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In 1989 Harvard University Press published the book _A Forest Journey, a history of human civilizations from the Sumerians to the present _revealing that without vast supplies of wood from forests, the great civilizations of Sumer, Assyria, Egypt, Crete, Greece, Rome, the Islamic World, Western Europe, and North America would never have emerged. Never. The book was recognized as a Harvard Classic in Science and World History and listed as one of the university’s One Hundred Great Books. Its author, John Perlin, continued his research and field work over the next 25 years and when asked by Patagonia to update the book in light of the escalating climate crisis, he was well prepared to do so. Biodiversity for a Livable Climate and GBH Forum Network are honored to present John Perlin and his book _A Forest Journey: The Role of Trees in the Fate of Civilization_. The 2023 edition of the book concludes with two new chapters on the importance of mature and old-growth forests for our survival. The ability of trees to remove co2 from the atmosphere and sequester it safely in soils and roots is now well known. But the role of trees in keeping the Earth temperate by emitting water into the atmosphere, reducing heat and supplying rain to distant areas cannot be underestimated in a world where drought and warming increase exponentially. John Perlin reminds us, “_Humanity needs trees more than ever before. But this time intact._” ### Resources [Link to John Perlin's book](https://aforestjourney.com/) [Review of the book in LA Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2023-02-10/forgotten-classic-a-forest-journey-by-john-perlin-reissued-by-patagonia) [Chapter Summaries](https://www.patagonia.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-PatagoniaShared/default/dw297d2869/slots/RMA/PATA_AForestJourney-Summary-010923.pdf)

Steve Hawley, author of _CRACKED: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Chaotic World_, will explore the ramifications of the extraordinary dam building boom of the last century that culminated in 800,000 dams worldwide today. What impact are they having on biodiversity loss, heat buildup and aridification of the land? He is joined in conversation by author and essayist David James Duncan and Beth Lambert, Director of the Division of Ecological Restoration in Massachusetts. ### Resources [Link to "Cracked"- Steve Hawley's book](https://flylordsmag.com/patagonia-cracked-book/) [Link to Steve Hawley's film on Salmon and dams ]() [Massachusetts Dam Removals](https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/massachusetts/stories-in-massachusetts/mill-river-restoration/) [American Rivers Dam Removal Map](https://www.americanrivers.org/threats-solutions/restoring-damaged-rivers/dam-removal-map/) [Edwards Dam](https://www.nrcm.org/programs/waters/kennebec-restoration/history-edwards-dam/) [Methane Emissions from Reservoirs](https://news.wsu.edu/news/2022/09/19/methane-emissions-from-reservoirs-are-increasing/) [Fluvial (River) Personhood](https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/11/asia/whanganui-river-new-zealand-intl-hnk-dst/index.html) [About the Snake River](https://www.columbiariverkeeper.org/take-action/snake-river) [Article on indigenous people and their fight to save the lower Snake river](https://www.tu.org/press-releases/nez-perce-lead-the-way-for-lower-snake-river-dam-energy-replacement/) [Three GorgesDam in China](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/chinas-three-gorges-dam-disaster/) [About Glen Canyon Dam](https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-02-18/federal-officials-consider-overhauling-glen-canyon-dam) [Film by Patagonia about removing dams](https://youtu.be/laTIbNVDQN8)

While the last few tumultuous years have heightened uncertainties about our food supplies, there’s some good news coming out of the regenerative agriculture movement. Regenerative practices restore degraded land, increase soil productivity, sequester carbon and store water. Because protein is needed by people of all ages, and a decrease in protein could exacerbate health problems among the poor and especially in children, access to a consistent supply of healthy meat is important. This presentation outlines proven, science- based practices for producing grass-fed beef that can be adapted to climatic conditions anywhere in the US. Widespread adoption of regenerative grazing of beef cattle can shorten supply chains and make every region of the country more resilient to shocks to the food system, such as pandemics, fire, ransomware attacks, war and extreme weather events. Instead of the current centralized beef-production system, whereby a number of states in the Corn Belt are largely devoted to growing grain that is trucked long distances to feedlots, we can raise and fatten healthy beef cattle region by region, entirely on grass and forage, with no grain. We will describe the principles and benefits of regenerative grazing, and offer a model that farmers and ranchers all around the US can adopt in order to supply healthy, 100% grass-fed beef to nearby communities: stores, restaurants, CSAs, and institutions. This talk is part of the series "Life Saves the Planet" produced with Biodiversity for a Livable Climate. ### Resources [Link to the book Lynne and Ridge co-authored ](https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/grass-fed-beef-for-a-post-pandemic-world/) [2 Simple Maps That Reveal How American Agriculture Actually Works - Huffpost.com ](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/largest-crop-each-state_n_6488930) [Regenerative grazing triples biomass production ](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479722001499?via%3Dihub) [Health-Promoting Phytonutrients Are Higher in Grass-Fed Meat and Milk](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.555426/full) [Chris Gill, “Desert Grasslands Restoration: Manejo Holistico in Chihuahua–Las Damas Ranch,” June 15, 2015, Pitchstone Waters, ](https://pitchstonewaters.com/manejo-holistico-in-chihuahua-las-damas-ranch/) [https://pitchstonewaters.com/manejo-holistico-in-chihuahua-las-damas-ranch/.](https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.71.2.156) [Jennifer Hayden, “Cattle Are Part of the Climate Solution: A Conversation with Rangeland Ecologist Richard Teague, PhD, Analyzing the Role that Adaptive Multi-Paddock Cattle Grazing Plays in Sequestering Carbon,” Rodale Institute, August 28, 2020,](https://rodaleinstitute.org/blog/cattle-are-part-of-the-climate-solution/) [Peter Bruce-Iri, “Methane Sources, Sinks, and Uncertainties,” Research Gate, Technical Report, October 2021](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355789160_METHANE_Sources_Sinks_and_Uncertainties?channel=doi&linkId=617e29f20be8ec17a9505975&showFulltext=true)

Most people believe that nature is characterized by competition and conflict—red in tooth and claw, as the poet Tennyson said. But recent science suggests that cooperative relationships among living things have both shaped the world around us and knit ecosystems together. How can we uphold these cooperative relationships and become a cooperative partner with the rest of life? Join us with Biodiversity for a Livable Climate as we host Kristin Ohlson, a Portland, OR, writer and author of _Sweet in Tooth and Claw: Stories of Cooperation and Generosity in Nature_ and _The Soil Will Save Us_. Kristin is joined in conversation by ecosystem restoration specialist Jim Laurie.

Join Jess Alvarez-Parfrey, Nathan Lou, and William Wildcat (Coakí) for an exploration of ancestral connections, and transformative opportunities to nurture a truly regenerative, just, joyful, and climate resilient future. Bringing together diverse cultural backgrounds, skills, and experiences, our panel of practitioners will share their story, and explore the theme of “regeneration” as it relates to our connection to place, purpose, and community. In a time of multiple converging and complex crises, a rising generation of change-makers are reclaiming connections to ancestral wisdoms and the critical skills needed to feed, heal, and nurture their communities. The panel will also delve into a powerful discussion around Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), “work”, “citizen science”, and share their visions for regenerative bioregional cultures and economies of care.

Droughts and flash floods are becoming a new normal in our warming world. What changed ? Our landscapes are losing water as people alter the environment, cut trees, drain wetlands, and use chemicals that destroy the soil. And we’re feeling the heat. By learning from nature we can improve the climate where we live. We can learn from plants and trees which provide air conditioning for the Earth. They help drive the water cycle, tame damaging wind and rain storms and even address giant heat islands over the Midwest and forest fires. Climate scientists Anastassia Makarieva and Andrei Nefiodov (Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute) and botanist Jan Pokorny (co-author of the New Water Paradigm) will discuss these issues and answer audience questions on October 21 at 12:15 pm ET. Hart Hagan, regenerative podcaster, will be the Moderator. Anastassia Makarieva, Andrei Nefiodov and Jan Pokorny are instrumental in advocating for land management policy changes. Ms. Makarieva is a senior analyst at Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute and a fellow at the Technical University of Munich. Her work co-developing the Biotic Pump theory of atmospheric moisture transfer is of singular importance. Jan Pokorný is a leading researcher on solar energy conversion and photosynthesis, founder of Enki NGO, and co-author of the book New Water Paradigm. They have both published numerous papers in peer-reviewed publications. This event is co-hosted by Biodiversity for a Livable Climate and GBH Forum Network. Voices of Water for Climate, a program of Biodiversity for a Livable Climate, co-organized the event. ### Resources [ERASMUS project Education for Plant Literacy](https://planteducation.eu/) [Biotic Regulation](https://bioticregulation.ru) [Home page for Voices of water at Biodiversity for a livable climate ](https://bio4climate.org/voices-of-water/) Photo credit: Dan Meyers, Unsplash

**Wednesday, August 17 - 6pm EST.** Tony Rinaudo is an Australian agronomist, who is widely known as the “forest maker.” Having lived and worked in African countries for many decades, he has discovered and put in practice a solution to the extreme deforestation and desertification of the Sahel region. Using an elegantly simple set of management practices, farmers can grow new trees quickly by utilizing the root systems beneath existing tree stumps. He will describe the path to this solution to land degradation and the history, development and impact of the global movement called Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration. The work he began in Niger in 1983 has now been linked to the regrowth of 200 million trees on five million hectares of degraded farmland in Niger alone. More than an effective, low cost, rapid and scalable method of land and environmental restoration, FMNR is restoring livelihoods and food security across tens of thousands of communities and in the process, restoring hope. Environmental journalist Judith D. Schwartz will be moderator for the event and will join Tony in conversation. ### Resources Videos on YT about the FMNR [Trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltyAaebpyTg&t=142s) [Volker’s FMNR learning video 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7aOkCs1PuE) [FMNR - Everything is connected](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-terQL6RO0) [FMNR - Tony Rinaudo: "The Niger I came to"](https://youtu.be/afjVaehQRxg) [E. Timor FMNR](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDjCKkdIBRM) [Senegal FMNR, WV France, video made by Laureline Savoye](https://www.lemonde.fr/videos/article/2020/03/02/plan-b-reboiser-sans-planter-d-arbres-c-est-possible_6031523_1669088.html) [Reports, blogs, Projects, Resources (including an FMNR Manual) can be found here](https://fmnrhub.com.au/) [Information on where to obtain “The Forest Underground”](https://iscast.org/TFU/)

Drought warnings in Massachusetts are a stark reminder that we are part of a global climate system where warming trends are accelerating. Is there something we can learn from adding a global lens to our local and regional mitigation efforts? Danielle Dolan, Deputy Director of the Mass Rivers Alliance, and Beth Lambert, Director of the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, will join Slovakian hydrologist and Goldman Environmental Prize winner Michal Kravcik in conversations about our connection to the global water crisis. Dr. Kravcik will introduce the new water paradigm, which explains the role of small water cycles and the importance of restoring them in urban, agricultural and forest settings to prevent drought and floods, and to cool the planet. **Resources** [United Nations Environment Program: Foresight Brief](https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/36619/FB025.pdf?mibextid=onnTyB&fs=e&s=cl&fbclid=IwAR1Fba0-vIPYTWyP_pwMI9NhSeAgf-MmI3z6JQI0TJg2d2LJlG5rzCFGO6Q) [Explore your rivers](https://www.massriversalliance.org/explore-your-rivers) [Drought Fact Sheet](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xb2SC4TeUGPFGsc_9hbUQcYYr9x4GjZB/view)

What can hold more than 500 species, sequester more than 500 lbs. CO2/year, be 10F cooler than its surroundings, soak up lots of rainwater,and be made by and for children in a space no bigger than a tennis court? A "mini-forest" planted using the Miyawaki Method, of course! Biodiversity for a Livable Climate hosts Miyawaki-Method advocates Hannah Lewis (Bio4Climate Compendium editor) and Daan Bleichrodt (The Netherlands' Tiny Forest initiative leader), as they talk about mini-/tiny-forests and their role in climate resilience, urban beautification, and connecting all of us to nature. Dave Morimoto, Professor of Biology and Chair of Natural Science and Mathematics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Lesley University will moderate the discussion. Hannah’s new book, “Mini-Forest Revolution” will be published by Chelsea Green on June 9, 2022. ### Resources [Article from The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/13/fast-growing-mini-forests-spring-up-in-europe-to-aid-climate) [Daan Bleichrodt and Global Earth Repair Foundation](https://globalearthrepairfoundation.org/daan-bleichrodt/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=daan-bleichrodt) [Tiny Forests - Netherlands](https://www.ivn.nl/tinyforest/tiny-forest-worldwide/countries/the-netherlands) [Compendium of Scientific and Practical Findings Supporting Eco-Restoration to Address Global Warming.](https://bio4climate.org/compendium/) [The mini forest in Danehy Park - North Cambridge](https://bio4climate.org/miyawaki-forest/)

The Amazon Rainforest is known as the "lungs of the earth" because it draws in carbon dioxide and breathes out oxygen. But it is also the biological heart of the planet's hydroclimate system, the planet's rain making machine. We have lost almost 20 % of the forest and are close to reaching a tipping point where it will turn to grassland. What will that mean for us, and how can we prevent the dieback? We can calm the weather and cool the planet within one generation by protecting and reforesting the rainforests of the planet and reshaping food production in those areas from open canopy monocultures to largely closed canopy forms of agroforestry/permaculture. This massive regeneration process restores the disrupted water cycle on a micro and macro level, restores degraded soils and dampens the destructive effects of extreme weather events. If the world embraces this regenerative work at the scale and speed of the challenge, we can avert a climate catastrophe and the collapse of biodiversity while massively improving food-security, substantially reducing poverty and meeting most of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Jon Schull, co-founder of the EcoRestoration Alliance will moderate a discussion with panelists Rob de Laet, co-founder of the World Climate School and Atossa Soltani, founder of Amazon Watch and director Global Strategy for Amazon Sacred Headwaters Initiative. Our speakers will show us how massive regeneration can restore disrupted water cycles and degraded soils and moderate the destructive effects of extreme weather events. A full holistic way to support forest economies that don't rely on cutting down trees and paradoxically killing the forests is possible. This program is hosted by the GBH Forum Network and its partner organization, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate.