Maya and Tania at Danehy Park Miyawaki Forest in August 2022 |
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| Dear *{{First Name}}*,
It’s been a while since you’ve heard from me. About six months. I left Bio4Climate in November of 2022 when I was offered a job at an animal welfare organization. After two years of being in community with all of you, I decided to chase a childhood dream.
Growing up, I loved animals. My family and friends believed I would grow up to be a veterinarian, but my favorite subjects in school were history and literature – not science. I knew I wanted to work with and for animals, but I didn’t know how. Then one day, I learned about animal advocacy. It became my dream job. But once I was doing that dream job, I realized it wasn’t my dream anymore. Advocating only for animal life felt narrow-minded after two years of advocating for all life on Earth. I wanted to talk about the plants and ecosystems that animals rely on, and the connections between animal and human health. But that wasn’t the focus of the organization. About three months into the job, I realized that my values and focus had shifted. I was no longer fulfilled, and I yearned for the regenerative movement. Life, like nature, is full of plot twists. Our journeys aren’t linear. My three-month internship at Bio4Climate turned into a full-time job that I kept for two years, and after a six-month break I am now glad to say I’m back in community with all of you.
Thank you for showing compassion for all life, and for entering my life– though I didn’t realize how important you would become to me. Thank you for being with Bio4Climate. With love and admiration for biodiversity, Tania |
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Tania Roa Communications & Volunteer Coordinator
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In This Issue: -
Regenerating Life Film
- Milestones
- Education
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Global Youth Ambassador Program
- Eco Restoration Stories That Inspire Us
- Compendium Notes
- Life Saves the Planet: GBH Forum Network Series
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Our team is featured in a film! John Feldman of Hummingbird Films created a documentary, “Regenerating Life,” about Bio4Climate members and partners.
The film discusses how water cools the planet, the importance of natural cycles and vegetation, and how small farms contribute to eco-restoration. Our staff Ecological Economist, Fred Jennings, wrote a review in admiration of the film.
You can see the film before it even premieres this fall! We are partnering with Hummingbird Films to raise money to support the distribution of the film, and create subtitles so the message of nature’s climate cooling can spread around the globe. Donate by July 4th to get your link to the film and support Bio4Climate!
On the donation page , please write “Bio4Climate” in the organization section so that 50% of the proceeds can support our regenerative nature-based solutions efforts. |
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100 Featured Creatures!
Are you one of the many who enjoy opening up your email every Saturday morning to meet a new creature and explore the wonders of biodiversity?We recently published our 100th Featured Creature! Our team of writers has covered a wide range of creatures, including plants, reptiles, fungi, fish, predators, and more. Learn about 100 interesting, ecologically important creatures (and counting) and join the fun.
Test your biodiversity knowledge by taking our Featured Creature quiz! 100 Biodiversity Series Classes!
Jim Laurie, Bio4Climate’s Restoration Ecologist, has just taught his 100th class! For years, Jim has offered discussion-based classes open to the public that spread the joy of ecosystem restoration. Jim has broadened and strengthened our community, along with the larger regeneration movement. Thank you, Jim, for your dedication to facilitating nature-filled discussions and for inspiring all of us with your insights. In celebration of this great achievement, student and artist Ann Barrett painted a beautiful watercolor illustration in honor of Jim and the rest of the “Symbiosis Team.” |
Watercolor painting by Ann Barrett |
Life Saves the Planet Blog
Look for some changes on our blog page to make it easier to find the articles that interest you most. We thought that the title of our GBH Speakers series, Life Saves the Planet, was just too good for one program- so that is what we also named our blog. Look for posts on youth, activism, inspiring ecorestoration stories, science and more!
Latest on the Blog: Report from COP, Water
Biodiversity for a Livable Climate was in New York meeting with attendees of the UN 2023 Water Conference, which convened again for the first time in almost 50 years. Board member Sue Butler and Assistant Director of Regenerative Projects Maya Dutta met with several exciting global advocates from India, South Korea and Slovakia. They were Rajendra Signh, the Waterman of India; Mooyoung Young, the Rain Doctor from South Korea, and Martin Kováč, the State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, along with our ally Michal Kravčík. Each brought his unique visions and experiences to the UN Conference meetings. Read about their experience and learn about water solutions around the world.
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Course Books (Photo by Jim Laurie) |
Biodiversity 8: Symbiosis in Evolution
Staff scientist Jim Laurie’s spring course was a success, involving more than 30 students per class, from across the country, Los Angeles to New England. Discussing a range of topics including news from around the world and weather reports as rising temperatures led to extreme conditions, the group faced a hard fact together: we are experiencing the Earth's 6th Extinction Episode. But students also learned that in tough times, organisms can change and evolve much faster than our previous models showed.
Jim’s favorite quote from Lynn Margulis says it all: "Life did not take over the globe by combat, but by networking."
Ecological Economics 2: Finding Our Way to a New Understanding
Bio4Climate’s trustworthy economist Fred Jennings facilitated discussions on the harm done by current economic systems, and how to design new ones that work for people and the planet. It was a great reminder that we have a choice: continue business as usual, or transform society to prioritize collective wellbeing.
Sustainability and Humankind’s Dilemma: Life on a Tough New Planet
Board president and sociologist Nancy Lee Wood hosted her first Bio4Climate course on the intersection of multiple crises including climate change, peak oil, ecological deterioration, and societal collapse. Students dove deeply into the root causes of these issues so they could brainstorm strategies for mitigation and adaptation. |
Join us for Summer Gatherings
Summer Solstice, June 21st, was the kick-off for monthly gatherings of Jim Laurie's Biodiversity classmates. During this online gathering they shared reflections on “What is Nature saying to you?” and “What does having a Holistic Perspective mean to you?” Participatns also brought their stories of gratitude. This time of reflection was a great way to join together and celebrate the beginning of a new season.
Anyone can join this wonderful group of students to stay connected to each other and to learning about our natural world. Mark your calendar for July 19th and August 16th for online sessions at noon and 7pm. Registration is required for the zoom link. Please email staff@bio4climate.org to register. At these monthly meetings, Jim will review the water cycle, photosynthesis, the carbon cycle, and biodiverse ecosystems of all types. All are welcome: former students, current students, potential new students.
For more information, keep an eye out for future announcements or email Jim at staff@bio4climate.org. |
Global Youth Ambassador Program |
Bio4Climate is starting a new program, run by youth for youth! Tania will be supervising the ambassador program which supports young eco-restorers from around the world. Ambassadors will design and implement projects in their own communities, igniting hope for local community members. Bio4Climate will ensure that these youth-led projects succeed by curating resources and cultivating networks. Stay tuned for more information. And consider being an ambassador in your local area by sharing the profound message of ecological stewardship.
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Eco Restoration Stories That Inspire Us |
Smallholder farmers in Colombia are adopting regenerative practices to restore land damaged by violence and intensive agriculture, and the results speak for themselves.
Petronila Gutierrez and her husband have regenerated a 79-hectare (195-acre) farm, called La Miranda, as part of the Amazonian Farms project, an effort to recreate local forests. She tells us how they started:
The stream had dried up because it had been deforested. There was a lot of burning in this area. The first thing we did when we came to Amazonian Farms was to let the trees grow next to the stream. The most important thing was to recover the water. Family, land, forest, water and the desire to work — that has been our commitment, and be aware that this is not an overnight process. All these processes take a long time, but you see the results.
“All these plants that you see here in this ecological garden, in the greenhouse and among the native trees—I planted them,” Gutiérrez said as she walked among the dense grass, pointing out fruit trees and aromatic herbs and pulling up the roots of ginger and turmeric plants. She is proud of her work as a farmer and recalls that, when food was scarce and expensive during the COVID-19 lockdowns, she and her family had food to spare and bartered with their neighbors on other Amazonian Farms-supported plots.
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Below is a passage from our Compendium of Scientific and Practical Findings Supporting Eco-Restoration to Address Global Warming. This article is from our ninth issue, Volume 5 Number 2, (p. 29) published January 2022.
Iron defecation by sperm whales stimulates carbon export in the Southern
Ocean, Lavery et. al 2010
Researchers have seen whales as a source of CO2 because they respire tons of CO2 annually. However, their feces could possibly offset this impact: they may help enormously to export carbon, moving it from the atmosphere to the depths of the ocean. Iron-rich whale feces stimulate the growth of phytoplankton, and that leads to plants drawing more CO2 down into the ocean through photosynthesis.
Using existing data on whale populations, consumption patterns, and average rates of iron retention compared to what the whales expel, the authors estimate that the South Ocean sperm whales contribute 36 tons of iron per year to the photic zone. After accounting for respiration rates, the authors conclude that whales do act as a net carbon sink by removing 2.4 X 105 metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere annually. Even under conservative scenarios (whales consuming prey with lower iron concentrations), whales still help sequester more carbon than they respire.
These animals’ contribution to nutrient and carbon cycling in the ocean has previously been overlooked. Not only do their feces enhance the process of carbon sinking in the ocean; they also help increase the numbers of prey for the whales. However, commercial whaling has reduced the numbers of sperm whales by reducing the populations of krill and thus decreased the amounts of allochthonous (originating externally) iron inputs to the Southern Ocean by 450 tons annually.
The reduction in sperm whale numbers owing to whaling has resulted in an extra 2 X 106 tonnes of carbon remaining in the atmosphere annually [Lavery 2010: 3]. In addition to sperm whales, other organisms could be helping to sink carbon into the ocean:
We have restricted our analysis to sperm whales; however, any organism that consumes prey outside the photic zone and defecates nutrient-rich waste that persists in the photic zone would stimulate new production and carbon export. Pygmy and dwarf sperm whales (Kogia spp.) and beaked whales (Family Ziphiidae) fulfill these criteria. The proportion of time baleen whales consume prey at depth is currently unknown, but fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) dive to at least 470 m while feeding. Seals and sealions often consume prey at depth, but whether the[ir] waste is liquid (and buoyant) requires further investigation. [Lavery 2010: 4]
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Life Saves the Planet: GBH Forum Network Series
Watch the Latest Highlight
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In our latest installment of the Life Saves the Planet series, co-hosted by GBH Forum Network, CoakíWilliam Wildcat discusses ancient agroforestry techniques that he, and other Indigenous leaders, use to this day. These forest gardening practices shaped traditional cultures and continue to show us how to grow food in a regenerative way.
Coakí lives in the Mimbres watershed near the Gila wilderness area, in the unceded lands of the living Chiricahua peoples, of the Brown bear, of the Jaguar, and of the forests and wetlands that stood there 400 years ago, in what is now known as New Mexico. He studies, practices, and teaches these modern and ancient technologies there. |
Every day the climate crisis becomes more urgent, but the stories Bio4Climate creates and shares remind me that together we can find and implement solutions. Together, we are the solution. Each one of us has a unique perspective that no one else can replace, including the many other creatures we love to feature. Through this newsletter, we can remind ourselves of those perspectives and the powerful potential in sharing ideas. Thank you for reading our quarterly newsletter, and thank you for being a Biodiversity Believer.
Tania |
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You're a valuable part of your community, ecosystem, and planet, and we're so thankful for you. Would you share the love and join our Eco-Restoration Team of Monthly supporters? |
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All contributions help in our vital work to build a livable climate that sustains into the future. Many thanks! |
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