Can the bioeconomy replace oil extraction in the Ecuadorian Amazon?

A social enterprise that started in the Netherlands and is spreading to countries around the Celtic Sea is training young people to work in marine industries while restoring ocean biodiversity. The young trainees work on projects like marine mammal observation and planting seagrass.

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.

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.

Saving Hawai‘i’s Forests plants koa trees and other native plants to reforest plots of land degraded by grazing livestock. As a result, the group has noticed the return of native wildlife to the plot, many of which are endangered or threatened species.

Sections of the massive network of wetlands in Colombo, Sri Lanka, went from being overwhelmed by garbage to biodiverse ecosystems that are a critical part of urban planning and flood prevention. The government and community groups worked to clean them up, and keep them clean, so the wetlands can do what they’re naturally good at.

The renewable energy company EnerWealth Solutions is helping Black farmers in the Carolinas install solar panels among their crops so they can benefit financially from the solar boom with a consistent stream of income.

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.

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 volunteer-run Friends of Uplands Park Society works to restore and protect Uplands Park in Victoria, British Columbia. The members have helped native species, many of which are designated as at risk, thrive again by removing invasive species, planting more native species, and educating the community.

Slovenia’s emphasis on honeybee-friendly policies, pollinator-awareness campaigns, and collaboration between beekeepers and farmers grew the bee population to its maximum capacity.