The welfare of the environment is at the forefront of our minds as we learn more about the devastating impact that climate change continues to inflict upon us. Today (JUNE 5TH) is World Environment Day, the official day to step up for the good of our planet.
The United Nations set June 5th as the date when all countries should focus their attention on protecting and repairing the earth, as damage and destruction continues to take its toll.
Globally hosted by Pakistan, this year’s theme is Ecosystem Restoration, which looks at every aspect of reversing degradation to support all life on earth, from greening cities and growing trees to cleaning up polluted coastlines and changing diets.
The date coincides with the launch of the UN’s Decade on Ecosystem Restoration which is a universal call for the protection and revival of ecosystems around the world to revive them for the benefit of everyone worldwide.
Healthy ecosystems can heal the planet by helping to fight against climate change, enhance people’s livelihoods and prevent vital biodiversity from disintegrating. The UN Decade runs from now until 2030, the same year as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) deadline and the timeline identified by scientists as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change.
Expert panels and high-level speakers will join forces at numerous events around the globe to emphasize the action that needs to be taken and we are all one click away from being involved. Some events run before and after June 5th but we’ve had a look at some running on the official date.
Five World Environment Day events worth signing up for:
1. The Rewilding Generation: How to Build Urban Biodiversity & Resilience
Sat Jun 5th 11:00am - 11:45am (BST).
SUGi (the activation platform and culture hub of The Rewilding Generation) forests are unique with their ability to clean the air, water and soil.
The forest makers build patches of natural, ultra-dense, biodiverse forests in various sizes in highly visible urban corridors. The SUGi forests (named after a popular tree in Japan) capture 16 times the amount of carbon and become fully self-sustaining and maintenance-free within two years.
This online event enables you to meet members of the global forest makers network to see how they are transforming abandoned sites, landfills, parking lots and waterways into perfect habitats for birds to nest, to grow fruit and for fresh air to circulate.
Online Event Location: Register now
2. Launch of Registration for United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) E-Learning Course on Ecosystem Restoration
Sat Jun 5th 3:00pm - 3:45pm (BST).
Sign up for a free e-learning course, to be premiered this autumn, on land-based ecosystem restoration.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are offering the course which will provide technical resources, tools, expert considerations and case studies.
Research will be compiled from experts and leading institutions engaged in ecosystem restoration to raise awareness and build ecosystem restoration capacity. The knowledge gained will be based on the activities of the Short-Term Action Plan on Ecosystem Restoration (STAPER).
The course is supported by the EU and the Korea Forest Service of the Government of the Republic of Korea, through the Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (FERI).
Online Event Location: Register now
3.50 Years of Ecosystem Restoration in UNESCO Designated Sites and Networks
Sat Jun 5th 12:00pm- 12:45pm (BST).
UNESCO’s approach for the UN’s Decade on Ecosystem Restoration will be highlighted at this event. It will provide information on UNESCO’s current and future contribution to ecosystem restoration effort worldwide.
The UN agency strives to make progress in sustainability by changing mindsets. It also provides solutions to the global challenges of terrestrial, coastal and marine biodiversity loss, while engaging with human culture, education and values.
The agency recommends conserving biodiversity beyond protected areas: humanity needs to be more ambitious in reconciling humans with nature, for now and for future generations.
During the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration, UNESCO is focused on partnerships, diverse stakeholder engagement and working towards greater intergenerational cooperation.
Online Event Location: Register now
4.Going Beyond Trees: Redefining the Popular Unit for Ecosystem Restoration
Sat Jun 5th 6:00pm- 6:45pm (BST)
Two organisations, Greenpop and Ecosystem Restoration Camps, are co-running this event which discusses other methods of boosting ecosystems, rather than just focusing on planting trees. They believe that despite being tree lovers, planting should not be the only measure of ecosystem restoration.
Many ambitious tree-planting campaigns have been launched in the run-up to the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration but there are many things to consider, from the cost price of seedlings to maintenance.
As a result, most campaigns are unable to contribute to community-based ecosystem restoration and local communities undertaking smaller projects can be excluded, as the campaigns focus on larger landscapes.
This event will talk about what it takes to have a successful, community-based restoration project and look beyond ‘just trees’.
Online Event Location: Join the YouTube livestream
5.A New Hub for the Global Restoration Movement
Sat Jun 5th 4:00pm- 4:45pm(BST)
Sign up to watch the first public demonstration of Restor, a new science-based open data platform that will boost engagement in the global restoration movement.
Through the power of science, data and local knowledge, Restor connects you to your land footprint and to those restoring the earth’s ecosystems.
The easy-to-use platform was founded by the Crowther Lab, a global ecological research group at ETH Zürich, and co-developed with Google.
Restor equips people with the most up-to-date scientific knowledge about their local ecosystem, enabling them to find and connect to restoration projects.
The platform improves the scientific understanding of global ecological processes and the social and environmental factors that contribute to a successful restoration via data exchange, feedback and machine learning.
Online Event Location: Join the Zoom meeting
