Amidst the fast-evolving environmental challenges, biodiversity loss, climate change and plastic pollution, the opportune moment to protect and inspire our action for the triple crises (climate, biodiversity and air pollution) has never made more significance than it does right now.
Intact and restored ecosystems provide a wide-array of socio-economic benefits, such as ecosystem services and functions that play a highly crucial role in the daily sustenance of livelihoods especially for communities around them. Among other benefits and deeper connections may go as far as aesthetic, to cultural pillars of several societies around the globe (totems, myths).
Whilst the stories that underpin human interactions with nature still remains largely complex, Earth Day comes through as a reminder for us to explicitly understand, listen to the earth, our natural environments, and protect and conserve the wonders of our world.
Invest in our planet
During this Earth month (day), we are reminded about the need to invest in our planet, acknowledging the role of each and everyone- through their actions to protect and tell the stories that inspire the unique yet intimate connections with the Earth. The official theme of Earth Day 2023 reflects how the individual action we carry out in our local communities can help minimise the harm caused to the planet through sustainable consumption patterns, business and investment cases centred around nature.
Photo: JN Pictures
This Earth Day, we draw the spotlight to a 2-day ecosystem restoration engagement we co-led alongside Asili Kwanza Uganda, One Tree Planted, Rural Water Initiative for Climate Action (RWICA), GAYO Uganda, the Bethany Land Institute and Earthday at Lazarus forest Nandere, a rural forest community in Uganda. This event came through as a showcase of the relevance of restoring degraded ecosystems for its associated benefits to local communities within the landscape. With over 60 participating members both from the community and outside, we delved into a robust learning space around a night campfire to understand the relevance of ecosystem restoration and the need to support and promote community-led practices for intact ecosystems. Along with community members, we engaged in a restoration exercise that saw the planting of over 4,000 indigenous seedlings of trees in the degraded parts of the forest ecosystem.
Catch-up with a highlight of the event and a call-to action for all to recognise, acknowledge and contribute to actions that protect and invest in the earth in pursuit of a sustainable yet liveable planet for all.