New Vision for Earth Film Festival 2025: FORESTS POP-UP!
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Event Category: GLF Event
2026 Restoration Stewards Program & GLFx Chapters
2026 RESTORATION STEWARDS PROGRAM & GLFx CHAPTER NETWORK
JOIN A GROWING RESTORATION COMMUNITY
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The climate crisis is already ravaging landscapes and livelihoods, but it’s not too late to act: all across the globe, people are fighting back by restoring ecosystems and working with local communities to adapt.
To support those efforts, we’re opening applications for the 2026 Restoration Stewards program and new GLFx chapters. If you’re a young restoration practitioner or a community-based organization and you’d like to scale up, deep or out the impact of your landscape projects, this opportunity is for you!
Apply by Sunday, 29 June, 2025, 23:59 CEST (UTC+2)
2026 Restoration Stewards Program
Are you a young restoration practitioner ready to scale your project?
Apply if you are:
- A young, ambitious restoration practitioner between the ages of 18 and 35.
- Leading or part of a youth-led and youth-driven team.
- Working on an ecosystem restoration project for oceans, wetlands, peatlands, mountains, forests, drylands or rangelands.
As a Restoration Steward, you will get:
- EUR 5,000 in funding to support your restoration project;
- Mentorship opportunities with our global network of experts;
- Spotlighting opportunities through GLF platforms and media outreach;
- Capacity development opportunities, including workshops and the Landscape Academy.
2026 GLFx Chapter Network
Are you a local NGO working towards sustainable landscapes?
Apply if you are:
- Representing a locally-led organization in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Leading or part of a registered NGO led by local people, and embodying values of diversity and inclusion (gender, Indigenous people, youth).
- Working to promote sustainable land use at the local level to boost food security, livelihoods and biodiversity.
If selected to join the GLFx network, you will get access to:
- Exclusive funding opportunities;
- Networking and peer-to-peer learning with other GLFx chapters;
- Collaboration with experts from the GLF network of charter members;
- Training opportunities, including workshops and the Landscape Academy.
GENERAL INQUIRIES
Restoration Stewards Program
Eirini Sakellari
Youth Program Coordinator
E.Sakellari@cifor-icraf.org
GLFx Chapter Network
Ana Yi Soto
GLFx Coordinator
A.Yisoto@cifor-icraf.org
Media Lab: Stories Into the Woods
MEDIA LAB
STORIES INTO THE WOODS
Online | 7–8 May 2025, 13:00–14:30 UTC
(8 AM Bogota, 1 PM Accra, 8 PM Jakarta)
(8 AM Bogota, 1 PM Accra, 8 PM Jakarta)
Interpretation available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Bahasa Indonesia
Hosted by:
Forests are everywhere, standing tall for climate action, economic stability and human well-being. Yet, they remain at risk – often misunderstood, sometimes overlooked and always essential.
Communicators play a crucial role in decoding the science, revealing hidden narratives and making forest stories resonate with diverse audiences.
During this two-day media lab, experts guided participants through crafting compelling stories that connect people and forests, harness technology and data, and navigated audience engagement.
Held between GLF Forests 2025 and Forests, People, Planet, and in the buildup to the decisive climate COP30, the lab sharpened participants’ skills in working with scientists and creating powerful forest stories.
AGENDA
- 13:00–14:30 UTC
DAY 1
7 May 2025
13:00–13:10
Why a Media Lab on forests?
13:10–13:50
Making forests matter to younger audiences
Panel and Q&A
How do we bring forest stories to life for younger audiences? Storytelling experts will share what works, from social media to traditional newsrooms. Kiyo, Business and Climate Reporter and “Planet A” Lead at Deutsche Welle (DW); Yunanto, Science Journalist and Visual Interaktif Kompas (VIK) Manager at Kompas; and Andrea, Social Media Specialist at the GLF, explored impactful angles, formats and language choices that make forest stories engaging and relevant. They also discussed how to highlight positive narratives, create content directly from forests, fact-check content and manage story production in teams of any size.
13:50–14:30
Bridging journalism and science
Discussion and Q&A
In an informal exchange, Paula Díaz Levi, General Editor – Latin America at Climate Tracker; Beria Leimona, Theme Leader – Climate Change, Energy & Low-Carbon Development at CIFOR-ICRAF and Eden, Multimedia Editor at ThinkLandscape unpacked the art of collaboration. They discussed tackling misinformation, uncovering unexpected forest stories and connecting forests to climate narratives. Discover how science and storytelling can work together to make forest issues more accessible and compelling.
DAY 2
8 May 2025
13:00–13:40
From figures to forests: Data in storytelling
Demo and Q&A
Explore how data from scientists and communities can enrich fact-based storytelling, from in-depth investigations to quick snapshots. With Felix, Head of Media at Odipo Dev; Tor-Gunnar, Head of Spatial Data Science and Applied Learning Lab at CIFOR-ICRAF; and Ava, Associate Editor at ThinkLandscape, learn how dashboards, satellite imagery, AI and data visualization help uncover new angles, enhance reporting, navigate safety or budget constraints, strengthen investigations and fact-check information.
13:40–14:20
Ideate and pitch impactful forest stories
Expert tips and Q&A
The Pulitzer Center grantees Elodie Toto, Central Africa staff writer at Mongabay Africa; Paritta Wangkiat, editor-in-chief of The Mekong Eye; Rob Soutar, Environment Editor at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ); and Pê Magalhães, the GLFx Latin America & the Caribbean Hub Officer, shared how to craft, pitch and publish compelling forest stories. Drawing from their experience in editorial leadership, investigative reporting and fieldwork, they guided participants on how to shape story angles, use data effectively and structure stories for high impact.
14:20–14:30
What's next? Forest content resources and a small grant opportunity
After attending the Media Lab, journalists and content creators received quick references to fact-based content on forests and were invited to submit story ideas for a chance to win a small grant and guidance to produce their stories. Learn more below!
MEET THE SPEAKERS
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Social Media Specialist
Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) -
Associate Editor and Reporter
ThinkLandscape, Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) -
Theme Leader – Climate Change, Energy & Low-Carbon Development
CIFOR-ICRAF -
Multimedia Editor
ThinkLandscape, Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) -
Central Africa staff writer
Mongabay Africa -
Head of Media
Odipo Dev (Africa Data Hub) -
Media Relations Coordinator
Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) -
Business and Climate Reporter, and "Planet A" Lead
Deutsche Welle (DW) -
Editor-in-chief
The Mekong Eye -
GLFx LAC hub Officer
Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) -
General Editor - Latin America
Climate Tracker -
Environment Editor
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) -
Principal Scientist, Head
CIFOR-ICRAF -
Science Journalist and Editor at Kompas.com
Kompas.com
THE FOREST STORY GRANT
Journalists and content creators: do you have a forest story to tell? We want to support you!
Who is this grant for? Journalists and social media content creators who attended the Media Lab, have a proven track record of relevant publications and an active platform or engagement with an outlet, and have never been part of a GLF program except the Social Media Ambassadors program.
How to apply: Submit a 250-word pitch outlining your original forest story idea by 30 May. Include key angles, the proposed format and a distribution plan. You are invited to apply in English, Spanish, French or Portuguese. The application form will be sent to you by email on 9 May.
What grants are available?
- Journalistic story (USD 500). Format: Written, audio (radio/podcast), audiovisual or visual-only. Must feature insights from at least one of the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF)’s network changemakers (Restoration Stewards or GLFx chapters). The distribution plan should include potential cross-publication on ThinkLandscape.
- Social media story (USD 200). Format: 60–90 second video. The story should expand on themes from GLF Forests 2025 or to be addressed at Forests, People, Planet and be published as a collaborative post across your platforms and the GLF’s social media channels.
What does the grant include? The journalistic report will receive USD 500 and editorial guidance from the ThinkLandscape team if the story is to be published on the platform. The social media reel will receive USD 200 and guidance from the GLF social media team. Payment will be made upon publication. Your story must be published no later than the start of COP30 (10 November).
The application deadline is 30 May. Finalists will be announced by 21 June. The grant may be declared void if none of the proposals are considered viable.
Questions? Contact Kelly Quintero at k.quintero@cifor-icraf.org and media@globallandscapesforum.org.
GLF Africa 2025
HYBRID CONFERENCE
GLF Africa 2025:
Innovate, Restore, Prosper
How can nature power Africa’s present and future?
Join online from anywhere in the world or in Nairobi, Kenya, and follow the event in English, French and Swahili.
19 June 2025
Live
from Nairobi,
Kenya
#GLFAfrica
Already registered? Enter event
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Africa holds two-thirds of the world’s arable land.
How can it build an economy that keeps this land healthy for future generations?
Africa’s landscapes are facing a triple crisis: land degradation, biodiversity loss and the climate crisis. Nature is declining, land is struggling to support a growing population, policies are stalling, funding is diminishing, and land rights remain in limbo.
And yet, there are multiple opportunities to turn things around. Africa deserves healthy, resilient and prosperous landscapes, communities and economies – and it can achieve all of these by building a vibrant nature economy with the help of its rich natural capital, science and traditional knowledge, paired with good governance, meaningful partnerships, AI and big data.
Join our annual hybrid event to learn how Africa can build a thriving nature economy grounded in natural capital that works for nature and people. Discover new innovations and opportunities in Africa’s nature economy, and get inspired by like-minded people and thought leaders from across the continent and beyond.
Explore the event themes
Explore high-impact, cost-effective strategies to restore and sustainably manage African landscapes
Defend the land and tree tenure rights of women, youth, local communities and Indigenous Peoples
Discover how the nature economy can underpin climate adaptation across the continent
Learn how to use AI and big data to achieve impact in restoration
Join us online or in Nairobi, Kenya
Join us online from the comfort of your home or in person at the CIFOR-ICRAF Nairobi office, located in the Gigiri area of the Kenyan capital.
MEET SOME OF OUR SPEAKERS
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CEO,CIFOR-ICRAF and Director General, ICRAF
CIFOR-ICRAF -
Director General, CIFOR; Director of Science
CIFOR-ICRAF -
Director for Sustainable Supply Chains, agriculture and food systems
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) -
Co-Founder & CEO
FarmWorks -
Director of Africa
CIFOR-ICRAF -
Co-Founder and CEO
Jacob’s Ladder Africa -
2025 Oceans Restoration Steward
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Youth Programme Officer
Global Landscapes Forum -
Zahrah Cassiem
South Africa
CDKN/ SouthSouthNorth -
Senior Advisor of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Ethiopia
GIZ Forests for Future (F4F) project, -
Advisor for Forestry and Biodiversity
GIZ Forests for Future (F4F) project -
Poet and Writer
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Project Manager
Greater Regeneration for Evergreen Environment (GREEN), World Vision Kenya -
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Media Coordinator
Women in Nature Conservation (WINCO), Nigeria -
2025 Dryalnds Restoration Steward
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Director
Youth Pawa -
Consultant, Environment and Development
CIFOR-ICRAF -
Coordinator & President
Rights and Resources Initiative -
Executive Director of Sustain Africa
International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
Why should you join?
Connect.
Network with top experts, youth, Indigenous and local leaders, businesses, policymakers and financiers. Forge new collaborations to transform and revitalize Africa’s economy to create millions of green jobs.
Exchange knowledge and experiences with thousands of fellow participants from across Africa and the globe. Show the world how Africa can rethink “development” and take charge of its own destiny.
Discover how Africa can overcome its climate, land and development challenges, spearheaded by local communities and a new generation of young stewards.
Play your part in rewriting Africa’s story. Help build a sustainable future for the continent’s landscapes beyond development aid – led by Africans, for Africans.
What others are saying about GLF Africa
One of the best conferences: brilliantly organized, topical, with great speakers and covering a variety of topics.
South Africa
The conference featured a diverse range of speakers, in-depth discussions on critical topics and a well-organized schedule. It effectively addressed pressing environmental issues and encouraged collaboration.
Kenya
Rich in content, relevant and insightful.
South Africa
The way this whole conference was held was commendable. The fantastic discussions! It was a memorable experience, and I appreciate the effort that went into making it such a success. Thank you for the exceptional event!
Namibia
The event program was well organized. Although we were not there physically, we were fully carried along.
Nigeria
Past editions of GLF Africa
What others are saying about GLF Africa
Our top resources on these crucial ecosystems
Any questions? Get in touch.
General
Amos Amanubo
a.amanubocifor-icraf[dot]org
MEDIA
Kelly Quintero
K.Quinterocifor-icraf[dot]org
Forests, People, Planet
Forests, People, Planet, as it happened
Local communities are vital to the future of forests. How can we support them in taking their work to the next level?
At Forests, People, Planet: Scaling Local Solutions for Global Impact, we gathered over 3,000 participants from 129 countries to find answers to this crucial question.
Held online and in Kemptville, Ontario, Canada, alongside the International Model Forest Network (IMFN) Global Forum 2025, this global event featured 60 speakers and over 50 global and local partner organizations, reaching almost 6 million people on social and traditional media channels, with almost 1 million engagements.
Building on GLF Forests 2025, we organized 8 plenaries, expert-led sessions and panel discussions to explore the key roles of stewardship, agroforestry and finance in building the restoration economy we need.
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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
The voices of those who have skin in the game – local communities and Indigenous Peoples – are the ones who must define the global agenda.
Subhra Bhattacharjee
Director General at Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) International
The only way that we have the opportunity to really solve problems or develop some ideas is working together.
Fabiola Muñoz Dodero
Coordinator in Peru, Governors for Climate & Forest (GCF) Task Force
Stewardship is not a project – it cannot be treated as a project. It’s a relationship, and with active communication and keeping communities in the center, we can keep this relationship alive with forest, with people, for a long time.
Imran Shaik
Co-Founder, Prakheti Agrologics
We need to link various scales of government, going from the international to the national to the regional or subnational to local-level realities, to hopefully create a better, more just, livable future for people.
Victoria Rachmaninoff
Research Associate, Restoration Policy and Biodiversity, World Resources Institute
You need partnerships: you can’t address things on a landscape alone. You need to have a common goal and a common understanding.
Richard Verbisky
Senior Advisor, Canadian Forest Service (CFS), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
We must elevate the voices of women, youth, Indigenous Peoples and smallholders – not just as stakeholders, but as leaders and decision makers.
Éliane Ubalijoro
CEO, CIFOR-ICRAF, and Director General, ICRAF
VIDEOS
News
Learn more about
the International Model Forest Network (IMFN)
2025 GLF Landscape Leadership Camp in Africa
Closed: 2025 GLF Landscape Leadership Camp in Africa
Applications for the 2025 Landscape Leadership Camp are now closed. The selection committee is reviewing submissions, and successful applicants will be notified in the coming weeks.
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Are you a young student, professional, expert or visionary from Africa interested in nurturing positive change in Africa’s communities, landscapes and seascapes?
Look no further! For the third time, the GLF Landscape Leadership Camp is taking place in Africa.
Apply now for a spot at the 2025 GLF Landscape Leadership Camp for the chance to connect and collaborate with other landscape leaders. Co-designed by the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL), and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), the camp will take place over three days in Kenya in June 2025.
This immersive experience will bring together like-minded students, young professionals, experts and practitioners from across Africa, creating a cross-cultural community dedicated to driving impactful and transformative change
Applications are now closed!
What is this camp about?
Who is this camp for?
How can I apply?
FAQ
What is this camp about?
To keep our landscapes healthy for current and future generations, we must practice collaborative leadership that values people’s livelihoods and thriving ecosystems. To do this we must facilitate action that goes beyond business as usual.
At the 2025 GLF Landscape Leadership Camp in Africa, you’ll find yourself immersed in discussions, hands-on activities and field trips all carefully designed to help you navigate complex challenges, bring your landscape visions to life and collaborate across issues of finance, policy and implementation.
Over three days you’ll have the chance to build your expertise and craft strategies to bring back to your communities.
But the camp is not just about learning, it’s also about building lasting connections. At the GLF Landscape Leadership Camp, you’ll connect with fellow participants and leading experts.
This is your chance to join an Africa-wide network that will support you long after the program ends.
If selected, you will receive the full agenda in due course.
Who is this camp for?
Young people are already championing landscape action and community-based solutions all across Africa.
The 2025 GLF Landscape Leadership Camp in Africa is for you if you are:
- Between the ages of 18 and 35;
- A citizen and current resident of an African country;
- Passionate about thriving communities and landscapes
We especially encourage applications from young women, Indigenous and rural youth, and other individuals from underrepresented groups across Africa.
Please note that AI-generated responses will mean an immediate disqualification of the application
How can I apply?
We will have a limited number of places at the camp. To apply, please fill out the application form below by 15 March..
The application will take about five to ten minutes to complete.
You will need to submit a one-minute video answering the question: How can we achieve climate justice for Africa’s communities, landscapes and seascapes?
Please note that all applicants will receive an automatic confirmation email, but only shortlisted candidates will be contacted beyond that.
If you have any issues with the application form, please contact the GLF Community & Action Communications Officer, Hyginus Laari.
FAQ
What language will the camp be held in?
The camp will be held in English.
How will you select participants?
Applicants will be selected based on their passion and motivation, demonstrated interest in a landscape and climate justice issue, clarity of responses and ability to implement ideas and collaborate.
When will the camp take place?
Selected participants are expected to attend the camp in person in June 2025, Exact dates will be announced later.
Will funding be available?
We will have a limited number of full and partial travel scholarships available to cover some participants’ travel, accommodation and associated attendance costs to and from Kenya. We will award scholarships based on need and merit. The remaining selected participants are expected to raise their own funds to attend. Our team will be available to assist with fundraising wherever possible.
I am under 18 or over 35, can I still apply?
Unfortunately not. If you are under 18, please contact GLF Youth Program Coordinator Eirini Sakellari to discuss other ways you can get involved.
If you have any further questions, feel free to contact Eirini Sakellari.
COLLABORATION PARTNERS
GLF Forests 2025
The GLF Forests 2025 Hybrid Conference, as it happened
Hosted in Bonn, Germany, and online, the GLF Forests 2025 Hybrid Conference: Defining the Next Decade of Action united over 3,000 participants from 145 countries, along with 105 speakers and over 50 global and local partner organizations to lay the foundations for a resilient, productive and just future for forests on the road from Baku to Belém.
The global event reached over 13 million people via social media and media channels, with more than 700,000 engagements.
Across 27 plenaries, expert sessions, side events, networking sessions and forest talks, the conference sparked vibrant conversations on what we need to do to save the forests before it’s too late.
Stay tuned for the event outcome statement!
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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
With AI, it’s so much easier to combine very different data – ground data with points with camera trap data, satellite data – to get more information out of them. That will be a revolution in making primary data.
Fred Stolle
Director of Impact for Land and Carbon Lab, Global Forest Watch at World Resources Institute’s (WRI)
How can we bring more people from different sectors? How can we open this discussion to those that are not in the room? That’s another challenge for us in this next decade.
Deborah Sanchez
Director, CLARIFI
Over 90% of deforestation is caused by the expansion of agriculture. Every year, we lose more than 12 million hectares of forests. This loss is not just an environmental issue. It directly impacts livelihoods, communities and economies. So, protecting forests is not just a moral and environmental duty, but also an economic and social necessity.
Paul Garaycochea
Director for Sustainable Supply Chains, agriculture and food systems at Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
We need to mobilize not just public funding but mobilize more high-integrity private investments, both in carbon markets, as well as working with agricultural production and other commodities on becoming more sustainable along the whole supply chain.
Hege Ragnhildstveit
Acting Director & Senior Adviser, Norway's International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI)
It's better to invest now in protecting the forest than in the future in trying to find out ways to produce food for a growing population. The paradigm of getting rid of native vegetation to perform agriculture – we need to change that paradigm into one in which forests are part of the production system.
André Guimarães
Executive Director, IPAM Amazonia
We are living in a very complex world where science can have the power to interlink and solve complex situations: managing the landscape as well as allocating financing efficiently and effectively.
Beria Leimona
Theme Leader, Climate Change, Energy and Low-Carbon Development Team, CIFOR-ICRAF
VIDEOS
News
2024 African Youth Storytelling Contest
What young Africans want the world to know
We received hundreds of stories that paint a picture of hope and resilience in the face of the mounting climate and biodiversity crises, showcasing the diverse and inspiring narratives of Africa’s youth. Congratulations to all the winners of the 2024 African Youth Storytelling Contest!
What if youth led the way? Redefining action for land, culture, and people
From restoring landscapes to preserving heritage and influencing policy, young experts and practitioners around the world are already bridging the worlds of science, traditional knowledge, policy, and practice to drive change in their landscapes and communities. From restoring degraded lands to leading innovative policy campaigns, and from preserving cultural heritage to sparking community-driven solutions, these youth are redefining the boundaries of what’s possible for transformative action. This session will also provide a platform for dialogue, inviting participants to connect, collaborate, and reimagine the role of youth in addressing the pressing challenges of our time.
Join us on 9 December at 12:00 local time (UTC+3) in the Science Pavilion at the UNCCD COP16.
Array ( [0] => Asia/Riyadh )A Tapestry of Policy: Can Civil Society Unite the Rio Conventions?
The 3rd and last stop of this interactive workshop is in Saudi Arabia. The previous two were held during GLF Africa 2024 (Nairobi, September) and CBD COP16 (Cali, October). The outcomes of the three workshops, as well as learnings from a partner-led session at UNFCCC COP29 (Baku, November) will be consolidated into a short report to publish a small knowledge product and inform strategic decisions about the youth-policy interface work of GLF and YIL on the road to UNFCCC COP30 (Belem, 2025).
Join us on 10 December at 10:00 local time (UTC+3) in the Children & Youth Resilience Hub Pavilion at the UNCCD COP16.
Array ( [0] => Asia/Riyadh )2025 Social Media Ambassadors Program
The GLF Social Media Ambassadors program unites diverse voices to shape the narrative on sustainable landscapes by creating impactful content and engaging global audiences. With training and connections to leading organizations, these young volunteers receive the skills and mentorship to use their voices for a more sustainable future.
Array ( [0] => Africa/Abidjan )