Hello…and welcome to…Issue #017!

Reading Time: <3 mins.

TL;DR: We published our podcast's ninth episode, Commonland's 4 Returns: A Path to Sustainable Landscapes, with Willem Ferwerda, Founder of Commonland.

“The loss of hope and purpose and pride actually became one of the central pillars of my thinking. I realized that if you want to bring stakeholders together to create a new landscape vision that brings hope back, you need to identify and talk about the loss of hope and the loss of purpose and the loss of pride.”

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In the previous issue of ​Designing Nature's Half: The Newsletter​, we shared information on the eighth episode of our podcast, an interview with USFWS Landscape Science Coordinator Alex Wright, about ​​Collaboration and Co-Production: Key Elements of the Midwest Conservation Blueprint​​. In this issue, we share insights into our ninth episode, Commonland's 4 Returns: A Path to Sustainable Landscapes, with Willem Ferwerda, Founder of Commonland, an international non-governmental organization. You can find the episode on all major streaming platforms or access it through our website via the link above.

🌎Restoring Our Landscapes, Reviving Our Future

Today's world is grappling with three major crises: pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss, known as the triple planetary crisis. We must take an integrated and innovative approach that aligns human prosperity with ecological health to address it. That's where our most recent episode of ​Designing Nature's Half: The Landscape Conservation Podcast​ with Commonland's Willem Ferwerda comes in. Commonland's work is centered around the visionary ​​4 Returns framework​​ - a blueprint for landscape sustainability that offers more than just environmental rejuvenation; it provides hope, community cohesion, and economic revitalization.

The Essence of the 4 Returns Framework

The ​4 Returns framework​ provides a holistic approach to healing degraded landscapes, currently encompassing 40% of the Earth's surface (UN, 2022). It goes beyond traditional conservation methods by addressing four key areas of loss and focusing on four returns:

1. The loss of inspiration: the Return of inspiration. Planting seeds of hope for a better future and giving people a sense of purpose.

2. The loss of social networks: the Social Return. Bringing back jobs, education, and social connections: the building blocks of thriving communities.

3. The loss of biodiversity: the Natural Return. Restoring biodiversity for healthy and resilient landscapes: reviving nature.

4. The loss of economic value: the Financial Return. Realizing long-term, sustainable income: new business models tailored to each landscape and community.

Commonland doesn't just preach this philosophy - its effectiveness is demonstrated through tangible, on-the-ground projects worldwide.

A Three-Zone Strategy

To implement their vision effectively, Commonland employs a three-zone strategy across the landscape:

Natural zones focus on preserving wildlife habitats and natural processes. Campellone points out that conservation biologists and landscape ecologists can think of the natural zone as protected core areas and protected wildlife corridors.

Combined zones focus on areas of the landscape where humans and nature interact (e.g., agricultural areas, timber management areas, etc.). Conservation biologists and landscape ecologists can think of the combined zones as buffer zones and managed wildlife corridors.

Economic zones focus on human-built portions of the landscape, like cities and suburbs, where people increasingly live, work, and play. Conservation biologists and landscape ecologists can think of the economic zone as part of the larger landscape matrix.

This three-zone approach ensures that all aspects of landscape use are optimized for sustainability.

Language as a Tool for Change

Ferwerda understands that complex ideas require clear communication to take root in society's consciousness. By framing issues in terms of "losses," "risks," and "returns," he connects with individual experiences and values across various cultures.

Bridging Siloes Through Collaboration

Campellone and Miewald recognize the challenge posed by stakeholders' siloed efforts, working towards similar goals without synergy and missing the opportunity to have a collective impact. Herein lies the power of collaboration facilitated by Commonland - the ability to create shared visions for landscapes where protected area managers, NGOs, agriculturalists, and other landscape stakeholders can unite around compatible objectives using tools like ​​Theory U​​.

Financial Sustainability: A Multi-Faceted Approach

Sustainable transitions take time and need financial backing that enables stakeholders to play the long game. Initially fueled by philanthropy during its nascent stages, followed by impactful investments and public funding later on, it demonstrates innovative financing strategies are necessary for systemic change within landscapes undergoing transformation.

Generational Planning & Implementation: Why Two Decades Matter

Choosing twenty years as a marker to implement the 4 Returns framework isn't arbitrary - it recognizes the time required to cultivate partnerships with family-run businesses and local communities, build trust with them, and work together to map out a strategy for the landscape that looks beyond immediate financial gains toward benefits that span generations.

Visit ​​www.designingnatureshalf.com​​ for more insights and resources related to topics discussed in today's blog post!

An Invitation

If you think you have something to offer to the conversation and would like to be a guest on our pod, drop us a note at: info@lcdinstitute.org and put "Guest" in the subject line.

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Until next time,