A Global Reforestation Network

Ecoculture develops landscape restoration projects that promote a culture of conservation. The core of our process is scaling up landscape restoration in cooperation with local communities to achieve meaningful ecological and social benefits. In doing so, we develop regional networks that incubate green jobs and entrepreneurs, educational programs that foster the next generation of environmental thinkers and doers, and design new technologies that increase restoration effectiveness. Driven by broad community participation, our approach creates economic synergies and strengthens long-term sustainability of our projects.

Why Network?

We build regional interdisciplinary networks to drive new partnerships, create entrepreneurial growth, and create large-scale visions for regional land management. Through this, we hit our two key targets: restoring landscapes and inviting community participation. Components of thriving networks include addressing the values of the seven scaling principles: logistical, ecological, economic, scientific, social, cultural, and interactional.

Logistical

Scaling capacity for reforestation through design of improved workflow systems. We have planted over six million trees and we facilitate the planting of millions more through our network of over 200 partner NGOs.

Ecological

Our goal is to rebuild biodiversity for sustained abundance during climate change. We work with communities on citizen science engagement to guide adaptive management.

Economic

Working with foundations, grant-makers, governments and carbon investors to build restoration capacity across our networks. We work to create green-jobs and test new cottage industry entrepreneurship.

Scientific

We are leading research to improve restoration effectiveness for ecological and social goals. Genetics for future climates, social factors that catalyze innovation, multi-functionality.

Social

Working with schools and community groups, leading restoration training programs, and developing intern programs.

Cultural

Promoting development of a restoration culture through shared expression of our values towards nature.

Interactional

Sharing stories, values, insights, and technology among our partners through art, writing, video, exhibits, and social media. We believe that we can be stronger as networks.

From the US to the Globe

Building Global Capacity

We got our start leading small reforestation projects in the Southwestern United States testing genetic variation in plant tolerance to global warming. These projects ranged from 4,000 to 20,000 trees per site. We implemented over 100 projects in the Southwest and gained an appreciation of the logistic and technical efficiency needed to plant thousands of trees per day while maintaining scientific rigor. 

Through an understanding of the social, technological, and economic approaches needed for large-scale reforestation, we started a process of vetting projects across the globe via US State Department and Forest Service International grants. This led to the development of several reforestation projects in multiple countries, increased transfer of technology, and the organic formulation of several regional networks embedded in a global network. 

Now, we see the network  as a vast opportunity to share among our partners – to re-evaluate cultural identities in relationship to nature, contribute to creation of a citizenry that is resilient and participatory, while continuing efforts to heal degraded landscapes.

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TREES PLANTED
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Youth Engaged
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Volunteers
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Countries Vetted

Network Portfolio

Networks we are currently building