Volunteers, First Nations work to bring back a disappearing oak prairie

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.

Organizations like the Detroit Audubon’s Bird City habitat restoration initiative are planting native flowers, grasses, and trees in vacant, underused lots and parks to restore the habitat for wildlife in the city.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

The Nusantra Fund provides financial support directly to community-led projects in Indonesia. The aim is to improve the livelihoods of Indigenous and local people while tackling climate change impacts and protecting biodiversity.

Led by Native Hawai’ians, Kamehameha Schools owns thousands of acres of land dedicated to stewardship and conservation. The school partners with Native Hawaiian organizations and conducts eco-cultural education programs for students and members of the community to foster connections between them and the environment.

Rewilding Europe is a river-restoration project working to preserve rivers as biodiversity hotspots and prevent damage from human activity. Since Rewilding Europe was founded, its projects have stretched across the continent, including to countries like Spain Italy, Bulgaria, and Sweden and was recently awarded a grant of £4.1m to scale up its work.