Annual Review 2024
Restoring ecosystems for life
Image: Cairngorms Connect
Introduction
The period 2021–2030 is marked by two global initiatives of immense importance: the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. It is fitting, therefore, that in the year leading up to the mid-point of these global frameworks, the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme launched a competitive call for seascape restoration proposals. Seven projects have received in-principle approval, with contracting expected to be completed by mid-2025. A call for landscape restoration grants at the end of 2024 generated exceptional interest, with 106 expressions of interest received by January 2025. To support the growing work on seascapes, we expanded our Oversight and Selection Panel, welcoming four distinguished marine experts with academic, policy, and practical expertise in marine ecosystem restoration. This year also saw the completion of grants to several groundbreaking Phase 1 projects, including those working in the Carpathian Mountains (Romania), the Mediterranean Sea (south-western Türkiye), and the Greater Côa Valley (Portugal). Their achievements, alongside other grants completing in 2025, reflect years of persistence, collaboration, and dedication by the teams working in these landscapes and seascapes.
An important event for restoration in Europe was the 14th European Conference on Ecological Restoration, held in Estonia. This provided a valuable opportunity for the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme to cement its status as a leader on practical, evidence-based restoration in Europe – over 30 presentations were made by over 40 representatives from the Programme.
The Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme values the relationships we have with our grantees, and we are humbled by their perseverance and ability to deliver extraordinary results under difficult circumstances, often having to overcome challenges created by war and political repression. The hope inspired by ecosystem restoration is even more important in times like these, as committed people and partnerships seek to repair damages of the past, and create healthy, mutually beneficial relationships between nature and people. As we reflect on the year’s accomplishments, we remain inspired by the collective efforts of our partners and the growing momentum to restore balance to our landscapes and seascapes.
Structured according to the Programme’s strategic objectives, this review presents some of our highlights for 2024, and reports progress on our Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Credits for all images used can be found in this photo gallery.
We envision a world with diverse and healthy ecosystems where people and nature live in harmony.
Funding restoration
We fund landscape and seascape restoration projects and planning to benefit nature, climate, and people, while also helping projects secure long-term funding and investment.
In 2024…
13
landscape and seascape restoration projects supported
$16 million
co-funding leveraged by projects
supported projects across
30
countries
33,860
hectares of land and sea newly under restoration
9
Planning Grants awarded
Scaling up restoration across land and sea
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A call for Seascape Restoration Grants in February drew an impressive 56 eligible applications. In-principle offers have been made to seven projects, which will begin in 2025 after finalising project plans. This funding was made possible by a generous US$72 million grant from Arcadia which includes over US$31 million dedicated to marine ecosystems. These projects will lead the way in restoring Europe’s degraded seas, contributing to global biodiversity and climate goals.
Meanwhile, the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme launched its Phase III Landscape Restoration Grants call in October 2024, with a deadline in January 2025. A webinar introducing the funding opportunity attracted 249 participants, showcasing growing interest in large-scale restoration that benefits nature, climate, and people.
From reviving marine biodiversity to reconnecting Europe’s landscapes, these funding opportunities exemplify the Programme’s commitment to scaling up restoration, driving innovation, and inspiring action across the continent.
Exchanging experience
We support organisations restoring landscapes and seascapes, sharing lessons, evidence and inspiring stories to strengthen peer-to-peer learning.
In 2024...
1290
people received training to increase skills and knowledge for restoration
42
representatives of the ELSP attended the European Conference on Ecological Restoration
12
seminars and Knowledge Network Cafés run by the ELSP
13
tools and guidance documents produced
6
new expert members joined the Oversight and Selection Panel
A network for sharing and learning
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During 2024, grantees have exchanged ideas and expertise through Knowledge Network Cafés, webinars, and site visits. For instance, the Phase 1 initiatives shared their reflections, as their ELSP funding comes to an end, with the current Planning Grants and Phase 2 projects. These included the importance of collaborating with communities and establishing a robust monitoring and data management system early on. Similarly, Cumbria Connect gained inspiration from visiting the Cairngorms Connect team to learn about their long-term restoration vision.
At a BirdLife Europe & Central Asia partnership meeting, grantees from Bulgaria, Scotland, and Georgia presented their monitoring frameworks and restoration strategies, contributing to discussions on the development of landscape restoration initiatives. The Solent Seascape Project and the Transforming the Thames Planning Grant shared approaches to seascape recovery, helping to build expertise in this emerging field.
In addition to peer-to-peer exchanges, the Programme highlighted its collective expertise at the 14th European Conference on Ecological Restoration in Tartu, Estonia. Over 40 representatives of the Programme attended, delivering 31 presentations and leading three interactive workshops. The conference was an opportunity to showcase the Programme’s work to academics, practitioners, and policymakers while strengthening the visibility of restoration efforts across Europe.
By connecting people across landscapes and seascapes, the Programme enables grantees to learn from one another’s successes, challenges, and innovations. Together, they are building a collective foundation of knowledge that not only enhances individual projects but drives the broader restoration movement across Europe.
Advancing and applying knowledge
Evidence is essential for effective restoration, as projects are complex, long-term, and context-dependent. We support rigorous monitoring, restoration trials, and Advancing Restoration Knowledge projects to build knowledge, inform adaptive management, and strengthen restoration policy and practice.
In 2024...
5
Advancing Restoration Knowledge grants awarded
data collection taking place for
190
indicators
9
restoration trials in progress
30
peer reviewed papers uploaded to the ELSP website
Sharing lessons from six years of monitoring
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“The Hub is designed to share conservation wins as well as unexpected outcomes,” explains Dr Taylor Shaw, ELSP Conservation Scientist. “It allows users to explore decisions made on restoration interventions, habitats, and species, providing insights into what works and why.”
The Hub integrates ecological, socio-economic, and ecosystem service indicators tailored to each project’s goals. The Measuring Impact Hub is designed as a “living platform,” continuously updated as new data emerges. This ensures it remains a dynamic resource for scaling up restoration efforts and advocating for policy change.
By advancing transparency, accountability, and knowledge-sharing, the Measuring Impact Hub strengthens restoration efforts and demonstrates the transformative potential of evidence-based approaches.
Amplifying our impact
Restoring ecosystems at scale is essential to meeting global biodiversity and climate targets. We amplify our impact by showcasing successful projects, sharing knowledge with decision-makers, and aligning our work with international goals to drive wider restoration efforts.
In 2024...
79
members of the CCI Community of Practice on Ecosystem Restoration
over
100,000
post impressions on ELSP social media
10
meetings of the CCI Community of Practice on Ecosystem Restoration
7
meetings and workshops convened to connect experts and practitioners
Overcoming restoration barriers
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In 2024, the project made substantial progress through its Finance for Restoration Taskforce, Stakeholder Engagement Taskforce, and the growing CCI Community of Practice on Ecosystem Restoration. The Finance Taskforce held workshops at two international events, at which experts shared their collective knowledge and experience on how to unlock private and public investment for restoration. Outputs from these events are informing the development of a Restoration Project Developers’ Playbook on Private Finance, to be published in 2025.
The Stakeholder Engagement Taskforce convened a hybrid workshop on conflict management and held special workshop sessions at the European Conference on Ecological Restoration in Estonia, fostering discussions on collaboration and equitable engagement. These efforts will culminate in a Conflict Management Guidance document to support practitioners.
By bringing together diverse voices and building cross-sector solutions, this project is amplifying restoration impact.
Inspiring action
We inspire large-scale restoration by sharing project stories, evidence, and best practices to engage diverse audiences, influence policy, and encourage investment. Through artist residencies and cultural initiatives, we also explore the deep connections between people, nature, and restoration.
In 2024...
50
articles published on the ELSP website
5
Artists in Residence in project landscapes
34,000
new users of the ELSP website
+25%
subscribers to ELSP news updates
+3000
LinkedIn followers
Art, culture, and community at the Koitajoki watershed
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Today, restoration efforts led by Snowchange Cooperative are revitalising both the landscape and its cultural heritage.
In 2024, the watershed hosted the fourth Festival of Northern Fishing Traditions, bringing together Indigenous and small-scale fishers from around the world. Delegates shared knowledge and explored how practices like river seining support ecological recovery and cultural renewal. The festival also premiered Seining for a Song, a film by artist Thomas Clayton Miller, capturing the efforts of elder Reino Piitulainen to pass on this ancient fishing method to younger generations.
The project hosted two Endangered Landscapes Artist Residencies. Finnish musician Jukka Takalo and dancer Heli-Maria Latola created Ding Dong, a music video addressing peatland restoration, which was performed in an aquatic theatre during the festival. Miller’s residency culminated in Portrait of a River, an art collection showcasing the interconnectedness of nature, culture, and community in the Koitajoki landscape.
The Koitajoki project exemplifies how restoration can unify ecological and cultural renewal, forging global connections while inspiring local and international action.
Projects funded by the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme are working across Europe restoring ecosystems at scale for the benefit of nature and people.
Community-led seagrass restoration in the Solent. As part of the Solent Seascape Project, over 270 Seagrass Champions are restoring seven hectares of seagrass meadows. Volunteers play a crucial role in surveys, seed collection, and fostering a legacy of community-driven ecological recovery.
Captive-bred Egyptian vultures breed in the wild in Bulgaria. The first successful wild breeding of captive-bred Egyptian vultures was recorded in Bulgaria, a significant milestone for the species’ recovery in the Balkans.
Toolkit fosters dialogue in ecological restoration. An Advancing Restoration Knowledge grant-funded toolkit was used in the Cumbria Connect project to map stakeholder values, balancing cultural ties to sheep farming with opportunities for ecological restoration, improving understanding and facilitating non-confrontational discussions.
AI supports wildlife monitoring in the Carpathians. Researchers at the University of Cambridge and Fundația Conservation Carpathia have developed an AI-based alert system to track bears and wild boars in the Carpathian Mountains. Using 4G-enabled camera traps, the system identifies wildlife and alerts Rapid Intervention Teams, helping to prevent conflicts and support coexistence.
Planning restoration in the West Kazakh Steppe. Through a Planning Grant, the RSPB and ACBK are developing strategies to restore ecosystems and support resilient livelihoods in the 5-million-hectare West Kazakh Steppe, guided by its ecological and cultural history.
Commonplace Book captures Cairngorms’ stories. Artists Elizabeth Reeder and Amanda Thomson worked with Cairngorms communities to create *The Cairngorms Kist*, a Commonplace Book documenting the area’s ecology, culture, and connections.
The Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme is contributing to the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Convention on Biological Diversity Global Biodiversity Framework targets.
The majority of Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme funding is used to support on-the-ground restoration work across Europe, with further grants to support planning, knowledge development and community engagement through the arts. In 2024, 5.5% of funding was used to fund programme administration in Cambridge, UK. A distribution of all Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme expenditure for 2024 is shown below in US dollars.
| Activities | Programme total to-date | % | 2024 expenditure | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restoration Grants | $37,056,049 | 87.4% | $9,051,065 | 87.5% |
| Planning Grants | $1,256,039 | 3.0% | 72,998 | 0.7% |
| Enabling restoration | $2,114,825 | 5.0% | $656,115 | 6.3% |
| Programme management | $1,943,059 | 4.6% | $570,207 | 5.5% |
| Total | $42,369,972 | 100% | $10,350,386 | 100% |
The year ahead promises to be one of growth and impact for the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme, as we build on past achievements and create new opportunities to restore degraded ecosystems. With several projects concluding and new initiatives taking shape, 2025 will highlight the importance of scaling up restoration, the opportunities to do so, and the power of collaboration in delivering change that benefits nature and people.
Grants for landscapes in the Danube Delta and the Cairngorms are due to end in 2025, their achievements adding to those of the other landscapes and seascapes in this cohort: the Carpathian Mountains (Romania), Gökova Bay to Cape Gelidonya (south-western Türkiye), the Greater Côa Valley (Portugal), and the Iori River Valley (Georgia). Together with Polesia, which will complete in 2026, these landscapes will form the core of a communications campaign to showcase the tangible outcomes of long-term restoration efforts. At the end of six to seven years of ELSP-funded ecosystem restoration, these projects have significant achievements to celebrate, and important lessons to share.
The first dedicated seascape restoration cohort will begin in 2025, with in-principle approval already granted for seven projects. This milestone highlights increased attention by the Programme to the recovery of nature and ecosystem processes in marine ecosystems, signalling an important step forward in restoring the interconnected systems that sustain life on Earth.
The in-principle selection of new restoration landscapes for funding is expected to be completed by September 2025, and more funding opportunities will be announced, with calls for proposals planned for Planning Grants and Advancing Restoration Knowledge Grants.
Achieving the large-scale recovery of nature and restoring landscapes and seascapes to health so that nature thrives and communities prosper is never going to be straightforward. As we enter the mid-point of the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development we are committed to working with our grantees in a spirit of equitable partnership, listening to their needs, and facilitating their bold and ambitious work to shape a better tomorrow.
We invite you to sign up for our regular news updates and follow us on our journey.
