Our Path to Rewilding the Planet

We've planted hundreds of
thousand of trees

since we started Mossy Earth in 2017

All of them native and all of them planted

to support wilderness

However, early on we felt something
was missing

Trees are not the only part
of a wild ecosystem

Our experience on the ground
taught us that

there are other ideas worth persuing

Ideas that are the key to unlocking

the true potential of wilderness
restoration

We call them 'Rewilding Projects'

Hi everyone! I'm Duarte, one of the
co-founders of Mossy Earth

and in this video, I want to tell you
about the three ways

through which we are making an impact

with our Rewilding Projects

If you're new here, and you're not yet
a Mossy Earth member,

this is a space where we explore ideas
and solutions

that help fight climate change

and stop the loss of biodiversity

We are more than just talk though

We are all about underground action

by implementing the strangest
and most exciting ideas

through our membership and our
underground Rewilding Projects

If that sounds interesting to you

please consider subscribing and
becoming a member

Now, let's get into it

'Rewilding'

We use the term to describe all
interventions

which aim to make our planet
wilder

Which we believe makes them the
ultimate bang for your buck

when it comes to restoring nature

We have three different types of
projects we are working on

Through our Climate Heroes program

we support species and ecosystems

that play a big role in climate change,
mitigation and adaptation

This includes setting up trials

to bring back kelp forest
on the ocean floor

where they will capture large
amounts of carbon

and provide habitat for threatened
marine life

Or building an endangered plant nursery
in the desert

to support the return of native trees

Crucially, also grasses and succulents

helping make the landscape
more resilient

to climate change

And, in one of our newest projects,

supporting the research and restoration
of termite mounds

as they help create an oasis of life

and fight desertification

There's so much more to climate change

than just carbon capture with trees

Through these projects we're able to

not only capture carbon but also build
habitat resilience

And, ultimately, help wildlife cope

with the tougher conditions that
climate change will bring

Through our Keystone Species program

we support species that have a cascanding

positive impact on the ecosystem

The classic example of this are the wolves
of Yellowstone

that after they were reintroduced

changed the browsing behavior of the deer

Which in turn allowed for the return
of riparian forests

and, eventually, changed the course
of the rivers themselves

We are currently focusing on

supporting sea otter populations
in California

because they hunt sea urchins and

help keep the seafloor healthy

And also vultures In Portugal and
Namibia

because they help rid the ecosystem of
dangerous diseases

and keep wildlife populations healthy

These types of projects allow us to

pick the species that help keep
the whole ecosystem in balance

and will ultimately act as a multiplier
for our impact

And, finally, our Ugly Ones program

Aimed at supporting less charismatic
species or ecosystems

that are endangered but receive
less attention and funding

because they are not a fluffy panda

or a cute looking lynx

This one is my favorite because

all wildlife is precious, regardless
of their species

In fact, the stranger and the more unique
the better

as far as I'm concerned

If after all this disastrous change

we are only left with a few
cuddly animals

I would be absolutely gutted

Our projects here include cleaning up
cave ecosystems

that are home to all kinds of
unique animals

such as the Olm and the Croatian Dace

Or supporting a tiny, boring looking
species of snail

that lives in one cliff on a
deserted island

but faces extinction due to changing
conditions

These and some of the other animals
with a bad reputation

such as the vultures and the termites,

that I mentioned before,

all face really serious threats

but are actually quite under funded

when it comes to their protection

So I think by supporting these species

we're making a really big impact

So, what are the next steps in
Mossy Earth's journey?

We have been doing rewilding projects
since 2018 now

And after having done a lot of thinking

and having had many feedback calls
with our members

We're now confident that this is the
main direction for Mossy Earth

Don't worry, we're never stopping our
tree planting efforts

Reforestation is a great tool

to help provide habitat for wildlife

and also, of course, you know,

to store carbon from
the atmosphere

But what we mean to say
by this is that

we'll be spending more and more
of our time

and also our research efforts

into rewilding projects

So, from now on, if you're a Mossy Earth
member

you can expect to fund a rewilding project

every single month

To track all this wonderful impact

you can head over to your account

In the impact section, you can see
all the projects

that you've helped get off the ground

Where they are and what they are all about

In the update section, you can expect
to find weekly updates

on how our projects are progressing

and the new ideas we're thinking
of implementing

As usual, please leave us any feedback
you might have

in the comments bellow

If you've never heard of us before

please go check out Mossy Earth

consider becoming a member

And if you're a member and stumbling
upon our Youtube channel

for the first time, check out this video

about whales and how they help fight
climate change

I think it's a really interesting story

and the perfect example of why
rewilding projects matter

Until next time, cheers!