeding insectivore. We predicted that areas with more native plants would support more chickadees, and chickadees would forage more often in the most insect-producing native plants [Narango 2017: 43]. The authors had also considered the possibility…

What tiny creature brings luck to farmers and other folks all over the globe? The ladybug!  One Lucky Lady Ladybugs, or beetles of the family Coccinellidae, are small, often colorful rounded insects beloved by children’s rhymes and gardeners alike.  Ladybugs are thought to be a sign of luck in many cultures and urban myths. Whether it’s…

Climate change is already here. Severe weather-related events such as more frequent hurricanes, intense droughts, longer wildfire seasons, and devastating floods are evidence of this statement.  However, not all people are experiencing the consequences of the climate crisis equally. All too often, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) are on the frontlines. Due to systemic…

Mchezaji “Che” Axum is the Director of the CAUSES Center for Urban Agriculture. He is a trained environmental agronomist with over 25 years of experience in agriculture. He leads a team of Researchers at the Muirkirk Research Farm in Beltsville, Maryland, and oversees the University’s DC Master Gardener, Specialty/Ethnic Crops and Urban Agriculture certificate programs. Read…

Nathan Phillips is professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University.He studies the physiological mechanisms and processes by which plants and ecosystems regulate water loss and carbon gain, and how these processes may be altered under global environmental change.  He is now applying this research to studies of urban ecology in a program called Urban Metabolism.

Luisa Oliveira led the municipal team that developed Somerville’s urban agriculture ordinance, the first  in New England . She will tell the story of the development of the ordinance in Somerville and the successes and challenges of urban agriculture in a densely populated city.

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.

Allison Houghton is a teacher of permaculture and gardening techniques.  She manages the Greater Boston CSA for the Food Project, where she has also been the orchard manager and assistant grower for the Lincoln Farm.  Before that, she was horticultural director for Green City Growers, helping Greater Boston residents, schools, and businesses grow food intensively in small…

Joy Gary is a grower at ReVision Urban Farm in Dorchester. She grew up on a farm, and worked on a farm in Michigan, so working with the earth and growing her own food has always been important to her.  She has strong interests in urban agriculture, new foods and culinary skills. One of her passions…

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…

Emily Jodka is a life long gardener and New Englander who currently lives in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Emily Co-founded the New Urban Farmers in 2008 with Bleu Grijalva, which started as a grassroots movement in a community garden that grew into a non-profit that provides education and an opportunity to grow and eat fresh food grown without chemicals.…

Sarah Howard is the Executive Director of Earthos Institute in Somerville, Massachusetts.  Her work has focused on building community and regional resiliency and vitality as well as ecological and justice issues.  She has taught experiential environmental education and founded community learning centers in urban areas, worked for cultural institutions to develop community partnerships/education, served as an elected Housing Commissioner in Westport…

Seth Itzkan is a futurist and founder of Planet-TECH Associates in Somerville, Massachusetts.  Planet-TECH has twenty years of experience consulting for clients in energy, urban development, youth empowerment, and futures preparedness. His other company, Charles River Web, develops Open Source web applications.  His personal advocacy is climate mitigation through HM grasslands restoration.  He has spent months…

Set up biodiverse “pocket parks” and rain gardens. Pocket parks and rain gardens capture rainwater and allow for better water infiltration into soils, and increase soil health and groundwater recharge. Grow an inexpensive Miyawaki Forest in your urban habitat (shown: Clifton Park in Karachi), with native plants, pollinators and biodiverse animal life. If there’s not much space, you…

Educate your Neighbors. Host a talk at the library or local coffee shop on the vital importance of wetlands, grasslands, and forest ecosystems. Work with local schools. Incorporate lessons relating to organic gardening, urban forestry, wetlands, green infrastructure, and healthy soils. Improve children’s wellbeing. 

Support and participate in community-driven programs for green initiatives. Work with your community to increase urban trees and vegetation to create an expanded urban tree cover, which is vital for cooling cities, managing water, improving air quality, and decreasing stress. And did you know asphalt heats up faster than bare ground? Depaving has a number of benefits including…

Tufts Campus Info & Map Home   Program   Speakers    Sponsors/Partners We welcome you to this landmark conference, Restoring Water Cycles to Reverse Global Warming and hope the information here will assist you with the practical arrangements of your trip.  If you have any further questions, please contact us at climate2015@bio4climate.org. The conference is taking place in Asean Auditorium, 160 Packard Avenue, on…

What iconic creature thinks beyond its lifespan, navigates new terrain with grace, and stuns North America with its migrations? The monarch butterfly!

Eric T. Fleisher is the Director of Horticulture for the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy. Battery Park City is an urban area located in south Manhattan in New York City. This park is a 92-acre planned community created through regenerating healthy soil and reusing local materials. As the Director of Horticulture for over 25 years,…

Daniel Medina, PhD, PE, D.WRE, is a Senior Engineer based in LimnoTech’s Washington DC office, who specializes in water resource systems planning and climate change and resilience. His experience encompasses a wide array of water resources areas, especially in urban water issues including flood risk management, water supply, watershed restoration, climate change impacts, and the…

Charlene Johnston, PE, is a professionally licensed Civil Engineer and Program Manager at AECOM. She has more than 20 years of engineering experience. Over the past 15 years, Charlene’s professional focus includes climate resiliency and control of stormwater projects and flood studies. Her passion is green infrastructure (GI) / low impact development (LID) and building…

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 teaching sustainability and environmental management to undergraduate and graduate students.…

Ana Sofia Gonzalez is an environmentalist with chemical engineering background focused on restorative agroforestry in dry lands to increase resilience of food production systems. She is currently developing strategies that propose restorative food systems as a mitigation strategy to reduce forced migration caused by climate change. Sofia is Founder of Plantum.mx, a consultancy firm focused in…

Herbert Dreiseitl is an internationally highly respected expert in creating Liveable Cities around the world with a special hallmark on the inspiring and innovative use of water to solve urban environmental challenges, connecting technology with aesthetics, encouraging people to take care and ownership of places. He has realized groundbreaking contemporary projects in the fields of…

Kannan Thiruvengadam is the president of Eastie Farm in East Boston, MA. He is an urban farmer and environmentalist who is passionate about regenerative design.

Jon Way has a B.S. (UMass Amherst), M.S. (UConn Storrs), and doctorate (Boston College) related to the study of eastern coyotes/coywolves. He is the author of 2 books: Suburban Howls, an account of his experiences studying eastern coyotes in Massachusetts, and My Yellowstone Experience, which details – in full color – the spectacular wildlife, scenery, and hydrothermal features that…

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…

Allison Houghton is a teacher of permaculture and gardening techniques.  She manages the Greater Boston CSA for The Food Project, where she has also been the orchard manager and assistant grower for Lincoln Farm.  Before that, she was horticultural director for Green City Growers, helping Greater Boston residents, schools, and businesses grow food intensively in small urban spaces.

Elisabeth Cianciola has a B.S. in Environmental Science from Trinity College, where she conducted research in areas as diverse as water quality sampling in urban rivers, rain garden design, and the taxonomy of algae. She recently completed an M.S. in Natural Resources at the University of New Hampshire, where she taught courses focused on wetland and…

Randi Rotjan is a researcher at the New England Aquarium and professor in Boston University’s Marine Program. She studies coral reefs and climate change in the remote Phoenix Islands, the largest marine protected area in the Pacific Ocean, where she coordinates their science-related mission in her role as Chief Scientist. At Boston University she teaches Coral…

What creature flocks together to produce a living Aurora?  The Starling! What is a starling, and how does it model good group behavior? The Starling is a moderate-sized bird about 8 inches long at maturity with a shiny, sometimes iridescent, dark coat and a raucous repertoire of chirps and cackles. It’s distributed across Europe, West…

"We have to do everything we know how to do to address climate change." - Sir Nicholas Stern But what is "everything we know how to do"? What does "everything" mean? Who are "we"? Until very recently "everything" meant reducing emissions and pulling excess carbon out of the atmosphere. That has slowly begun to change, but our cherished , tenacious, fallacious assumption has been that global warming revolves around one isolated variable: carbon.

What creature is the only known lizard to go foraging in the ocean, resides off the coast of South America, and is changing the definition of adaptation? The Marine Iguana! One of a Kind Marine iguanas are the only lizards that live partly in the ocean. They are endemic (meaning they only exist in one…

Quick Tour Since our modest but enthusiastic beginnings in 2013, our Biodiversity for a Livable Climate website has grown to the point where we ourselves marvel at how it has become such a rich resource! It’s also a pretty big place, so here’s a brief overview to help you find your way around, in order…

Visits adaptation and urban resilience, the phenomenon of Heat Planet, more on land management and conservation, and a continuation of explorations in “Blessed Unrest,” where people around the world, in powerful local ways, are regenerating a healthy biosphere.

Staff and Board 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…

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…

Anna Gilbert-Muhammad is the Food Access Coordinator of NOFA/Mass and lives in Springfield. She was born in New York City but, being the child of a Marine Corps father, lived in various places in California as well as Baltimore. While in California, although she was raised as a Roman Catholic, Anna became interested in the Nation…

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 teaching sustainability and environmental management to undergraduate and graduate students.…

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…

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.…

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…

Wildfire is a challenge that threatens human settlement at an increasing scale, but planning and development does not always address this threat. In fact, policy around land use is in large part responsible for the destruction of homes and property and the threat to human life that occurs in wildland-urban interfaces (WUIs). While there is…

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…

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…

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…

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…

‘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…

Conceptually the inverse of wildlife corridors, fences aim to disconnect. They are built to separate people across national borders, livestock from predators, to delineate property lines, and even to protect wildlife conservation reserves. Globally, fences are ubiquitous, more prevalent even than roads, and proliferating. Yet their ecological impact is relatively unstudied. Fences are often framed…

Spurred to action by the European Union and a vision for a pan-European ecological network, France encoded the idea of the “trames vertes et bleues” into law in 2009. The national government worked with all the regional governments to develop maps showing areas with the highest levels of biodiversity. This includes protected areas, stretches of…

This article reviews the historical development of two pieces of environmental legislation in France – the use of the “mitigation hierarchy” to assess and limit environmental impact in project development and the promotion of ecological corridors. Theoretically, these two laws overlap when urban development projects in proximity to areas of ecological significance use the mitigation…

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…

Spring 2021, Wednesdays, February 3rd – April 21st 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 and explorations for independent thinkers of any…

Increase your impact with our new Matching Grant! A generous supporter has offered us a $5,000 grant that will double your one-time donations or match three of your monthly donations. We have until May 31, 2021 to meet our match. Please donate today! How would you like to partner with the planet? Our Earth is…

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…

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…

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…

This paper contextualizes reduced transmission of infectious disease as one of the many ecosystem services provided by biodiversity. Changes in biodiversity affect infectious disease transmission by changing the abundance of the host and/or vector; the loss of non-host species may increase the density of host species, increasing the encounter rates between pathogen and host. Often,…

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…

Increasing agricultural production to feed >11 billion people by 2100 raises several challenges for effectively managing infectious disease. Of many factors examined in this article linking agricultural expansion to infectious disease, one is conversion of natural habitat to cropland or rangeland. Land conversion increases contact between wild animals, livestock and humans. As natural ecosystems are…

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…

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…

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…

This meta-analysis of 400 studies compared passive and active ecosystem repair outcomes in terms of the speed and completeness of recovery, and found little difference between the two approaches. Active restoration did not result in faster or more complete recovery than simply ending the disturbances ecosystems face [Jones 2018: 1]. Passive recovery simply means ending…

A growing body of literature emphasizes the need for novel, process-oriented approaches to restoring ecosystems in our rapidly changing world. Dynamic and process-oriented approaches focus on the adaptive capacity of ecosystems and the restoration of ecosystem processes promoting biodiversity, rather than aiming to maintain or restore particular ecosystem states characterized by predefined species compositions or…

Rewilding is gaining traction as an approach to conservation. However, many different perspectives about which species and ecological processes to focus rewilding efforts on and how deeply to intervene in systems has created some confusion and contention within the field. Furthermore, the most ambitious and extreme rewilding proposals (for example, recreating communities that went extinct…

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 increases multitrophic energy use efficiency, flow and storage in grasslands, Buzhdygan 2020 While several studies have shown that biodiversity within a trophic level (among plants, for example) increases ecosystem function (such as productivity), this study examines the effects of increased plant diversity on multi-trophic networks (encompassing plants, soil microorganisms, and above- and belowground invertebrates).…

While several studies have shown that biodiversity within a trophic level (among plants, for example) increases ecosystem function (such as productivity), this study examines the effects of increased plant diversity on multi-trophic networks (encompassing plants, soil microorganisms, and above- and belowground invertebrates). The authors compared monoculture plots (with one plant species) to plots containing 60…

In continuation of the “blessed unrest” section of previous issues of the Compendium, the following sketches illustrate how people everywhere are seeing that humanity depends on nature for both our physical and spiritual wellbeing and our survival. As this awareness takes hold, people act to protect and restore not only the land, but also our…

https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2020/05/20/garden-advice-indigenous-food-growers/ Covid19 has been an additional stressor on many Native American communities already burdened by deprivations from centuries of ongoing injustice. According to Julie Garreau, project coordinator of Cheyenne River Youth Project, which operates a 2.5-acre youth garden in South Dakota, gardens are a source of both food and healing. “Gardens represent so much more,”…

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,…

Working on our selves, our communities, and our places for massive change A workshop on Saturday, March 28, 2020 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. EDT Good News – we will hold this workshop online! It will be fully interactive with discussions, conversations, breakout rooms, Q&A and presentations by Bill and Jim. In Western culture, we…

Conference Home    Speakers    Program    Sponsors and Partners 2020 Blessed Unrest Sponsors and Partners Sponsors The vision of the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation is a world in which the boundaries between the human and natural world are indistinguishable and the totality of human needs are produced in a way that regenerates the ecosystems which we inhabit. To…

We begin this issue of the Compendium by exploring the role of cities in the era of climate breakdown. This section features “Heat Planet,” an essay by architect Christopher Haines, member of Bio4Climate’s Leadership Team, exploring the global implications of the pervasive phenomenon of the “Urban Heat Island” and other heat-producing paved and de-vegetated surfaces around…

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 consume 76% of wood used for industrial purposes. Urban dwellers depend…

“The geometry, spacing and orientation of buildings and outdoor spaces” [Kleerekoper 2012: 30], as well as the prevalence of hard surfaces and reduced amount of vegetation, strongly modify the micro-climate of urban areas compared to rural surroundings. Characterized by an increase in temperature, a phenomenon referred to as urban heat island [UHI] effect has multiple…

This report, led by Ban Ki Moon (UN), Bill Gates (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) and Kristalina Georgieva (World Bank), calls on decision makers worldwide to facilitate coordinated action to help communities adapt to climate change. Importantly, the report makes the case for nature-based adaptation approaches, which inherently help mitigation efforts as well. Adaptation measures…

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…

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…

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 places. Like everyone, indigenous people have multiple interests (economic, political, cultural), which don’t necessarily always support…

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.

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…

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…

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,…

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…

A global agenda for soil carbon, Vermeulen 2019 This paper calls for efforts to make farmers, land managers, policy makers, and the public at large keenly aware of the link between soil carbon and its more widely appreciated social outcomes, such as agricultural productivity and food security, improved water quality, flood and drought mitigation, lower…

In the U.S., some visions for food system change are anchored in the policy framework of the Ocasio-Cortez/Markley Green New Deal, itself viewed by many as a proposal for transformative change. Noting that the way we eat accounts for a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions and that “the food system is breaking the planet,” Patel…

Taking an altogether different angle, Jason Bradford of the Post Carbon Institute assumes radical societal change is inevitable and imminent, and focuses not on how to precipitate change but instead on how to adapt to it. “The future is rural” [Bradford 2019] is essentially a primer on how to navigate the profound changes society will undergo…

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…

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.…

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…

Blessed Unrest:Growing a Future forLife on Earth Conference Home    Speakers    Program    Sponsors and Partners Videos and other materials available on our Program page. ********************************** Let’s face it: Emissions reduction strategies to address global ecological catastrophes, including massive climate disruption, have not worked. Of course we should go to zero for many reasons, but this doesn’t…

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…

Managing rainwater within a landscape so that neither heavy storms nor long dry spells devastate human endeavors and constructions is referred by Yu Kongjian as the “art of survival” [Yu 2012]. This Chinese landscape architect with an ecological mindset learned the art of survival by studying the ways of ancient peasant farmers. He contrasts the wisdom…

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…

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…

“In the past, humans have taken the land away from the water; now we need to give the land back.” – Professor Hui Li [Guardian 2017] Faced with severe flooding in many cities across China, such as a major 2012 Beijing flood, the Chinese government announced the Sponge Cities Initiative in 2014 as a remedy.…

From California to Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington DC, people are coming together in their communities to learn what river their watershed drains into, how urban stormwater management has impaired that river, and how to restore river-floodplain ecosystems through a grassroots approach. A watershed is an area of land over which any rain that falls…

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…

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…

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…

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 through each city, the data collectors revealed a 17-degree temperature gap between…

Wildfires in the West have become larger and more frequent over the past three decades (globally, the length of the fire season increased by 19% from 1979 to 2013) and this trend will continue with global warming. Typical fire prevention strategy, centering on fuel reduction and fire suppression, has proved inadequate. Instead, society must accept…

Close up on California in the era of climate change: a verdant vision for fire-prone land Picture California in the 1700s, around the time the first Spanish missions appeared. It must have looked like heaven on earth for the 100,000s of native people living there [Ecological Society of America 2014], cradled between forested mountains and…

Picture California in the 1700s, around the time the first Spanish missions appeared. It must have looked like heaven on earth for the 100,000s of native people living there [Ecological Society of America 2014], cradled between forested mountains and sparkling ocean. Meandering streams and rivers teeming with salmon criss-cross the valley and are knit together…

Relatively little is known about the fascinating coyotes in the east It is a remarkable animal, being one of the only carnivores to actually increase its range and distribution in the past one hundred years. Coyotes have taken over as top predator in all environments in New England, from wilderness parks to city greenbelts. Along…

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…

Listening to the Voices of Nature– Program – Conference Home    Speakers    Program    Sponsors and Partners This program is arranged as cycles, the way Nature does it with water, carbon, sunsets, seasons, dust to dust and phoenixes arising from the ashes.  All of our talks are connected to one another in ways both obvious and subtle.  So rather…

Listening to the Voices of Nature– Sponsors and Partners – Conference Home    Speakers    Program    Sponsors and Partners Partners are organizations that help us get the word out.  Sponsors additionally contribute financially to our efforts.  These are our valued sponsors and partners since 2014. Sponsors for Voices of Nature The vision of the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation…

MARYLAND Philip Bogdonoff (second from right in red shirt), Director of Bio4Climate’s DC Chapter and member of our Executive Board, played a key role in its passage. UPDATE: By Philip Bogdonoff, March 30, 2021 Philip continues to be involved with several groups who are focused on Montgomery County’s Climate Action Plan, and has contributed to…

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…

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…

“The world is divided politically, but ecologically it is tightly interwoven.” – Carl Sagan, 1980, Cosmos The magnitude of troubles ailing humanity is dizzying, if not terrifying – any 10 minutes of exposure to the daily news can attest to this. It’s hard to untangle the problems from each other, or to connect causes to…

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

Climate Reckoning– Sponsors and Partners – Conference Home    Speakers    Program    Sponsors and Partners Partners are organizations that help us get the word out.  Sponsors additionally contribute financially to our efforts.  These are our valued sponsors and partners since 2014. Sponsors for Climate Reckoning The vision of the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation is a world in which the…

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,…

Blessed Unrest, The WILD Foundation, Urban Farming: Somerville Community Growing Center and Yarra-Yarra Biodiversity Corridor, Compendium Announcement

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 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 and…

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…

Note: As mentioned in the Release notes, we have a small staff and therefore have had to postpone some important material to the next release, scheduled for January 2018.  This will include a more thorough exploration of the importance of wetlands in addressing climate. Wetlands only cover only a small proportion of the terrestrial surface…

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…

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…

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…

Help the Urban Ecosystem: Start a Native Garden, Carbon Farming Proves Profitable in Bismarck, North Dakota, A Road Map to Scenario 300

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Restorative land management includes regenerative grazing and agricultural practices that build healthy soils and support a diversity of life above and below ground. It applies to a range of settings, from urban to rural, and from small to…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Restorative land management includes regenerative grazing and agricultural practices that build healthy soils and support a diversity of life above and below ground. It applies to a range of settings, from urban to rural, and from small to…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Healthy soils and water cycles are closely intertwined. Opportunities abound to restore fresh and saltwater wetlands, and to manage urban, suburban and rural water flows in ways that help cool the planet. Nature has fascinating and powerful systems…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Healthy soils and water cycles are closely intertwined. Opportunities abound to restore fresh and saltwater wetlands, and to manage urban, suburban and rural water flows in ways that help cool the planet. Nature has fascinating and powerful systems…

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…

Ing. Michal Kravčík,CSc. / Jan Lambert https://bio4climate.org/downloads/Kravcik_Global_Action_Plan.pdf Jan’s Quick-Take: This is a document intended to guide people from individuals to the national level, on addressing climate change through the restoration of short, or small water cycles, thus increasing the production potential and biodiversity of all continents through the introduction of various measures of rainwater retention.…

Using Ecological Restoration to Reduce Urban Flooding, Dr. Gina Angiola Helps Lead Maryland Ban on Fracking, Earthworms

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…

Voices of Water for Climate UN Water Conference March 22-24, 2023 Voices of Water for Climate works on bringing the vital power of water to cool the Earth to the center of climate action. Our central focus on the role of biology in powering the water cycle offers guiding principles for the ecological restoration 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…

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…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Hydrologist Scott Horsley discusses green infrastructure as the new tool of water harvesting in urban areas and other settled landscapes. Presented at Biodiversity for a Livable Climate’s “Restoring Water Cycles to Reverse Global Warming” conference at Tufts University,…

Home   Program   Speakers    Registration    Sponsors/Partners     We welcome you to this landmark conference, Restoring Water Cycles to Reverse Global Warming and hope the information here will assist you with the practical arrangements of your trip.  If you have any further questions, please contact us at climate2015@bio4climate.org. The conference is taking place in Asean Auditorium, 160 Packard Avenue, on the Tufts University…

Urban Eco-Restoration Series Part 3, Climate Conference Speaker Announcement, Featured Event: Restoring Water Cycles to Reverse Global Warming

Restoring Water Cycles to Reverse Global Warming – Sponsors & Partners –   Home   Program   Speakers Our partners support us and in many instances are doing similar work. We share logos and links, and we ask our partners to announce the conference on their websites, Facebook pages and in newsletters.  Our sponsors work with us as partners do,…

Urban Eco-Restoration Series Part 2, Featured Event: Restoring Water Cycles to Reverse Global Warming, Catching up with Philip Bogdonoff of BLC, Washington D.C. Chapter

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…

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…

Urban Eco-Restoration Series Part 1, Jim Laurie’s Talk on Microbes

Resources Be sure to check out our Compendium of Scientific and Practical Findings Supporting Eco-Restoration to Address Global Warming, a collection of evidence of widely available positive environmental outcomes possible. Back issues of  our informative and entertaining newsletters are available here. Below are videos, websites, books and papers addressing a wide variety of issues in biodiversity,…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Featuring Mel King, Community Activist, State Legislator, Affordable Housing Advocate, MIT Faculty As a State Legislator, Mel King was a leader in the effort to preserve agricultural land in Massachusetts. He founded the South End Technology Center and…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Jennifer Lawrence, Sustainability Planner for the City of Cambridge, speaks on the City’s ongoing Vulnerability Assessment on climate change, and some possible measures the City can take to improve its climate resilience. Duke Bitsko, landscape architect with Chester…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Phil Colarusso, Boston Office of the EPAJonathan Bates, Permaculturist, Co-Author of Paradise LotLuisa Oliveira, Landscape architect, City of SomervilleJoy Gary, Urban Farm Grower, Revision Urban Farm, Dorchester, MassachusettsBruce Fulford, Owner, City Soil Part of the Urban and Suburban…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Featuring Bruce Fulford, Owner, City Soil. The linkages between urban farms, conservation foundations, and municipalities can all reinforce the power of urban agriculture. Bruce Fulford describes creating agricultural land in an urban setting. Presented at the Urban and…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Featuring Phil Colarusso, Boston Office of the EPA. Wetlands and coastal waters are exceptionally effective at storing carbon as well as performing many other ecosystem functions. Phil Colarusso tells us how cities and the global climate benefit from…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Thomas Akin, State Resource Conservationist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation ServiceEric ‘T’ Fleischer, Consultant, Harvard Landscape ServicesCharlotte O’Brien, Biochar EntrepreneurAllison Houghton, Permaculture and Gardening Teacher Part of the Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming to Reverse Global Warming Conference, organized…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Featuring Allison Houghton, Permaculture and Gardening Teacher. Permaculture methods for ecological design are especially useful for bringing productivity and biodiversity to urban settings. Allison Houghton shares some methods for planning and growing successful garden spaces. Presented at the…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Charlotte O’Brien, Biochar Entrepreneur Biochar is soil amendment made from biomass that leads to fertility and improved plant health and growth. It was developed by indigenous people in the Amazon hundreds of years ago and has excited broad…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Featuring Eric ‘T’ Fleischer, Consultant, Harvard Landscape Services. There are many challenges in improving urban soils. Eric Fleischer reviews these challenges and focuses on Harvard’s successful soil-enhancement project using compost tea applications. Presented at the Urban and Suburban…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Featuring Thomas Akin, State Resource Conservationist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Cover cropping is a soil health-building practice gaining currency in cropland agriculture but also well suited to improving urban soils. Soil-incorporated cover crops provide large volumes of…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Nathan Phillips, Earth and Environment Department, Boston UniversityEric Olson, Brandeis UniversityDavid Morimoto, Biologist, Lesley UniversityDavid Lefcourt, Arborist, City of Cambridge Presented at the Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming to Reverse Global Warming Conference, organized by Biodiversity for a…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ An overview of our modern urban ecology, shaped and profoundly altered by human actions. Our relationship with our urban ecosystem can be improved if we recognize the threats that we bring through development and technology and the ways…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Featuring Eric Olson, Brandeis University. Biodiversity contributes significantly to our resilience and quality of life. Eric Olson addresses the presence of countless non-native species of plants and animals in our cities, how we can take steps to re-establish…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Featuring David Lefcourt, Arborist, City of Cambridge. David will discuss how a municipality, with active citizens and volunteers, can get the greatest benefit from its trees for climate and biodiversity. Presented at the Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming…

5:00 p.m. Potluck, Presentation and Discussion in Cambridge: “Discuss Questions Raised at the Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming Conference.“ View event details.

Upcoming Conference: Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming to Reverse Global Warming, Speaker profile: Mel King, Catching Up with Jim Laurie

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…

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

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.…

Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming to Reverse Global Warming– Sponsors and Partners –  Conference Home    Program    Nature Walk    Sponsors/Partners   Speakers Our partners support us and in many instances are doing similar work. We share logos and links, and we ask our partners to announce the conference on their websites, Facebook pages and in newsletters.  Our…

Conference Home    Program    Nature Walk    Sponsors/Partners   Speakers   Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming to Reverse Global Warming May 3, 2015 Harvard Science Center 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts Guidelines for Conference Partnership and Sponsorship Biodiversity for a Livable Climate welcomes the participation of individuals, organizations and businesses who share our concern for restoring global ecosystems to…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Returning carbon to the soil is the foundation of restoring ecosystems. For thirty years Bruce Fulford has been building soils. He will tell us how he does it, and the remarkable results that he’s seen from reclamation and…

Reversing Global Warming:Carbon Farming for Food, Health, Prosperity and Planet!Sponsors and Partners  Home      Speakers       Partners and Sponsors Our partners support us and in many instances are doing similar work. We share logos and links, and we ask our partners to announce the conference on their websites, Facebook pages and in newsletters.  Our sponsors…

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…

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       Program        Speakers        Sponsors and Partners  We welcome you to this landmark conference, Restoring Ecosystems to Reverse Global Warming and hope the information here will assist you with the practical arrangements of your trip.  If you have any further questions, please contact us at climate2014@bio4climate.org. The conference is…

Restoring Ecosystems to Reverse Global Warming– Sponsors and Partners – Program  |  Speakers  |  Sponsors and Partners Our partners support us and in many instances are doing similar work. We share logos and links, and we ask our partners to announce the conference on their websites, Facebook pages and in newsletters.  Our sponsors work with us…

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…

Advisory Board Brent Blackwelder Brent Blackwelder is the emeritus president of Friends of the Earth. He was a founder and first chairman of the board of American Rivers, our nation’s leading river conservation organization. He was also one of the founders of the Environmental Policy Institute, which merged with Friends of the Earth in 1989.…