Weekly Updates

News and Insights

• Floods are getting more dangerous around the country.
  
  When storms hit, it’s easy to keep our focus on the weather and the rain. And we’ve certainly seen evidence that climate change is fueling wetter wets. But often, the other half of the story is what the land can no longer do…and all that water has nowhere to go.
  
  Part of the reason is that the land no longer works the way it used to. Forests absorb water. Wetlands slow it down. Healthy soil holds it like a sponge. But when those systems are removed, drained, paved over, and purged of native wildlife, water moves faster, hits harder, and runs off.
  
  We’re not here to point fingers, we’re trying to expand the conversation. When we see how changes to land and water systems shape extreme weather, we also start to see where regeneration can make a difference.
• A Story of Fire and Water
  
  This week the Washington Post looked at how land that’s been burned and denuded from repeat wildfires is seeding the ground for back-to-back flooding in New Mexico. 
  
  And it’s not just proliferating wildfires. Runoff is also driven by degraded land, the lack of biodiverse vegetation, and the absence of natural water engineers like beavers.If you want to better understand floods, you’ve got to look down at the dirt, not just up in the clouds. 

Events and Community

• Virtual | 2025 Northeast Miniforest Summit
  
  Can you believe we’re just two weeks out from the summit? And fear not, there’s still time to register!
  
  Miniforests are more than trees—they amplify a web of relationships. This summit plants seeds for stronger connections, collective action, and resilient ecosystems. It’s a response to the energy of those eager to help restore Earth, and a step toward a shared path forward rooted in collaboration.
  
  Meet the speakers and explore the panels that will guide this two day exploration! 
  
  Spread virtually across two days and an in-person bus tour, the Northeast Minforest Summit brings together practitioners, researchers, and leaders from a range of disciplinary perspectives—including city officials, landscape architects, scientists, and community organizers—to explore the Miyawaki method from root to canopy.
  Register and Learn More

Courses

• Learn from the very best. 
  
  Water is one of nature’s most powerful, yet most overlooked, climate regulators, acting as a built-in cooling system. Join us and a roster of the leading experts and thinkers in an exploration of how water, not just carbon, holds the key to a livable future.
  
  REGISTER FOR WATER & CLIMATE

News and Insights

• Is It Time to Break Up With Fireworks?
  
  “I’ve seen first-hand the devastation that fireworks can cause. For several years, when I volunteered as a marine mammal rescuer with a local rescue organization, we reliably collected dozens of distressed sea lion pups and disoriented birds in the days after the big bang of Independence Day. Animal shelters routinely clear their kennels before the Fourth of July (a.k.a. euthanize resident dogs who haven’t been adopted) in preparation for the influx of panicked dogs and cats that jump their owners’ yards, terrified when the big booms go off. Studies in Europe confirm that fireworks displace migratory birds long-term, cause birds to abandon their nests for good and lead wild horses to injure themselves when they flee the noise.” 
  
  “Call me a party pooper, but once I learned all this, I began to hate fireworks with a passion. When I started asking why we need to set off destructive explosives in order to have a good time, I found that all of this could easily be avoided because safer and more environmentally friendly alternatives are readily available.”

Events and Community

• We recently received this powerful message from Cindee Karns in Fairbanks, Alaska, where rising temperatures and wildfires are reshaping daily life with temperatures well above the norm this time of year. Her reflections are a reminder of how urgent, local, and personal climate breakdown has become, and how many people are hungry for regenerative models grounded in living systems.
  

• Virtual | 2025 Northeast Miniforest Summit
  
  Landscape architect, ecologist, and educator Heather Schibli will close out the 2025 Northeast Miniforest Summit, delivering the final presentation of the event.
  
  With over a decade of experience designing environments for both humans and non-humans, Heather’s research draws on her expertise in ecological restoration and investigates the emerging field of multispecies design. In an era marked by mass extinction and climate crisis, it is essential to embrace design practices that foster and enrich biodiversity. Landscape architects are uniquely positioned to enhance ecological health and resilience through collaborative approaches and interdisciplinary partnerships. Heather actively welcomes insights from a wide range of fields, recognizing the creative potential in cross-disciplinary exchange.
  
  Presentation:
  The Miyawaki Method vs. Ecology of Place: The Importance of Experimentation and Curiosity in Canada’s Mini Forest Network
  
  Spread virtually across two days and an in-person bus tour, the Northeast Minforest Summit brings together practitioners, researchers, and leaders from a range of disciplinary perspectives—including city officials, landscape architects, scientists, and community organizers—to explore the Miyawaki method from root to canopy.
  Join Us!

• Bringing Back the Night Lights: Fireflies and the Power of Small Changes
  
  Homegrown National Park outlines what you can do to help the fireflies in your yard:
  
  Plant Native | Dim the Lights | Reduce Pesticide Use | Skip Mosquito Fogging | Leave Some Leaf Litter | Leave Decaying Wood | Establish No-Mow Zones | Maintain Moist Spots
  
  Learn More

Events and Community

• Mass. | Join us for a miniforest bus tour!
  
  Registration for the 2025 Massachusetts Miniforest Bus Tour is now open! 
  Part of the Northeast Miniforest Summit, this bus tour to four different Massachusetts miniforests on Saturday, July 19, provides a reference point for how the Miyawaki method can be used in urban settings, in rural environments, and in collaboration with school groups.
  
  Please note that two bus options are available. 
  
  Bus A: Saturday, July 19 at 9am ET
  Bus B: Saturday, July 19 at 10am ET
  Join Us!
• As many of you in our Bio4Climate community may know, our co-founder, biologist, futurist and friend Jim Laurie is on the mend following knee surgery. Katya Stupina recently spent a day with Jim, connecting and healing over nature. 
  
  Today was a day full of learning and time spent well with a dear friend. Jim and I started our morning at a local diner (where of course, everyone knew Jim). Two quick hours later, we went to Horn Pond, saw Pluto, and conquered a hill.
  
  We talked about robins, fungi, beavers, lichens, grasslands and grazing animals, tides, the water table, flooding forests, and Jim’s four principles for healthy lands:
  
  1) Bringing infiltration teams to the land
  2) Making bare ground illegal
  3) Maximizing the consciousness of species, in the soil and everywhere
  4) Developing living shorelines
  
  From there, we set off on a quick field trip to an abandoned parking lot in Woburn to see how soil is reclaiming the land, how natural succession takes the reins once people move on and life simply knows just what to do.
• Virtual | A FIRST LOOK
  
  Join master storyteller Judith Black for an early telling of her newest piece: Feedback Loops, a 45-minute story about climate collapse, political action, and staying tender in the face of it all.
  
  What does it mean to act with clarity, with care for others as well as ourselves, and with an open heart?
  
  Live in Marblehead, Mass.
  
  June 29 at 6 PM
  July 13 at 6 PM
  
  Live on Zoom
  
  July 9 at 6PM
  RSVP via email

News and Insights

• Roadless Rule A Reckless Attack On Climate Regulators
  
  Read our full statement on the federal government’s move to declare “open-season” on 58 million acres of native forests, paving the way for road and development construction.
  
  “…Tearing up these ecosystems for short-term profit threatens to unravel climate stability through cascading, long-range feedbacks. What harms a forest in one place can disturb rainfall, heat balance, and ecological life somewhere else…” 
• Perspective: Bio4Climate in Washington
  
  Last week, 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.
  
  “While it is important to identify ways to survive the present conditions, that is not a long-term solution to limiting the effects of extreme heat. We must target the source of extreme heat, which lies with our carbon emissions and disrupted ecosystems, to work towards a cooler future. And that HAS to be a part of every heat mitigation briefing, conversation, and agenda.”
  
  Read the full dispatch. 

Courses

• Learn from the very best. 
  
  Water is one of nature’s most powerful, yet most overlooked, climate regulators, acting as a built-in cooling system. Join us and a roster of the leading experts and thinkers in an exploration of how water, not just carbon, holds the key to a livable future.
  
  Want to start with a brief introduction on how water regulates the climate?  Attend a free webinar hosted by instructor Hart Hagan:
  
  The Cooling Power of Evaporating Water
  Monday, June 30 – 12:00 noon ET
  
  Your Climate Friendly Backyard
  Wednesday, July 2 – 7:00 pm ET
  
  Regenerative Farming & Water
  Thursday, July 3 – 3:00 pm ET
  
  The Worldwide Loss of Soil Moisture
  Monday, July 7 – 12:00 noon ET
  
  Reforestation has Cooled the Eastern US
  Wednesday, July 9 — 7:00 pm ET

Courses

• Much of the US is (or is about to be) buried under record-shattering heat to start the summer. 
  
  Water is one of nature’s most powerful, yet most overlooked, climate regulators, acting as a built-in cooling system. Join us and an impressive roster of experts and thinkers in an exploration of how water, not just carbon, holds the key to a livable future.

News and Insights

• First Day of Summer Brings Record Heat Around Globe
  
  Any doubt in much of the northern hemisphere that the summer solstice has arrived is sure to be shattered, or sweat out, this week. 
  
  And it’s not just the U.S. From London to Madrid to Beijing, temperatures across the hemisphere are either flirting with or exceeding 100° F this week. In most of these geographies, these temperatures would be near record-setting in the deep summer, let alone on the season’s first day. 
  
  Cooling centers and fans are frequent public safety measures in times like this, but they’re limited bandaids that don’t always reach the people who need them most, nor do they address the root of the problems we’re collectively facing. 
  
  Unpack how nature cools our overheating planet & restores the systems that balance the climate & keep it in check in the first place. 

Events and Community

• Virtual | 2025 Northeast Miniforest Summit
  
  Coakee William Wildcat, founder and executive director of Mother Tree Food & Forest, will close out the first day of the Northeast Miniforest Summit!
  
  Presentation: Using the Miyawaki Method to Empower Agroecology and Food Forestry
  
  To conclude our first day together, Coakee invites us to explore how the Miyawaki method and successional agroforestry systems illuminate and empower each other. Native species forests are food forests. We’ll take a look at what the Miyawaki method teaches us about the ecology of the metaorganism, and how we can use this wisdom to grow healthier farms and gardens.
  
  Spread virtually across two days and an in-person bus tour, the Northeast Minforest Summit brings together practitioners, researchers, and leaders from a range of disciplinary perspectives—including city officials, landscape architects, scientists, and community organizers—to explore the Miyawaki method from root to canopy.
  
  Keep an eye out…but tour tickets go on sale next week!
  LEARN MORE AND REGISTER
• Big news from Cambridge! On June 15, our partners the Native Plant Community Gardeners launched the very first native-plant pollinator garden in a Cambridge (MA) public park, right by our first Miyawaki Forest at Danehy Park.
  
  More than 30 volunteers (with invaluable support from the Danehy Park staff) planted 160 native flowers, shrubs, and grasses (20 species) across a 450 sq ft bed. From Swamp Milkweed, Wild Geranium, and Butterfly Weed to Calico Aster, Wild Bergamot, and Bee Balm, these plants will feed and shelter the location’s hardworking pollinators for years to come. 
  
  We’re proud to have supported this community-powered project alongside the City of Cambridge, and we’re excited to see the garden grow. If you’re local, stop by Danehy Park to check it out, and consider volunteering as a garden steward to help with watering and weeding through the season.
  
  You can find the new garden about 80 feet west of the Miyawaki Forest, just off the main path!
• Online | Upcoming Free Webinars from Hart Hagan
  
  Sometimes there’s nothing more enlightening than looking down to figure out what’s up with the climate. A series of free webinars from journalist Hart Hagan goes digging in the dirt for some surprising answers. 
   
  The Worldwide Loss of Soil Moisture (June 23)
  
  My Kentucky Garden (June 25)
  
  Plants & Climate Change (June 27)
  RSVP & LEARN MORE

Courses

• What are climate models missing about water?
  
  The planet has a built-in cooling system—through the cycling of water—and it’s one of nature’s most powerful, yet most overlooked, climate regulators.
  
  Join us and an impressive roster of experts and thinkers in an exploration of how water, not just carbon, holds the key to a livable future.

News and Insights

• Oceans: Legal Personhood For Whales
  
  In a June 4 address at the One Ocean Science Congress, Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka Tukuʻaho of the Kingdom of Tonga announced plans to grant legal personhood to whales. Personhood is a legal maneuver that recognizes non-human beings as rights-bearing entities under the law, giving governments stronger tools to protect their lives and habitats.
  
  This proposed legislation is a continuation of efforts to maintain Tongan waters as a refuge for whales, often a keystone species in ocean ecosystems. 
  
  The announcement for expanded whale protections coincides with the United Nations Oceans Conference, which concluded on June 13th (more on this below). At the summit, UN members advanced Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) significantly closer to ratification, expanding sustainable practices within international waters.

Events and Community

• Nice, France | 2025 UN Ocean Conference
  
  Earlier this week, Bio4Climate board member Shannon Scrofano spoke at Ocean Literacy Practices: Knowing, Feeling, Acting for the Ocean, part of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France. Alongside representatives from Escuna Criativa e.u., Ocean Generation, The Marine Diaries, and Red Sea Global, Shannon’s panel explored how creative practices, from art and design to movement and storytelling, can foster deeper emotional and sensory connections with the sea. 
  
  Shannon’s interdisciplinary work in design, education, and communication centers place-based approaches to strengthen both social and ecological systems.
  
  Way to go Shannon!
• Virtual | 2025 Northeast Miniforest Summit
  
  Meet our Northeast Miniforest Summit opening keynote speakers! 
  Hannah Lewis, Author of Mini-Forest Revolution
  Keynote: The Miyawaki Method: Past, Present, Future
  
  In this opening keynote address, Hannah will present what the Miyawaki Method is, who Akira Miyawaki was, how this practice became a global phenomenon, and mini-forests as a mechanism for embracing and understanding ecology.
  
  Doug Tallamy, Professor of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware and co-founder of Homegrown National Park
  Keynote: Miniforests as part of the Homegrown National Park
  
  Doug will address the ecological potential of miniforests. Urban centers have never been seriously considered for conservation, yet adding productive native plants to our cities can help manage the watershed, support complex communities of pollinators, support local food webs, and sequester carbon. Evidence is mounting that mini forests can meet all of these essential ecological goals.
  
  Spread virtually across two days and an in-person bus tour, the Northeast Minforest Summit brings together practitioners, researchers, and leaders from a range of disciplinary perspectives—including city officials, landscape architects, scientists, and community organizers—to explore the Miyawaki method from root to canopy.
  LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Courses

• Join Walter Jehne in the classroom!
  
  Soil Microbiologist and Innovation Strategist, and Co-Founder of Regenerate Earth Walter Jehne joins what might be Bio4Climate’s most stacked classroom ever. Instructor Hart Hagan leads a four-week study of water & climate, and how forests, grasslands, and wetlands act as Earth’s air conditioners, and how we can restore these powerful systems right where we live.
  
  He’s accompanied throughout the course by guest instructors Jehne, Katie Ross, Didi Perhouse, Anastassia Makarieva, and Brock Dolman. 
  
  Join us is an exploration of how water, not just carbon, holds the key to a livable future.

News and Insights

• The Microbial Garden Within
  
  Biodiversity is not just something found in forest, wetlands, and oceans. It’s in the soil and on your skin. Diverse life is all around, and within, us. 
  
  “Inside you, there is a garden. It teems with microscopic communities of life forms—microbes including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa—that are rich in purpose we are only beginning to understand. This garden also envelopes you, growing on all your surfaces to form an invisible barrier. It is the threshold where you interface with the world, a world rich with its own unseen gardens. What I’m talking about here is your microbiome: the world within you.
  
  Humans might act as if the Earth belongs to us, but microbes were here long before us. ”
  KEEP READING ON ATMOS

Events and Community

• Virtual | 2025 Northeast Miniforest Summit
  
  Did you catch our big announcement this week? We’re thrilled to open registration for the 2025 Northeast Miniforest Summit, a multi-day event focused on advancing miniforest projects and cultivating a spirit of collaborative ecological restoration across the region.
  
  Spread virtually across two days and an in-person bus tour, the Northeast Minforest Summit brings together practitioners, researchers, and leaders from a range of disciplinary perspectives—including city officials, landscape architects, scientists, and community organizers—to explore the Miyawaki method from root to canopy.
  LEARN MORE AND REGISTER
• Virtual | Ecorestoration & Social Justice Around the World, June 10
  
  Join us on Tuesday, June 10, as we team up with MAPA Peace & Climate Group to explore ecorestoration efforts around the world that challenge colonial models and extractive climate responses with community-driven solutions. As top down aid programs face political challenges, we will talk with programs in Senegal and the Amazon working from the ground up with local communities to leverage eco-restoration into both climate and economic resilience. 
  
  John Leary, Executive Director, Mother Trees
  Rob de Laet, Project Lead, Cooling the Climate
  Ousmane Aly Pame, PhD, distinguished professor of literature at Université of Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Senegal and founder and President of REDES
  
  Moderated by:
  Beck Mordini, Executive Director, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate
  REGISTER AND LEARN MORE
• Greater Boston | Miyawaki Forest Bike Tour, Self-guided
  
  Lace up and clip in for a summer of regenerative riding. 
  
  This self-guided cycling route, designed by a Boston University student team for Cycle to Science, winds through four Miyawaki mini-forests across the Boston area, including our very own forests at Danehy Park and Greene-Rose Park. These densely planted forests are small in size but mighty in function, cooling neighborhoods, restoring biodiversity, and reconnecting communities with nature.
  
  Have fun, send us some photos, and please wear a helmet!
  GIVE ME THE ROUTE DETAILS

Courses

• More expert instructors added!
  
  Katie Ross was raised in central Wisconsin and graduated with a degree in Ecology from Columbia University. She has focused on climate change by supporting Tribes and rural communities in their transition away from fossil fuels, both in Wisconsin and later in Australia.  After 15 years as a transdisciplinary action researcher at the Institute for Sustainable Futures within the University of Technology Sydney and a doctoral inquiry into transformative learning, her focus shifted to the life beneath our soles – within our soils. She worked for and led Soils for Life, an Australian organisation supporting farmers transitioning to regenerative agriculture. 
  
  Didi Pershouse is the author of  The Ecology of Care: Medicine, Agriculture, Money, and the Quiet Power of Human and Microbial Communities and Understanding Soil Health and Watershed Function. She teaches participatory workshops on the nested relationships between soil health, human health, water cycles, and climate resiliency.  She is the founder of the Land and Leadership Initiative and the Center for Sustainable Medicine, and a co-founder of the “Can we Rehydrate California?” Initiative. She is an independent trainer and curriculum developer for the UN-FAO Farmer Field School Program and the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming Initiative in India. 
  
  New research has uncovered a surprising driver of sea level rise: shrinking soil moisture is sending more water into the oceans than melting glaciers—more than twice as much.
  
  It points to something most climate conversations miss: nature’s water cycles are breaking down.
  
  In our new course, Water & Climate, you’ll learn how forests, grasslands, and wetlands act as Earth’s air conditioners, and how we can restore these powerful systems right where we live.
  
  Join us and discover alongside a roster of experts how water, not just carbon, holds the key to a livable future.
  
  Early bird registration ends today and gives you immediate access to our private Water Cools group, where you’ll receive valuable resources and conversation ahead of the course.

News and Insights

• In Death, New Life: The Science And Symbolism of a Whale Fall
  
  Writer Omnia Saed explores how a whale’s death becomes a deep-sea cradle of life, and an expression of renewal, memory, and transformation.
  
  What’s happened in the past can sustain life in the present in ways we are only beginning to understand.
  
  A whale fall is more than just the end of one life—it is the beginning of countless others. Each stage transforms the carcass into a foundation for vibrant ecosystems, offering sustenance in the ocean’s darkest, most inhospitable depths.
  
  The whale’s final descent becomes a poignant testament to this relentless cycle of life—a story of renewal echoing through the ocean’s depths, where nothing is wasted, where the large feeds the small and the small feeds the large in a potentially endless loop, and everything is repurposed to sustain the next chapter. 

Events and Community

• Virtual | Ecorestoration & Social Justice Around the World, June 10
  
  Join us on Tuesday, June 10, as we team up with MAPA Peace & Climate Group to explore ecorestoration efforts around the world that challenge colonial models and extractive climate responses with community-driven solutions. As top down aid programs face political challenges, we will talk with programs in Senegal and the Amazon working from the ground up with local communities to leverage eco-restoration into both climate and economic resilience. 
  
  John Leary, Executive Director, Mother Trees
  Rob de Laet, Project Lead, Cooling the Climate
  Ousmane Aly Pame, PhD, distinguished professor of literature at Université of Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Senegal and founder and President of REDES
  
  Moderated by:
  Beck Mordini, Executive Director, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate
  REGISTER AND LEARN MORE
• Greater Boston | Miyawaki Forest Bike Tour, Self-guided
  
  Lace up and clip in for a summer of regenerative riding. 
  
  This self-guided cycling route, designed by a Boston University student team for Cycle to Science, winds through four Miyawaki mini-forests across the Boston area, including our very own forests at Danehy Park and Greene-Rose Park. These densely planted forests are small in size but mighty in function, cooling neighborhoods, restoring biodiversity, and reconnecting communities with nature.
  
  Have fun, send us some photos, and please wear a helmet!
  GIVE ME THE ROUTE DETAILS

Courses

• Meet your instructors! Visionary experts Brock Dolman and Anastassia Makarieva will each join our upcoming Water & Climate course to teach a class as guest experts. 
  
  Instead of “Planet Earth,” biologist, educator, and policy changemaker Brock Dolman calls our home “Planet Water” to help reframe thinking about more progressive settlement systems, land use and water management practices at the watershed scale.
  
  Dr. Anastassia Makarieva is a leading researcher of howecosystems shape the water cycle. Listen to her explain the biotic pump theory she co-invented.  
  
  Water & Climate is a new 4-week course that will change the way you think about climate solutions. Early bird registration gives you immediate access to our private Water Cools group, where you’ll receive valuable resources and conversation ahead of the course.

News and Insights

• Is a river alive?
  
  Robert Macfarlane sat down with Emergence Magazine to talk about his upcoming book and how we can reimagine our relationship to, and understanding of, water. 
  
  I take the opportunity to “who rivers” all the way through: “the river who flows; the river who runs; the river who reaches the sea”—not which. And English is a language of “it”-ing, of objectifying. In French, as you’ll know very well, it’s la rivière or la fluve qui coule—who—so they have the “who” present, but we don’t. And I also kind of scratched my head very early on: I suddenly realized that “to river” is not a verb in English. But what could be more of a verb than a river? 

Events and Community

• Community Spotlight: Andover Climate Changemakers Forum 
  
  At the recent Andover Climate Changemakers Forum in Andover, Massachusetts, where representatives from 24 towns across Essex County gathered to share local climate solutions, Dianne Plantamura presented her own “recipe card” laying out a thoughtful, replicable plan for rewilding Veasey Park’s underutilized spaces using the Miyawaki forest method, planting a variety of native trees and plants to restore biodiversity, improve soil and water health, and build community connection through hands-on ecological stewardship. It’s part of a powerful collection of local action “recipes” aimed at regenerating ecosystems from the ground up.
• Cambridge | Call for Volunteers, June & ongoing
  
  Join us in bringing a Native Plant Pollinator Garden at Danehy Park to life!
  
  This summer, Bio4Climate is teaming up with NPCG and the City of Cambridge to plant a Native Plant Pollinator Garden at Danehy Park, near our existing miniforest.
  
  We’re looking for volunteers to help with soil preparation (June 7), planting (June 15), and ongoing stewardship (watering and weeding) throughout the season. Whether you can help for a single day or throughout the summer, we’d love to have you!
  Volunteer for the Native Plant Pollinator Garden
  
  

Courses

• Register early to start learning now. Early bird registration for Bio4Climate’s newest course gives you immediate access to our private Water Cools group, where the instructor is already sharing valuable resources and sparking conversation ahead of the course.
  
  Water & Climate is a new 4-week course from Bio4Climate that will change the way you think about climate solutions. You’ll come away with clear, practical steps to restore water cycles and cool your community, starting in your own backyard.
  
  Through the cycling of water, plants, clouds, grasslands, and forests help stabilize Earth’s temperatures. When these systems are healthy, they cool the planet and we hardly notice them. And when they’re not healthy? Well, we all notice that.
  
  Register for Water & Climate
  
  

Events and Community

• Earlier this month, students, teachers, and neighbors came together to trace the future footprint of a miniforest at Belmont High School, set to be planted this fall in a joint effort by Bio4Climate and Miyawaki Forest Action Belmont. This tiny but mighty forest will support the campus ecosystem, spark curiosity as a living classroom, and empower students to be stewards of the living world. Stay tuned!
  
  Photo by David Mussina
• Virtual | Native Plants Planted Right, May 20
  
  As part of Week 3 of the Less Lawn More Life Challenge, Wild Ones is hosting a free beginner-friendly webinar: “Native Plants Planted Right: A Practical Guide for Beginners” on Tuesday, May 20 at 6pm ET. 
  
  Designed for those new to native gardening, the 30-minute webinar covers site assessment, plant selection, planting techniques, and simple maintenance tips, plus real-world garden examples to inspire any yard transformation.
  
  No advance registration required.
  
  Tune in for Native Plants Planted Right
  
• Cambridge | Call for Volunteers, June 
  
  Join us in bringing a Native Plant Pollinator Garden at Danehy Park to life!
  
  This summer, Bio4Climate is teaming up with NPCG and the City of Cambridge to plant a Native Plant Pollinator Garden at Danehy Park, near our existing miniforest.
  
  We’re looking for volunteers to help with soil preparation, planting, and ongoing stewardship (watering and weeding) throughout the season. Whether you can help for a single day or throughout the summer, we’d love to have you!
  
  Volunteer for the Native Plant Pollinator Garden
  
• Boston | Women’s Fly Casting Clinic, June 14
  
  Greater Boston Trout Unlimited is hosting a free Women’s Fly Casting Clinic on Saturday, June 14 (9am–12pm) at Herter Park, along the Charles River in Boston. Open to all skill levels, this event offers women a welcoming introduction to the art of fly casting and the joy of connecting with nature through fishing.
  
  Led by experienced female instructors, including Cynthia Harkness of Fearless Fly Fishing, the clinic will cover casting techniques, body mechanics, and different casting styles. Participants will receive hands-on instruction, opportunities for practice, and a chance to build community with fellow women anglers. Pre-registration required.
• 
  
  

Courses

• The climate is overheating, but nature has a built-in cooling system.
  
  Water & Climate is a new 4-week course from Bio4Climate that will change the way you think about climate solutions. You’ll learn how water, not just carbon, regulates Earth’s temperature, and how forests, grasslands, wetlands, and animals work together to keep the planet cool.
  
  More importantly, you’ll come away with clear, practical steps to restore water cycles and cool your community, starting in your own backyard.
  
  ♦ 4 live Zoom sessions starting July 10 (recordings included)
  ♦ Real-world examples, strategies, and a powerful new lens on climate
  ♦ Taught by climate journalist Hart Hagan
  
  Register for Water & Climate
  
  

News and Insights

• In a forest deep in Italy’s Dolomite mountains, a multinational team of scientists recorded something extraordinary: spruce trees syncing their electrical activity, communicating with each other, just hours before a solar eclipse. Older trees responded first. To the research team, this suggests they may hold “ancient memories” and help guide younger trees, like elders anchoring a community.
  
  The research adds a rich new layer to our understanding of the underground network of roots and mycorrhizae as a dynamic, living intelligence that responds collectively to changes in the world (and worlds) around it. 
  
  This trend underscores the broader ecological crisis, and is a big reason why we have a Featured Creature series in the first place. Every creature is an important part of some system. Birds play crucial roles in pollination, seed dispersal, and pest control. Their decline signals deeper environmental issues that also threaten human and non-human health and well-being.
• A new Miami Herald investigation dives into Florida’s “climate denial bubble,” where real estate values continue to climb in flood-prone neighborhoods, even after devastating storms and King Tides. In many cases, prices actually rose after extreme flooding, driven by short-term thinking and demand that ignores mounting risk.
  
  It’s a reminder of what’s often missing from mainstream climate conversations: the planet will endure, but the systems we (and all living things) rely on for stability, safety, and survival may not. As risks accelerate, so does the urgency to work with nature to protect what makes life livable. The most immediate tools we have are living systems that regulate water, heat, and resilience beneath, on, and above the ground.

Events and Community

• Cambridge | A day of Biodiversity
  
  On Saturday, May 3rd, Bio4Climate, in partnership with the City of Cambridge and under the leadership of Andrew Putnam, Superintendent of Urban Forestry and Landscapes, planted our third Miyawaki forest — and our seventh forest overall. Covering 2,000 square feet, this new forest mirrors the planting density of the thriving Greene-Rose Park miniforest, marking another important milestone in our ongoing efforts to restore urban biodiversity and enhance climate resilience. We were joined by around 30 enthusiastic volunteers of all ages, whose support made the planting day a success — and for that, we are truly grateful.
  
  The words “earth repair,” “reciprocity,” “meaningful connection,” “stewardship,” and “ecological functionality” reflect the core purpose of mini-forests. These small yet powerful ecosystems symbolize the relationships we are working to rebuild — between people, the land, and the more-than-human world. We are especially excited for students to experience this living classroom, participate in its care, and grow alongside it! 
  
  Afterwards, we joined our friends at Boston Birding and Native Plant Community Gardeners at Danehy Park for an afternoon of communal knowledge exchange and outdoor fun in celebration of Biodiversity Day. 
  
  Here are just a few of our favorite moments from the weekend!

News and Insights

• A recent Washington Post article by Sarah Kaplan highlights a record-breaking spike in atmospheric CO₂ in 2024, an increase far beyond what fossil fuel emissions alone can explain. Scientists are beginning to recognize that stressed ecosystems, particularly forests, are no longer able to absorb carbon the way they once did. Drought, wildfire, and extreme heat have weakened nature’s carbon sinks to the point that they may now be releasing more CO₂ than they absorb.Because it’s not just what we’re putting into the atmosphere, it’s what we’re destroying that would otherwise keep it in balance. Taking this reporting further means looking at the full climate function of ecosystems, especially their role in managing water. Forests don’t just store carbon, they create clouds, move heat away from the Earth’s surface through evapotranspiration, and help bring and hold water inland, buffering drought and building healthier soil. When ecosystems break down, the whole climate system begins to unravel.
• The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has revealed alarming declines in bird populations across every U.S. habitat, with 229 species in urgent need of conservation efforts.
  
  This trend underscores the broader ecological crisis, and is a big reason why we have a Featured Creature series in the first place. Every creature is an important part of some system. Birds play crucial roles in pollination, seed dispersal, and pest control. Their decline signals deeper environmental issues that also threaten human and non-human health and well-being.

Events and Community

• Your own backyard! | Less Lawn, More Life
  
  Bio4Climate is partnering with Plant It Wild, Homegrown National Park, and other leading organizations on the nationwide Less Lawn, More Life Challenge, a FREE program to help transform more yards into thriving ecosystems! 
  
  Weekly challenges are designed to engage your curiosity and help you transform your lawn into a vibrant ecosystem teeming with life. Discover simple techniques to create habitat that butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects can’t resist. 

News and Insights

• In a world where carbon is often cast as the villain, Judy Schwartz sits down with Paul Hawken for an interview that invites us to see it instead as the lifeblood of all living systems.
  
  Judith Schwartz: How might humanity’s relationship with the broader living world change if we asked questions like “what does carbon want?” or “what would carbon do?”
  
  Paul Hawken: This objectifies carbon as well. We might ask: What do we want? Do we want to live in a world where 60-70 percent of pollinators have disappeared? Did we want a 73 percent reduction in animal life on the planet in the past fifty years? Do we want to see the mantle of Earth, the soil, the source of all land life, obliterated by chemicals? Do we want to pursue bogus technological solutions such as direct air capture (DAC), carbon capture systems (CCS), bio-energy carbon capture systems (BECSS), etc? We might ask ourselves this: there are approximately 8.4 million species and about 3.4 trillion creatures overall on Earth. Do we want to be the only species that dysregulates the atmosphere by destroying the biosphere?
• Does what happens in the soil impact what happens in the sea? 
  
  Uh, yeah. 
  
  Rob Moir, Director of the Ocean River Institute, explains how Miyawaki forests like ours at Danehy Park and Greene-Rose Park (both featured here) reduce runoff and help cool coastal ecosystems.

Events and Community

• Cambridge | Celebrate Biodiversity Day With Us!
  
  In the Boston area? Spend the day with Bio4Climate celebrating the power of nature, community, and biodiversity on Saturday, May 3. 
  
  8am–12pm: Pant a new Miyawaki forest!
  Join us at Peabody Elementary School (70 Rindge Ave, Cambridge, MA) to help plant a new miniforest. This is the third collaboration between Bio4Climate and the City of Cambridge, and we’d love for you to be part of it. Volunteer for one of two morning shifts and help create a thriving urban ecosystem. Volunteer sign-up here.
  
  3pm–5pm: Keep the celebration going at Danehy Park.
  Join Native Plant Community Gardeners, Bio4Climate, and Boston Birding for an afternoon of nature, learning, and community fun. Enjoy nature walks, bird-watching, live music, games for all ages, and a preview of a new native plant pollinator garden coming to the park. RSVP here. x

• Our Looming Water Crisis: Is It Already Here?
  
  Join Taunton Area AAUW for a free virtual conversation with a few familiar faces exploring the urgent realities of the global water crisis, and what we can do about it.
  
  Featuring author Judith D. Schwartz, Voices of Water Director Zuzka Mulkerin and Bio4Climate Associate Director of Regenerative Projects Alexandra Ionescu in conversation together on nature-based solutions for restoring water cycles, building resilience, and protecting this most essential resource.
  
  Open to all with an interest in water, ecosystems, and climate solutions.
  
  Register Here for Our Looming Water Crisis

News and Insights

• They call him “Yoda for scientists.” But to Bio4Climate’s Jim Laurie, John Todd has always been a wonderful mentor, and a friend.
  
  They first met at the New Alchemy Institute in 1988, when John was building systems of bacteria, microbes, plants, fungi, and animals—self-organizing communities capable of breaking down toxic wastes from agricultural and septage lagoons.
  
  It changed the trajectory of Jim’s career as a scientist, steward, and curious mind.
  
  Guided by John’s breakthroughs in these eco-machines, Jim went on to design and construct his own living ecosystems, capable of breaking down toxic industrial pollutants like ammonia, chloroform, and BPA.
  
  In 1995, John Todd designed an EPA-backed Vermont Eco-Machine housed in a greenhouse, and Jim moved to Vermont to operate it. That greenhouse treated municipal sewage to a high standard, even through the bone-chilling New England winters.
  
  These were not just experiments in biology; they were critical turning points for Jim, moments when he saw firsthand that nature, when nurtured (if not always fully understood), could often repair humanity’s worst environmental damage.
  
  John’s words still guide Jim to this day. “When you include all kingdoms of life, nature is self-organizing and relentless.”

• Last week we talked about the arrival of new data painting a clearer picture of what we already know: that the planet’s land is drying out—and fast. Soil moisture levels are dropping across large parts of the Earth. And not just in historically dry regions, but in places once thought to be stable too. 
  
  The data shows where the land is drying. But it doesn’t tell the full story of what happens next, or how we can fix it…

Events and Community

• Our Looming Water Crisis: Is It Already Here?
  
  Join Taunton Area AAUW for a free virtual conversation with a few familiar faces exploring the urgent realities of the global water crisis, and what we can do about it.
  
  Featuring author Judith D. Schwartz, Voices of Water Director Zuzka Mulkerin and Bio4Climate Associate Director of Regenerative Projects Alexandra Ionescu in conversation together on nature-based solutions for restoring water cycles, building resilience, and protecting this most essential resource.
  
  Open to all with an interest in water, ecosystems, and climate solutions.
  
  Register Here for Our Looming Water Crisis

• Essex County, Mass. | What does it mean to love a forest?
  
  Join author & forester, Ethan Tapper, at Veasey Park to explore the deep connection and meaning behind loving a forest on May 5th, 2025.
  
  Tapper, author of How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World, will lead an exploration of what it means to care for forests and other ecosystems at this moment in time.
  
  Prior to Ethan’s talk, at 6:00, all are invited to tour the new Miyawaki Forest on the Veasey property with Massachusetts Master Gardener, Dianne Plantamura.

News and Insights

• Over the last two decades, satellites have revealed something that we’ve been ringing the alarm bell on for some time: the planet’s land is drying out—and fast. Soil moisture levels are dropping across large parts of the Earth. And not just in historically dry regions, but in places once thought to be stable too. 
  
  The culprit isn’t as simple as “less rain.” Rising temperatures are causing more evaporation, and human activity, like deforestation, agriculture, and land degradation, is making it harder for the soil to hold on to water. 
  
  That water doesn’t just vanish. It flows downstream, into rivers, and eventually into the ocean. When land dries out, it loses its ability to cool itself, feed plants, and support ecosystems. And once that cycle breaks, it gets harder and harder to bring the water back.
  
  But we CAN bring the water back.

Events and Community

• Our Looming Water Crisis: Is It Already Here?
  
  Join Taunton Area AAUW for a free virtual conversation with a few familiar faces exploring the urgent realities of the global water crisis, and what we can do about it.
  
  Featuring author Judith D. Schwartz, Voices of Water Director Zuzka Mulkerin and Bio4Climate Associate Director of Regenerative Projects Alexandra Ionescu in conversation together on nature-based solutions for restoring water cycles, building resilience, and protecting this most essential resource.
  
  Open to all with an interest in water, ecosystems, and climate solutions.
  
  Register Here for Our Looming Water Crisis

• Online | Bio4Climate is proud to co-host the 2025 Midwest Beaver Summit this June, centered on the theme, “Resilience Through Relationships.”  Thursday, June 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT
  
  This theme reflects a fundamental truth: thriving ecosystems depend on strong relationships—between species, landscapes, and people. Advocating for beavers means fostering connections across different perspectices, listening to concerns, and working together to find solutions that benefit both communities and ecosystems.
  
  In-person attendance available in Des Plaines, Illinois. 
  
  Whether you join us online or in person, we hope to see you there!

News and Insights

• What happens when you bury a highway? Madrid Río is a transformative ecorestoration project that revitalized the Manzanares River corridor in Madrid, Spain, by rerouting a section of the M-30 highway underground and rewilding the river it once traversed, becoming a benchmark for urban ecological recovery. And in a city particularly susceptible to temperature extremes as the planet warms, the project demonstrates the value of investing in nature-based solutions to keep the city, and all who spend time there there, livable and cool. 
  
  Want to learn more about Madrid Río?
  Check out our short video on Instagram!
• At the recent R-Futures Conference, ecological designer Zach Weiss presented From Dreamer to Doer, a talk focused on practical pathways for restoring local water cycles. Drawing from recent scientific insights and on-the-ground experience, the presentation outlines how water cycle restoration can reverse drought, reduce the risks of floods and fires, and support the return of healthy, abundant ecosystems.

Events and Community

• Oberlin, OH | Join Peace Community Center for a screening and group discussion of the film, Regenerating Life. Sunday, April 6, 1 pm to 4 ET
  
  Regenerating Life takes an ecological look at the environmental crises and, by challenging the prevailing climate change story, offers new, attainable solutions. It also features a cameo by our own Jim Laurie 😉
  
  Contact organizers for more information.
• Online | Bio4Climate is proud to co-host the 2025 Midwest Beaver Summit this June, centered on the theme, “Resilience Through Relationships.”  Thursday, June 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT
  
  This theme reflects a fundamental truth: thriving ecosystems depend on strong relationships—between species, landscapes, and people. Advocating for beavers means fostering connections across different perspectices, listening to concerns, and working together to find solutions that benefit both communities and ecosystems.
  
  In-person attendance available in Des Plaines, Illinois. 
  
  Whether you join us online or in person, we hope to see you there!

• Did you see that the United States just shut down a national tree-planting initiative that helped communities mitigate increasing heat, flooding, and climate collapse across the country?
  
  With heat intensifying each summer, and government support drying up, our work together just became even more urgent. Areas without trees will be sweltering as concrete and asphalt soak up the sun and reflect back heat.
  
  Learn more about how our Miyawaki Forest Program is helping local community groups to plant these dense, biodiverse forests in the schoolyards, vacant lots, and urban heat islands that need them most.
• How Native Plants Help Reclaim Water Resilience in Kansas City
  
  In Kansas City, Carl Stafford and My Region Wins! are using native planting as a tool to address two growing environmental challenges: stormwater runoff and future water insecurity. Through its Go Green Campaign, the organization is encouraging residents, business owners, and community groups to explore the role that native grasses and plants can play in improving local water cycles and restoring ecological balance.
  
  The initiative also invites reflection on the cultural and historical dimensions of urban landscaping, challenging the legacy of non-native species like Kentucky bluegrass, and making space for art, equity, and ecological restoration to intersect.
  
  Learn more and pre-order your own native plants
• Join Katya Stupina for an upcoming Planetary Boundaries Fresco workshop to understand the bigger picture and gain a systemic perspective. This interactive workshop will help you make sense of the complex relationships between biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate, and how we can act to keep the planet within a safe operating space.
  
  Grounded in the Planetary Boundaries Framework — a scientific model that defines the thresholds within which humanity can thrive — the workshop explores the root causes of ecological breakdown and the collective steps we can take to secure a safe, just, and resilient future.
  
  Register for the upcoming workshop on Saturday, April 12

• Virtual/Des Plaines, IL | Bio4Climate is proud to co-host the 2025 Midwest Beaver Summit this June, centered on the theme, “Resilience Through Relationships.”  Thursday, June 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT
  
  This theme reflects a fundamental truth: thriving ecosystems depend on strong relationships—between species, landscapes, and people. Advocating for beavers means fostering connections across different perspectices, listening to concerns, and working together to find solutions that benefit both communities and ecosystems. 
  
  Whether you join us online or in person, we hope to see you there!

• International Forest Day, International Water Day, International Rewilding Day. It’s been a week of days. A little overlooked perhaps in the shadow of these larger, more thematic days? World Frog Day, celebrating “natures tiny guardians.”
  
  “They outlived dinosaurs, weathered ice ages, and adapted to shifting climates. Yet today, despite their incredible resilience, frogs stand on the brink of disaster. These small, unassuming creatures do far more than fill the air with their evening croaks. They control insect populations, provide food for countless predators, and serve as nature’s bioindicators because they are sensitive to environmental changes long before these become crises.
• Wet wood doesn’t burn. New York Times: Many California Trees Survived the Wildfires. Here’s Why.
  
  “The trees survived because they are filled with water: The roots draw moisture from soil and transport it through branches to its leaves. When the fires erupted in January, trees in Los Angeles had been especially nourished after two previous rainy winters. All that water makes burning a living tree akin to trying to start a campfire with wet logs”, Dr. Jacobsen said.
  
  For good measure, we tried a little experiment on this at home (though we can’t exactly condone playing with fire at home, even for science).

• Virtual/Des Plaines, IL | Bio4Climate is proud to co-host the 2025 Midwest Beaver Summit this June, centered on the theme, “Resilience Through Relationships.”  Thursday, June 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT
  
  This theme reflects a fundamental truth: thriving ecosystems depend on strong relationships—between species, landscapes, and people. Advocating for beavers means fostering connections across different perspectices, listening to concerns, and working together to find solutions that benefit both communities and ecosystems. 
  
  Whether you join us online or in person, we hope to see you there!

• A Familiar Voice | Building upon this year’s Midwest Beaver Summit theme, the relationships we culvivate with eachother are just as important as those we build with nature and the environments around us. If you tuned into This American Life last week, you may have heard a few familiar voices; Harriotte and Frank are both students in Jim Laurie’s Biodiversity 12 class!

• Wherever you are in the world, we hope spring is starting to find you (or autumn, for our southern hemisphere friends). And we think the change in season is a good time to take stock in nature’s ability to heal not just planet, but ourselves as well. 
  
  Kiley Price for Inside Climate News writes, “Exposure to green spaces can improve mental health, speed recovery and relieve pain…But climate change and human activities could disrupt this effect.”
  
  We hope you find the time and space to get out for a stroll or dig a little in the dirt this weekend!
• We already know that trees bring the rain. But new research demonstrates how deforestation in the Amazon doesn’t just reduce rainfall, it redistributes it. During wet seasons, deforested areas see a slight increase in rain due to shifting air circulation, but rainfall drops significantly in areas surrounding the bare ground, disrupting regional water cycles. In the dry season, rainfall decreases everywhere, as fewer trees mean less moisture released into the air.
  
  So you see, protecting forests isn’t just about the trees. It’s about safeguarding water, climate, and the intricate web of life itself.

• Boston | The 19th annual Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T) is coming to the Somerville Theater on April 12, hosted by Greater Boston Trout Unlimited. Enjoy screenings of 10 curated fly fishing films from around the world to get you ready for the upcoming fly fishing season. This year’s event features with a diverse lineup of films that highlight remote locations, unique challenges, and the passionate anglers who pursue them. Grab your tickets or learn more today!

• You’ve probably heard about keystone species. But what about a keystone molecule? Molly Herring writes in Quanta Magazine about the profound impact rare compounds, termed “keystone molecules,” can have on ecological interactions. 
  
  “The biological world is awash in chemical signals…If the message is powerful enough, the impact can ripple out across an ecosystem.”
  
  “’One small, simple molecule can be tying together these seemingly unrelated species and whole ecosystem processes,’ said study author Patrick Krug, a marine biologist at California State University, Los Angeles.”
• What do you see below? No, it’s not an abstract painting. It’s a map. 
  
  A new study from UFZ reveals that there is hidden order to the chaos of a forest. These distinct patterns shape how different forests grow, creating the conditions for thousands of species to thrive side by side. In tropical forests, animals spread seeds far from parent trees, reducing competition between the same species. In temperate forests, trees tend to cluster together, benefiting from underground fungal networks that help protect young saplings. 
  
  So what do you think, is this the map of a tropical or a temperate forest?

• After a U.S. Senate Committee hearing this week, just a few swing votes could make or break the so-called “Fix Our Forests Act” (H.R. 471). This logging bill, disguised as wildfire “management,” enables industrial deforestation in the name of fire prevention by giving loggers a way to bypass critical environmental protections. 
  
  Help defend our forests by signing and sharing our petition to put your support on the record. We’ve done a social post about this too

• Remote/Northern Virgina | Join ACT! for the next Climate Friendly Friday on March 14 at 7:00 PM ET, featuring Doug Tallamy, renowned environmentalist, entomologist, and author of Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope. Doug will inspire us to create Homegrown National Parks by transforming our own yards into thriving ecosystems.
  
  Join live via Zoom or attend our on-campus watch party for an immersive experience. Be in the first 20 to RSVP for the in-person party and receive a free packet of native plant seeds to start your own green space! 
• Providence | Got prickly pear cacti on your mind? The 2025 Living Landscapes Learning series by Prickly Ed’s Cactus Patch brings together local experts to reimagine our own outdoor spaces in ways that boost biodiversity, absorb carbon, and connect us to nature. Through science, design, and creativity, these fun and practical workshops help transform our own spaces into thriving, eco-friendly havens. 
  
  Learn more and register. Next workshop March 14

• Reintroducing wolves to the Scottish Highlands could restore ecosystems and help fight climate change. A research team from the University of Leeds explains their findings in depth, but the gist is that the wolves would naturally control booming red deer populations, allowing native forests to regrow and sequester around one million metric tons of CO₂ annually. 
• Breaking News from our friends at the Devon Wildlife Trust! The British government has moved to allow beavers to live wild across English rivers for the first time in centuries. Hear directly from Devon Beaver Project Lead Matt Holden below! 

• We don’t wade into politics very often. But every so often, a piece of legislation comes along that strikes right at the heart of everything we know to be true about the power of biodiversity in nature. 
  
  Now making its ways through the U.S. Senate, the so-called “Fix Our Forests Act” (H.R. 471) is a logging bill disguised as wildfire “management,” enabling industrial deforestation in the name of fire prevention by giving loggers a hall pass to bypass critical environmental protections.
  
  Help defend our forests by signing and sharing our petition to put your support on the record. 

• Remote | Calling all Climate Educators and Communicators! Do you use games and simulations to educate your students about climate change, solutions and justice? 
  
  Join Solve Climate 2030 on Tuesday March 4 at 9 am or 8 pm to learn how to participate in the first Worldwide Climate and Justice Games Day April 11, 2025 during Worldwide Climate and Justice Education Week 2025. 
  
• Long Island | The North Fork Environmental Council  will host a special three-part screening of Regenerating Life on March 13, 20, and 27 from 5:00-6:30 PM in Southold. Each session includes a film segment and a conversational exploration of tangential topics like Zero Waste, Circular Economy, and Systems Thinking. Light refreshments provided. Contact NFEC to register. 

• Robin Wall Kimmerer recently sat down with Yale Environment 360 to discuss her new book, The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World.
  
  “The language of natural resources suggests that we own them, that we deserve them, whereas I want to remember that it’s a gift. We haven’t earned berries. We have not earned oxygen to breathe. We can’t buy it. It is not a commodity. It’s not a natural resource. To me, it’s a gift from the natural world.“
  
• Earth is warming, so why is it so cold? Martin Keubler of DW explains that climate change impacts regions differently. The Arctic is warming up to four times faster than other areas, and some scientists believe this rapid warming might be weakening key wind systems, like the lower jet stream and the upper polar vortex, that normally confine extreme cold to the far north.
• How can we leverage the power of fungi, microbes, and plants to reduce erosion, clean up pollutants, and promote natural recovery?
  
  Southern California’s recent fires, along with the risks of debris flows and widespread contamination, have raised serious concerns about protecting homes and ecosystems. Danielle Stevenson and the new The Center for Ecological Remediation (CAER) present “Strategies for Bioremediation of Fire-Impacted Sites in Southern California“, a webinar conversation with bioremediation practitioners & scientists. We hope to see you there! Wednesday, February 26, 7–9pm EST
  
• This one’s for our Providence folks! Break free from “Lawn and Order” with Prickly Ed’s Cactus Patch and the 2025 Living Landscapes Learning Series! This event series brings together local experts to reimagine our own outdoor spaces in ways that boost biodiversity, absorb carbon, and connect us to nature. Through science, design, and creativity, these fun and practical workshops help transform our own spaces into thriving, eco-friendly havens. 
  
  Learn more and register. Next workshop Feb. 27.

• On Valentine’s Day exactly 10 years ago, Bio4Climate Restoration Biologist & Futurist Jim Laurie uploaded this photo from his camera to his computer for a closer look. Earlier he’d watched a critter leave a neighborly message, a trail of “hearts,” in the sidewalk snow.
  
  What creature do you think left them? Send us your guesses!
  
  And in the meantime, explore more curiosities with Jim in his new course, Earth Alive: Exploring Our Home. Classes begin February 26.
  Enroll today!

• At the heart of climate action is a fundamental question: Who controls the land, and how is it cared for? In recognition of Indigenous Women’s Day in New Mexico, Indigenous leaders, youth, and activists gathered to reaffirm what many scientists increasingly recognize, that protecting Indigenous sovereignty and listening to leadership are critical to safeguarding biodiversity and mitigating climate change.
  
  “It is time to restart our sacred relationship with the land and honor our matriarchal societies,” said Jolene Tsinnijinnie (Navajo and Kewa Pueblo). 
  
• Let beavers be beavers. A million dollar wetland restoration project in Czechia was mired in bureaucracy and delays. A group of beavers took matters into their own paws and re-engineered the landscape in days. Watch our quick recap below, or read here to learn more. 

• Bio4Climate’s Associate Director of Regenerative Projects, Alexandra Ionescu, will present on Miyawaki forests at Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum on February 23rd from 2 to 3 PM, introducing attendees to the micro forests we’ve helped establish in Massachusetts! While the event is sold out, you can register for the waitlist.

• In 2023, record-breaking warming was linked to a global decline in Earth’s ability to reflect sunlight, caused by reduced low-level cloud cover (Goessling et al.). The exact cause of the reduced cover remains unclear, but a team of analysts led by Anastassia Makarieva suggests that disruptions in global biospheric functioning could be a contributing factor, noting the significant drop in cloud cover over the word’s great forests, as seen below.
  
  “The good news is that the recent extra warmth could wane if the forests partially self-recover. With the many unknowns remaining, we urge more integrative thinking and emphasize the importance of urgently curbing forest exploitation to stabilize both the climate and the biosphere.”

• Bio4Climate’s Associate Director of Regenerative Projects, Alexandra Ionescu, will present on Miyawaki forests at Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum on February 23rd from 2 to 3 PM, introducing attendees to the micro forests we’ve helped establish in Massachusetts! While the event is sold out, you can register for the waitlist.
  
• After taking Bio4Climate’s “Systems Thinking and Scenario Building” course in 2022, Erling Jorgensen wanted to share his learnings in a fun way that people with little training in biology and science could connect with. The result is “Journey of An Apprentice,” a written and visual essay about Life. Join Seacoast NH Permaculture for a fireside chat with Jorgensen on Thursday, February 20.  
  
• Climate action requires…action! Here’s a dispatch from Dianne Plantamura in Massachusetts about “The People’s Forest” at Veasey Park:
  
  “A new Miyawaki forest rises from rubble at Veasey Park after 160 volunteers planted 1800 trees in Groveland, emerging from what was a plot of invasive vines. Thanks to startup funds by the Groveland Community Preservation and corporate grants, the area is now known as ‘The People’s Forest.'”
  
  Do you have a project in your community or even your own backyard you’d like to share?  Contact Us!

• The new Transformative Change Report makes clear that “Fundamental shifts in how people view and interact with the natural world can help accelerate the system-wide changes needed for a more sustainable world.” Truth is, there’s a lot we can do to kickstart that change.
  • Educate your Neighbors. Host a talk at the library or local coffee shop on the vital importance of wetlands, grasslands, and forest ecosystems.
  • Keep water on your property. Install rain barrels, rain gardens, and gray water systems.
  • Green your community. Cool your town with biodiverse Miyawaki forests, pocket parks and rain gardens.
  • Support regenerative farmers directly through farmer’s markets and Community Supported Agriculture. 
• Check out this update from Mother Trees on their seed bank project, made possible in part by support from Bio4Climate. They help farmers, community leaders, and forest stewards restore degraded landscapes. 

• On Sunday, March 9, Bio4Climate is teaming up with a handful of our Northern Virginia community partners to host renowned entomologist and best-selling author of Nature’s Best Hope, Doug Tallamy, in conversation on creating habitat in our own backyards. Learn more or rsvp!.
• Attention Suffolk County! Our friends at the North Fork Environmental Council are hosting a screening of John Feldman’s film, “Regenerating Life,” on February 8. We’re obviously big fans of the film (you might recognize a few familiar cameos), but so much of the material around farming and mitigating wildfires is particularly prescient right now. 
• After taking Bio4Climate’s “Systems Thinking and Scenario Building” course in 2022, Erling Jorgensen wanted to share his learnings in a fun way that people with little training in biology and science could connect with. The result is “Journey of An Apprentice,” a written and visual essay about Life. Join Seacoast NH Permaculture for a fireside chat with Jorgensen on Thursday, February 20.  

• No single industry impacts our world more than farming. Our industrial farms could be carbon sinks. Instead, most emit significant amounts of carbon. They could double as water-rich oases of biodiversity, preventing both flooding and drought. Instead, many contribute to both. 
  Join us for Food & Farming: How Farming Impacts Our Water, Wildlife, Climate, Health & Economy, taught by Hart Hagan. This 8-week course runs Thursdays from February 6 – March 27, live on Zoom.
• It’s not too late to register for Jim Laurie’s free seminar on January 29th! From starting your own microgarden to restoring large, fire-scarred landscapes, increasing water infiltration, and supporting wetlands, this dialogue hopes to inspire actionable solutions for Earth’s most pressing challenges. Email us to get the link.
• After taking Bio4Climate’s “Systems Thinking and Scenario Building” course in 2022, Erling Jorgensen set out to understand how life processes work and how they can be restored, and he wanted to share his learnings in a fun way that people with little training in biology and science could connect with. The result is “Journey of An Apprentice,” a written and visual essay about Life. Join Seacoast NH Permaculture for a fireside chat with Jorgensen on Thursday, February 20. 

• What if you could help change farming practices, transforming them into systems that build healthier soils that capture carbon, grow nutrient-rich food, and strengthen our communities’ resilience to climate change? As a citizen, shopper, or gardener, you have the power to make an impact. Join us for Food & Farming: How Farming Impacts Our Water, Wildlife, Climate, Health & Economy. This engaging 8-week course runs Thursdays from February 6 – March 27, live on Zoom.
• Mark your calendars! Join us for a free seminar on January 29th with Bio4Climate Restoration Biologist and Futurist, Jim Laurie, as we explore practical ways to heal our planet. Whether you’re a first-timer or a long-time student of ours, join us for a shared experience that will leave you with new tools, ideas, and a deeper connection to our living planet. Email us to get the link.
• We’re global! Check out our new Global Outreach page, documenting our support for organizations around the world. After extensive research conducted in collaboration with Linsey de Jager, our Ecological Research Intern in South Africa, we are excited to introduce you to a cohort of organizations doing important, impactful work on the ground across localities. 
• Why do some areas burn worse than others? Often times the answer has a lot to do not with the water we pour on a fire after it’s started, but the water already in the ground before the first ember falls. Check out this clip from Jon Feldman’s film, Regenerating Life, on the efficacy of restored, intact ecosystems. 

• There’s a lot to unpack behind the fires raging through Los Angeles County. But right now, efforts to contain the blaze continue as people evacuate, animals seek refuge, and firefighters work around the clock. Our friends at Earthrise Studio said it right; “When crisis hits, community answers.” If you’re looking for ways to support the Los Angeles community right now, Earthrise has aggregated a few on Instagram. 
• Wildfires have become more frequent and devastating, affecting communities, economies, and ecosystems worldwide. In a hot, dry world, it makes sense that forests are more flammable. Wetter wets and drier drys can increasingly lead to hydroclimate volatility—or climate ‘whiplash’—with profound implications for flooding and, yes, wildfires. Learn more at Bio4Climate about how wildfires have changed over the last 10 years, and what pieces of the puzzle policy solutions tend to miss. 
• The World Meteorological Organization officially announced on Friday that 2024 was, globally, the hottest year on record. Little surprise there; we know we live on a warming world. That’s why we need to work with nature to mitigate the damage; plants and healthy ecosystems play a pivotal role in cooling the Earth. Learn more about how #NatureCools at Bio4Climate. 

• If you’ve got “take down the Christmas tree” on your to-do list this weekend, consider giving it a chance to support life beyond the season. From creating habitats for freshwater fish to enriching soil in gardens, your tree can be repurposed in ways that nurture ecosystems in your community. Be on the lookout for local lake habitat drives and mulch programs, or even more creative reuse options—like crafting coasters or natural sprays. 
• How much nature do we need? So asks Dr. Anastassia Makarieva to ring in the New Year. “We should protect wild nature as a working mechanism for climate stabilization…All ecosystems that are still capable of self-regeneration must be protected from our exploitation as much as possible. Stop taking from them. They are our gold standard, our ultimate treasure.”  
• As we look ahead to another year championing nature-based solutions, we look back on a year of growth, curiosity, and Life. Whether you’ve joined us online, on the water, or out in a forest, thank you for being a part of our community last year. Here were just a few of our favorite moments. 

• Look, we’ve all been there. When your work and passions are rooted in care for the earth, it’s hard not to feel deflated sometimes. But as the year comes to a close, it’s important to take stock in the progress made around the world. This weekend, we’re reading Wild Hope’s 10 Conservation Stories that Gave Us Hope in 2024. Whether it’s a global story or something in your own backyard, we’re curious: what would you add? What gave you hope this year?
• Did you catch our shoutout from Post Carbon Institute senior fellow Richard Heinberg in Resilience Mag? “Destruction of habitat—as a result not just of climate change, but industrial agriculture, deforestation, and urbanization as well—is driving native species to the brink. Simply planting trees, if they’re non-native, may not help much and can even make the situation worse. In contrast, native trees and shrubs provide a food forest for birds and insects that would otherwise go hungry. The folks at Bio4climate have more ideas along these lines.”
• Nature-based solutions must be a global priority. A new report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services explores just how interconnected global crises are with the natural world, using data to detail the extent to which biodiversity loss exacerbates issues of food and water security, public health, and climate change.

• If you haven’t noticed, we talk a lot about the water cycle here. And for good reason–from the soil to tree-top canopies, healthy ecosystems are fuel for the local and global water cycles that keep things cool. But it’s not just about rain and evaporation. A research team led by the Alfred Wegener Center found that much of 2023’s record high temperatures could be attributed to declining low-cloud cover in key regions, reducing the planet’s ability to reflect light and heat back into space.  
• “…and it did all of that with the wings of an owl, the belly of a penguin, and the nose of a kingfisher.” The more-than-human world has learned what works in context over billions years. Biomimicry is the practice of studying and emulating nature’s forms, processes, and systems to solve our own challenges, ideally in a way that creates conditions conducive to all life. Even if you’re not building a bullet train, you can learn from nature in your own ecosystem – consider how other species harvest water, capture energy, recycle materials, form symbiotic relationships. What can you learn from them? 
• There’s so much to love in this interview with Zoë Schlanger (author of The Light Eaters, required reading for Bio4Climate’s recent Biodiversity 11 course). But what sticks with us right now is how she bottles the desire we all have to connect with and understand the world around us, “I think that words are all we have, and for those of us who are not super acquainted with scientific jargon, we have to use these words like ‘language’ and ‘intelligence’ and ‘desire’ to talk about plants, in part because these are the metaphors that we have at hand. It’s the closest thing we can understand that gives us this little bridge of understanding between plants and ourselves.“

• New! Story and science convene in this recent conversation between adventurer and photographer Jon Waterman, and climate scientist Flavio Lehner. Buckle up for a journey into the Arctic and its threatened future, led by the experiences and research of those studying it. The full episode is available now, produced in collaboration with the GBH Forum Network. 
• We champion ecorestoration initiatives around the world, but we still believe that the best place to start is right in your own backyard! Join permaculture instructor Andrew Millison on a tour of his 15-year-old food paradise in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and discover how five key principles transformed his urban backyard into a vibrant, life-filled oasis brimming with abundance.
• What we’re excited for: the December 19 virtual premiere of Beaver: A Medicine of Possibility, co-created by Beaver Institute and Indigenous Led, will explore what beavers have to teach us about ecological healing and reconnection. Directed by Laurie Hedges with narration by Lailani Upham, the film spotlights beavers’ crucial role in climate resilience, Indigenous culture, and ecosystem restoration. A live Q&A will follow; rsvp required.

• There’s still time to enroll in Bio4Climate’s new course, Trees & Forests: wildlife, wildfires, water & climate change. This 8-week course, taught by Hart Hagan, begins December 5 and dives deep into the power of forests to absorb and hold billions of metric tonnes of CO2, and nurture water cycles.
  
• “The greatest risk we face is the temptation to surrender to helplessness…I may not be able to save the zebras and the leopards, but I can help save the zebra swallowtail butterflies and the giant leopard moths. I can do that, at least in my own small yard, by nurturing the host plants they need to reproduce.” In her New York Times essay, Easing the Biodiversity Crisis One Flowerpot at a Time, Margaret Renkl makes an impassioned plea for biodiversity’s capacity to make a difference, and our ability to help by starting with our own backyards.  
• A small village in Romania is home to one of Europe’s most successful bison rewilding projects. Since 2014, 170 bison have been reintroduced to the Southern Carpathian Mountains after a 200 year absence. The short film, Zimbrul (Romanian for “bison”), explores their role in shaping this particular ecosystem and emphasizes the importance of participatory rewilding strategies. Scientists found that this herd alone could store enough CO2 to offset the emissions of 43,000 cars annually, underscoring how animal activity can enhance a given ecosystems’ capacity for carbon storage.

• It can be difficult describe and convey our fascination for this ecosystem, that is in a way hostile but also very fragile,” says Polar Bears International climate scientist Flavio Lehner. Join us this Monday, Nov. 25, for a conversation on the science and the stories reshaping the Arctic with Lehner and Patagonia author and explorer Jon Waterman. 
  
• Our world doesn’t work without forests. The “earth’s lungs” are home to 80% of land-based species, absorb and hold billions of metric tonnes of CO2, and nurture water cycles. And they’re in trouble. Trees & Forests: wildlife, wildfires, water & climate change is a new 8-week course from Bio4Climate, taught by Hart Hagan. Registration is open now for December enrollment!
  
• Get a bird’s eye view of the difference our Miyawaki forests can make. This interactive page from the City of Worcester explores both of our Miyawaki forests in the city and provides fresh perspectives for understanding how they can cool, green, and beautify the urban landscape while creating space for nature to thrive.
  
• “I like to imagine the moment of liberation for a molecule of carbon dioxide. Imagine being held tight for centuries in the embrace of an ancient tree, locked up in lignin until… the gasp of a fungus-eating beetle sets you free to become a free-floating molecule, a thing of the air, a part of something vast and fluid. Is that how the spirit leaves the body? Released from the weight of wood, into the afterlife of cedars, there is no boundary between the sacred and the mundane.” Robin Wall Kimmerer reflects on the death of a tree during a recent a visit to the Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon.