Wildlife: The Missing Link in
Stabilizing the Climate
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Dear Climate Changemaker, Did you know that animals help regulate the climate?
There are countless examples: - beaver dams create wetland carbon sinks that prevent drought, flooding and wildfires
wolves restore predator-prey balance, allowing vegetation to recover, stabilizing riverbanks and providing food and habitat for other species
bison intensify grassland carbon storage by grazing and migrating, which accelerates plant growth and builds deeper, more robust, carbon-capturing root systems
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whales store massive amounts of carbon in their bodies and their waste fertilizes phytoplankton that sequester carbon and provide food supplies for other ocean life
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elephants digest and trample forest undergrowth allowing larger carbon-capturing trees to grow, while they also fertilize the soil and disperse seeds through their waste, increasing genetic biodiversity across miles of forests
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sea otters prey on sea urchins, which keeps them in check and allows ocean kelp forests to grow and sequester CO2 from the atmosphere
These positive climate impacts have compounding benefits since they promote balance and improved health in our ecosystems. When forests, wetlands, grasslands and oceans are healthy, their plants and trees play critical roles in regulating the climate.
Plants and Trees of Our Ecosystems:
- release water vapor which carries heat with it up into the atmosphere and into outer space, cooling the surrounding land and air
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release bacteria that help the water vapor to condense, creating clouds that produce gentle rains and cool the Earth by reflecting sunlight
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create a healthy soil sponge, rich in diverse bacteria and fungi that are fed from a diversity of plant root exudates produced during photosynthesis—the soil sponge holds vast amounts of water during extreme rain and periods of drought, keeping plants, trees and other life hydrated, which prevents flooding and wildfires
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have a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria and fungi in the soil, trading vital carbohydrates for basic nutrients and water, promoting the health of the entire ecosystem
We have been taught to think of climate change in isolation, primarily caused by emissions from fossil fuel extraction, yet our climate is regulated by our natural world that includes trees, forests, water cycles—and wildlife.
We have also been taught to blame climate change for the loss of wildlife habitat. Usually, the reverse is true—it's the loss of wildlife habitat that is typically causing climate change—through the disruption of numerous mechanisms from the degradation of our land, our oceans and their ecosystems. This releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, disrupts water cycles and their cooling capacity, reduces cloud formation, destroys soils, and dehydrates and destroys our plants, trees and other living species, including wildlife, that each have a vital role in the regulation of our climate.
It’s time to recognize how much our climate depends on living systems, including wildlife.
That’s why in our upcoming course, Wildlife & Climate, you will never see the natural world the same way again. We'll explore how wildlife, water, ecosystems, and climate regulation are deeply interconnected—and why restoring wildlife habitat is one of our fastest ways to a cooler, livable planet. |
Together, we’ll uncover the hidden ways nature sustains life—and what each of us can do to protect it.
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Two Free Introductory Webinars
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The Worldwide Loss of Soil Moisture
with
Hart Hagan
Monday, September 15
7:00 PM ET
Find out how and why the soil is drying out and where this moisture is going. Understand how this disrupts nature's climate-regulating mechanisms and discover how the 73% decline in wildlife is connected. Learn how wildlife restoration plays a important role in capturing and keeping the rain and moisture in the soil.
Join us!
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Hart Hagan is an environmental reporter, organic land care expert, and passionate educator with deep expertise in ecosystem restoration and the water cycle’s critical role in the climate. He has produced close to 400 radio interviews and is the founder of Water & Climate, a Facebook group with over 4,700 members. Hart's focus is to empower you with knowledge so you can take effective action at home and in your community. Read more.
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What if we can balance our climate quickly, naturally, affordably?
with
Dr. Katie Ross Thursday, September 18
12:00 Noon ET In this gathering, we’ll discuss - and potentially be awed by - how the living skin of our landscapes and oceans creates our climate from the ground up.
Spoiler alert: it’s through the profoundly fascinating intelligence of nature, and how water flows from soil to branch to leaf to cloud and back again, powered entirely by the sun and life.
This session will also offer time for you to look at your own patch of Earth and develop questions and insights for climate-restoring actions in your community. |
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These 2 free webinars are a great place to expand your understanding of nature's living systems. They are also a great introduction to what you'll learn in our upcoming special mini-course on: Wildlife & Climate:
Is wildlife simply at the mercy of climate chaos,
or could its survival hold the key to restoring the balance? |
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Featuring Expert Guest Speakers |
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Dr. Jonathan Lundgren
October 9
12:00 noon ET
Jonathan Lundgren, PhD is an agroecologist, executive director of the Ecdysis Foundation, and CEO of Blue Dasher Farm in South Dakota. His research and education programs advance applied science to support a regenerative food system. He works with farmers and the public worldwide on ecologically intensive farming and the role of biodiversity in strengthening agroecosystems and rural communities. Read more.
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| Alejandro Carrillo
October 9
7:00 pm ET
Alejandro Carrillo is a fourth-generation rancher in the Chihuahuan Desert, where he manages Las Damas Cattle Ranch with year-round grazing and no external inputs. Featured in documentaries like Common Ground and Sacred Cow, he also leads the Grasslands Regeneration Project, supporting regenerative grazing worldwide and serving as a delegate to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. Read more.
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| Dr. Joel Berger
October 16
12:00 Noon ET
Joel Berger, PhD, is a wildlife conservation biologist studying how large mammals survive in changing environments. He holds the Barbara Cox Anthony Chair at Colorado State University and is a senior scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society. His work spans species from Arctic muskoxen to Himalayan wild yak and Mongolian saiga antelope, using science and storytelling to shape conservation policy. Read more.
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What You'll Learn -
The vital roles wildlife play in keeping ecosystems healthy
- How intact ecosystems — and the species within them — influence rainfall, temperature, and carbon storage
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How biodiversity loss and climate change are connected
- Inspiring examples of restoration projects reversing wildlife decline and climate impacts, both locally and globally
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Practical ways you can restore wildlife habitat right where you live
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What's Included in the Course
Live Classes every week! A noon and evening 90-minute class is hosted live each week on Zoom over 4 weeks - Recordings available to students
Guest Speakers will share their research and experience in select classes
Membership in a private email group to ask questions, share resources and build connections with our like-minded community Advocacy Coaching for you to be effective in your community Plus Resources you can use to help decision makers create truly effective climate action plans
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Pricing
Course Price: $145
Bring a Friend: $108
Bring a friend and split the savings—because wisdom is better when
shared (and discounted)! Each friend saves 25%.
We also offer other Generous Reduced Rates and Scholarships for those with greater financial limitations. Please email us at cou...@bio4climate.org with the details of your request.
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We invite everyone to join us, regardless of whether you have participated in previous courses. We are all on a journey of expanding our knowledge on nature's climate solutions, and we each bring something valuable to the conversation. |
If you have any registration or general course questions, please contact us at cou...@bio4climate.org. If you have specific questions about the course, email Hart at nhh...@gmail.com.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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Louise Mitchell Outreach Programs Manager |
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