Workshops and Cultural Events WBF2026

Workshops
(Click to access workshop descriptions for each thematic track and the cultural events.)

Workshops BEF – Biodiversity-ecosystem functioning
Workshops IND – From measurements to biodiversity indicators and impact metrics
Workshops NEX – Biodiversity nexus – interlinkage of biodiversity with water, food, health, and climate change
Workshops FUT – Futures of biodiversity and approaches to envision, predict, achieve these futures
Workshops FIN – Biodiversity, economic risks and finance
Workshops LEG – Legislation and biodiversity
Workshops GBF – Implementing and achieving GBF goals and targets
Workshops TRA – Transformative change, reconnecting with nature and the role of Indigenous Peoples
Workshops CON – Connecting science, society and practice

Cultural events
Cultural Events ART – Arts and culture for biodiversity

1. Workshops BEF – Biodiversity-ecosystem functioning

BEF8 [Workshop] Trends and drivers of long-term changes in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the Anthropocene

BEF | Workshop

Conveners: Peter Haase
Co-conveners: Diana Bowler; Ingolf Kühn

Ongoing losses of biodiversity and ecosystem functions are largely driven by anthropogenic stressors, including land use change, climate change, and pollution. High-resolution time series are a prerequisite to understand these changes, but are limited in space, time, and taxonomic coverage, and are often inaccessible.
In recent years, several valuable biodiversity time series data have successfully been mobilized and published in accessible repositories (e.g., BioTime), resulting in substantial improvements in our understanding of biodiversity change in the Anthropocene. Yet, there are still huge data and knowledge gaps, particularly in functional changes and notoriously understudied taxonomic groups like insects and fungi. Additionally, biodiversity monitoring is still insufficiently co-located with in situ measurements of ecosystem functions, environmental drivers, and social-economic implications, including nature’s contributions to people. Recent research infrastructures, including eLTER (https://elter-ri.eu/) and NEON (https://www.neonscience.org/), have started filling in these gaps.
This session aims to bring together biodiversity researchers, environmental monitoring experts, including larger research infrastructures, authorities, and NGOs. We seek contributions addressing:

multi-decadal changes in biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and their drivers at local, regional, or global scales covering marine, freshwater or terrestrial ecosystems
improved statistical methods to measure trends and link to associated drivers
social-economic implications of biodiversity change
potential ways forward to overcome current data limitations in the dimension, drivers and consequences of biodiversity change and impacts on functions in the Anthropocene.

2. Workshops IND – From measurements to biodiversity indicators and impact metrics

IND14 [Workshop] Satellite Remote Sensing for Biodiversity: Towards routine, high-confidence national-to-global Products

IND | Workshop

Conveners: António Ferraz
Co-conveners: Fabian Schneider; Marc PAGANINI; Woody Turner; Volker C. Radeloff

Advances in sensing technologies, biodiversity modeling, and computational capabilities are enabling national-to-global time series of biodiversity-relevant products. While such products—such as Ecosystem Vertical Structure and Phenology—have been demonstrated regionally or for limited periods, they are not yet produced routinely at scales needed for biodiversity management and to develop robust biodiversity indicators consistent with the GBF.

A key barrier is reconciling resource limitations (computation, storage) with the absence of agreed specifications for spatial resolution, temporal frequency, and acceptable uncertainty thresholds that maximize their utility. Establishing these requirements would guide NASA and ESA in prioritizing investments and partnerships to operationalize production.

Following a plenary introduction, participants will join two breakout sessions.

Part 1 – Product Selection: Participants will select three operationally feasible products, each representing a biodiversity dimension—Structure, Composition, or Function (e.g., forest height, phenology metrics).

Part 2 – Requirement Definition: For selected products, participants will define desired and minimal requirements for resolution, temporal frequency, and uncertainty.
Expected Outcomes:
– Input to the Decadal Survey that guides NASA’s priorities in the next decade.
– Input to the ESA project «EO for Essential Biodiversity Variables and GBF Indicators»;
The overarching objective is the establishment of a portfolio of routinely produced, stakeholder-ready products—similar to MODIS but with higher spatial resolution and quantified uncertainties. This workshop builds directly on the BIOSPACE25 Conference and the CEOS/NASA/ESA workshop at the same venue.

IND16 [Workshop] Deploying Wireless Sensor Networks for Biodiversity Monitoring: What Decision-Makers Need to Know

IND | Workshop

Conveners: Christopher Akiba Wang
Co-conveners: Jacinta Plucinski

Long-term biodiversity monitoring increasingly depends on technologies that can collect, transmit, and store data across diverse and often remote landscapes. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) offer powerful tools for in-situ environmental monitoring, enabling continuous, real-time tracking of parameters that indicate or affect the ecosystem health at a resolution and frequency that traditional surveys cannot match. However, designing and implementing these systems is complicated and the decision to adopt such systems often hinges on a clear understanding of the technology options, implementation and running costs, and the integration potential of the data into broader biodiversity health frameworks.

This workshop is designed for decision-makers, project managers, and conservation leaders seeking a practical, high-level understanding of wireless sensor networks. Rather than focusing on technical minutiae, we will explore real-world case studies, illustrate how different types of WSNs have been used in various contexts such as ecological restoration in conservation areas. We will also be broadly discussing the technical options that would need to be weighed for a given landscape and the approximate total implementation cost.

Participants will gain a high-level understanding of:

Real world case studies of wireless sensor networks in a biodiversity monitoring context
Technology trade-offs such as range, power, cost, and environmental robustness
Total cost of ownership, including deployment, equipment, maintenance, and data management
How to integrate sensor network data into a larger information system to quantify ecosystem health or impact of ecological restoration works

IND17 [Workshop] Integrating Animal Movement into the Essential Biodiversity Variable Framework

IND | Workshop

Conveners: Lacey Hughey
Co-conveners: Silke Bauer; Anne Hertel; Thomas Mueller; Talia Speaker

Animal movement is a fundamental component of biodiversity, shaping how organisms interact with their environment, access resources, avoid threats, and support ecosystem function. In a time of rapid environmental change, movement data—from individual paths to mass migrations—provide timely insights into species’ responses to shifting conditions. Yet, movement remains underrepresented in standardized biodiversity monitoring frameworks, limiting our ability to track spatial and behavioral responses and inform policy. Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) offer a global framework for translating ecological data into actionable indicators. While movement is a named component of the EBV framework, no standardized workflow exists to convert raw movement data into EBVs. This gap hinders integration into global assessments and the ability to capture dynamics across species and taxonomic levels. This workshop will bring together researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers to explore how movement can be better represented within the EBV framework—both as a distinct EBV and as a cross-cutting component informing other EBVs, Essential Ocean Variables, and biodiversity indicators. Participants will assess data from biologgers, radar, acoustics, and camera traps to identify biologically meaningful and technically feasible metrics. Workshop goals include clarifying movement’s role in EBVs, prioritizing key metrics, exploring data harmonization, fostering international dialogue, and supporting pathways to policy-relevant indicators. Expected outcomes include a refined conceptual framework, prioritized metrics and data sources, and recommendations for engaging movement scientists in indicator development.

IND18 [Workshop] Developing Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) for Fungi and other microeukaryotes

IND | Workshop

Conveners: Isabel Fernandes
Co-conveners: Raïssa Meyer; Francisco Nascimento; Franziska Richter

Fungi and other microeukaryotes (e.g., meiofauna) play pivotal roles in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. They contribute to nutrient cycling, decomposition, and food web dynamics (among others), and thereby to numerous ecosystem services. Yet, they are mostly overlooked in biodiversity monitoring programs. To address this oversight, we need to i) improve coordination and standardisation of data collection, ii) make use of high-throughput technologies, including ‘omics, iii) establish comprehensive monitoring programs, that encompass a wide range of biomes, taxonomic groups, and spatial scales, iv) enhance data sharing and accessibility, and v) engage with policymakers and other stakeholders to ensure that monitoring efforts are aligned with their needs. One critical step towards these goals will be the development of Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) for Fungi and other microeukaryotes. EBVs are priority variables designed to operationalise how changes in biodiversity across time, space, and biological level are measured and described. They bridge the gap between raw biodiversity data and derived policy-relevant indicators. This workshop aims at bringing together people, spanning a wide range of relevant backgrounds and expertise, to discuss the development and implementation of EBVs for Fungi and other microeukaryotes. The expected outcomes are i) a White paper on development and implementation of EBVs for Fungi and other microeukaryotes; and ii) the establishment of a novel cross-kingdom network of experts contributing to the development of EBVs for Fungi and other microeukaryotes.

IND19 [Workshop] Biodiversity for more resilient food systems and healthy people: from measurement to impactful indicators

IND | Workshop

Conveners: Patrizia Fracassi
Co-conveners: Lora Iannotti; Hugo Bourhis

This workshop explores the transition from basic biodiversity measurements to meaningful indicators and impact measures, with a particular focus on the role of species richness across ecological, food systems, and nutritional contexts. We begin by examining how species richness contributes to ecological function and multifunctionality, highlighting its alignment with dietary species richness, a concept increasingly recognized for its role in supporting human health and nutrition. Experts will present current evidence showing how species richness in production systems is associated with diversity in food supply, food environments, and dietary patterns. These findings provide insights into how biodiversity can be assessed across multiple levels. The workshop will also explore the divergence between production and supply diversity, and the role of trade and consumer demand in shaping food system biodiversity. Structured as a dynamic and interactive session, the workshop will feature short expert presentations, facilitated discussions, and breakout groups to build consensus on robust biodiversity indicators that inform impact assessments and policy decisions across ecology, agriculture, food systems, and nutrition.

IND20 [Workshop] How local could biodiversity be? A geospatial approach in building and managing portfolios

IND | Workshop

Conveners: Catalina Papari
Co-conveners: Sophie Klein

Biodiversity risks are increasingly discussed in finance, yet links to location-specific realities and robust metrics remain limited. Current practice relies on standardized proxies, leaving investors without tools to integrate biodiversity meaningfully into portfolio management. As a result, integration is fragmented and often based on top-down exposure estimates that lack the granularity and supply chain transparency needed for actionable decisions. This session introduces a spatially explicit approach to portfolio construction that uses geospatial biodiversity data and locally grounded indicators.
By overlaying biodiversity variables of specific sites with the geographies of companies’ assets, investors can better assess localized risks. Evidence from Central Africa shows FSC-certified forest firms deliver stronger biodiversity outcomes, with measurable benefits for large mammals compared to non-certified firms (Zwerts et al., 2024). Such methods enable investors to identify biodiversity «hotspots»; improve transparency, and move beyond broad industry exclusions toward targeted, risk-adjusted strategies.
A spatial approach strengthens comparability across firms, links biodiversity risk directly to financial materiality, and creates opportunities for stewardship through local engagement. Barriers such as limited data, interoperability, and governance can be addressed via collaborative data-sharing, partnerships with local stakeholders, and alignment with disclosure standards such as TNFD.
Building on Bio-Value-at-Risk (Posth et al., 2024), this session will explore how spatial biodiversity indicators can be embedded in financial markets while ensuring just outcomes for local communities.

3. Workshops NEX – Biodiversity nexus – interlinkage of biodiversity with water, food, health, and climate change

NEX14 [Workshop] “Nature-positive solutions: Co-creating pathways for scaling science-based innovation for biodiversity”

NEX | Workshop

Conveners: Katharina Reblitz
Co-conveners: Marina Herias Saenz

What if the next biodiversity breakthroughs were already here—but needed expert, diverse insights to succeed? Through an interactive workshop, we want to bring science-based, nature-positive startups from I4N’s Solutions Portfolio to the discussion table. Each startup will briefly present its solution and then engage directly with participants to discuss critical challenges—ranging from scaling to policy integration to market adoption – opening the floor for participant feedback and co-creation. Together, participants and startups will assess pathways that help these innovations move from pilot stage to real-world impact. This is a unique opportunity for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to actively shape the success of biodiversity-positive innovation, making their perspectives count. The goal is to create a space where science and practice meet, enabling participants to actively contribute expertise while supporting emerging innovators in developing stronger pathways toward impact.

NEX15 [Workshop] Developing the capacity of Next-Gen of Science-Policy-Practice Interface (SPPI) Leaders to promote biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and socio-economic development in Africa

NEX | Workshop

Conveners: Henry Gandhi Odhiambo
Co-conveners: Ethelyn Echep Forchibe; Nelly Masayi

Globally, there is a growing interest from the younger or present future generation, commonly known as the early-career researchers (ECRs), in engaging in SPPIs. This is driven by several factors, including but not limited to the need to contribute to positive societal change, understand policy processes, and career development, among others (Filyushkina et al., 2022). In most regions, such as Africa, the barriers among the Next Gen of Leaders to effectively contribute to and strengthen SPPI include a lack of adequate understanding about involvement channels, limited knowledge of engagement platforms and opportunities, funding constraints, inadequate and/or sometimes inappropriate training, and, many times, low credibility perceptions of emerging capacity by other actors across the SPPI.

Despite the ongoing efforts to address the drivers of change and achieve the biodiversity-climate-society connectivity goal, little attention is placed on bringing together inter-generational think-tanks, policy-actors, and grassroots players from various disciplines and spaces. Africa is experiencing a deficit or lack of deliberate programs that are designed to leverage the inter-generational SPPI research talents and skills, expertise, innovation, and lived experiences to help upend the curves of change and achieve biodiversity-climate-society connectivity. The NextGen of SPPI Leaders on Biodiversity, Climate, and Society seeks to consolidate and transfer, through a regional stock-take, inter-generational SPPI capacity and leadership in Africa. It will co-create, implement, and evaluate SPPI initiatives that seek to address, through fostering partnerships and collaborations, the triple-challenge of biodiversity loss, climate crisis, and the need to meet socio-economic needs.

4. Workshops FUT – Futures of biodiversity and approaches to envision, predict, achieve these futures

FUT8 [Workshop] Developing actionable scenarios and models for biodiversity conservation, climate neutrality, and human wellbeing through collaborative and integrated research and practice

FUT | Workshop

Conveners: HyeJin Kim
Co-conveners: Bernd Lenzner; Tyler Eddy; Sally Archibald; Jamie M. Kass

Policy actions that build ecosystem resilience, mitigate climate change, and enhance human wellbeing require a credible forecasting capability to test scenarios involving policy and management decisions at fine resolution but also at global scales. They also require an agile and dynamic modelling platform to allow for novel system behaviours with policy-relevant outputs.

A recent review of the alignment of existing modelling frameworks with the CBD Global Biodiversity Framework and the IPBES Nature Futures Framework (Defra 2025) highlights significant potential for linking model-based scenario approaches to tackle the coupled biodiversity and climate crisis (WBF 2024 resolution point 6). Intersecting scientific domains will help advance the field to better identify synergistic levers and constructively inform society to redirect towards sustainable futures. However, the absence of a convening space for those developing models and scenarios with replicable data to decision workflows and knowledge and experience sharing is potentially hampering progress.

In this workshop, we aim to initiate a network that bridges existing networks of modelling communities (e.g. BES-SIM2, BtC 2.0, ISIMIP Biodiversity, FishMIP, Ecode, BioFutures) to foster necessary exchange and collaboration. This would span from ecological monitoring to model and scenario development to enhance data to decision workflows. The vision of this network is to improve the use of scenarios in the design and implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework, National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, and National Reporting through collaboration between policy bodies and scientific communities.

The format will consist of three sessions with a policy panel, introduction to scientific initiatives and exemplary studies, each followed by interactive exercises with participants in a day-long workshop. The first session will identify key milestones needed to link model-based and actionable scenarios to key policy processes. The second and third sessions will focus on how to deliver these milestones through existing networks and by identifying priority scenarios and model development needs. The expected outcomes of this workshop include: 1) the establishment of a network to spearhead strategies for knowledge-sharing between scenario and modelling communities, 2) the development of a roadmap for strategic research collaboration to inform key science-policy interfaces to be published in a journal.

FUT15 [Workshop] NATURE Impacts: Assessing national progress and priorities to drive urgent, transformative change for nature

FUT | Workshop

Conveners: Tom White
Co-conveners: Eilish Kathleen Farrelly; Stefania Karlsdottir; Mike Barrett; E.J. Milner-Gulland

We are a team at the University of Oxford, working in collaboration with WWF to lead ‘NATURE Impacts’, a new initiative to assess national progress towards achieving the Global Biodiversity Framework’s mission for ‘halting and reversing nature loss by 2030’.

This forward-looking framework builds on existing trackers of global progress and aims to prioritise future national action to maximise impact for nature recovery. Over the longer term, it seeks to build an evidence-based, dynamic picture of opportunities to accelerate progress and increase ambition for global nature recovery. By leveraging existing datasets and engaging a broad range of stakeholders experienced with national-level conservation and contexts, ‘NATURE Impacts’ aims to evaluate national progress towards global goals whilst driving significant, effective societal outcomes.

We would be interested in leading a workshop, where we would share our vision with the global conservation community to gather feedback and help shape development of the ‘NATURE Impacts’ framework. In the session, we would introduce our proposed framework, highlighting its potential to evolve into a dynamic platform that identifies new challenges, opportunities, and solutions for positive change, and incorporates vital input from sub-national citizen groups, indigenous peoples, community groups and other key stakeholders. Participants would provide feedback on framework features, inclusivity, and engagement strategies, helping to identify gaps in commitments, ambition, and implementation, which would help inform future iterations of the framework.

FUT16 [Workshop] Sowing Seeds for Tomorrow: Defining Research and Policy Priorities for Building Sustainable and Biodiverse Agroecosystems

FUT | Workshop

Conveners: Martin Hartmann
Co-conveners: Stefan Geisen

Healthy soils are the foundation of sustainable agricultural production. The importance of soil biodiversity for a resource-efficient and stress-resilient agriculture is increasingly being recognized, with initiatives like the EU’s Horizon Soil Missions leading the way. However, the best farming practices that enhance soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in specific contexts and under future climate conditions – including those targeting aboveground diversification – remain to be determined.

In this 180 min workshop, we aim to bridge this gap by bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders involved in past and current European research projects – including agronomists, biologists, soil scientists, social scientists, agricultural advisors, and policymakers. Together, we will identify the most efficient and context-specific practices for enhancing biodiversity and the functioning of agroecosystems without compromising agricultural production. We plan to invite participants from ongoing and completed EU projects working at the intersection of sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and soil health, as well as anyone interested in contributing to this important dialogue.

Expected outcomes:
1) A strong expert network across biodiversity realms to support future sustainable agroecosystem projects.
2) A roadmap paper consolidating current knowledge and outlining key research gaps and policy priorities.

FUT18 [Workshop] Mapping the Frontiers of Novel Ecosystems: From Conceptual Debates to Methodological Innovation

FUT | Workshop

Conveners: Alejandro Ordonez Gloria
Co-conveners: Nora Schlenker; Matthew Kerr

Novel ecosystems—assemblages that diverge from historical baselines in composition, function, and dynamics—are increasingly widespread, yet their role in biodiversity futures remains contested. Some view novelty as a loss of ecological integrity, while others emphasize its potential to sustain biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and human well-being under accelerating global change. This session seeks to advance conceptual clarity by critically examining what constitutes novelty, how it differs across ecological and cultural contexts, and how these definitions shape scientific, management, and policy responses.

We will explore implications for biodiversity futures, recognising how novel ecosystems both challenge conservation targets based on historical reference conditions and open opportunities for resilience, ecosystem service provision, and adaptive governance. The session will also showcase emerging methods for anticipating novelty, including detection frameworks, scenario modelling, and early-warning indicators that can identify thresholds, forecast trajectories, and assess trade-offs between resisting, guiding, or accepting novelty.

Finally, contributors will examine governance and ethical dimensions of ecological novelty. Central to this discussion are questions of when, and under what conditions, acceptance of novelty is ecologically, socially, or ethically legitimate. By engaging diverse disciplinary and practice-based perspectives, the session will provide critical insights into how we define, anticipate, and govern novel ecosystems, and how these choices shape pathways to biodiversity futures.

FUT20 [Workshop] What exactly is transformative change? Deciphering solutions for transformative futures

FUT | Workshop

Conveners: Sierra Deutsch
Co-conveners: Jinat Hossain; Mirjam Steiger; Minea Mäder; Norman Backhaus

In order to achieve transformative futures, it is helpful to contemplate what is meant by ‘transformative change’. IPBES’s (2019: XVIII) definition of transformative change as a «fundamental, system-wide reorganization across technological, economic and social factors, including paradigms, goals and values»; is now widely used. At the same time, it is interpreted in many different ways, leading to some uses that are decidedly not transformative. So, what exactly is transformative change? In this workshop, we present a tool from our project «Translating transformations: Improving transdisciplinary transformative change initiatives by promoting critical social science literacy»; that was designed to answer such a question. Grounded in critical social theory on societal power dynamics, the goal of the tool/workshop is to assist participants with learning how to critically assess (proposed) solutions to societal and environmental problems, and whether they could be considered transformative change. Specifically, participants will learn from the tool, and from each other, to categorize solutions as mitigation, adaption, or transformation. The workshop consists of a brief introduction followed by a dynamic mixture of individual and small group activities. Intended outcomes include improved capacity for differentiating types of change with practical generalized examples, as well as examples from participants’ own fields. Additionally, participants will gain experience with our open access tool, which they may use in their own work/contexts.

5. Workshops FIN – Biodiversity, economic risks and finance

FIN14 [Workshop] Blended Teams, Blended Finance: Mixing it up for biodiversity impact

FIN | Workshop

Conveners: Catalina Papari
Co-conveners: Sophie Klein

Biodiversity loss poses material risks for economies and financial systems, yet private capital toward biodiversity-positive outcomes remains limited. Blended finance and impact investing are increasingly recognized as mechanisms to bridge this gap, but barriers such as unclear risk-return profiles, lack of standardized measurement, and misconceptions about investability persist. This session will explore how these instruments can be scaled up by pension funds and asset managers, grounded in real-world cases.

We begin with success stories from agriculture and forestry finance, such as the FMO Fund & Green and the Tropical Forest Finance Facility (TFFF), which combine public and philanthropic guarantees with institutional investors to finance projects beyond conservation, supporting sustainable supply chains and local initiatives. These examples illustrate opportunities as well as barriers, from governance and monitoring challenges to aligning fiduciary duty with biodiversity-positive strategies. The session aims to identify solutions to such barriers while enabling networking to form a solution-oriented group capable of piloting cases.

We then turn to how asset managers can integrate these mechanisms into pension portfolios, outlining steps from pilot formats to institutional-grade products. A side focus will explore how financial tools can ensure a just process based on stewardship and collaboration across networks of actors affected by and benefiting from biodiversity.

This track will foster dialogue across private markets, NGOs, financial actors, and academics, building on initiatives such as the Financing Biodiversity Project in the Netherlands.

FIN15 [Workshop] Establishing a biodiversity academy for leaders in the private sector

FIN | Workshop

Conveners: Cornelia Neumann
Co-conveners: Gabriela Schaepman-Strub; Zacharias Sautner; Anja Liski

Goal of the workshop:
Over the course of one day, we want to continue shaping our vision of a biodiversity academy aimed at leaders in industry and the financial sector. We want to explore what high-impact biodiversity leadership looks like in practice and how an academy could enable leaders and their organisations identify and manage their biodiversity-related risks and opportunities by creating the necessary mindset, capabilities and behaviours.

Expected outcomes:
1) Participants will co-create a leadership toolkit focused on positive storytelling and biodiversity impact, and reflect on how they might inspire and lead nature-positive change within their own contexts. We will seek to empower attendees to take further steps toward integrating biodiversity leadership into organizational cultures, and foster a peer support network to sustain momentum.
2) For the University of Zurich, we will look to test our emerging thinking on a skeleton for a biodiversity academy aimed at enabling leaders in the private sector. To achieve this objective, we will carefully consider the audience of the workshop and will potentially use it as a first high-profile opportunity to bring together a first cohort of the leaders we are looking to move along on the journey

FIN16 [Workshop] From risk to resilience: How micro- & macro nature-related scenarios support safeguarding financial stability

FIN | Workshop

Conveners: Maud Abdelli; WWF International
Co-conveners: Eloi Astier; Christos Karydas; EY; Oliver Schelske

This session will explore the latest developments in nature-related scenario design, including insights from the NGFS Network Greening Financial Services (supported by major Central banks) and the five Swiss Re Foundation-WWF-AXA Research Fund-EY scenario projects (focus global mountains/islands/deltas; european agri-ecological landscapes, nature-based solutions in Brazil, Peru, and Belize, incl. local livelihood and indigenous community work for the case studies). The following questions are planned to be covered:
–              How can nature risk scenarios inform micro and macro-economic risk assessment (the latter being important for supervisors and central banks)?
–              What are practical challenges and opportunities in integrating biodiversity and ecosystem risk into risk assessment and decision-making (micro level: local and regional authorities; macro level: focus for financial institutions, for central banks and financial supervisors)?
–              How can we scale regional blueprints to international collaboration to accelerate the adoption of science-based, forward-looking tools to address the financial implications of biodiversity loss?
–              Does biodiversity science struggle: what is still needed to mainstream the use and implementation of nature related scenarios?

FIN18 [Workshop] Integrating Biodiversity into Financial Decision-Making

FIN | Workshop

Conveners: Nicole Streuli
Co-conveners: Morgan Williams; Anita de Horde

Goals:
This session aims to highlight the financial materiality of biodiversity risks and provide actionable insights into integrating biodiversity considerations into financial decision-making. By bringing together Finance for Biodiversity, RepRisk, and Robeco, we will explore unique perspectives and tools that assess and mitigate biodiversity risks.

Summary:
The session will begin with a 10-minute introduction outlining the objectives and the significance of addressing biodiversity as a financial risk. Key speakers from each organization will be introduced. The main segment consists of three 15-minute presentations. Finance for Biodiversity will discuss mainstreaming companies and performance selection, emphasizing the challenges faced by their members. RepRisk will showcase their approach to assessing biodiversity risks and how their data supports risk identification and mitigation. Robeco will present their strategies for integrating biodiversity considerations into investment decisions.
Following the presentations, a 25-minute interactive discussion will allow participants to ask questions, share insights, and engage with the presenters. Topics will include practical applications of tools, challenges in assessing biodiversity risks, and integrating new research insights. The session will conclude with a 10-minute summary of key takeaways and actionable steps, followed by a Q&A session.

Expected Outcomes:
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the need to include the financial sector in the quest to address biodiversity loss. The workshop will foster interdisciplinary collaboration and provide a platform for dialogue and knowledge sharing.

FIN19 [Workshop] Interspecies Money – a concept to give nature economic agency?

FIN | Workshop

Conveners: Lena Robra
Co-conveners: Jonathan Ledgard; Angela Honegger

For as long as nature is held in the charity bucket, it struggles to assert its needs. However, life on Earth depends indisputably on nature to flourish. So, what can we do?
In this workshop, we use the Interspecies Money (IM) concept developed by Jonathan Ledgard and his group as an entry point to discuss how such concepts can give nature economic agency to assert its needs. We will explore how AI, blockchain, digital payment and identification mechanisms, combined with ecological knowledge and data, can enable monetary microtransactions across species to support long-term coexistence.
Using learnings from the 2024-25 groundbreaking IM pilot in Rwanda, centred around the Kwitonda group of mountain gorillas, we will then explore how concepts like IM can be expanded to other species and geographical areas. The last part of the workshop discusses the intersectoral and interdisciplinary connections needed to realise and scale such frameworks with the aim seed new pilots in other regions as an outcome of this workshop
Guided by experts in banking, digital infrastructure, ecology and AI, this workshop aims to engineer intersectoral discussions on neutral ground. To counteract preconceived biases, participants‘ affiliations will not be revealed until the workshop ends. Participants should walk away with concrete understanding of their potential role in revolutionising nature conservation financing towards a more agile, impactful and stakeholder-driven approach.
To engage with a wider audience, we propose a podcast mini-series, e.g. in SwissRe’s Risk REconsidered, discussing opportunities and risks associated with radically changing the way species protection is financially supported.

FIN20 Toward a New Consensus on Universal Nature State Metrics: Driving Action and Accountability at Scale

FIN | Workshop

Conveners: Marco Lambertini
Co-conveners: Rachel Martin

Description: To bend the curve of biodiversity loss, collective accountability and effective action across sectors require a shared understanding of nature’s current state and trends. This workshop will examine progress toward a consensus on universal state-of-nature metrics – spanning terrestrial, freshwater, and marine realms – grounded in science yet designed to guide decision-making to achieve nature positive outcomes. Building on the Nature Positive Initiative’s work to align on universal indicators, including technical guidance, 2025 pilot program results, and crosswalks with standards, we will present emerging insights on how core metrics are converging across voluntary and regulatory initiatives through short talks and an interactive panel in partnership with TNFD, SBTN, GRI, and private sector contributors exploring: universal indicators and metrics representing the state of nature; what constitutes a scientifically credible and actionable nature-positive claim; how these metrics inform standard-setting, target tracking, disclosure, reporting, and financing; workshopping lessons from early piloting

Goals: Build a shared understanding of consensus on universal state-of-nature metrics; Showcase how metrics can be applied across sectors for reporting and decision-making; Identify pathways to mass adoption and alignment in the private sector

Outcomes: Shared understanding of current consensus on state of nature metrics; Practical insights on application across use cases; Clear opportunities for further alignment, implementation, and evolution; Opportunities for discussion on moving from disclosure to action

FIN21 [Workshop] $200 bn per Year for Biodiversity by 2030: Linking Capital to Nature

FIN | Workshop

Conveners: Marco Hirsbrunner
Co-conveners: Liliana Martinez; Renat Heuberger; Christian Dannecker; Barbara Franzen

How can investors link capital to real biodiversity gains? This workshop defines investable evidence and shows how transparent measurement and data infrastructure make it bankable. We compare regulated compensation systems such as Germany’s eco-points (Ökopunkte/Ökokonto) with other emerging nature credits systems to clarify use cases, incentives, and risks. We then explore how continuous digital monitoring—satellites, drones, field sensors, bioacoustics, eDNA—and disciplined data management turn site-level observations into reproducible indicators, baselines, and performance triggers for contracts and portfolios. Short demos will illustrate (i) provenance-rich nature data management and QA/QC with Svarmi’s DATACT, (ii) high-integrity sensor networks from adjacent environmental markets as a blueprint for robust MRV, and (iii) market enablement via new entrepreneurial players in the nature credits market.
Outcome: a practical checklist investors and project developers can use to assess transparency, traceability, and long-term stewardship in nature deals.

6. Workshops LEG – Legislation and biodiversity

LEG7 [Workshop] Judging Biodiversity: opportunities and challenges for specialist environmental adjudication

LEG | Workshop

Conveners: Izaskun Linazasoro Espinoza Espinoza
Co-conveners: Nina Braude; Ceri Warnock; Paul Adam

Specialist environmental courts and tribunals (ECTs) are often seen as key to resolving environmental disputes and enforcing biodiversity protections. But they may risk reinforcing proceduralism, institutional constraints and include risks including how «knowledge»; and scientific expertise is treated, and how „biodiversity“ is understood. Shifting legal categories and inconsistencies between statutes, create significant complexity for courts and practitioners. This workshop invites critical and comparative engagement with the role of ECTs as institutions. Drawing on recent scholarship, case-studies and diverse experiences, we ask whether ECTs help move beyond procedural review toward substantive protection and restoration of biodiversity and under what conditions. In particular: How do ECTs influence biodiversity governance, directly (e.g. through rulings) or indirectly (e.g. through deterrence, capacity-building, or procedural design)? When and why do specialist courts outperform generalist forums? When do they risk marginalising broader ecological / justice concerns? What is the role of institutional design, technical expertise/expert witnesses, standing, and access to justice in shaping outcomes? How do ECTs and evolving legal frameworks interact, including recognition of rights of nature, Indigenous legal orders, and earth systems law? Do biodiversity outcomes depend on judicial forums themselves or on broader political, legal, or epistemic conditions? How do historical legal categories and fragmented statutory regimes shape the way biodiversity is defined, protected, or left vulnerable in specialist courts? Are courts appropriate fora for determining contested matters of science and is the precautionary principle working appropriately in those scenarios?

LEG8 [Workshop] Law, biodiversity, and climate in transition: A collaborative writing session on the impact of recent international rulings

LEG | Workshop

Conveners: Camilo Cornejo

This interactive workshop invites all those interested in exploring the evolving interface between ecosystems, the climate legal regime, and human rights, in light of recent landmark rulings from the International Court of Justice, Inter-American Court of Human Rights, International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and European Court of Human Rights. These decisions underscore the need to integrate biodiversity and diverse epistemic perspectives into legal reasoning within the «triple environmental crisis»; while simultaneously opening, recalibrating, or foreclosing critical conceptual and legal avenues. They have reinforced some interpretive paths (e.g., privileging human rights), constrained others (e.g., climate law as a lex specialis regime), and left key questions unsolved (e.g., structural drivers of environmental crises). These tensions raise pressing questions about law’s role in enabling biodiversity-positive futures, the legal methodologies required, and the institutional and jurisdictional complexities of implementation.

Designed as an ideas’ laboratory, the workshop will begin with a concise framing introduction, followed by facilitated group work across thematic clusters, and conclude with a plenary to share insights, receive feedback, and refine draft ideas. Participants will form collaborative groups to co-develop tangible outputs such as blogs, commentaries, podcasts, or research proposals. Immediate outcomes will include draft contributions, while laying the groundwork for longer-term joint projects (e.g., special issues or co-authored articles). By fostering this co-writing session, the workshop seeks to advance the legal understanding of biodiversity and climate justice, while building enduring collaborations that extend beyond the Forum.

7. Workshops GBF – Implementing and achieving GBF goals and targets

GBF9 [Workshop] On target – Biodiversity & Transition Plans

GBF | Workshop

Conveners: Sophie Klein
Co-conveners: Catalina Papari

Achieving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework requires immediate and ambitious action across sectors, particularly within financial institutions and corporations. Yet, translating emerging (academic) frameworks into actionable biodiversity targets has proven complex, with many practical questions still unresolved.
This workshop will present and discuss the outcomes of a large-scale action research project conducted between 2024 and 2025 with six leading asset managers and pension funds, alongside organisations such as WWF and the Sustainable Finance Lab. Drawing on candid reflections from a transdisciplinary team spanning ecology, finance, and business sustainability, we will explore how institutions can identify the right information to set informed targets, including assessments of biodiversity impacts, drivers, risks, and opportunities. Participants will engage with key themes such as the types of biodiversity targets financial and corporate actors can adopt, the support structures needed to sustain implementation, and the type of strategic interventions such as engagement for systemic change, and the integration of biodiversity targets within the climate-biodiversity nexus and the exploration of social justice We will have a particular focus on deforestation as a critical test case.
The session aims to foster dialogue among financial actors, NGOs, academics, and practitioners, building on collaborative initiatives such as the Financing Biodiversity Project in the Netherlands. By connecting theory with practice, the workshop seeks to advance collective capacity for setting and operationalising biodiversity-positive financial strategies that are both ambitious, triggering time-bound action and equitable.

GBF10 [Workshop] Enabling transformative biodiversity governance to translate global biodiversity targets to local actions

GBF | Workshop

Conveners: Van Thi Hai Nguyen
Co-conveners: Julie Zaehringer; Margaret Owuor

The call for transformative governance in biodiversity conservation is growing. Global biodiversity governance is shifting toward greater scrutiny and support for non-traditional actors and deeper interaction between public and private entities—from the bottom up, rather than focusing solely on legal regimes and state-centric practices.

This «whole-of-society approach»; is central to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). As emphasized in the CBD Action Agenda for Nature and People, not only national governments and international organizations, but also sub-national authorities, businesses, Indigenous peoples, local communities, researchers, and NGOs—so-called «middle-out»; actors—are increasingly participating in biodiversity efforts.

Challenges remain: translating this approach into local practice, preventing unintended effects like greenwashing or sectoral leakage, and aligning fragmented institutions. Governance innovation is critical. Without equitable distribution of governance capacity, the whole-of-society approach risks becoming a «nobody’s approach»; Capacity must be built across three domains: enabling rules, shared discourses, and access to essential resources. This fosters a polycentric system grounded in accountability, transparency, justice, equity, and sustainability.

This session explores theoretical debates, conceptual innovations, and empirical insights into how this approach is adopted. We examine the roles of non-state actors, their networks, and agency in co-designing biodiversity solutions. We invite experts to share research, practical experience, and policy insights to help advance the GBF and foster collaboration for change.

GBF11 [Workshop] Beyond the Usual Suspects: Rethinking Species Selection for the CBD GBF

GBF | Workshop

Conveners: Christina Hvilsom
Co-conveners: Julia Geue; Christina Ritzl Vejlgaard

How can countries truly measure and protect genetic diversity under the CBD Global Biodiversity Framework? The first step is to identify the list of species that are relevant to monitor over time. This may seem like a straightforward task but in reality, there are many parameters to consider.
Drawing on the EU Biodiversa+ GINAMO project’s co-creation work with European countries, this 90 min workshop invites participants to actively work on and discuss methodologies for species selection and how to ensure a broader, more representative set of species, than those already «on the radar», such as threatened or legally protected. Species covering varied ecosystems, taxonomic groups, threat levels and life histories must be assessed and monitored for genetic diversity to ensure robust, long-term monitoring portfolios, and to ensure indicators reflect the real state of genetic diversity and can guide future action.
The workshop aims to:
-stimulate critical discussion on species selection strategies for GBF Goal A monitoring, emphasizing inclusivity across relevant spectra,
-explore methodologies for selection criteria,
– explore pathways for integrating broader species sets into national indicator frameworks to improve policy relevance and long-term monitoring viability,
– foster a shared understanding among participants of why representative species selection strengthens countries‘ use of CBD GBF Goal A.
You’ll leave with:
-new insights on inclusive species selection and its policy relevance,
-a preliminary list of practical criteria for national and regional species portfolio design,
-links to an active network of genetic experts in biodiversity monitoring.
If you want genetic diversity indicators that capture the resilience of life on Earth, this is the workshop to join!

GBF12 [Workshop] Implementing the BBNJ agreement: How to effectively protect biodiversity in the high seas

GBF | Workshop

Conveners: Jan-Claas Dajka
Co-conveners: Helmut Hillebrand

The high seas are essential for achieving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), especially Target 3 on conserving 30% of the ocean through protected areas and other effective measures. This workshop examines how the UN BBNJ Agreement can help deliver on GBF commitments by addressing two central approaches for areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ): dynamic Area-Based Management Tools (ABMTs), crucial for responding to climate-driven species shifts, and Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs), which are often more practical and adaptable than traditional MPAs.

Building on the CBD’s Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs), discussions will explore how these scientific inputs can guide ABMT and OECM development while strengthening synergies across regional and sectoral organizations (e.g. OSPAR, ISA, RFMOs). In doing so, the workshop links directly to GBF Targets 1, 2, and 10 on restoring and safeguarding ecosystems and Target 20 on effective cross-sectoral planning.

The session will bring together scientists, legal experts, and stakeholders to share insights and generate co-developed recommendations. By aligning effective governance tools with GBF objectives, the workshop seeks to advance practical solutions for protecting biodiversity in ABNJ and supports the WBF 2026 theme “Leading Transformation Together.”

We will:
– Facilitate dialogue to produce actionable recommendations for GBF-aligned ocean governance-
– Explore ABMT design for shifting species under Targets 3 and 10
– Assess OECMs as complementary pathways to deliver Targets 2 and 3
– Identify opportunities for coordination using EBSAs to meet Target 20

GBF13 [Workshop] Operationalizing a Global Biodiversity Observing System (GBiOS): governance, financing and scaling Biodiversity Observation Networks

GBF | Workshop

Conveners: Katie Millette
Co-conveners: Andrew Gonzalez; Alice Hughes

This workshop will focus on advancing the Global Biodiversity Observing System (GBiOS) — an initiative of GEO BON designed to underpin the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) by enabling coordinated, sustained, and policy-relevant biodiversity observations worldwide. GBiOS aims to bridge the gap between data collection, integration, and decision-making by establishing a global, interoperable infrastructure for biodiversity monitoring to support national reporting and progress tracking toward GBF targets. Building on major workshops held at the World Biodiversity Forum (2022, 2024) and the recent BIOSPACE25 Conference, this hands-on workshop will move the GBiOS vision into a dialogue defining pathways for implementation in direct alignment with GBF monitoring needs.

This workshop will focus on the following dimensions essential to implementation:

Governance Models – Developing co-governance structures for GBiOS that balance global coordination and national ownership.
Financing Mechanisms – Exploring viable long-term, diversified, and inclusive funding pathways, linked to GBF resource mobilization.
Scaling BONs – Co-developing blueprints to expand and support Biodiversity Observation Networks (BONs) and mobilize interoperable data connected to GBF indicators as foundational elements of GBiOS.

Goals

Draft a GBiOS Implementation Roadmap (2026–2030) with key milestones and partnerships for 2030
Explore the development of core standards and strategies for mobilizing data
Explore co-governance structures and stakeholder roles for GBiOS
Explore and document financing models (e.g., UN-backed funds, TNFD-aligned mechanisms).
Co-develop practical guidelines for scaling and supporting BONs.

GBF14 [Workshop] Restarting Nature: Co-Bringing the EU Nature Restoration Law to Life

GBF | Workshop

Conveners: Marianne Darbi
Co-conveners: Yvona Asbäck; Rachel Kristensen; Codruta Savu; Nike Sommerwerk

A key goal of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems globally by 2030. In line with this, the EU Nature Restoration Law (NRL), in force since 2024, requires effective restoration measures on at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea by 2030. To achieve this, Member States are developing the national restoration plans (NRPs) detailing how NRL targets will be met. A first draft, using the EU template, is due by early 2026. After a formal consultation phase, the revised draft must be submitted to the European Commission in September 2026. This process demands coordination across governance levels, stakeholder and public involvement, financial support, and robust monitoring and evaluation systems.

GBF15 [Workshop] Genome(ics)‑enabled indicators for biodiversity targets

GBF | Workshop

Conveners: Robert Waterhouse
Co-conveners: Camila Mazzoni; Chiara Bortoluzzi; Christian de Guttry

Genomics offers robust, scalable tools to track biodiversity change, yet genomic indicators remain underused in national monitoring and the GBF framework. This workshop tackles the gap between scientific readiness and policy uptake. We will identify where genomics strengthens Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) and Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs), how to align these indicators across borders, and what is needed to make them operational.

Aims
Identify the added value of genomics in estimation and use of EBVs and EOVs that goes beyond country borders
Map existing and emerging genomics-based EBVs and EOVs to GBF targets for species, genomics, and ecosystem integrity, supporting targets  2, 3, 4, and 12
Identify technical, legal, capacity, and any other barriers to integrating genomic indicators into national monitoring and reporting
Design a roadmap linking (meta)data standards, FAIR repositories, best data management practices, and funding to encourage uptake of genomics so data guides decisions

Expected Outcomes
Workshop report for the GBF monitoring framework secretariat (archived on Zenodo)
Draft outline of a perspective article on the important steps to be taken to ensure the uptake of genomics-enabled indicators for biodiversity targets

We welcome participants from research, government, conservation NGOs, business/finance, and IPLCs. No abstract submission is required. We will ensure diversity in gender, career stage, and geographic representation and will advertise the event widely.

GBF16 [Workshop] Mainstreaming biodiversity: implementing the GBF commitment into your company strategy (and make it work)

GBF | Workshop

Conveners: Martine van de Laar
Co-conveners: William Voorberg; Donna Teske; Roberto Barrantes Guerrero

By Naturalis Biodiversity Center and Philips

Mainstreaming Biodiversity is a core element in the GBF (see targets 14-23). At the same time, the term is poorly understood, let alone that companies have specific tools, targets, and strategies on it, neither in their own organization nor across their value chain.

This workshop aims to:
1.            Explain the term mainstreaming biodiversity (making the extraordinary ordinary) –> Naturalis
2.            Explore challenges and opportunities for mainstreaming biodiversity in organizational contexts (e.g. standardizing biodiversity assessments, metrics in different regional contexts –> Philips
3.            Reflect how mainstreaming barriers can be overcome with the audience –> both

8. Workshops TRA – Transformative change, reconnecting with nature and the role of Indigenous Peoples

TRA9 [Workshop] Nature-based recreation and values

TRA | Workshop

Conveners: Rafael Zinnenlauf
Co-conveners: Norman Backhaus, Michaela Emch

Strengthening the quality of human–nature relationships is increasingly recognized as a leverage point for addressing biodiversity loss and fostering transformational change (Riechers et al., 2021). Nature-based recreation (NBR) activities such as hiking, skiing, birdwatching and many more not only contribute to individual well-being but may also help cultivate more sustainable human–nature relationships. Beyond their instrumental benefits for mental and physical health, these activities are thought to foster environmental care and encourage conservation-oriented behaviour (Soga & Gaston, 2016). They can also be associated with intrinsic and relational values, thus including the three common value typologies (intrinsic, instrumental and relational values).

In this workshop, we aim to collaboratively explore the values ascribed to nature through the practice of different NBR activities and connect these to practical implications. Following introductions to value concepts, methods for studying them, and the role of NBR through the lens of birdwatching, we will discuss different NBR activities and examine the values attributed to nature in each. In a second step, we will foster a dialogue between theory and practice to explore how these insights can inform the design and management of places where NBR activities take place.

TRA10 Paradigm shifts for co-existence: non-human quality of life in transformative biodiversity action

TRA | Workshop

Conveners: Elizabeth Díaz General
Co-conveners: Paula Novo; Alejandrina Viesca Ramírez

Living in harmony with nature is the shared vision of the KM Global Biodiversity Framework for 2050 and is recognised as a central principle in sustainability decisions. Transformative change at all levels, integrating plural values and understanding human-nature interactions, is key to achieving this vision.
We invite the biodiversity community to exchange thoughts and knowledge on a just transformative change that explicitly considers the quality of life of the non-human world. We will reflect on what paradigm shift is needed for individuals and society to truly co-exist with non-humans, with special attention to a group often overlooked in these debates: domesticated non-human animals, whose lives are closely tied to the provision of certain ecosystem and cultural services.
The workshop will open with a lecture on a quality-of-life approach, followed by its operationalisation and a discussion of potential transformative change actions derived from it. This approach assesses the influence of socio-economic indicators and nature’s contributions to people within the land system on both people’s and nature’s quality of life. Participants will be invited to take the perspective of non-humans, addressing their individual and collective needs across material and non-material quality-of-life dimensions and value frames (people and nature living from, in, with, and as each other).
Goals include fostering dialogue on non-human quality of life and improving its integration into assessments and transformative change frameworks. Expected outcomes include exchange, mutual learning, feedback on the approach, and networking for collaboration in this field.

TRA11 [Workshop] Rethinking Human-Natures: Holding Indigenous Peoples’, Practitioners’, and Researchers’ Knowledges in Parity for Transdisciplinary Transformative Change

TRA | Workshop

Conveners: Sierra Deutsch
Co-conveners: Annina Helena Michel; Norman Backhaus

A common approach to transformative change centers on rethinking human-nature relations. While some Transdisciplinary Transformative Change Initiatives (TTCIs) succeed with this, they often stress ‘reconnection’ as a starting point (Abson et al. 2017), assuming that human-human relations are inconsequential and nature is something we can ‘disconnect’ from – contrasting with holistic worldviews. Other TTCIs have engaged Indigenous Peoples’ perspectives but often without addressing how power prioritizes certain forms of knowledge. As a result, these efforts can lead to problematic knowledge extraction or subordination of such perspectives (Latulippe & Klenk 2020).
We aimed to address these issues by interweaving experiences and knowledges of Indigenous and non-Indigenous academics and practitioners; inviting Indigenous Peoples’ intervention in Western lands rather than the reverse; and centering holistic understandings in Swiss nature conservation. Using adaptations of the Three Horizons Framework (3H) and Two-Eyed Seeing, we co-developed protocols, practices, and methods (PPMs) to re-visibilize human-human/-nature connections.
This 3-hour workshop facilitates mutual knowledge exchange by drawing on our experiences and working with participants’ projects. It combines short conceptual inputs with individual and small-group activities. In the first half, participants will work with 3H and Two-Eyed Seeing using one of their own projects. In the second half, they will experiment with our PPMs.
Intended outcomes include improved capacity to work with multiple knowledge systems and to ‘re-visibilize’ relations, supported by practical examples from participants’ projects. Participants will also gain hands-on experience with our methods and tools to apply in their contexts.

TRA12 [Workshop] Indigenous Peoples and local communities and ecosystem restoration

TRA | Workshop

Conveners: Stephanie Mansourian

Ecosystem restoration has been gaining ground, notably since the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration in 2019. Several principles and standards exist for restoration. While these may refer to „stakeholder engagement“, they remain extremely weak and insufficient to guide practitioners when it comes to truly, effectively and equitably collaborating with Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IP&LCs) to define, agree and collaborate on ecosystem restoration initiatives. Through the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) we have been exploring good practices for restoration and IP&LCs from planning, through to implementation and securing positive outcomes. In this workshop we will discuss the good practices identified through our work using illustrative case studies.

goal: integration of IP&LCs in large-scale ecosystem restoration practice being promoted under the various global targets
expected outcomes: shared understanding of good practices in IP&LCs and ecosystem restoration.

9. Workshops CON – Connecting science, society and practice

CON15 [Workshop] Thinking and Communicating Biodiversity and Climate Together – Developing Joint Narratives for Action

CON | Workshop

Conveners: Simone Rödder
Co-conveners: Alexandra Hostert

In recent years, the ongoing climate crisis has powerfully shaped public discourse, activism, and policy priorities worldwide. However, the equally urgent biodiversity crisis receives less attention, despite its relevance for our planet’s future. How can we ensure that addressing climate change does not come at the expense of awareness and action on biodiversity loss? What role do shared narratives play in making biodiversity issues more salient and actionable, and how can these narratives be designed to resonate with diverse audiences?
This participatory workshop aims to foster dialogue and creativity among researchers, practitioners, and communicators from across disciplines. After a brief input on the power of narratives in science communication, participants will divide into small groups to collaboratively develop innovative, integrative narratives on biodiversity communication. Through guided discussion, groups will identify strengths and weaknesses in climate and biodiversity discourses – such as the climate movement’s strong public visibility versus the often-overlooked importance of biodiversity – and experiment with ways to use the strengths of one to address the weaknesses of the other.
The workshop will also engage participants in critical reflection on the role of emotionality in science communication: What kinds and degrees of emotions are both appropriate and effective in the current situation? How can we strike a balance between mobilizing concern and fostering constructive engagement?
The session will conclude with a plenary exchange of developed narratives and a discussion on how these can be applied in practice to spark new collaborations and strategies for communicating the urgency and relevance of biodiversity change in a warming world.

CON19 [Workshop] Biodiversity-Climate Knowledge Flows: Linking Science, Policy and Practice Across Scales

CON | Workshop

Conveners: Yves Zinngrebe
Co-conveners: Yamini Yogya; Marianne Darbi; Axel Paulsch

While addressing biodiversity loss and climate change requires robust scientific knowledge, it also requires effective pathways to ensure that this knowledge is understood, trusted, and acted upon. Yet, the flow of biodiversity and climate knowledge between providers and users remains uneven and fragmented, limiting the potential for transformative change.

This session, convened by the EU-funded RESPIN project (Reinforcing Science-Policy Interfaces for integrated biodiversity and climate knowledge and policies), explores how knowledge circulates between holders (scientists, institutions, IPBES/IPCC experts) and users (policy makers, societal organisations, practitioners). Drawing on social network analysis in seven countries, as well as surveys and interviews with over 700 knowledge holders and users, RESPIN identifies both barriers and opportunities for more inclusive and impactful knowledge uptake.

The session will share comparative insights into how different national and regional contexts shape knowledge networks, including who is central, who is marginalised, and what formats (policy briefs, online data, direct exchange) best support uptake. It will also use the recent IPBES Nexus and Transformative Change Assessments as examples of where knowledge input and uptake are critical for policy impact.

To ensure active engagement, we propose a workshop-format session. Short presentations will introduce RESPIN findings, followed by structured discussion in small groups (World Café format).

CON20 [Workshop] Biodiversity Evidence: Foundations of a Community of Practice to streamline and innovate literature workflows

CON | Workshop

Conveners: Rainer Krug
Co-conveners: Donat Agosti; Giorgia Camperio; Patrick Ruch; Delphine Clara Zemp

Accelerating growth of biodiversity knowledge, spanning peer-reviewed publications and grey literature, poses challenges for seeking timely and trustworthy evidence for policy, practice, and research. This full-day, invitation-only workshop (with limited seats) will bring together experts to map what exists, what is needed, and how to move forward to improve and develop literature workflows.
The morning will feature short talks offering a snapshot of the state of the art: insights from initiatives, overviews of tools and techniques, and case studies demonstrating applications, providing a shared understanding of strengths, gaps, and persistent challenges in literature identification, screening, and preparation for synthesis.
In the afternoon, participants will work in breakout groups to discuss the needs of different user communities, from science-policy bodies to independent projects, and outline ways forward. Afterwards, we will design the foundations of a new Community of Practice (KENLit – Knowledge Exchange Network on Literature) to streamline and innovate workflows, and explore opportunities for collaboration and funding.
We aim to have established a KENLit with core members and leaders, identified needs to guide user-focused research and development in biodiversity literature workflows, and defined next steps for joint projects, proposals, and tool development.
We aim to set the stage for coordinated, open, and practical approaches to make literature more accessible, relevant, and available for evidence-based biodiversity research, practice, and policy.
This workshop is part of a curated series of workshops and sessions focusing on biodiversity evidence, which can be identified in the programme by titles beginning with «Biodiversity Evidence».

CON21 [Workshop] Biodiversity Through Shared Dialogue: Linking Scientists, Stakeholders, and Policymakers

CON | Workshop

Conveners: Victoria Miara
Co-conveners: Yael Lehnardt

How can diverse perceptions of the term ‘biodiversity’ be reconciled to successfully engage in dialogue? How can scientists, stakeholders, and policymakers effectively collaborate to protect biodiversity? Biodiversity loss remains challenging to communicate, as its complexity allows for multiple interpretations and approaches to mitigation. This often leads to ambiguity in policymaker-stakeholder discussions, highlighting the need for an ongoing adaptation of biodiversity to specific contexts.
In this interactive workshop, participants navigate adapting the term ‘biodiversity’ in real-world conservation scenarios. The conveners bring their rich experience as ecologists co-producing research, advocating through NGOs, engaging in policy discussions, and leading previous workshops, to guide fruitful discussions.
Goals: We aim to provide a time and place for reflection, fostering a diverse discussion through sharing personal views, experiences and tools for tackling the challenges of communicating biodiversity topics at the policy level. Participants will reflect upon unique and shared perceptions, and how each may advocate for effective policies. We’ll discuss opportunities and challenges encountered when communicating environmental issues in policy settings.

Outcomes: Reflection upon the unique perceptions of biodiversity in policy settings, facilitating a starting point for communication based upon mutual understanding and trust.
Increased awareness of challenges professionals face when communicating about biodiversity in policy settings, enabling participants to anticipate and prepare accordingly.
Imbue participants with a sense of agency regarding their ability to overcome communication challenges when communicating in policy settings.

CON22 [Workshop] Bridging the gap between Research and Practice: how to foster scientific results transferability and exploitation in the business world

CON | Workshop

Conveners: Suzon Bedu
Co-conveners: Eric Rieux

Multiple research projects have been funded and implemented, resulting in numerous knowledge and results: more than ten thousand peer-reviewed articles have been published, mentioning ‘biodiversity’ as a key word since the start of 2025. How can we optimally transfer these knowledge and resources into the everyday life of businesses? Policies are being built, as well as academia-business partnerships, and many other vehicles for knowledge transfer. What are the best practices for improving the transfer of information, adoption, and exploitation of research results by business stakeholders?

The workshop will be animated by an experienced facilitator and include live sketching.

Goals:
– Highlight good practices of knowledge transfer
– Show a panorama of successful exploitation of research results
– Foster connections between academia and business

Expected Outcomes:
– Increased awareness of scientists towards exploitation potential of their results
– Increased awareness of business stakeholders of the value of scientific results
– Networking between scientists and businesses

CON23 [Workshop] Bridging Worlds: The Role of Conservation Social Science at the Science–Policy–Society Interface

CON | Workshop

Conveners: Van Thi Hai Nguyen
Co-conveners: Stephanie Brittain; Francisco gelvesgomez; Saloni Bhatia; Ans Vercammen

As environmental crises intensify, conservation must integrate not only ecosystems and disciplines but also cultures, institutions, and epistemologies. Conservation social science plays a pivotal role in navigating the complex intersections of science, policy, and society. Over the past two decades—alongside the rise of the Society for Conservation Biology’s Social Science Working Group (SSWG)—this field has grown into a robust, interdisciplinary community shaping global conservation thought and practice.

This workshop builds on that legacy to explore how conservation social science informs the governance of nature, people, and place across scales and cultures. Presentations will examine stakeholder engagement, co-production of knowledge, social impact assessment, Indigenous knowledge systems, and the integration of equity and well-being into conservation policy. Drawing from the 2025 Trends and Future Directions in Social Science special issue in Conservation Biology, the session will assess the mainstreaming of social science in conservation institutions while addressing persistent challenges: power asymmetries, epistemological tensions, colonial legacies, underrepresentation from the Global South, and unequal access to knowledge.

Looking ahead, we emphasize training and empowering new generations of conservation social scientists who can translate across scientific, policy, and societal domains with cultural competence and ethical sensitivity. Through dialogue on participatory methods, transparency, and collaboration, this symposium invites reflection on how to institutionalize inclusive and reflexive standards. We ask: What could conservation social science look like in 20 years if guided by justice, integrity, and global inclusion?

CON24 [Workshop] Connecting Knowledge and Practice: Scaling Nature-based Solutions for Resilient Societies

CON | Workshop

Conveners: Irina Pavlova
Co-conveners: Eirini Glynou Lefaki

This workshop will explore how Nature-based Solutions (NbS) can link science, policy, and practice to address disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, while safeguarding biodiversity and strengthening societal resilience. Drawing on evidence and practical experience from national and regional initiatives, the session will highlight innovative approaches that harness ecosystem services for risk reduction and sustainable development. Case studies from the EU-funded NBSINFRA and ALBATROSS projects will illustrate NbS as living laboratories where scientists, policymakers, practitioners, and communities co-produce knowledge and test solutions in urban and rural contexts. These examples demonstrate how NbS can be adapted to diverse settings while generating transferable lessons for scaling.

The workshop emphasizes co-production of actionable knowledge across rights holders and stakeholders to ensure NbS are inclusive, credible, and effective. Key enabling conditions such as robust scientific frameworks, evidence-based policy design, innovative financing mechanisms, and cross-sectoral partnerships will be discussed to strengthen trust in science and biodiversity-informed decision-making. Goals include sharing science-based insights, comparing rural and urban applications, exploring enabling conditions for scaling NbS, and capturing stakeholder perspectives. Expected outcomes include a synthesis of evidence and lessons, identification of capacity-building priorities, and strengthened science-policy-society dialogue to advance resilient, inclusive societies.

CON25 [Workshop] From mainstreaming biodiversity awareness to mainstreaming biodiversity actions

CON | Workshop

Conveners: Lumi Aalto-Setälä
Co-conveners: Milla Unkila; Hanna Oksanen; Maria Pecoraro; Mia Salo

Biodiversity loss has entered mainstream awareness, yet meaningful action continues to lag. Since the IPBES (2019) and Dasgupta (2020) reports, biodiversity has gained recognition alongside climate change in business, policy, and public discourse. However, the transition from awareness to action remains slow.

This workshop builds on insights from a transdisciplinary research project BIODIFUL (2021-2025) focused on fostering biodiversity-respectful leadership across society. We define leadership not only through formal roles in business, politics, and beyond, but also as the ability to inspire and mobilize others within personal networks, from communities to workplaces.

We propose that exponential change begins with individuals acting as biodiversity agents in their own spheres of influence. By equipping participants with tools and strategies to educate and activate their networks, we aim to catalyze chain reactions of biodiversity-positive behavior.

In this session we will share practical insights from our project on enabling biodiversity leadership, facilitate co-creation of strategies to empower participants as change agents, and explore how communication can make biodiversity relevant to business, policy, and individual choices. Participants will leave with actionable tools to influence biodiversity-respectful behavior in their networks, and practical ways to communicate biodiversity knowledge into everyday practice.

CON26 [Workshop] Living Landscapes: Co-creating Biocultural Diversity for Biodiversity Action

CON | Workshop

Conveners: Elisa Lähde
Co-conveners: Kati Vierrikko; Eveliina Kunnaton; Hanna Nieminen

The session explores the concept of biocultural diversity (BCD), which recognizes the interweaving of cultural and natural processes in landscapes shaped by long- or short-term human-more-than-human interactions, can be translated into actionable practices connecting science, society, and practice. Drawing on real-world cases, we examine how co-creative approaches can strengthen feedback loops between human, non-human actors, & ecology, fostering both BD and cultural vitality. Cases include governance structures, local practices, and innovations. Through the session, we illustrate and envision future pathways where BCD principles guide inclusive planning, decision-making, and stewardship. Our goal is to deepen mutual understanding of interdependence among stakeholders, thereby strengthening trust in science as a partner.
Form: Case presentations (15 min): Five scholars and practitioners from diverse regions present cases demonstrating how BCD frameworks have been implemented, adapted, or envisioned for BD action. Co-creation (45 min): Participants join small groups to co-develop ideas, identify barriers, and propose solutions. Each group works with a large systems map of a case, visualizing actors, relationships, and dynamics to support exploration of complexity and situating ideas within broader systems. Insights (30 min): A plenary discussion synthesizes key takeaways, recommendations, and opportunities for scaling BCD approaches, offering a roadmap for trust, dialogue, and co-produced knowledge in BD governance.
Outcomes: Participants will gain insights into BCD in practice, identify barriers and enablers, co-create solutions, formulate recommendations for policy and planning, and strengthen networks that foster collaboration around biocultural heritage and BD.

CON27 [Workshop] How Can Science Answer Knowledge Requests From Policy?

CON | Workshop

Conveners: Kaisa Korhonen-Kurki
Co-conveners: Marie Vandewalle; Juliette Young; Ute Jakob; Eszter Kelemen

We need to improve Science-Policy-Practice interfaces for better biodiversity outcomes. The EU has committed to establishing a Science Service for Biodiversity aiming to connect research on biodiversity to policy in a targeted dialogue between scientists, other knowledge holders and policy. Answering knowledge requests from policy forms a core of the Science Service. The goals of this workshop are to introduce the Science Service and the model of answering requests, build capacity for participants to use the step- by- step protocol developed for handling knowledge requests from policy, discuss the challenges of the process and consider scaling possibilities to other than EU contexts. Innovative interaction methods will illustrate the real-world policy challenges and enable participants to reflect on the roles of policy officers, knowledge brokers, practitioners and researchers.

–              Introduction to EU Science Service for Biodiversity
–              Presentation of “Model for answering urgent policy requests to support biodiversity policies”;
–              Capacity-building in small groups on how science can answer policy requests within short time frames. Group work will consist of going through the steps of the protocol on answering requests including forming thematic expert groups, managing the process and interacting with policy officers within a dialogic model. Groups will be working with real world examples.
–              Facilitated summing up, interactive dialogue and reflection on scaling the model for other than EU contexts.

Expected outcomes will include an increased understanding of knowledge for policy support, hands-on experience on handling knowledge requests from policy and conclusion on scaling up possibilities of the model for different contexts.

CON28 [Workshop] Science-Policy Interactions for Effective Collaboration: Preserving and Fostering Biodiversity Together

CON | Workshop

Conveners: Sabrina Kirschke
Co-conveners: Cornelia Krug, Konstantin Kiprijanov; Marianne Darbi

Modern societies face a range of complex problems and continuous crises, such as climate change, social inequalities, and – notably – biodiversity loss. Addressing these challenges requires scientific insights that effectively bridge the gap between research, policy-making, and diverse rights holders. However, debates persist regarding the most meaningful ways to share knowledge and shape policies, thus highlighting the need for comparative evaluation of the broad spectrum of communication formats at the science-policy interface.

This 90-minute workshop takes a systematic approach to understanding and categorising exchange formats at the science-policy interface. It aims to identify and map these formats according to key criteria, including their target groups within the political-administrative system; their roles at various stages of the policy making process; and their specific functions within these processes. The workshop consists of three distinct stages: (1) brief overview of key concepts and mapping criteria; (2) group discussion to identify key interaction formats based on the participants’ individual experiences; and (3) a mapping exercise to classify these formats along the predefined criteria. The findings are then synthesised and discussed in a plenary session.

This workshop offers a much-needed review and in-depth understanding of science–policy interaction mechanisms, providing practical insights for improving evidence-based collaboration in biodiversity contexts. In doing so, it empowers research communities, rights holders, and practitioners to strategically influence decision-making and foster sustained connections across for biodiversity action. It also opens up scholarly discussion to trainers and consultants beyond the reach of academic research.

CON29 [Workshop] Serious Game „WaldWege“: Empowering Youth for Sustainable Forest Management

CON | Workshop

Conveners: Anne Dray
Co-conveners: Viktor Lienhard; Johanna Wierer

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Switzerland, in collaboration with LEAF Inspiring Change (an ETH Zurich spin-off) and the Zurich University of Teacher Education (PHZH), has developed an innovative immersive strategy game that teaches sustainable forest and timber management principles.
WaldWege simulates the complex interplay between forestry interests and habitat protection, making these relationships tangible for players. The game demonstrates how decisions in forest management and along the value chain impact ecosystems across multiple timescales, showing tangible changes resulting from these decisions while fostering new ideas for responsible resource use.
The game addresses critical needs in sustainability education:
Climate Urgency: Sustainable forest management is central to addressing the climate crisis
Systems Thinking: Develop holistic understanding of complex systems and long-term consequences
Multi-stakeholder Perspectives: Gain insights into various viewpoints, fostering empathy and critical thinking
Decision-making Under Uncertainty: Simulate real-world scenarios with incomplete information
Educational Innovation: A pioneering method for experiential learning that promotes behavioral change and is adaptable to other complex topics
WaldWege is an innovative program that redefines sustainability education. With your collaboration, we can elevate this initiative even further, unlocking its full potential through strategic support and networking opportunities for funding. Choosing WaldWege means advancing a new generation of environmentally conscious citizens—and seizing the opportunity to showcase leadership in biodiversity transformation through innovation in education.
More Info: https://leafic.ch/waldwege/

CON30 [Workshop] Tenure for Nature: Why Land Rights Matter in Biodiversity Governance

CON | Workshop

Conveners: Glenn Hunt
Co-conveners: Carolina Adler; Ahmed Shams

This workshop examines how land tenure—customary and formal—shapes social relationships and biodiversity outcomes in mountain and upland regions. Despite its central role in sustaining ecosystems, tenure is often overlooked in biodiversity policy and practice. Drawing on cases from the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, the Sinai, East Africa, and the European Alps, we explore how secure rights support conservation, ecosystem regeneration, and sustainable livelihoods.

The session will highlight governance systems such as community forest management, collective water management, and incentive-based schemes reversing deforestation in South Asia; customary tribal tenure in arid mountain landscapes, where informal agreements underpin conservation in protected areas; and cadastral systems in the Alps, where historical boundaries shape biodiversity management. Perspectives from land systems research will connect these place-based cases, spanning different scales and timeframes, to broader debates on sustainability transitions. The workshop will also link these experiences to the international science-policy arena, examining how tenure security can be embedded in global frameworks and adaptation strategies.

Goals: (a) Show how secure land tenure enables biodiversity management; (b) Share cross-regional lessons from diverse upland contexts; (c) Co-develop strategies for integrating tenure into policy and practice.
Expected Outcomes: Participants will deepen understanding of tenure’s role in biodiversity, contribute to a synthesis brief with cross-regional insights, and co-create actionable recommendations for policy and program design. The workshop will also foster connections among researchers, community leaders, and policy actors for future collaboration.

CON31 [Workshop] The Science of Communicating Nature

CON | Workshop

Conveners: Alex Bowmer
Co-conveners: Marie Chambers

At On the Edge, we’re committed to reconnecting the public with the value and importance of biodiversity — as well as bringing about lasting, large-scale change to protect and re-establish species populations and ecosystems across the world. We believe entertainment-led storytelling is a crucial ally in the movement to reconnect people with nature and underdog species. Specifically, Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species, which represent the most unique, and threatened lineages on the planet. It has the capacity to make the natural world accessible and emotionally engaging, helping people see nature and change their perceptions of it.

Over the past 2 years, On the Edge has developed and delivered capacity building training and mentorship to over 3,000 conservationists & storytellers, teaching our approach to nature communication. Utilising our in-house expertise, this workshop will introduce the audience to the science of communicating nature, the role of storytelling in behaviour change, and how to challenge traditional approaches to science communication.

Goals: Increase capacity of attendees to better communicate biodiversity, its threats and solutions; increase knowledge of science communication and behaviour change; challenge traditional approaches to conservation communication.

Outcomes: Increased awareness of the importance and influence of storytelling, its role in conservation, and how it can be utilised to influence behaviour change; practical skills that allow attendees to encourage them to think outside the box when communicating nature and its threats in their organisations.

Cultural Events ART – Arts and culture for biodiversity

ART1 [Cultural Event] “Biodiversity Between the Cracks” – A creative #Krautschau urban nature event

ART | Cultural event

Conveners: Julia Krohmer
Co-conveners: Cornelia Krug

As a complementary format to the World Biodiversity Forum, the #Krautschau invites citizens, conference participants and passers-by to (re)discover the often-overlooked plants of urban spaces. Using chalk, the names of wild plants growing between paving stones, in wall crevices or along sidewalks are written directly on the ground – in the local language, in English or with their botanical names.
This low-threshold, interactive activity creates a bridge between environmental education, artistic intervention (street art in the best sense of the word), and biodiversity research. It makes urban plant diversity visible, sparks conversations, and invites people to explore ecological connections right in their everyday surroundings. By combining science communication with creative expression, it engages a wide audience – from curious children to casual passers-by to the Forum participants.
During the Forum, #Krautschau will be organised as a public and participatory event that brings the Forum into the town of Davos and creates walking routes through the city, highlighting the beauty and resilience of spontaneous urban vegetation. The action draws attention to the value of urban biodiversity and encourages dialogue on the relationship between humans and nature in urban contexts.
This format has been carried out in numerous cities and several countries in recent years. It is also documented and shared via social media under the hashtag #Krautschau and #MoreThanWeeds etc, connecting local observations to a global conversation on biodiversity in everyday life.
In doing so, #Krautschau adds a tangible, sensory dimension to the scientific discussions of the Forum and carries the message of biodiversity visibly into public space – both on the streets and online.

ART2 [Cultural Event] Biorhythms of Freshwater Ecosystems

ART | Cultural event

Conveners: David De La Haye
Co-conveners: Rob Mackay

A freshwater sound-bath that explores the watery origins of our primordial selves – the perfect place to reflect during a busy symposium.

Centred around a multichannel audio meditation on underwater soundscapes, it brings Darwin’s concept that humans emerged from a „warm little pool“ into an aural reality. Within these pools we encounter Earth’s earliest biorhythms – the photosynthetic rhythms of aquatic plants that continue to be fundamental to human existence. Featuring hydrophone recordings from an array of ponds, lakes and rivers, the installation explores the diversity of freshwater soundscapes alongside video excerpts and real-time audio feeds from some of the UK’s largest conservation organisations, including National Trust and WWT.

Emerging from the experience as aquatic listeners, participants will have the chance to leave a recorded message for their future, land-based beings. What message does the water carry?

ART3 [Cultural Event] CHOREME – sound mapping and urban biodiversity

ART | Cultural event

Conveners: Séverine Morfin
Co-conveners: Céline Grangey; Damien Delorme; Yann Tremblay

Séverine Morfin is blazing a trail with music that is attentive to nature and porous to the sounds of the world around us, building a large-scale transdisciplinary project where musical creation and ecology become one. Bringing together contemporary, traditional and jazz musicians, two researchers and a visual artist, the violist and composer orchestrates an unlikely encounter between a unique string quartet and soundtracks recorded at the Parc forestier de la Poudrerie (93). Birdsong, bat calls and toad croaks are «played»; alongside instruments in an elegant, melodious and sometimes hypnotic repertoire, where everything is organically linked.

Faced with the climate crisis, what role can composers and musicians play? They can create a channel for sensitive wonder at living things in order to activate the desire to care for them. As sound specialists, we can also serve biology by making people hear species that we cannot see but which live among us. The spatialised recordings will enable staff to closely monitor the evolution of life in the park in order to better preserve species, and will provide ethologists with material for their research on biodiversity.
With CHOREME, it is almost as if we are witnessing the birth of a living organism, an entity that has a life of its own, that breathes. A beating heart.

Séverine Morfin, viola and composition
Odile Auboin, solo viola with the Ensemble Intercontemporain
Malik Ziad, guembri, mandol, leading figure in Gnawa and Chaâbi music
Guillaume Magne, guitarist with the ONJ
Céline Grangey, sound engineer and sound designer, biophony recordings

Damien Delorme: Researcher in philosophy, University of Lausanne.
Yann Tremblay: Researcher in eco-ethology at IRD, bioacoustics and research

ART4 [Cultural Event] Floating Life – a creative artwork inspired by aquatic fungi

ART | Cultural event

Conveners: Pietro Marchese
Co-conveners: Sara Manfio; Francesco Marcello Falcieri; Gabriella Traviglia; Laura Garzoli

Fungi populating aquatic environments are amongst the lesser known organisms of such ecosystems. Without being seen by the naked eye, they contribute to aquatic microbial communities within glacial meltwater, freshwater basins and oceans, at the global level. Ranging a large biological and functional diversity, aquatic fungi demand for global acknowledgement by the scientific as well as the non-scientific communities.

The exhibited artwork seeks to represent the extraordinary biodiversity of aquatic fungi by depicting some of their floating life forms as well as colours that represent their preparation for micro-imaging. Moreover, the combination of creative work with living fungi that are visible in their macroscopic form establish a contemporary vision between the macroscopic and microscopic.

Floating Life emanates from the exchange between aquatic mycologists and the young artist Sara Manfio, currently a student at the Venice Academy of fine arts, and was established within the framework of the interdisciplinary project Art of Marine Sciences (ARSMar). It was exposed in Venice at the exposition «Bio ≠ Biodiversity as Essential Coexistence», and it is now further contributing to the acknowledgement of aquatic fungi as an essential component of the global biome.

ART5 [Cultural Event] Invasive Species invading the WBF.

ART | Cultural event

Conveners: Thijs Biersteker
Co-conveners: Lee Howell; Kristian Teleki

Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are among the top five threats to global biodiversity. To bring this urgent issue onto the global agenda, we must not only inform but visibly demonstrate the impact invasive species have on ecosystems and communities.

In collaboration with Fauna & Flora International, the Villars Institute, and the Woven Foundation, this project introduces an immersive art installation that brings the science of IAS to life. The work physically inflates within the space, gradually expanding and displacing the audience pushing them out of their ‘habitat’, just as invasive species do to native flora and fauna.

This performative sculpture is accompanied by a series of panels that narrate the collective effort of the partners to agendize IAS, and develop educational tools to make both the science and societal impact accessible to the public.

By merging factual precision with emotional experience, this piece is a demonstration of next-generation science communication—using art and culture as active tools to shift public understanding and inspire informed action on one of biodiversity’s most pressing challenges.

ART6 [Cultural Event] RhiZone: [M-Other] – immersive 3DS video installation & VR

ART | Cultural event

Conveners: Joanna Hoffmann
Co-conveners: Andre Dietrich

RhiZone: [M-Other] belongs to a series of immersive XR artworks (RhiZones) inspired by rhizosphere—the symbiotic networks between roots, fungi, and microorganisms. These underground networks, based on diversity and interdependence, have evolved over millions of years, securing sustainable well-being for all stakeholders.
RhiZone[M-Other] was realised in the frame of the SPUN Expedition: Mycorrhizal Wealth of East Carpathians. The focus of the scientific research was the mycobiome biodiversity of the rhizosphere of the monumental trees (so-called „mother trees“) and their role in sustaining natural ecosystems, especially in the buffer zone of the Bieszczady National Park. It is an area of exceptional biological and cultural importance, on the border of Poland, Ukraine and Slovakia.
“I was surrounded by the beech-fir forest, which has dominated this area for hundreds of thousands of years, survived even the ice age. The experience of a deep time of nature, a strong feeling of belonging to the processes that exceed my individual being, was a driving force behind “RhiZone-Mother” — an imaginative portal to the dynamic ecosystem of profound holobiosis.” The artistic narrative is based on the documentary material from the Expedition (2023).
The duration of both video and VR is 6 min.30 sec.
The installation embraces 3D stereoscopic projection and a VR stand.

ART7 [Cultural Event] The Breath of Soil: Memory Nexus, artistic workshop exploring the scent of soil

ART | Cultural event

Conveners: Joanna Hoffmann
Co-conveners: Andre Dietrich

The artistic workshop: «The Breath of the Earth: Memory Nexus»; explores relations between soil ecosystems and humans through the language of smell. The smell of soil, produced by microbial life and chemical processes, carries ecological knowledge while evoking personal emotions and memories that shape our identities and bonds with the environment.
The workshop is rooted in the Horizon Europe / Mission Soil project: SPIN-FERT.
Within this event, participants are guided through a collective experience combining science, art and memory. The session starts with an introduction to soil health challenges and analysis. Participants then smell soil samples and record memories triggered by the scents. These reflections are clustered into four groups, serving as bases for creating a collaborative «RNA memory molecule»—a 3D molecular-poetic model symbolising soil as the basis of life. The model is later printed in bioplastic and returned to the soil, recalling circular processes in nature and soil economy. The memory molecule is also archived as part of an interactive online collection.
Goals
To raise awareness of soil as a fundamental resource, central to biodiversity and human well-being.
To cultivate empathy for soil through sensory, emotional, and cultural engagement.
To demonstrate the value of interdisciplinary art-science methodologies in addressing complex environmental challenges.
Expected Outcomes
A collective «RNA memory molecule»; as a physical artefact and digital archive.
An insight into soil ecosystems and EU Mission Soil.
Enhanced environmental awareness and appreciation of soil as a living biological and cultural medium.
Inspiration for participants to integrate creative, participatory methods into their own fields of research, education, or community engagement.

ART8 [Cultural Event] Nature-positive apéro: connecting innovators and experts for biodiversity

ART | Cultural event

Conveners: Barbara Dubach
Co-conveners: Marina Herias Saenz

Biodiversity solutions don’t scale in isolation—they grow through connections. I4N wants to host an informal networking apéro on the evening of Wednesday, 17 June 2026, where participants from all backgrounds interact with founders of science-based, nature-positive startups from I4N’s Solution Portfolio. Each startup will briefly introduce its solution before we open the floor for networking, conversation, and idea exchange over drinks. The session is designed to encourage exchange across disciplines and sectors, fostering collaborations between innovators, scientists, policymakers, and investors who share the commitment to turn biodiversity-positive ideas into practice. A relaxed space to forge meaningful partnerships and strengthen the bridge between biodiversity research and applied innovation, while celebrating innovation for nature and biodiversity.

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