Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)

The Lightning Point Restoration Project focuses on protecting Bayou La Batre, one of the Gulf Coast’s few remaining working waterfronts. The community relies on fishing and seafood industries but faces increasing hazards from shoreline erosion, storm surge, hurricanes, and tropical storms. Past events such as Hurricane Katrina (2005) and oil spill (2010) caused major damage to infrastructure and livelihoods, highlighting the need for greater coastal resilience
Led by The Nature Conservancy and partners, the project combines engineered and natural approaches to safeguard the shoreline while supporting local livelihoods. Core activities include constructing approximately 1–1.5 miles of segmented breakwaters and jetties at the mouth of the Bayou La Batre River, and creating about 28–40 acres of coastal marsh, tidal creeks, and upland habitats using beneficially reused dredged material. Native planting and long-term monitoring support habitat performance and adaptive management.
These solutions aim to reduce wave energy, limit erosion, buffer storm surge, and maintain navigation, while restored marshes provide habitat for fish, shellfish, and birds. Designed to withstand nearly one foot of projected sea-level rise over the next 25 years, the project enhances shoreline protection, restores critical coastal habitats, and helps secure a resilient waterfront for Bayou La Batre’s economy and community (Ref. 1 - 4).

The Mobile Tree Trail is a nature-based solutions (NBS) initiative aimed at preserving Mobile, Alabama’s urban forest while celebrating its cultural and ecological heritage (Ref 1, Ref 2). First established in the early 1990s by volunteers, the original trail featured 24 iconic trees, selected for their historical significance, environmental value, and beauty (Ref 1, Ref 2). Over the years, some trees were lost to development and storms, and the trail faded into obscurity (Ref 1, Ref 4).
From 2021, the Mobile Tree Commission, with support from The Nature Conservancy, is leading efforts to revive the trail (Ref 3, Ref 6). Activities include reviewing past entries, opening public nominations, and selecting new trees that best represent Mobile’s identity (Ref 3, Ref 4). The project emphasises inclusivity and public participation, welcoming volunteers and local input to shape a trail that evolves with the city (Ref 4, Ref 6).
Mobile faces environmental threats such as hurricanes, urban expansion, and loss of native tree cover (Ref 1, Ref 6). The revitalised trail helps address these challenges by promoting awareness, conserving old-growth specimens like the 300-year-old Duffie Oak, and maintaining vital green spaces (Ref 4, Ref 6).
The Mobile Tree Trail blends education, tourism, and conservation, enhancing urban resilience while telling the city’s story through its trees (Ref 3, Ref 6).

The Lower Perdido Islands – Bird, Robinson and Walker Islands – are located in the Perdido Pass, in Orange Beach. The area is a popular destination, attracting many visitors due to its blue-green water and diverse wildlife, which, however, leads to erosion from boat wakes and marine debris. Its popularity impacts these wildlife habitats, including the seagrasses, marsh and forests which provide habitat for nesting birds and nurseries for local fish. Therefore, the Nature Conservancy, the City of Orange Beach, Moffatt & Nichol, and Olsen Associates Inc. started working together in 2017 to create a conservation management plan for the Perdido Islands, as well as develop some restoration initiatives to support this critical habitat for the future [1,3]. This Lower Perdido Islands' restoration project is part of a larger Perdido Bay Watershed restoration plan [2]

Located southeast of Bayou La Batre, Coffee Island is a barrier island that provides a buffering capacity for shorelines in Mobile County [5]. Since 1950, the shoreline on the island has been eroding. In response, the Nature Conservancy has put in a ‘’living shoreline’’ construction in 2010 to reduce wave energy and decrease erosion the island has been facing [1]. A ‘’living shoreline’’, ‘’refers to the use of nature-based techniques and materials such as oyster shells, reef blocks, bagged shells, live shellfish, and plants to help protect eroding shorelines’’ [2]. While the living shorelines constructed in 2010 still provide habitat benefits, these efforts no longer protect the shoreline from erosion. This in turn threatens not only the island's buffering capacity, but also the integrity of the marsh on the island [5]. Therefore, the Nature Conservancy has secured funding for a second project on the island, the Coffee Island Restoration project (in 2023) that aims to implement a (longer) 5,000-foot living shoreline breakwater, including the use of ‘’super sacks’’ – a specific kind of sediment barriers functioning as dikes – to protect the coastline while enhancing habitat [4, 6]

The creation of the AGOA Sanctuary was first envisioned in 2006, officially established in 2010, and continues to evolve as a vital initiative for marine conservation. Located in the waters of the French Antilles, the sanctuary encompasses the entire Exclusive Economic Zone of Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin, and Saint-Barthélemy. Spanning 143,256 square kilometers, it is the second-largest marine protected area in France, just behind the Coral Sea Natural Park in New Caledonia.
AGOA was established to ensure a favorable conservation status for marine mammals, aiming to protect both the species and their habitats through a combination of direct and indirect actions. The sanctuary’s long-term strategy is grounded in five core principles: reducing harmful interactions between human activities and marine mammals; enhancing scientific understanding of these species, their habitats, and the pressures they face; increasing public awareness and disseminating knowledge about the sanctuary; strengthening collaboration with governmental agencies for effective surveillance and enforcement; and fostering regional cooperation with Caribbean nations under the Cartagena Convention and its SPAW Protocol.
Together, these guiding principles reflect AGOA’s commitment to sustainable stewardship of marine biodiversity in the French Antilles, creating a lasting sanctuary for marine mammals in the Caribbean. (1, 2, 3)

The Ecological & Citizen Restoration Project in Carbet, led by ASSOMER, supports the city in sustainably developing its coastline. This coastal area serves multiple purposes—recreational, economic, and subsistence—making it essential to include the voices of its key user communities: fishermen, restaurateurs, residents, and tourists.
However, both these uses and critical spawning habitats are increasingly threatened by coastal erosion, which is worsened by urbanization. Beyond reducing nesting areas, urban expansion also creates light pollution, which disrupts nesting females and hatchlings that rely on moonlight reflections to navigate.
This project was selected during the inaugural Biodiversity Lottery, a French government initiative inspired by the Heritage Lotto (established in 2018). The funds will be dedicated to protecting Carbet’s turtle population. Key efforts include reforesting the beach to combat erosion and creating new nesting spaces for turtles.
By restoring vegetation in a way that addresses multiple environmental challenges, this initiative aims to raise public awareness and ensure long-term coastal preservation. (1,2)

In 2012, PRZHT (Pôles Relais Zones Humides Tropicales) initiated Project REMA, an effort dedicated to the conservation and rehabilitation of ponds in the Antilles, with backing from the IUCN. Wetland ecosystems in Martinique and the Caribbean had long been overlooked. However, interest in these habitats grew after PRZHT introduced an interactive virtual tour of Antilles ponds in 2019. Project REMA emerged in response to local concerns about the lack of technical resources for pond restoration in the French West Indies. While similar initiatives had been undertaken in France, there was no specific guide tailored to this region. Though originally conceived in 2012, the project remained dormant for several years before fully launching in 2019. Between 2019 and 2021, restoration experiments were conducted on 12 ponds across Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Saint-Martin, laying the groundwork for a comprehensive technical manual.
Building on this success, REMA II was introduced in January 2024 with a three-year scope. This new phase will focus on restoring and maintaining 80 ponds, both public and private, in Martinique and Guadeloupe. Additionally, it will address the management of invasive species and incorporate eDNA analysis to enhance conservation efforts. These small wetlands play a fundamental role in flood regulation, water storage, pollutant filtration, erosion control, and carbon absorption. They also provide refuges for biodiversity and contribute to the resilience of territories in the face of climate change.
(1, 2, 3)

Pollution from roadways is often carried by rainwater into gullies, which then direct this runoff to the nearest watercourse, ultimately polluting local rivers and degrading water quality (1). To address this issue, Dublin City Council is exploring potential green infrastructure solutions to reduce roadway pollution in rivers, focusing on nine pilot sites within the Dodder catchment area (1). Green infrastructure has the advantage of treating pollutants before they enter rivers or watercourses, which can significantly improve water quality in the area (1).
In addition to enhancing water quality, green infrastructure helps manage flood risks by slowing water flow to rivers, which can lessen the frequency and severity of flood events (1). These green spaces also foster biodiversity, creating more pleasant and ecologically supportive environments for the community (1). As an added benefit, green infrastructure serves as an important climate change adaptation strategy (1).
Upon completion of these pilots, Dublin City Council plans to expand successful methods to other locations across the city and potentially further afield (1). The project will involve creating new green spaces, enhancing existing ones, and transforming certain hard surfaces, all of which will contribute to protecting the Dodder and Santry rivers. By treating roadway runoff before it reaches the rivers, the initiative will also offer valuable benefits to the local community (2).
The proposed changes will be designed to support health and well-being, provide informal play areas, attract desirable wildlife, reduce flood risks, and help urban areas adapt to the impacts of climate change (2). The Council also plans to monitor the performance of these green infrastructure measures to assess their effectiveness in filtering pollutants from roadway runoff (1).

The likely impacts of climate change in South Dublin County include an increased risk of flooding, more frequent summer droughts, deteriorating air and water quality, and biodiversity loss (1). To address these climate challenges, the county developed the County Development Plan 2016-2022 as part of the South Dublin Climate Action Plan, aiming to establish a comprehensive legislative and policy framework for green infrastructure (GI) planning (1).
The plan outlines various objectives, including creating a coherent, integrated, and adaptable GI network across South Dublin County. One key initiative is the establishment of native mini woodlands throughout the city, designed to form strategic links and integrate the GI Strategy’s objectives into all relevant land-use plans and development across the county (1).
The purpose of these mini woodlands is to connect green spaces across the city (minimum size of 100 sq m), sequester carbon, and promote biodiversity in suitable locations, such as built-up areas, low-grade parkland, and other zoned areas deemed appropriate (1). Given the long time required for tree growth, the project employs the Miyawaki method, planting a high density of diverse native species to create mature forests up to ten times faster than traditional plantations (2). These forests are estimated to host 20 to 100 times more biodiversity and absorb carbon up to 40 times more effectively, without the use of chemicals or fertilizers; key factors include ground preparation, planting density, and species diversity (2).
In 2022, the project held a planting day for the mini woodlands initiative on Mill Lane, where 1,200 native trees and shrubs were planted with the help of volunteers from local schools, the community, a corporate group, and the Mayor of South Dublin, Councillor Emma Murphy (2).

Over the past century, vast portions of the world’s oldest forests have been lost to clear-cutting and managed forestry (1). Arboretum Detroit is working to counter this trend by reforesting Detroit’s urban landscape, transforming abandoned city blocks into thriving groves of trees (1). Each parcel of land features trees that showcase the unique contours and characteristics of specific species, creating a diverse urban forest mosaic across the city (1). These "forest patches" are protected, designed to mature safely for generations, offering a space of tranquility and natural beauty for all Detroiters (1).
Arboretum Detroit’s main goal is to cultivate environmental consciousness, inspiring the community to consider our interconnectedness with nature and our impact on it (1). Through their reforestation mission, they demonstrate the ecological, cultural, aesthetic, and economic value of trees, both locally and globally (1). Trees alter our environment by using their leaves to filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other particles. Deciduous shade trees cool homes in the summer and allow the winter sun to heat homes when they lose their leaves. Trees can serve as a windbreak. The more compact the foliage on the group of trees the more effective the windbreak. Their pilot project, launched on Earth Day 2019, brought these values to life. Volunteers and members planted 21 trees across the site, including species like Princeton Sentry Ginkgo, Redpoint Red Maple, Paper Birch, Cedar, Yew, and understory trees like Kousa Dogwood and Forest Pansy Redbud, enhancing the habitat for local pollinators and birds (2). The trees were arranged in trios, interspersed with native seeds, soil, compost, and glacial boulders to create a healthy and engaging environment for all (2).