Participant at the GLF Asia Community and Action Assembly 2026. Photo: Jessica Roasa / Global Landscapes Forum
The Global Landscapes Forum calls on restoration practitioners aged 18–35 and local organizations working towards sustainable territories to apply for the 2027 Restoration Stewards program and the GLFx network of chapters. Deadline is 31 July 2026.
Bonn, Germany (19 May 2026) – The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), a leading knowledge-led platform and community on sustainable land use, has launched its 2027 call for applications for the Restoration Stewards program and the GLFx chapter network.
Introduced in 2020, the programs offer global and local visibility, capacity development and funding opportunities, along with the benefits of being part of a global community of peers, mentors and partners. Applications are now open and will be accepted through Friday, 31 July 2026, 23:59 CEST (UTC+2).
“Through the joint annual call for the Restoration Stewards program and the GLFx network, the Global Landscapes Forum seeks to nurture a living community of landscape action rooted in solidarity, mutual learning and long-term stewardship. Together, this community elevates local narratives, mobilizes resources, connects partners and advocates for regenerative practices, recognizing that landscape restoration is not only ecological work, but deeply human work, shaped by the realities communities face and the futures they are striving to build.” – Eirini Sakellari, Youth Program Coordinator, GLF
CALL FOR THE RESTORATION STEWARDS PROGRAM 2027
The Restoration Stewards program, led by the GLF and the Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL), has supported 38 young leaders working with their communities to restore landscapes across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
In 2027, selected applicants and their teams will be supported for one year to further develop their restoration vision, deepen their impact, and become global ambassadors. They will receive EUR 5,000 in trust-based funding, mentorship from global experts, spotlighting, and capacity-strengthening opportunities.
Restoration practitioners aged 18–35 who are leading or part of a youth-led team and working on a holistic ecosystem restoration project with social and ecological considerations are invited to learn more and apply for the Restoration Stewards program 2027 here.
“Being a Restoration Steward means recognizing that the entire landscape and the communities within it are stewards. It showed me how care, respect and solidarity can come together, with people and native ecosystems leading restoration. This program helped strengthen and connect the many hands, paws, wings, roots and seeds it takes to grow a forest.” – Shaik Imran, 2025 Forest Restoration Steward (India).
2027 CALL FOR THE GLFx CHAPTER NETWORK
The GLFx network convenes 62 chapters in 33 countries across the Global South, spanning 400 initiatives and involving thousands of leaders and community members in restoring their landscapes.
The new cohort of chapters joining in 2027 will gain ongoing access to partnerships, expert collaboration, tailored learning, visibility and funding opportunities to help strengthen their organizations’ capacity, agency and credibility.
The network welcomes locally led, inclusive and registered organizations rooted in the Global South such as NGOs, CSOs, research centers and social enterprises that lead landscape restoration and conservation efforts, while addressing interconnected territorial challenges. Learn more and apply for the GLFx network here.
“GLFx is more than a network, it’s a rallying force for passionate restorers, bringing them together to connect, learn from one another and inspire a global wave of landscape restoration that changes lives, ecosystems and the future of our planet.” – Sungeni Makungwa, GLFx Lilongwe chapter coordinator (Malawi)
Left to right, front row: Joel Ngobi, 2025 Forests Restoration Steward (Uganda); Ana Yi Soto, GLFx Network Coordinator; and Lamech Opiyo, 2025 GLF Social Media Ambassador (Kenya) at GLF’s Africa Community and Action Assembly 2025. Photo: Tobias Odhacha / Global Landscapes Forum
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NOTE TO EDITORS
- For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact Kelly Quintero (k.quintero@cifor-icraf.org)
- Download photos of the Restoration Stewards and GLFx members (together: GLF’s Community and Action team) from Flickr: Africa Assembly 2025, Asia Assembly 2026, LAC Assembly 2025
- Download the call visuals from this Trello
- Explore more GLF updates in our media room
ABOUT THE GLF
The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on integrated land use, connecting people with a shared vision to create productive, profitable, equitable and resilient landscapes. It is led by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), in collaboration with its co-founders UNEP and the World Bank, and its charter members. Learn more at www.globallandscapesforum.org.
ABOUT GLFx
GLFx is a network of independently organized, community-oriented and grassroots initiatives transforming their landscapes from the ground up and advocating for policy change. GLFx is designed to accelerate local action toward global landscape restoration by connecting members with the knowledge, tools and networks necessary to achieve lasting and holistic change. GLFx is supported by the German entities the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as the Robert Bosch Stiftung and International Model Forest Network (IMFN) in partnership with the Government of Canada. Learn more at globallandscapesforum.org/about-glfx/.
ABOUT THE RESTORATION STEWARDS PROGRAM
The Restoration Stewards is a youth program rooted in care, landscape leadership, diversity, intersectionality and intergenerational equity. Launched in 2020 by the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) and the Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL), it aims to support the efforts of youth-led teams in holistically restoring their landscapes and seascapes while nurturing biocultural diversity. Learn more at stewards.globallandscapesforum.org.
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