Innovation drives land restoration

Key Concepts

• Global Land Initiative: A UN and G20 initiative to address land degradation.
• Our Land: An organization focused on nature conservation, sustainability, and education, aiming to reconnect people with nature.
• Land Degradation: The deterioration of land quality, impacting ecosystems and human well-being.
• Conservation, Sustainability, Education: The three core pillars of Our Land's approach.
• Drone Piloting: Utilized for filmmaking, community support, mapping, and monitoring in conservation efforts.
• African Drone: A network empowering local drone pilots in Africa through skills development and resource sharing.
• Wetland Restoration: Efforts to revive and protect wetland ecosystems, crucial for water supply and biodiversity.
• Wildlife Corridors: Designated areas allowing safe passage for wildlife, particularly elephants in this context.
• Biophobia vs. Philia: The shift from fear of nature to a love for nature, facilitated by nature-based education.
• Carbon Sequestration: The process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and stored, particularly in peatlands.
• Biodiversity: The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Our Land: Reconnecting People with Nature Through Conservation, Sustainability, and Education

The United Nations, in collaboration with the G20, has launched the Global Land Initiative to combat the critical global challenge of land degradation. This initiative is being brought to life through organizations like Our Land, which focuses on community empowerment, innovation, and new business models to foster nature conservation and reconnect people with the natural world.

Our Land's Mission and Pillars

Our Land operates as a nature and sustainability education center, welcoming both children and adults to learn about nature and sustainable practices. The organization's mission is built upon three core pillars:

1. Conservation: Protecting and preserving natural environments.
2. Sustainability: Promoting practices that ensure the long-term health of ecosystems and human well-being.
3. Education: Fostering understanding and appreciation for nature and its importance.

The organization emphasizes that its work is an effort to "bring people back to nature again."

The Role of Drone Technology and African Drone

Vijgas, a drone pilot with a background in film and technology, explains how drone piloting enhances filmmaking and supports community initiatives. Nashai, a licensed drone pilot and instructor, and Anuanati, a co-founder and CFO of Our Land, highlight the practical applications of drone technology.

A significant challenge in conservation is balancing environmental responsibilities with financial realities. To address this, Our Land partners with organizations like African Drone, a network dedicated to empowering local drone pilots across Africa through skills development, resource sharing, advocacy, and networking.

Alysia, an environmental scientist and senior product manager, describes how Friends of Swamp sought support for mapping their wetland area. African Drone provided a legal and professional drone pilot to conduct aerial mapping, offering an overview of restoration efforts.

Robert Mayer, an environmentalist working on the On Wetland Botanic Gardens project, explains the importance of wetlands as a primary water source for over 60,000 residents in Kikuyu. The project aims to restore the wetland by reintroducing rare, endangered, and near-extinct species to bring back the original ecosystem.

Drone technology is crucial for this restoration. It enables the project to:

• Obtain exact coordinates.
• Identify specific areas requiring restoration.
• Monitor the progress of restoration activities.

African Drone assists in mapping the area and the restoration activities, providing vital data for effective planning and execution.

Addressing Real-World Challenges: Elephant Protection and Urban Impact

The transcript highlights a critical issue: eight elephant-vehicle crashes over the past two years on a major road near Bangkok and Kchanaburi, resulting in eight dead elephants and several severely injured. The primary cause is the lack of visibility at night. Our Land's involvement aims to protect elephants and other animals by establishing a wildlife corridor, providing a safe passage for them to access water. This corridor is a key component of Our Land's vision.

The organization also addresses the negative impacts of urban living on human well-being, such as air impurity, constant noise, and unhealthy food choices. Anuanati shares her personal experience of questioning her corporate career and finding solace and clarity in nature.

Nature-Based Education and Combating Biophobia

Our Land's approach involves providing travelers with nature-based education and direct contact with nature to foster an understanding of its benefits. This includes activities like tree planting with local communities.

The organization is actively working to combat biophobia (fear of nature) and promote biophilia (love for nature), particularly in children. Research suggests that 5-10% of children in developed countries suffer from anxiety disorders, which may be linked to insufficient time spent in nature. Our Land aims to bridge this gap by facilitating immersive nature experiences.

The Journey to Our Land and Future Aspirations

Accessing Our Land is described as a journey, involving a 40-minute river float followed by a walk through the jungle to observe how elephants manage the ecosystem. This immersive experience is designed to foster a deeper connection with nature.

The piece of land owned by Our Land is part of a larger corridor that the organization aims to expand to ensure unimpeded elephant movement. The development of a new superhighway between Bangkok and Kchanaburi poses a threat of environmental destruction due to increased tourism and resort development. Drone technology, supported by African Drone, is vital for gathering high-resolution imagery and creating detailed maps to counter these threats.

The drone's capabilities allow for detailed observation of the ecosystem, including plant growth patterns, diversity, and wildlife. This technology is seen as a powerful tool for protecting vital ecosystems.

The team at Our Land is driven by passion and a deep love for nature, believing that humans are not separate from nature. They cite research suggesting that spending 120 to 140 minutes per week in nature is beneficial, forming the basis of the "Our Land" concept.

Looking ahead, Our Land aims for the wetland to continue its role in combating climate change through carbon sequestration in its peat and organic matter. The establishment of botanic gardens is intended to restore biodiversity. The project aims to provide tangible outcomes such as photos, videos, mosaic maps, and the botanic gardens themselves.