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What are nature-based climate solutions (NbCS)? Nature-based climate solutions include a range of activities which help the natural world return to doing what it does best - reaching stability and balance.

Healthy ecosystems, which are diverse and complex networks of living things including plants and animals, naturally capture and store carbon dioxide (the main driver of global climate change, which humans release through industrialized activities). Some researchers estimate that nature-based solutions, which help restore healthy ecosystems, can boost progress towards addressing climate change by up to 30%.

Strong ecosystems can also help lessen the impact of climate change on our communities by providing important buffers to storms and flooding, and fostering cooler temperatures. In this way, nature-based climate solutions are both a tool for mitigation and adaptation to climate change, as well as for protecting human health and well-being, supporting clean air and water, and strengthening local economies.

It’s important to recognize that this emerging field of “nature-based climate solutions” is just catching-up with Indigenous Knowledge & Traditional Ecological Knowledge that has been active for millennia and passed down through generations.

Read about why nature-based solutions are the “missing link” in solving the climate crisis from the City of Boulder’s own Brett Kencairn.

Interactive Resources

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    Nature Based Solutions Evidence Platform

    An interactive map from the University of Oxford linking nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation outcomes based on a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature.

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    Accelerating Nature-Based Climate Action Modules

    A free course which guides communities through the development of locally customized urban nature-based climate strategies in specific climate risk + nature-based solution pairings from the Center for Regenerative Solutions.

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    Cities with Nature Tools & Resources

    An organized library of resources for cities and communities related to integrating nature for human wellbeing and disaster risk reduction.

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    Urban Nature Atlas

    An interactive platform showcasing more than 1000 inspiring nature-based solutions from urban environments around the world

Quick Videos

A photo of a woman holding plants in a prayerful gesture.

Watch Now: Tending the Wild

This free 1-hour documentary shines light on the environmental knowledge of Indigenous peoples across California by exploring how they have actively shaped and tended the land for millennia, developing a deep understanding of plant and animal life. Examine humans’ balance with nature and see how traditional practices can inspire a new generation to be ecological stewards.

Poster for "My Garden of a Thousand Bees" film

Watch Now: My Garden of a Thousand Bees

Experience this story of surprise and revelation as a wildlife filmmaker spends his time during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown filming the bees in his urban garden and discovers the many diverse species and personalities that exist in this insect family (53 minutes).

grass with roots. words say "state of change, natural solutions"

Watch Now: State of Change: Natural Solutions

Carbon is the building block of all life on Earth. But excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is changing the planet’s climate. Natural solutions are being used across North Carolina to help pull this excess carbon out of the air and store it underground.

Tending Nature Series shows man fishing in ocean from a distance

Watch Now: Tending Nature (Series)

"Tending Nature" shines a light on the environmental knowledge of Indigenous peoples across California by exploring how the state's Native peoples have actively shaped and tended the land for millennia. The series examines how traditional practices can inspire a new generation of Californians to find a balance between humans and nature. Traveling across the state, the series allows viewers to hear first-hand from Native communities engaged in contemporary projects that revive their culture and inform western sciences. Produced in partnership with the Autry Museum of the American West, a collaboration that began with the award-winning documentary "Tending the Wild."