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Monica Evans

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ABOUT THE WRITER

Monica Evans is a writer and community development practitioner based in Aotearoa New Zealand. Since completing her Masters in Development Studies in 2010, she has worked on environmental and community development projects in New Zealand, the Pacific and Latin America. She’s particularly passionate about participation, creativity and wellbeing, and has a keen interest in ecology and sustainability. She lives on New Zealand’s West Coast, where she teaches dance, grows vegetables and tends to her pet alpacas.

By this writer

A student measures the circumference of a Funtumia Africana in a forest reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ollivier Girard, CIFOR

6 guiding principles for successful restoration of tropical forest landscapes

Top forestry research organizations issue guidelines for scaling up tropical forest restoration with multiple benefits for stakeholders.

 
Houseplants sitting in the sun in Malta. yer_a_wizard, Unsplash

5 ways to incorporate biophilic design into your living spaces

Biophilic design can be used to hone your habitat by optimizing your biological connection with nature and improve your mental wellbeing.

 
The semi-arid region of Bardenas Reales, Spain. bernardhermant, Unsplash

Everything you need to know about drylands

Explore the world's drylands, the ubiquitous, un-trumpeted ecosystems that are critical to feeding the world and cover much of the planet.

 
An aerial view of the village of Nalma, Nepal. Mokhamad Edliadi, CIFOR

New maps of global forest carbon flux offer fresh insights for action

Scientists have created a global series of forest carbon flux maps, which can allow policymakers to better select forests for protection.

 
the world's largest naturally occurring walnut forest, Arslanbob, rests in the foothills at the base of the Krebet Babash-ata mountain range in Kyrgyzstan. Sathish J, Flickr

Central Asia’s fruit and nut forests: the real Garden of Eden?

Dating back millions of years, the fruit and nut forests of Central Asia gave birth to some of the world's favorite snacks.

 
Farmers harvesting coffee in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Yusuf Ahmad, World Agroforestry

Building the business case for biodiversity

Learn why the business sector should invest in natural capital and biodiversity for the benefit of people, planet and profit.

 
Ectomycorrhizal mycelium associated to Picea glauca roots. This fungus helps move nutrients between hosts and is an important food source for invertebrates. André-Ph. D. Picard, Wikimedia Commons

Into the invisible, indispensable world of microbial biodiversity

Zooming in on the microbial biodiversity that populates our internal and external ecosystems, impacting all aspects of our lives

 
Cloud forest containing unique flora in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. Vyacheslav Argenberg, http://www.vascoplanet.com/

Cloud forests: narrow bands of biodiversity filled with mist, fog and mystery

Particular altitudinal conditions of some mountains can result in cloud forests, unique "elvin woodlands" that contain special ecosystems

 
A local cocoa producer in Cameroon. Ollivier Girard, CIFOR

Tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and food insecurity with nature-based solutions

Tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and food insecurity with nature-based solutions to build resilient landscapes.

 
A peatland habitat for wild elephants in Sumatra, Indonesia. Faizal Abdul Aziz, CIFOR

Peatland forests: the swamps and bogs where tree-planting isn’t clear-cut

Peatland swamp forests are delicate ecosystems that can mass-store carbon – but only if planted with the right tree species.

 
Con el 5 % de toda la biodiversidad de la Tierra, el Cerrado es uno de los ecosistemas tropicales más ricos y cubre el 21 % del Brasil. Carlos Ebert, Flickr

The Brazilian Cerrado: the upside-down forest on the frontlines of agriculture

Welcome to the Brazilian Cerrado, the wettest savanna on Earth that holds around 5% of the world's biodiversity.

 
Increased water temperatures, changes to sea ice and ocean acidification are affecting species in the Southern Ocean. Tak, Flickr

How is climate change affecting biodiversity at the poles?

Monica Evans looks at the states of biodiversity in Artic and Antarctic ecosystems and how climate change may affect them

 
The miombo woodlands in northern Zambia. Jeff Walker, CIFOR

Miombo woodlands: the vast southern African dryland forests hiding in plain sight

In Southern African, the miombo is a belt of expensive timber and African wildlife. But can it survive population growth?

 
Firefighters practice putting out forest fires in Indonesia. Ricky Martin, CIFOR

What does COVID-19 mean for forest fires?

As the peak season for forest fires approaches in the tropics, experts warn the coronavirus pandemic could heighten its effects.

 
Raíces de los bosques de manglares a lo largo de la costa en el Parque Nacional de Bali Occidental en Indonesia. La nación archipiélago alberga casi un cuarto de todos los manglares del mundo. Aulia Erlangga, CIFOR

Mangrove forests: the muddy mazes that stash carbon and hide secrets

The benefits of mangrove forests are often overlooked, despite the fact that they're some of the most biodiverse and carbon-rich landscapes on Earth.

 
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