And then it was three
Global: The EarthCollective network clocked up its third year of formal existence today. Whilst the first dinner table meeting in Wageningen, The Netherlands which got the ball rolling does not always seem so long ago, when founding members reflect on all that has happened since, it could also feel like a decade has passed.
“It has certainly been quite a journey so far” reflects co-founder Matthew Zylstra. “A lot has happened in many different ways. If I look back, sometimes I feel less has been achieved in some areas than we would have liked and sometimes much more than we could have ever dreamt of happening. And sometimes simply needing more hands to be able to effectively handle it all! There have also been times when we couldn’t really see what was coming around the next bend and other times when it felt like our vision was crystal clear and we could anticipate everything and anything… So I guess you would say it’s been a pretty eventful time.”
In its short existence……EarthCollective has been successful in catalysing a number of innovative initiatives – eyes4earth, CVNI and PRESENCE. In particular, PRESENCE is active and growing from strength-to-strength as a ‘learning network’ to guide the socio-ecological restoration of landscapes in South Africa. In 2008, EarthCollective established a South African foundation called Living Lands which acts as the official secretariat and coordinating body behind PRESENCE. This opens up possibilities for new avenues of collaboration with South African partners such as WWF-SA and SANBI as well as internationally with the Dutch Ministry for Agriculture, Nature & Food Quality (LNV) and the German Space Agency (DLR).
“Engaging DLR with its state-of-the-art remote sensing techniques enables the mapping and monitoring of important processes happening on-ground. This supports conservation and restoration in a more rapid and reliable way which is critical during these times of apparent and unpredictable climate change” says ecologist and spatial analyst Silvia Weel. “With EarthCollective active in setting up this sort of international collaboration with competent organizations it enables both the local project to flourish through beneficial partnership building and allows EarthCollective to grow into a more diverse and multi-faceted networking organization.”
EarthCollective also anticipates some changes and new directions during its fourth year (2009-2010). “We have recently done some reflection and re-evaluation and targeted a number of areas which will require our focus this year” says Matthew. A number of new initiatives are being developed such as an innovative ‘Ideas Trust’; financing options for marine protected areas in the Pacific ; community-based mapping and environmental education ; and planning for community-driven self sustainability. Through Living Lands and other partners, EarthCollective members will also be involved in hosting a six-week wildlife socio-ecology course for visiting U.S students to South Africa toward the end of 2009.
It looks the EarthCollective team can expect an exciting year of change ahead of them. EarthCollective co-founder Dieter Van den Broeck poetically sums it up with: “Together we’ve climbed mountains and conquered valleys. We shared joy and tears. We’ve been both happy and frustrated but overall it has been a great journey and we’re constantly learning a lot. I really believe that during the last three years we’ve invested a lot in EarthCollective and planted some great seeds. This year we will be able to see more leaves coming out and experience a time where we can enjoy the fruits of our investment.”
Related News
0