The story
Hey there, new here? Here are some great materials to get you familiar with holistic landscape restoration and the 4 Returns framework.
First stop: what is the 4 Returns framework? Check out this explanatory animation & the 4 Returns page.
Courses
These two courses are a great introduction to your regenerative business journey. They are created by the ENABLE consortium, which includes the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Commonland, United Nations University Land Restoration Training Programme, and the Spanish National Research Council and Estoril Global Conferences.
- A Business Approach to Sustainable Landscape Restoration
- Business Model Innovation for Sustainable Landscape Restoration
Documentaries
Grab a cup of tea, popcorn, and sit back to enjoy these documentaries that will spark your imagination about healthier and more beautiful world.
- Green Gold | a documentary by Commonland ambassador John D. Liu on the large-scale rehabilitation of the Loess Plateau in China.
- Groen Goud 2 | a sequel to Green Gold by Dutch television broadcaster VPRO (partly in Dutch), also featuring Commonland CEO Willem Ferwerda.
- Head, Heart and Hands | Four landscape heroes in the Altiplano Estepario, Spain, are followed in their regenerative journey: a beautiful story of inspiration & hope. Watch the 4 short movies and keep an eye on the social media of Commonland and AlVelAl for full movie screenings.
- Partnering for sustainable landscapes | short documentary, made by Commonland and Wij.land, about working towards a 4 returns peat meadow landscape in The Netherlands.
- Kiss the Ground | An award winning documentary showing how by regenerating the world’s soils, we can stabilize Earth’s climate, restore lost ecosystems and create abundant food supplies.
Short videos
Here are some of our favourite educational videos that help you answer your most pressing questions on landscapes, ecology, and restoration.
- What is the value of soil?
- How can we restore soil life?
- What is regenerative agriculture?
- How can regenerative agriculture curb climate change?
- What is deforestation and what can we do about it?
- How can we feed nine billion people with local food systems?
- How can we achieve SDG 15: a land degradation neutral world?
Reads
Are you a reader? These reads will bring you up to speed with the most important aspects of landscape approaches.
- Your introduction to Commonland’s 4 Returns framework: read this report for a full introduction, and this book if you want to go deeper: 4 Returns from landscape restoration – a systemic and practical approach to restore degraded landscapes
- An introduction to Integrated Landscape Management: The Little Sustainable Landscapes Book
Podcasts
Do you prefer learning by listening? In this story you’ll find our top podcast recommendations.
