Habitat restoration is the the great work of our time.  Film maker John Liu is leading a global effort to re-shape our thinking about the way that humans interact with their environment.  

All across the world, people are making efforts to restore and protect the ecosystem they are part of. Video reporters of the initiative What if we change followed the work of local communities and organizations in India, Bolivia, Mali and Bonaire. 

John D. Liu, who was involved in the massive Chinese Loess Plateau restoration project, now turns his eyes towards Rwanda in this inspiring example of permaculture observation and action.

The Healing Biotope I Tamera is a peace research project with the goal to create the model for a future society that is free from hatred, lies, violence and fear. Tamera should become an acupuncture point of peace, a greenhouse of trust, a prototype for an existence free of fear on this planet, a post-capitalist societal model and a place where the human and meta realm of life come together.

A major project is restoring fertility and hope to China's Loess Plateau, until recently one of the poorest regions of the country. Centuries of continuous agriculture have removed the trees and leaving land vulnerable to erosion from wind and rain. An area the size of Belgium, its once fertile soils have been washed away, leaving a blighted land scarred with deep ravines - and farmers scarcely able to make a living. According to soil scientist John D. Liu of the Environmental Education Media Project (EEMP), it's a story repeated all over the world. 

In the Garo Hills, North East India, local communities are taking the lead in adapting to climate change. By abandoning the age old tradition of slash and burn "jhum" cultivation in favor of large scale ecorestorative projects, the Garo's are actively creating a favorable environment for a wide variety of flora and fauna, including the Asian elephant and the Hoolock Gibbon. IUCN NL and the Wildlife Trust of India support these efforts by cooperating closely with the local communities.

"Abode of the Clouds" is a film by Megan Haagh and Paul Hendrix, narrated by John D. Liu. It is the result of two years of reporting on the elephant corridor projects in the Garo Hills and is a part of IUCN NL's What if we Change project.

A major project is restoring fertility and hope to China's Loess Plateau, until recently one of the poorest regions of the country. Centuries of continuous agriculture have removed the trees and leaving land vulnerable to erosion from wind and rain. An area the size of Belgium, its once fertile soils have been washed away, leaving a blighted land scarred with deep ravines - and farmers scarcely able to make a living. 

"It's possible to rehabilitate large-scale damaged ecosystems." Environmental film maker John D. Liu documents large-scale ecosystem restoration projects in China, Africa, South America and the Middle East, highlighting the enormous benefits for people and planet of undertaking these efforts globally.

youtu.be/YBLZmwlPa8A