We are the
Restore Nature Foundation

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We are people driven to create positive change.
Part of a movement dedicated to restoring nature to its natural form. Because in the end we are all part of nature.

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Our motivation

 

Natural crisis
The world we live in is undergoing enormous transformations. One of the most alarming processes for humanity is the natural crisis we are facing. Over the last centuries, destructive soil use and drive to mass-production has depleted natural resources, drove many species to extinction, deforested alarming amounts of land and aggravated social vulnerability in various regions of the world. Highly evolved natural ecosystems that we as humanity are part of are crumbling down at a rapid pace.

This makes for one of the most important challenges humanity has ever faced: restoring the balance in our relationship with nature- our only home.

New opportunities
Luckily there are many things we can do, especially when we join forces.
And luckily, within all the changes, mayor opportunities arise. Opportunities to reinvent ourselves and the way we relate to the natural systems we are part of.

The solutions are right under our eyes, under our feet and all around us. And they are waiting to be activated.

When we look closely at our surroundings: the soil we walk on, the air we breathe and the food we eat, we might just get a glimpse of our connection to nature. Once we start understanding the potential of an ecosystem we can empower ourselves to collaborate with nature. And with that, we might be able ensure our existence.


Understanding nature’s potential

 
The power of the network
We are all undeniably part of the sophisticated systems of nature that go beyond our imagination. Ecosystems are complex, multi-layered and interconnected. In a healthy functioning ecosystem, animals and plants collaborate and reinforce natural functions. Forest are built up out of many different layers consisting of many different plant, tree and animal species. And they all collaborate and support the bigger network.

The story behind your observations
It is not just about that bird you hear, it’s also about the microbacteria and fungi in the soil that end and start a new circle of life. Decomposing the old, feeding the new.

It’s not just about the flower you smell. It’s also about the bees that pollinate them. And with this task, they support the food production network that provides 75% (!) of the fruit and vegetables we eat!

It’s not just about the tree you see, it’s about the oxygen they produce for us to breathe, the shade they make so other forms of life can develop and it is about their strength to hold the soil together ánd hold water in the landscape.

And did you know that trees create their own food through the green in their leaves?
And that they share water and nutrients among the members of the forest network they are part of through the mycelia network in the soil? 
Maybe we should question why we cut so many of them down without planting new ones. And often, if we plant new ones, they are all the same species. We might instead learn from the richness in biodiversity that nature provides and imitate the natural processes. 

It is time for change.
It is time to seriously start understanding and collaborating with nature.

 

Joining forces with nature

 
Collaboration is key
We believe in joining forces with nature through a holistic approach. By observing natural processes and empowering them. Understanding the functions of the whole connected system and bringing them back to life.
It is not about quantity, it’s all about quality. In terms of ecosystems: it’s not about how many trees we plant, but about the amount of biodiversity we create. It’s about how we can improve the soil quality and restore the watercycle. It’s about how we can reinforce the functions of the ecosystem.

It’s about restoring natural balance.

Yes, we can empower nature, and let nature empower us. We can have a positive impact on natural processes. We can protect and improve biodiversity. We can reinforce the sophisticated, intelligent ecosystems we are part of. This can be the start of making a serious change.

And this is what we stand for.

We are the Restore Nature Foundation 

Our motivation

 

Natural crisis
The world we live in is undergoing enormous transformations. One of the most alarming processes for humanity is the natural crisis we are facing. Over the last centuries, destructive soil use and drive to mass-production has depleted natural resources, drove many species to extinction, deforested alarming amounts of land and aggravated social vulnerability in various regions of the world. Highly evolved natural ecosystems that we as humanity are part of are crumbling down at a rapid pace.

This makes for one of the most important challenges humanity has ever faced: restoring the balance in our relationship with nature- our only home.

New opportunities
Luckily there are many things we can do, especially when we join forces.
And luckily, within all the changes, mayor opportunities arise. Opportunities to reinvent ourselves and the way we relate to the natural systems we are part of.

The solutions are right under our eyes, under our feet and all around us. And they are waiting to be activated.

When we look closely at our surroundings: the soil we walk on, the air we breathe and the food we eat, we might just get a glimpse of our connection to nature. Once we start understanding the potential of an ecosystem we can empower ourselves to collaborate with nature. And with that, we might be able ensure our existence.


Understanding nature’s potential

 
The power of the network
We are all undeniably part of the sophisticated systems of nature that go beyond our imagination. Ecosystems are complex, multi-layered and interconnected. In a healthy functioning ecosystem, animals and plants collaborate and reinforce natural functions. Forest are built up out of many different layers consisting of many different plant, tree and animal species. And they all collaborate and support the bigger network.

The story behind your observations
It is not just about that bird you hear, it’s also about the microbacteria and fungi in the soil that end and start a new circle of life. Decomposing the old, feeding the new.

It’s not just about the flower you smell. It’s also about the bees that pollinate them. And with this task, they support the food production network that provides 75% (!) of the fruit and vegetables we eat!

It’s not just about the tree you see, it’s about the oxygen they produce for us to breathe, the shade they make so other forms of life can develop and it is about their strength to hold the soil together ánd hold water in the landscape.

And did you know that trees create their own food through the green in their leaves?
And that they share water and nutrients among the members of the forest network they are part of through the mycelia network in the soil? 
Maybe we should question why we cut so many of them down without planting new ones. And often, if we plant new ones, they are all the same species. We might instead learn from the richness in biodiversity that nature provides and imitate the natural processes. 

It is time for change.
It is time to seriously start understanding and collaborating with nature.

 

Joining forces with nature

 
Collaboration is key
We believe in joining forces with nature through a holistic approach. By observing natural processes and empowering them. Understanding the functions of the whole connected system and bringing them back to life.
It is not about quantity, it’s all about quality. In terms of ecosystems: it’s not about how many trees we plant, but about the amount of biodiversity we create. It’s about how we can improve the soil quality and restore the watercycle. It’s about how we can reinforce the functions of the ecosystem.

It’s about restoring natural balance.

Yes, we can empower nature, and let nature empower us. We can have a positive impact on natural processes. We can protect and improve biodiversity. We can reinforce the sophisticated, intelligent ecosystems we are part of. This can be the start of making a serious change.

And this is what we stand for.

We are the Restore Nature Foundation 

Meet the team

People organizing the action: Board of directors

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Matthijs Wansink
Founder & Tree executive officer/ man on the ground

Man with a plan. His idealism was activated at early age on the idealistic farm where he grew up on in Holland. He developed his path through Anthropology and intercultural communication- always with a clear focus on the relationship with nature.
Coming to Portugal felt like home. The stories and spirit of Hubert, founder of Vinha Velha, reminded him a lot of his dad: very idealistic and dedicated to collaborate with nature.
Mattie is dedicated to further develop the vision of these visionaries. Staying in Portugal created an opportunity to develop the fundamentals for the foundation with the aim of restoring our relationship with nature. And at the same time build and execute the action in one of the most urgent regions of Europe in terms of natural crisis. 
Now putting all his energy into the vision and activities of the foundation to organize regional impact and build community around ecosystem restoration. The foundation is meant to put something hopeful in the world, that will stay even when we are no longer there. 

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Sabine Linz
Legal and organizing ground director

Meet the team

People organizing the action:
Board of directors

Image

Matthijs Wansink
Founder & Tree executive officer/ man on the ground

Man with a plan. His idealism was activated at early age on the idealistic farm where he grew up on in Holland. He developed his path through Anthropology and intercultural communication- always with a clear focus on the relationship with nature.
Coming to Portugal felt like home. The stories and spirit of Hubert, founder of Vinha Velha, reminded him a lot of his dad: very idealistic and dedicated to collaborate with nature.
Mattie is dedicated to further develop the vision of these visionaries. Staying in Portugal created an opportunity to develop the fundamentals for the foundation with the aim of restoring our relationship with nature. And at the same time build and execute the action in one of the most urgent regions of Europe in terms of natural crisis. 
Now putting all his energy into the vision and activities of the foundation to organize regional impact and build community around ecosystem restoration. The foundation is meant to put something hopeful in the world, that will stay even when we are no longer there. 

Image

Sabine Linz
Legal and organizing ground director

People safeguarding the vision:
Board members

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Bas Bruggeman
President

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Simon Berntsen
Treasurer

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Irosha Driessen
Secretary

I believe that the worldwide ecological crisis and the growing social inequality are the most urgent challenges of our time. Therefore, it is up to our generation to look for possibilities how to interweave these topics and look for holistic solutions.
Given my background in Community Development and Socio-Cultural Anthropology, I am interested in how people mobilize and organise themselves around a shared vision. Like we do around with the foundation around ecosystem restoration. I believe that an inclusive and local approach is important to create long term collaborations and impact. 
Apart from my role as secretary for the Restore Nature Foundation I want to help develop solutions that integrate local communities and locally embed them in an ethical way. 

How we function

We function as a non profit organization with the objective to serve a common cause: ecosystem restoration.

Team functioning
Our team consists of two directors and three board members: together they carry the vision of the organization, each contributing with their own qualities.

We meet regularly to receive updates on the financial and operating conditions of the foundation, as well as planning our activities and putting our objectives into concrete activities.

The two directors initiate, manage and evaluate the activities of the Foundation. For their efforts to pull the wagon, initiating and executing actions, managing day to day tasks and setting up larger objectives and work in the field they receive a reasonable financial compensation that does not exceed modal income. Both working on a freelance bases.

The members of the board provide oversight, leadership and guidance for the foundation's legal and ecological paths.  They also serve as the legal check and balance of the organization, carrying responsibility for the healthy and just management of the foundation. Official decisions and approval for actions are responsibilities of the members of the board: they take place by democratic majority voting.
The board members do not get financial rewards for their activities in their role. They can get compensated for certain costs that fall under our financial compensation policy.

Transparency & focus
We aim to be as transparant as possible by communicating, reporting and keeping track of our activities and administration.
We aim to invest as much of the funds as we can to create in-depth and sustainable impact on nature. And at the same time we aim to create a sustainable income for our people doing the work so they can keep committing themselves while being able to support their livelihood.

Together we are dedicating as much time as we can to our cause. As we believe this way we can be part of a bigger movement that is building a hopeful future.