How a young beekeeper's initiative brought hope and profit to Sierra Leone communities

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.

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.

The Nashulai Maasai Conservancy in Kenya brings together private landowners who lease their plots to a collectively-managed conservancy for renewable 10-year terms. In exchange for payments, landowners agree not to fence their land or sell it to outsiders, creating a 2,400-hectare wildlife corridor to help safeguard the local environment. The conservancy also employs locals and runs an educational center that provides connections to other jobs and restoration efforts. Since its establishment in 2016, vegetation density has significantly increased, along with wildlife populations.

To restore degraded lands in Tajikistan, farmers are turning to agroforestry, a traditional cropping method that more closely mimics natural systems. An estimated 45 gigatons of carbon is sequestered by agroforestry systems globally. Add that to the benefits of reforestation, erosion control, and the return of wildlife habitat.

Environmental refugees in Ethiopia flee their country because there are no jobs without healthy land. A group of former refugees have returned to Ethiopia with a business venture in Gergera to improve the land by regreening efforts, foresting, and building water conservation systems. The new businesses demonstrated such positive effects that the region is now on the brink of resettlement due to improved environmental conditions.

Since 2017, Rewilding Ukraine has reintroduced native grazing species like kulan and water buffalo to the Danube Delta, which has restored more than 18,000 hectares of wetlands, doubled carbon storage in soils, increased plant diversity, reduced wildfire risk, and helped native fish populations recover—even amid ongoing war.

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Laguna Beach, California, planted drought-resistant native plants and installed a drip irrigation system on its property to curb wasteful water use. The new landscaping also includes a pollinator garden to support important species.

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.

The Decolonizing Wealth Project is a network of people working together to create more equitable, capital opportunities for communities of color, with an emphasis on Indigenous land keepers. Through its work with other groups, the project offers a series of grant opportunities like the Indigenous Earth Fund to provide Indigenous-led organizations with the resources needed to target climate and conservation issues.

A community-led conservation project spurred by traditional knowledge allowed the residents of Khonoma, India, to become self-sustaining and earn additional income from ecotourism, as opposed to relying on hunting and logging.