All hands on deck — The social enterprise deploying young people to protect our seas

Threatened wildlife co-exists with poverty stricken communities who inhabit the Arizona-Mexico border region. Borderlands Restoration's conservation scientists are hoping to alleviate poverty while repairing the local environment by providing jobs that help preserve and renew the environment.

Communities in the Sundarbans have adopted shrimp farming as a sustainable livelihood strategy; the approach has proven successful, with environmental benefits and many farmers earning a good income.

Communities in Ecuador are building a “bioeconomy” through ecotourism and sustainable agriculture instead of relying on oil extraction. This can help protect the country’s biodiversity and increase locals’ incomes.

Gorongosa National Park is a leader in community-driven conservation efforts. Last year, surrounding communities planted more than 260,000 coffee trees and 20,000 indigenous trees. The park has also led to employment for 1,500 locals, in an effort to protect the environment and keep the local economy afloat.

The Dry Stone Walling School of Japan is keeping the tradition of building walls out of stones collected from the neighboring environment alive by connecting students with local craftsmen. Building walls this way is a viable alternative to concrete that supports biodiversity and produces less carbon emissions.

Mendocino County is responding to local socioeconomic challenges by expanding coordinated education and workforce development programs in sustainable construction and clean energy, preparing residents for anticipated geothermal energy jobs.

Native Renewables, a Native- and women-led nonprofit, is bringing free, off-grid solar energy systems to homes in the Navajo and Hopi reservations that don’t have access to power. And it’s doing so by training local Indigenous peoples to work in the industry so they can reap the economic benefits of these careers instead of hiring out the work.

Federal tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act and added incentives from the state of Colorado and its municipalities is drawing in clean energy companies, creating new jobs, and helping the state meet its decarbonization goals.

Menominee tribal members are practicing methods of forest management that blend both conservation and Indigenous culture to preserve the viability of the forest long-term. In 2018, it was found that after a century of logging on the reservation, the forest had higher tree volume, higher rates of regeneration, more plant diversity and fewer invasive species than other, nontribal forests.

The Resilient Cerrado Project funds Indigenous-community-led economic projects in Brazil’s Cerrado region. Projects like the Terena people’s beehive installation and beekeeper training help to protect the region’s biodiversity, cultural diversity, and improve community members’ welfare.