About Us
Through large-scale restoration and rewilding, NATURAL STATE secures biodiversity, sequesters and stores carbon, and helps achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
CHALLENGE
Intact natural habitats are critical for our survival along with the 10 million species with which we share the planet. Yet we have now degraded 75% of the world’s natural ecosystems, and with business as usual, it is estimated that this will increase to 95% by 2050. To avoid the greatest climate and extinction crises in human history, we must halt habitat destruction and rapidly accelerate restoration and rewilding efforts globally.
We believe the three greatest barriers to achieving restoration and rewilding at scale, particularly in the Global South, are lack of baseline data, insufficient funding and the skills needed to deliver high-quality projects.
SOLUTIONS
Technology for Impact Monitoring
NATURAL STATE is developing easy-to-use impact monitoring technology and systems, capable of measuring trends in biodiversity, carbon, and social indicators across biomes. With the latest technology, such as acoustic sensors and drones, combined with our impact monitoring platform (Kutuma and uKweli), we can generate robust and cost-effective site-level data rapidly. This information is essential for assessing the success or failure of restoration interventions and foundational to any reliable financial mechanisms for nature. Trustworthy data and the ability to confidently measure change through time will help unlock billions of dollars for nature.
Leadership
To foster leadership and build capacity, we are developing training courses that will be offered online and in countries with major potential for restoration, but few opportunities to develop the relevant skills. The first training centre will be in Laikipia, Kenya. The courses will enable us to share best practices in restoration and regenerative agriculture, as well as the impact monitoring systems and financial mechanisms needed to scale these activities. We will also offer additional content ranging from project management and implementation to launching your restoration or regenerative agriculture enterprise. We aim to recruit 60% or more female trainees. In addition, we will host The Indigenous Knowledge Centre for Restoration and Climate Resilience which provides local community members a venue to share traditional approaches for restoration and develop and trial climate resiliency strategies and interventions.
Nature Financing
The data from our impact monitoring systems underpin a range of innovative financial mechanisms that reward projects for restoring nature, sequestering carbon, and providing benefits to local communities. With our partners, we are testing our first three financial mechanisms including an Integrated Carbon and Biodiversity Credit, Rewilding Credit, and Single Species/Custodian Credit. Our technology and systems will lead to a proliferation of financial mechanisms that will soon surpass carbon credits and become the greatest source of funding for nature and local communities.
Getting to Scale
NATURAL STATE is currently focused on testing the Impact Monitoring Platform (uKweli) in Savannah systems. Once we have demonstrated the impact of our monitoring technology and uKweli, combined with new financing mechanisms, we will expand into new biomes and systems – opening new opportunities for investing in nature. We will initially focus on forests, drylands, wetlands, mangroves and seagrass. As much of the earth’s surface has been converted to agriculture, we will also use our technology and financial mechanisms to measure and incentivise the transition to regenerative agriculture. As we expand into new biomes and systems, we will also grow our educational offering to ensure the capacity exists to develop and implement large-scale restoration projects.