The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
What our research has made clear is that, too often, the stakeholders involved in Nature-based Solutions work in fragmented silos, put ego before eco, and are not ensuring that transformation processes are truly inclusive and well governed. In addition, women, youth, minority groups, and vulnerable communities are among the most affected by climate change and biodiversity loss, but their voices are usually not well represented in the design and implementation of NbS. Therefore, we must move away from traditional leadership towards collective eco-system leadership, and to cocreate inclusive, holistic, and integrated approaches instead of fragmented ones. Above all, we must become aware of our interconnectedness with each other and with the planet and aim for collective impact.
Our solutions
Bioregional Weaving Lab facilitators
- Ashoka is facilitating a global network of social entrepreneurs whose system-changing innovations solve deep-rooted social problems and initiating partnerships for collective impact.
- Commonland is working on large scale, holistic landscape restoration through the 4Returns framework and facilitating multi-stakeholder partnership processes.
- Presencing Insitute is an action research platform, co-creators of innovation labs, delivering capacity building and leadership programs based on an awareness based system change framework, Theory U.
- The Weaving Lab is a global community that is growing the field of ’weaving‘. Through peer-to-peer learning it is deepening its practice, advancing research, and strengthening the community of practitioners
Solutions for nature conservation
- Hoge Kempen National Park (Belgium) is providing a (Re)Connection model for natural ecosystems, increasing socio-economic benefits through eco-tourism while protecting the environment.
- Sea Ranger Service (The Netherlands, UK, Norway) is training unemployed youth to become Sea Rangers to protect the ocean and restore ocean biodiversity at scale.
- Kogayon Association & Vacaresti Natural Park (Romania) is cultivating a citizen-driven functional conservation system for natural heritage and environmentally protected areas to ensure natural prosperity and sustainable development.
Solutions for healthy soils
- Anatolian Grasslands (Turkey, Sweden) is enabling people and the institutions towards the "Age of Regeneration" by using Regenerative Agriculture as the main leverage and through holistic models, tools and hands-on implementation.
- Farming for Nature (Ireland) is recognising, supporting and rewarding farmers for enhancing the natural health of the countryside.
- Herenboeren (The Netherlands) is supporting families in developing self-owned nature-driven cooperative farms.
- Savory Institute is equipping land managers with innovative tools and curricula for holistic management of the land via the establishment of regional hubs.
- Vazapp (Italy) is providing farmers opportunity to exchange experiences, encourage cooperation and disseminate knowledge through organising cultural events.
Solutions for green cities
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Incredible Edible (UK) is inspiring citizens to grow food in public spaces and share it across their communities to enhance active citizenship.
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Bioregional is providing a framework and a process for sustainable living that enables companies, communities, and city-regions to make sustainable living actionable and desirable.
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Klub Gaja (Poland, Iceland, UK) is engaging citizens to take practical actions for the natural environment and animal rights, like planting trees with the community or with schools
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Fundacja Laka (Poland) is facilitating the growth of biodiverse flower meadows in city centers, near roads, and on brownfields to preserve biodiversity.
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GIY (Ireland) is inspiring and enabling a global movement of people who grow their own food at home or in the community to reconnect with nature.
Solutions for data collection & impact measurement
- Drawdown Europe Research Association (DERA), building on the acclaimed Project Drawdown model and framework to guide and facilitate science-based climate action.
- Beeodiversity (Belgium, France, Luxembourg, France, Germany, UK, Bulgaria, Spain, Netherlands, Austria) is redefining the role of bees in our ecosystem through offering an innovative scientific monitoring tool using bees as drones to capture valuable data about the environment.
Interested in journeying along?
Noa Lodeizen
Director, Ashoka Netherlands
Never before has the impact of humanity on Earth been so decisive for planetary well-being and humanity's future as now.
I believe we must now place our resources in education and specifically in growing children's skills in empathy, positive psychology, self-awareness, collaboration, leadership and creativity. Only then will children be able to recognize problems and find solutions to the increasing challenges that they will face during their lifetimes. We really need to rethink the systems we have created, becoming the new system and collaborating to act together.
I found an organization 18 years ago, focusing on vulnerable young people in prison, 'Young in Prison', where I have seen in reality how all children CAN transform. With my initiative, I was rewarded with an Ashoka fellowship and I have since fallen in love with Ashoka's mission: 'everyone a changemaker'.
Karin Müller
Program and operations manager Netherlands
Karin holds a Masters degree in Arts & Culture Sciences. She is an experienced co-founder and executive director with a demonstrated history of working in social and cultural entrepreneurship. Preferred theme: talent development, learning & education.
In partnership with:
Commonland
Commonland is creating a new balance between ecology, economics and hope through building resilient landscapes, restore healthy ecosystems and create regenerative businesses for generations to come.
The Presencing Institute
The Presencing Institute is an awareness-based action-research community for profound individual and institutional renewal.
