„We need the whole ecology of humanity“ – In his new TED talk, Thomas Crowther announces Restor, an open data platform of ecological insights for the global restoration community coming 2021. The project is the result of a collaboration between the Crowther Lab, ETH Zurich and Google. It aims to support the global reforestation community by enabling them to collect data, monitor progress and share new knowledge.
Biodiversity is the key to life on earth and reviving our damaged planet, says ecologist Thomas Crowther. In his TED talk, he shares the inside story of his headline-making research on reforestation, which led to the UN’s viral Trillion Trees Campaign. With Restor, he now wants to help global actors share their efforts.
The platform is built for and with organizations of all sizes that work in the restoration space who are planning, managing and monitoring projects.
It provides access to ecological insights at the site level, like current and potential tree cover, which species of flora could exist, and how much potential carbon could be stored. Furthermore, it enables organizations to upload and monitor data from restoration sites to better track development and impact. New ecological information can then be shared with partners, other restoration organizations, and the public to accelerate learning and progress.
At Fairventures, we are thrilled to be one of over 80 restoration organizations engaging with the Crowther Lab to use and develop the science powering Restor. We are looking forward to the launch in 2021.