New scientific data platform for restoration is named Earthshot Prize finalist
Between being selected to join global network 1% for the Planet and joining forces with One Tree Planted, it’s been a big year for growing Plant Your Future’s network. And yet, we have another exciting announcement to share…
Plant Your Future is part of the founding network of Restor, an open-access platform that connects people to scientific data, supply chains, funding and each other to increase the scale, impact and sustainability of restoration efforts across the planet.
What’s even more exciting is that Restor has been nominated as a finalist for The Earthshot Prize – the most prestigious global environment prize in history.
The platform, founded by ecologist Dr Thomas Crowther, went live yesterday – Wednesday, 13 October 2021 and you can check-out Plant Your Future’s project sites on the interactive map.
How Restor supports restoration?
Restor has been designed in response to the crucial need for ecosystem restoration in order to protect the Earth’s biodiversity and achieve our climate mitigation goals.
Restoration has the potential to draw down approximately 30% of accumulated global carbon emissions. While protecting and restoring ecosystems is crucial to local economies where people depend on the land for their livelihoods, such as the smallholder farming families who work with Plant Your Future. The goal of Restor is to pair the right data with local knowledge to implement action that will have a real, lasting impact.
On a practical level, Restor enables its network of members to analyse the restoration potential of an area anywhere in the world by providing insights around local plant species, current and potential soil carbon and other variables – including soil PH, annual rainfall and more.
The platform also allows collaboration with others to manage sites together, such as sharing data files , photos and notes. Whether the focus of a project lies in holistic soil management or agroforestry, tree planting or wetland protection, Restor enables its members to work together to make a difference.
What’s The Earthshot Prize?
The Earthshot Prize is the most prestigious global environment prize in history, aiming to incentivise change and help repair our planet over the next ten years.
The Prize was developed by Prince William and a global team of influential individuals from a wide range of sectors, including Sir David Attenborough.
It’s creation was inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot Prize, which united millions of people in the goal to put man on the moon and fast-tracked the development of the technology required to do so.
Prince William’s hope for The Earthshot Prize is that it will transform the current pessimism surrounding our environmental challenges into optimism, highlighting the human ability to bring about change through collective, proactive action.
Restor is a finalist in the Protect & Restore Nature category, the winner of which will be announced in a ceremony screened this Sunday, 17 October on BBC1.
To explore the Restor platform, please visit: https://www.restor.eco/map. To read more about The Earthshot Prize, you can visit: Earthshot Prize
Author: This news up-date was written by Plant Your Future volunteer, Chloe Tonkin. As a Public Relations professional, Chloe supports us with her expert media relations and copywriting services. Read her full bio on LinkedIn