BONN, Germany (10 August 2021) – WWF has joined the Restoration Stewards program as a partner for 2022.
Launched in 2020 by the Youth in Landscapes Initiative and Global Landscapes Forum under the Generation Restoration banner, the Restoration Stewards program aims to deepen the impact and highlight the work of young restoration practitioners and their teams to create positive change in their local landscapes.
The year-long program is now accepting applications for its second edition and will select five young restoration professionals and their teams from across the globe to receive funding, mentorship and training to further develop their restoration projects in 2022.
“WWF works closely with coastal communities and small-scale fishers, who have served as traditional stewards of marine and coastal ecosystems throughout history,” said Maria Honig, WWF Accelerating Coastal Community-led Conservation Initiative Leader and Restoration Stewards program mentor.
“Their survival is inextricably linked to the health of these ecosystems. With the effects of climate change already felt around the world, youth can and should be leading advocates for a shift from business-as-usual, to a future where nature is valued and respected for all it contributes to human well-being.”
“I look forward to working with the Restoration Stewards program to help foster young, conscious environmental leaders and be part of that movement for change.”
WWF joins the 2022 partners, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), World Agroforestry (ICRAF) the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO).
“The Restoration Stewards program aims to inspire and sensitize an entire generation of young people who bear a shared responsibility to bring positive change,” said Dr. Rupesh Bhomia, Restoration Stewards mentor and CIFOR scientist whose research focuses on tropical freshwater swamps and coastal systems. “It encourages restoration at the landscape level, engaging with local communities and stakeholders to address challenges through collective and participatory approaches, and it strives to protect human and planetary health and well-being by targeting the most vulnerable ecosystems and offering training, support and opportunities to these highly motivated stewards.”
The Restoration Stewards program is accepting applications for its 2022 edition until 15 August 2021. The selected Restoration Stewards will be announced in November 2021.
For more information, please contact Melissa Angel, GLF Communications Coordinator.
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