Meet two great actors who are working for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, not only behind the scenes: Ann-Kathrin Neureuther from UNEP, Communications and Partnership Manager on the UN Decade and James Obata from FAO, Focal Point for communications surrounding the UN Decade.

In this episode, you will find out why we need to restore nature, bring it back into our lives, and protect our remaining ecosystems. You will hear what we can do in our daily life to take action, since we are the last generation that can make peace with nature.

Now is the time to act, with many activities and challenges to be implemented by all of us.

We are running out of time to save our ecosystems and biodiversity, an urgency which defines the 2021-2030 timeframe of the UN Decade.

Let’s all join in the fight for ecosystems and biodiversity!

Links:

• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

• UNEP

• UNEP Young Champions of the Earth

• FAO

• Ecosystem Restoration Playbook

• IUCN: Community Organizing- Toolkit on Ecosystems Restoration

Hosts: Jennifer Gacich (FAO) and Mateusz Benko (UNEP)

Producers: Cecilia Casalini (FAO), Giorgia Cherubini (UNEP), Katia de Prado (UNEP), Pierre Flecheux (UNEP) and James Obata (FAO).

Music © “Jungle” by DayFox

Today, we meet Lefteris Arapakis from Greece.

He is the founder of Enaleia, a non-profit social enterprise tackling plastic sea pollution by promoting fishing practices that preserve local fish populations and remove the mounds of plastic that pollute the world’s seas, adapting the fishing industry for a greener future.

Enaleia’s mission is to make the marine ecosystem sustainable by tackling both overfishing and plastic pollution.

We discover how a small idea has blossomed into a multi-national effort to find solutions to rid our oceans of plastic debris.

Links:

• Enaleia website

• Enaleia Instagram

• Enaleia Linkedin

• Video: Lefteris Arapakis - UNEP 2020 Young Champion of the Earth for Europe

• Video: Enaleia - The Hellenic Initiative

• Video: Enaleia: A School to Save Greece's Dying Fishing Sector

• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Hosts: Jennifer Gacich (FAO) and Mateusz Benko (UNEP)

Producers: Cecilia Casalini (FAO), Giorgia Cherubini (UNEP), Katia de Prado (UNEP), Pierre Flecheux (UNEP) and James Obata (FAO).

Music © “Jungle” by DayFox

Remy Zahiga, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a young climate activist and environmental defender who has made it his life mission to save the Congo Basin Rainforest.

To do this, he’s been planting trees in areas that have been damaged by mining activities, while also lobbying authorities to prioritize the saving of the rainforest.

The Congo Rainforest is the second largest tropical rainforest in the world, covering an area of 2 million square kilometres, and is also one of the most biodiverse areas on Earth, supporting hundreds of species of trees and an estimated 10,000 species of animals. In addition, an estimated 75 million people (including approximately 150 ethnic groups) live in this forest and depend on it for their livelihoods.

In this episode, Remy shares why he wants local communities, young people and governments to help him save this vital region.

Links:

• Global Citizen: Why I'm Working to Save the Congo Rainforest and Its Indigenous Communities

• Remy Zahiga Twitter

• Remy Zahiga LinkedIn

• Save Congo Rainforest website

• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Hosts: Jennifer Gacich (FAO) and Mateusz Benko (UNEP)

Producers: Cecilia Casalini (FAO), Giorgia Cherubini (UNEP), Katia de Prado (UNEP), Pierre Flecheux (UNEP) and James Obata (FAO).

Music © “Jungle” by DayFox

Don’t miss this episode as we are speaking with Natalie Knowles, a Canadian conservationist and explorer focused on social, economic, and environmental sustainability in adventure travel and outdoor recreation.

Natalie was awarded the 2020 Adventure Travel Conservation Fund and Explorer's Club Rolex grants for her work with the Kayapo developing conservation-based and indigenous-led adventure tourism in Brazil's Xingu River basin.

In this episode, Natalie shares her thoughts on the essential role of indigenous people in conserving biodiversity, as they are very intimately related to the environment in which they are living.

She explains not only the fascinating stories of the Kayapo Indigenous people but also all the challenges these people and the Kayapo Project are facing in preserving the Amazon forest, lungs of the planet.

Links:

• Natalie Knowles website

• Natalie Knowles Instagram

• The Kayapo Project

• Kayapo Project Instagram

• Associação Floresta Protegida website

• Floresta Protegida Instagram

• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Hosts: Jennifer Gacich (FAO) and Mateusz Benko (UNEP)

Producers: Cecilia Casalini (FAO), Giorgia Cherubini (UNEP), Katia de Prado (UNEP), Pierre Flecheux (UNEP) and James Obata (FAO).

Music © “Jungle” by DayFox

In this episode, we’re speaking with Felipe Villela from Brazil.

He is the co-founder of reNature, an organization based in the Netherlands that works worldwide with farmers and corporations to support the transition towards regenerative agriculture.

Considering that 95% of our food starts in soils, regenerating and restoring degraded lands is critical for food security.

Felipe brings working solutions to the table on how communities and businesses can regenerate and restore the land following nature’s example.

Links:

• reNature website

• reNature Instagram

• reNature Twitter

• renature LinkedIn

• Felipe Villela - Finalist UNEP 2019 Young Champion of the Earth

• TEDx Video: reNature Solution

• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Hosts: Jennifer Gacich (FAO) and Mateusz Benko (UNEP)

Producers: Cecilia Casalini (FAO), Giorgia Cherubini (UNEP), Katia de Prado (UNEP), Pierre Flecheux (UNEP) and James Obata (FAO).

Music © “Jungle” by DayFox

Listen to our inspiring exchange with Liliana Jaramillo Pazmiño from Ecuador, a young native plants lover whose goal is to make a greener Quito, the capital of Ecuador, while contemplating sustainable and educational actions.

This episode is about the important topic of greening cities, with Liliana as our guide.

Liliana is a biologist with a Master’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Melbourne. Since she is not only a dreamer, she has decided to take action and has founded Nativus for the conservation of native species in cities. She is now a major player in rehabilitating neglected urban spaces into green parks and in greening roofs in the city of Quito.

She is also an activist working together with communities for environmental education and inclusive actions.

Liliana brings nature into the city while considering the needs of everyone. As a biodiversity lover, she has also built her own native plants nursery.

Links:

• Nativus website

• Nativus Instagram

• Nativus Twitter

• Liliana Jaramillo Linkedin

• Nativus Facebook

• Video: Meet Liliana Jaramillo Pazmiño, 2017 UNEP Young Champion of the Earth for Latin America & the Caribbean

• Liliana Jaramillo Pazmiño, 2018 Women4Climate Mentorship Program Winner

• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Hosts: Jennifer Gacich (FAO) and Mateusz Benko (UNEP)

Producers: Cecilia Casalini (FAO), Giorgia Cherubini (UNEP), Katia de Prado (UNEP), Pierre Flecheux (UNEP) and James Obata (FAO).

Music © “Jungle” by DayFox

Today, we take a deep dive into the marine world of Gator Halpern from The Bahamas.

Gator is the co-founder and President of Coral Vita, a company based in the Bahamas that grows corals to revitalize dying reefs.

Coastal and reef ecosystems sustain life both above and below the ocean, providing critical habitat for marine life, but also livelihoods for coastal communities. But climate change and human activities pose an existential threat to these ecosystems and the life they support.

Let Gator take you on a journey to discover the magic and beauty of coral reefs, and how we can step up our efforts to protect and restore our oceans.

Links:

• Coral Vita website

• Coral Vita Instagram

• Coral Vita Twitter

• Coral Vita Linkedin

• Video: Gator Halpern – UNEP 2018 Young Champion of the Earth for Latin America and the Caribbean

• Video: Coral Vita: Growing Coral to Restore Dying Reefs

• Video: 2021 Earthshot Prize Winner

• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Hosts: Jennifer Gacich (FAO) and Mateusz Benko (UNEP)

Producers: Cecilia Casalini (FAO), Giorgia Cherubini (UNEP), Katia de Prado (UNEP), Pierre Flecheux (UNEP) and James Obata (FAO).

Music © “Jungle” by DayFox

On today's podcast, we meet up with Vania Olmos Lau, a Mexican biologist who specializes in setting up and kick-starting environmental youth groups.

Vania has a knack for conceptualizing and setting up youth-based groups, from the highly successful Restoration Stewards to the Network of Young Environmentalists in Mexico.

She has also been involved with establishing the Latin American branches for Youth 4 Nature and the Major Group for Children and Youth.

Join us as we hear tips from Vania on how to set up an environmental youth group, while building a sustainable movement with maximum impact.

Links:

• Vania Olmos Lau LinkedIn

• Video: Planting Trees is a Double-Win for the Climate

• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Hosts: Jennifer Gacich (FAO) and Mateusz Benko (UNEP)

Producers: Cecilia Casalini (FAO), Giorgia Cherubini (UNEP), Katia de Prado (UNEP), Pierre Flecheux (UNEP) and James Obata (FAO).

Music © “Jungle” by DayFox

We invite you into the world of Benjamin Von Wong from Canada, an artist at heart, who describes himself as: “an Artist focused on amplifying positive Impact”.

Benjamin openly shares with us his passion for art, nature, and environmental activism. He tells us about his life, passions, inspirations and way of working.

Benjamin is an internationally recognized artist who, through his art, raises awareness about the environmental challenges our Earth is facing.

Together with communities where he works, he reuses materials destined for the trash to create his impressive and eloquent installations. His aim is to jumpstart the urgent action needed for our planet.

Are you curious about his inner thoughts? Join us to enter the mind of an artist truly dedicated to the environment!

Links:

• Benjamin Von Wong biography and links

• Benjamin Von Wong YouTube channel

• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Hosts: Jennifer Gacich (FAO) and Mateusz Benko (UNEP)

Producers: Cecilia Casalini (FAO), Giorgia Cherubini (UNEP), Katia de Prado (UNEP), Pierre Flecheux (UNEP) and James Obata (FAO).

Music © “Jungle” by DayFox

Join us for this first episode where we meet up with Louise Mabulo, a Filipino environmentalist, farmer, social entrepreneur, and master chef.

Louise is the founder of The Cacao Project, a social enterprise that works with over 200 farmers in the Philippines.

She shares her thoughts with us on farming as a career choice, an opportunity to provide green jobs and landscape stewardship.

She’s also a chocolate expert, explaining what fair trade means to the industry and how cacao farming can happen sustainably.

Louise tells us about the power of food and recipes, how cooking can galvanize entire populations, promoting the farm-to-table narrative.

In addition, Louise advises how young people can get involved in ecosystem inclusive spaces.

Links:

• Louise Mabulo website

• Louise Mabulo Instagram

• Louise Mabulo Twitter

• The Cacao Project website

• The Cacao Project Instagram

• Video: Louise Mabulo - UNEP 2019 Young Champion of the Earth for Asia and the Pacific

• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Hosts: Jennifer Gacich (FAO) and Mateusz Benko (UNEP)

Producers: Cecilia Casalini (FAO), Giorgia Cherubini (UNEP), Katia de Prado (UNEP), Pierre Flecheux (UNEP) and James Obata (FAO).

Music © “Jungle” by DayFox