Ecological Restoration Science

Foxholes: The Simple, Brilliant Reforestation Method You’ve Probably Never Heard Of 🌳 In Madagascar, Ecosia and The Phoenix Conservancy are restoring forests using a method called 'foxholes' and it doesn’t involve planting saplings. It immediately reminded me of half-moon Earth bunds. Simple, effective and surprisingly powerful. Instead of raising delicate nursery saplings and hoping they survive in harsh conditions, foxholes mimic how forests regenerate naturally. Seeds are scattered into shallow basins, where they compete naturally for light, water and nutrients, just as they would in the wild. The results? ⤷ 30x more trees ⤷ 2x the plant diversity ⤷ 30% lower cost than traditional tree planting This technique rebuilds ecosystems, supports local livelihoods and creates space for endangered species like the ring-tailed lemur to return. Foxholes build on restoration techniques developed in Central and South America, especially ‘applied nucleation’, which is the practice of planting small patches of forest to kickstart natural regeneration. And while the method isn’t new, Ecosia is helping it scale, connecting partners across continents, from Madagascar to Brazil. Effective restoration doesn’t need to be high-tech or high-cost. Sometimes, all it takes is a shallow hole and a deeper understanding of nature. One rooted in the same wisdom that has guided indigenous land stewards for generations: work with nature, not against it. #NatureRestoration #Rewilding #TreePlanting #Biodiversity #Conservation 🎞️ Ecosia

🕰️ AI Is Learning to Remember What We Forgot Every generation tries to outsmart time. First came photos, scratched and torn, brought back by hand. Then colorization, turning grayscale emotions into living color. But video… that was the one thing time refused to return. Until now. Project Starlight by Topaz Labs powered by Distortion AI changes that. Instead of just sharpening pixels, it learns how light, motion, and texture behave in real life. Using diffusion-based models, it doesn’t “guess” missing detail, it reconstructs it. It interprets motion blur, fills in broken frames, and restores footage with cinematic clarity. That’s the breakthrough: ✅ Traditional AI cleans what’s there. ✅ Distortion AI recreates what’s missing. ✅ It learns how reality should look, not just how it looked before. So why is this innovation so critical, beyond better old movies? → Historical footage can now be used for immersive education and research. → Media houses can restore and remaster archives for modern platforms. → Artists can repurpose century-old footage for storytelling and film. → Even surveillance, healthcare, and scientific imaging could use this to reconstruct data lost to distortion. To me, that’s both awe-inspiring and unsettling. Because this isn’t just about restoring the past, it’s about redefining it. When machines start filling in what time erased, the question shifts from “what was lost?” to “what was invented?” If AI can make forgotten moments look better than they ever did, are we still preserving history, or quietly redesigning it? #AI #DistortionAI #TopazLabs #MachineLearning #FutureOfMedia #DigitalHeritage #Innovation

Australian agronomist Tony Rinaudo’s reforestation project in Niger was failing, with 80% of his planted saplings dying, until he stumbled upon a simple solution in plain sight: stumps of previously cut trees trying desperately to regrow in the dry, deforested landscape. Rinaudo realized that the degraded land contained numerous such stumps with intact root systems capable of regenerating themselves, plus millions of tree seeds hidden in the soil, which farmers could simply encourage to grow and reforest the landscape, something he refers to as “an invisible forest in plain view.” Today, the technique of letting trees resprout and protecting their growth from livestock and wildlife is called farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) and is responsible for reforesting 6 million hectares (15 million acres) in Niger alone. Rinaudo recently spoke with Rachel Donald about his journey implementing this technique and its massive potential to help tackle biodiversity loss and food insecurity through resilient agroforestry systems. “The biggest change that I see when I go back into these communities is the restoration of hope,” Rinaudo says. “If you can put yourself in the shoes of these families who struggle to feed their children adequately [and] then here comes this very, very simple concept, literally a solution at your feet which empowers you and enables you to create that future that you want, simply, by now working with these wonderful forces of nature, instead of fighting them, and seeing them as the enemy that needs to be conquered.” 📰 + 🎙 Harnessing ‘invisible forests in plain view’ to reforest the world https://lnkd.in/d-U5-c5M

This cardboard donut is helping to grow trees in dry areas! It's called the Cocoon, and it's developed by Dutch company Land Life. So far, they've planted more than 10 million trees with the Cocoon and other innovative planting methods in severely degraded land all over the world. So how does it work? First, you dig a shallow pit and place a seedling inside it and pack it with soil to secure it in place. The Cocoon is then placed around the seedling, and it's filled to the trim with water. A lid is then added to prevent the water inside from evaporating. Soil is then packed around the cocoon, and over time, the water seeps into the soil, helping the seedling's roots grow healthy. A shelter is then added to protect the growing seedling from too much sun exposure, the wind and small animals. The cocoon is made from recycled cardboard, and is 100% biodegradable. Land Life says The Cocoon helps trees establish in arid and degraded environments with only 25 liters of water. Using x1000 less water than traditional methods. It provides survival rates up to 95% in hot and dry areas. There are 2 billion hectares of degraded land worldwide, that's a bigger area than South America. So reforestation projects like this are vital to reverse this critical situation!

Best grassland managers grow roots, not grass. Many pastures look green on the surface, yet they’re running on empty belowground. Overgrazing doesn’t just remove leaves, it shuts down root growth, halting the plant’s ability to draw water and nutrients for up to 17 days after heavy grazing. That means slower recovery, lower productivity, and less resilience to drought. Every time livestock take more than 50% of the plant’s leaf area, the roots begin to suffer: 👉 At 70% removal, half the roots stop growing. 👉 At 90%, root growth stops completely. Less root mass = less soil carbon, poorer water infiltration, and more vulnerability to climate extremes. The result? Short-term gains, long-term losses. Grassland stuck in survival mode. ☠️ Holistic Planned Grazing flips the paradigm.🍀 By managing rest periods, animal impact, and recovery time, we optimise photosynthesis above ground and root growth below. Deep roots rebuild soil structure, feed microbial life, and store water and carbon where it matters most. It’s not just about feeding cattle, it’s about feeding the soil. 💡 Healthy roots = resilient grasslands = profitable herds. That’s regenerative grazing in action.

Two years ago, we stood in a muddy Cotswold field with Tim Field . He wasn't describing a project. He was describing a different way of thinking about 'living' infrastructure. Reconnect the Evenlode to its floodplain. Revert arable to species-rich meadow. Plant woodland. Restore hedgerows. Let the river function again. Build resilience to climate change and nature loss. Today, that vision moves from idea to delivery. DEFRA has confirmed funding for the Evenlode Landscape Recovery Project, the first Landscape Recovery scheme led by a farmer cluster. 50+ farmers. 3,000 hectares. 16 river water bodies. Nearly 20% of the catchment is in the flood zone. One field flooded nine times in a single winter. This is climate volatility made real. Here's why this moment matters. Public funding alone will never match the scale of the challenge. But companies and utilities are now paying for outcomes. Flood mitigation. Water quality improvement. Drought resilience. Utilities are reducing treatment costs. Transport operators protecting infrastructure. Businesses safeguarding supply chains and physical assets. Nature is now risk management infrastructure. Evenlode may be first. It will not be the last. There are now 50+ Landscape Recovery projects across the UK. Combine: • Public catalytic funding • Corporate payments for outcomes • Farmer-led landscape restoration …and you create an investible model. One that attracts institutional capital. One that scales catchment by catchment. Allocate 2% of UK pension capital to this model, and you unlock flood, drought and water resilience nationwide while generating long-term, place-based returns. This is how the UK becomes the world's fastest country for nature recovery. 🎥 In this short video, Tim explains the original vision. System change starts at our feet and compounds. #NatureInfrastructure #LandscapeRecovery #WaterResilience #NaturalCapital #Evenlode #FloodMitigation #BlendedFinance #NatureBasedSolutions

Underground forests. This is the evocative name given to the potential that often lies dormant underground in the roots of deforested and over grazed lands that are considered degraded and worthless. Deforestation and over grazing of arid lands leads to desertification, but at the same time the tree stumps are mostly left in the ground, being timely and costly to remove. These stumps usually continue to contain life and crucially still have the mature root systems below ground. With the correct pruning and protection from grazing, the stumps can rapidly regrow into native trees with the root systems already there to support growth and lift water. Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration ( or FMNR for short) is the name for this simple highly effective and cheap way to regenerate deforested and degraded landscapes. One to several shoots of new grown are stimulated into life via pruning off of other growth, that can be used as mulch. Protection from grazing is then the only other requirement - the mature root systems taking care of the rapid regrowth. It's now estimated as much as 18.2 million hectares worldwide has been regenerated using FMNR. The restoration of the indigenous trees then allowing for agriculture and natural agroforestry to establish in areas where once there was abundance. FMNR should also ideally be the first step in all reforestation projects, the inexpensive regeneration of any existing native self reliant trees that can offer a pulse of life and then act as a support system for additional planting. 🌳 🌳 Photo shows an FMNR project from Talensi District, Ghana. #biodiversity #miyawakimethod #FMNR #regeneration #reforestation #restoration #afforestation #naturebasedsolutions #nature #ecosystem #ecosystemrestoration #diversity #forests #climate

UN Environment Programme says $220 billion flows into nature every year. Governments provide most of it. That number sounds large - it isn't. To meet global biodiversity, climate and land restoration targets, nature-based solutions need $571 billion annually by 2030 - more than double of today. The gap is already striking. But look inside the $220 billion and the picture gets sharper. Public finance accounts for $197 billion - around 90% of the total. Private finance stands at just $23 billion. $23 billion. In a $100 trillion global capital market. Now add the supply side. Up to 40% of the world's land is already degraded. Every year, 12 mln ha of land are lost to desertification and drought alone - enough to produce 20 million tonnes of grain (UNCCD). Natural capital is critical infrastructure that is undervalued and deteriorating. The pool of high-integrity, investable natural assets - functioning forests, healthy farmland, intact peatland - is shrinking. Demand is rising. Supply is contracting. That is the definition of scarcity. And scarcity, in any asset class, has only one long-term direction for pricing. Here is what the performance data says about the opportunity: 1. Natural capital funds have historically delivered 7–8% returns, with certain strategies reaching around 13% (WEF). 2. When US inflation neared 9% in 2022, farmland values rose 10–12% (USDA). In a world of uncertainty, that inflation-resilience alone warrants a serious look. Timberland and farmland have also historically maintained near-zero correlation with equities and bonds - a genuine diversification benefit that is increasingly hard to find. 3. 730 companies representing $22 trillion in assets under management have committed to TNFD nature disclosures, with a formal ISSB standard expected in Q4 2026 (BC ESG). When disclosure becomes mandatory, corporate demand for verified natural capital - including the credits it generates - becomes structurally driven. Not by conviction alone. By compliance too. This isn’t a story about awareness. For years, the conversation has focused on how to get more private capital in - build investable pipelines, improve metrics and disclosures, create the enabling conditions for finance to flow. But the latest figures suggest that private participation is still small. That gap is also where the opportunity sits! The top 50 natural capital investors currently manage around $155 billion in nature-based assets (WEF). For an asset class underpinning >50% of global GDP, that's a market about to pick up. The assets are shrinking. The capital hasn't arrived in full yet. The window between is where early investors make asymmetric returns. Economics are clear. So what’s the single biggest thing holding private capital from nature yet: liquidity, regulation, or something else? 🤔

Denmark has announced it will plant 1 billion trees and convert 10% of its farmland into forests and natural habitats over the next two decades. With a budget of 43 billion kroner / $6.1 billion, the country aims to reduce fertiliser usage, restore low-lying, climate-vulnerable soils, and expand forested areas by 250,000 hectares. This represents the most significant transformation of the Danish landscape in over a century, with numerous economic and environmental benefits. What are the economic benefits? 1. Job Creation: Large-scale reforestation and land restoration projects will generate employment opportunities in sectors like forestry, environmental management, and sustainable agriculture. 2. Sustainable Agriculture: Reducing fertilizer usage promotes environmentally friendly farming practices, which can lower long-term costs for farmers and mitigate environmental degradation. 3. Climate Resilience: Expanded forested areas act as carbon sinks, reducing climate change impacts. Restoring ecosystems can stabilize agricultural yields and decrease the economic toll of climate-related disasters. 4. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Restored habitats improve biodiversity, which enhances essential ecosystem services such as pollination and water purification, benefiting various economic sectors. 5. Tourism and Recreation: New natural landscapes can boost eco-tourism and recreational activities, contributing to local and national economies. What is the impact of reducing farmland on the economy? Denmark’s decision to reduce farmland is a calculated step toward sustainability, offering both immediate and long-term advantages: • Improved Land Use Efficiency: By targeting marginal or low-yield agricultural lands that require excessive inputs, Denmark reduces resource waste and prioritizes areas with higher ecological value. Farmers may adopt innovative technologies like precision agriculture to maximise yields on remaining farmland. • Economic Diversification for Farmers: Financial compensation helps farmers transition into alternative ventures such as eco-tourism, sustainable timber production, or specialty crop farming. This provides more stable and diverse income streams. • Reducing Soil Degradation: Farmland reduction helps restore soil health and fertility, ensuring long-term agricultural productivity while reducing costs associated with soil erosion and nutrient loss. • Climate Change Mitigation: Reforested areas will sequester carbon, contributing to global climate goals and reducing future economic risks tied to climate impacts. • Balancing Global Food Security: By improving agricultural efficiency and focusing on high-value crops, Denmark can contribute to sustainable global food systems without overproducing low-margin commodities. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dZx86iUj #economy #reforestation #restoration #land #sustainable #ecosystem

We’ve obliterated 99% of Britain’s ancient rainforests. The Atlantic temperate rainforest - one of the rarest ecosystems on Earth - once covered vast stretches of the UK. Now, just 1% remains, thanks to centuries of deforestation for timber and agriculture. But what if we could change that with the help of technology? In Cornwall, The Woodland Trust has led a groundbreaking project using drones to sow 75,000 seeds of native trees across inaccessible landscapes - bringing life back to devastated land. If successful, this method could triple rainforest coverage in Devon and Cornwall by 2050. Here's why drones could be game changer for reforestation: 1️⃣ Reach inaccessible areas - steep slopes, remote locations, and fragile ecosystems where human tree-planting is impossible. 2️⃣ Faster and cheaper - a single drone can plant thousands of seeds in hours, covering more ground than a human team in days. 3️⃣ Higher efficiency - this trial aims for a 25% success rate, meaning one in four seeds takes root and grows into a tree, making this a scalable solution. Nature can heal, but only if we take bold, innovative steps to help it. What are your thoughts? Should we embrace more of this tech-driven restoration? Photo credit: Here Now Films