About Us
NATURAL STATE advances large-scale nature restoration through three interconnected pillars: leadership and capacity building, rigorous research and monitoring, and innovative nature finance. Together, these pillars strengthen local leadership, generate transparent evidence of outcomes across biodiversity, carbon, water, and human wellbeing, and unlock funding mechanisms that reward measurable success. Our work directly contributes to global climate goals and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
CHALLENGE
Nature is being degraded at an unprecedented rate. Unsustainable development has altered or destroyed 75% of the world’s land surfaces (projected to reach 95% by 2050), and human activities have degraded 66% of nearshore marine ecosystems. These trends threaten biodiversity, weaken livelihoods, and put global climate goals further out of reach.
We believe three barriers consistently hold restoration back—particularly across the Global South: limited access to practical skills and learning opportunities for local custodians and practitioners; a lack of robust, affordable monitoring to set baselines and measure trends over time; and insufficient, scalable funding mechanisms.
SOLUTIONS
Technology for Impact Monitoring
NATURAL STATE is developing easy-to-use impact monitoring technology and systems, capable of measuring trends in biodiversity, carbon, and social indicators across biomes. With the latest technology, such as acoustic sensors and drones, combined with our impact monitoring platform (Kutuma and uKweli), we can rapidly generate robust and cost-effective site-level data. This information is essential for assessing the success or failure of restoration interventions and foundational to any reliable financial mechanisms for nature. Trustworthy data and the ability to confidently measure change through time will help unlock billions of dollars for nature.
Leadership
NATURAL STATE is developing training courses to foster leadership and build capacity. These online courses are geared toward countries with major potential for restoration but limited resources to develop the relevant skills.The first training centre, the African Centre for Nature Restoration and Resilience, will be in Laikipia, Kenya. The courses will enable us to share best practices in restoration and regenerative agriculture, as well as the impact monitoring systems and financial mechanisms needed to scale these activities. We will also offer additional content ranging from project management and implementation to launching your restoration or regenerative agriculture enterprise. We aim to recruit 60% or more female trainees. In addition, we will host The Indigenous Knowledge Centre which provides local community members a venue to share traditional approaches for restoration and develop and trial climate resiliency strategies and interventions.
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Nature Financing
The data from our impact monitoring systems underpin a range of innovative financial mechanisms that reward projects for restoring nature, sequestering carbon, and providing benefits to local communities. With our partners, we are testing our first three financial mechanisms including an Integrated Carbon and Biodiversity Credit, Rewilding Credit, and Single Species/Custodian Credit. Our technology and systems will lead to a proliferation of financial mechanisms that will soon surpass carbon credits and become the greatest source of funding for nature and local communities.
Getting to Scale
NATURAL STATE is currently focused on testing the Impact Monitoring Platform (uKweli) in Savannah systems. Once we have demonstrated the impact of our monitoring technology and uKweli, combined with new financing mechanisms, we will expand into new biomes and systems – opening new opportunities for investing in nature. We will initially focus on forests, drylands, wetlands, mangroves and seagrass. As much of the earth’s surface has been converted to agriculture, we will also use our technology and financial mechanisms to measure and incentivise the transition to regenerative agriculture. As we expand into new biomes and systems, we will also grow our educational offering to ensure the capacity exists to develop and implement large-scale restoration projects.