At the Art of Forests, dialogue is central to how we work. Every meeting is facilitated so that all voices are heard equally, creating a safe and respectful space where members can share honestly from their experience. Our members’ charter requests that all members adopt a learning mindset; in this way, we aim to replace competition with trust.
Our dialogue is not only about conversation — it drives action. Insights raised by members directly shape what we do next, from launching new workstreams and expert sessions, to conducting surveys, publishing guidance, or convening stakeholders on emerging issues. Our process ensures the community’s needs continuously guide the direction of our work.
With books such as the Hidden Life of Trees having gained popularity in the last few years, knowledge of the way that trees communicate with each other in a forest is becoming widespread. It is a beautiful idea, captivating scientists and non-scientists alike; the idea that trees can support and sustain one another through underground networks, and send warnings to one another with compounds in the air.
Knowing is one thing, however; we want to put this into practice. With a community made up of individuals who have their own precious connections to the world of forests, mangroves, and other ecosystems that rely on natural communication, the Art of Forests has sought to emulate our natural inspiration since we started. With operators and developers, technical experts, academic institutions, and financial institutions all represented, our community can function as a healthy, diverse and resilient ecosystem.
“I’d say that for many of us working in this space, we are scattered throughout the world, often working remotely and fighting a really big issue. While that motivates our work, it can also feel isolating. The Art of Forests provides a space where people on a joint mission can come together, relate, connect, and encourage each other to push forward on both our individual and joint missions.”
Beau Milliken, Kijani Forestry
“I am so grateful for the many friendships formed over the years with fellow The Art of Forests members. As we work together towards a common mission of restoring nature we must work together in a spirit of reciprocity and unity.”
Celia Francis (one of our original co-founders)
There are countless examples of how this connection has worked in practice, to the benefit of our members. One of the central ways we are led by connection and dialogue is in the flow of our workstreams. If a particular question is being asked by our members, or if a conversation topic is often revisited in our chats, we will look to set up a dialogue session and potentially bring in an expert to present on the topic.
In the early days of the Art of Forest, many members asked about the important yet challenging step of selecting an MRV supplier. In response, the The Art of Forests community, with the support of the Secretariat, pooled knowledge in this area and developed a decision matrix to support the selection of an MRV supplier.
The Art of Forests Secretariat used this matrix as a basis to reach out to 25 MRV suppliers. Of these, 12 companies responded and 9 presented to The Art of Forests community about their MRV offering. These conversations resulted in recommendations, referrals, and a number of MRV suppliers joining the community. This MRV selection matrix and recordings of the MRV supplier events are now available to all our members on our internal resource library, just one of many resources that have been created in response to the conversations and connections that form our community.
Even short discussions can have a vital impact for our members. If an operator or developer is feeling isolated as they attempt to carry out complex, high stakes work, the ability to reach out to peers around the world for support and solidarity can have incalculable benefits.
Sometimes, this might be as simple as sharing triumphs and frustrations with those who understand them. In other cases, the conversations can offer a chance at dynamic problem solving, or the opportunity to tap into expert knowledge.
A few months ago, while out in the field, one of our members posted some photos along with the question: ‘What type of tree is this?’. Other members helped troubleshoot this question by offering suggestions and asking for further information.
👤 AoF member A: ‘What type of tree is this?’
👤 AoF member B: ‘Could this be A.Tortilis? Maybe you take a shot at a distance in order to visualise the morphology.’
👤 AoF member A: ‘It’s got a funky shape due to some pruning haha’
👤 AoF member C: ‘Possibly Faidherbia albida. Need to see pods for positive ID’
👤 AoF member A: ‘Ok, thanks!’
A quick and simple conversation, but one that allowed each member to feel that all important moment of connection – through their roots, as it were – and to know that they are part of something bigger.
In a world that seems built for isolation, where community is not the default but something to be sought out and hard won, the importance of connection cannot be overstated. Those working in the world of nature restoration have the privilege of knowing, already, how connections serve the whole as well as the one, and how a dialogue can become something precious and life-giving simply by taking place.
With over 200 members around the world, we seek to grow and continue these conversations where and when we can. If you are interested in becoming a part of the Art of Forests, get in touch with us at info@theartofforests.org to learn more.