Our SUGi Forest Maker Brett Krause grew up on a sawmill in Northern Queensland. Witnessing deforestation and the destruction of habitats, he was inspired to be part of the solution. Upon discovering the Miyawaki Method of creating rapid-growth biodiverse native forests, Brett set about on a mission to restore habitat for endangered species, like the extraordinary Cassowary and the Mahogany Glider.Since 2014, and with our support, he’s been establishing biodiversity corridors in farm-degraded rural areas.In this episode of SUGi Talks, we’ll speak about how he went from growing up on a sawmill witnessing deforestation, to now leading the way on Miyawaki Forest building in Northern Queensland.
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7:56
Red Tape and Roadblocks: Reclaiming Urban Land for Nature in Beirut, Lebanon.
Since the Enlightenment public space has served a pivotal role in the exchange of ideas, the cultivation of national identity, and the integration of communities. In Beirut however, money-hungry privatisation and hostile policies have left much of its public spaces dwindling. In 2019, in a demand for change protestors reclaimed Beirut’s historical public space, Martyrs' Square.During the revolution, environmental architect and one of our first SUGi Forest Makers, Adib Dada was in the 2nd phase of his RiverLESS SUGi Pocket Forest, a project designed to help regenerate the Beirut River, and reclaim it as a public space. After a protest at Martyrs’ Square, he took people directly from the streets and brought them to plant trees on the banks of the Beirut River.
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What is the cost of rapid urbanisation in Amman, Jordan?
Amman, Jordan is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, and the ongoing desertification of the region continues to threaten its resources. Our SUGi Forest Maker Deema Assaf watched her hometown of Amman become almost unrecognisable as urbanisation swept through its landscapes.Understanding the cost of losing so much Nature she trained to become a Forest Maker and in 2018 she planted the first Miyawaki Forest of the Arab world.Focussing on preserving the genetic diversity of Jordan, Deema’s important work has protected some of the country’s most endangered tree species. On this excerpt of SUGi Talks, we speak about Amman’s rapid urbanisation, and the importance of changing mindsets towards Nature
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Restoring an ancient desert forest in Rajasthan.
On this excerpt of SUGi Talks we speak to Gaurav Gurjar. Gaurav is a jungle tree expert at Afforestt and the Director of the Maruvan Foundation in Rajasthan. Over the past few years, Gaurav has been restoring an area of India’s lost desert forest, and with the support of SUGi he’s begun the second 4,000 sqm phase of the project. Living on the land, enduring intense heat and drought, Gaurav has worked tirelessly to harness the elements in order to restore the land, and the results are astonishing. We talk about the power of deep observation, ancestral wisdom, and how as a society we could live in better harmony with Nature to create abundance for all.
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Why we feel better after a walk in a forest? Well — there’s a science to it!
In this episode of SUGi Talks we meet the writer and journalist Lucy Jones. Her book Losing Eden: Why Our Minds Need The Wild explores the powerful ways Nature impacts our lives, and dives deep into the research that explains why we have such a profound connection to the living world..
SUGi is a global platform dedicated to Nature-based solutions. We plant biodiverse Pocket Forests in urban areas and restore native forests for communities around the world. SUGi Talks is a podcast where we explore the powerful stories behind our Pocket Forests, from desert forests in Rajasthan to urban Pocket Forests in Beirut and London. Speaking with our expert Forest Makers, and collaborators, we’ll dig into how exactly we can help cities build biodiversity, climate resilience, and wellbeing.
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