Our SUGi Forest Maker Brett Krause grew up on a sawmill in Northern Queensland. Witnessing deforestation and the destruction of habitats, he was inspired to be part of the solution. Upon discovering the Miyawaki Method of creating rapid-growth biodiverse native forests, Brett set about on a mission to restore habitat for endangered species, like the extraordinary Cassowary and the Mahogany Glider.

Since 2014, and with our support, he’s been establishing biodiversity corridors in farm-degraded rural areas.
In this episode of SUGi Talks, we’ll speak about how he went from growing up on a sawmill witnessing deforestation, to now leading the way on Miyawaki Forest building in Northern Queensland.

Since the Enlightenment public space has served a pivotal role in the exchange of ideas, the cultivation of national identity, and the integration of communities. In Beirut however, money-hungry privatisation and hostile policies have left much of its public spaces dwindling.

In 2019, in a demand for change protestors reclaimed Beirut’s historical public space, Martyrs' Square.

During the revolution, environmental architect and one of our first SUGi Forest Makers, Adib Dada was in the 2nd phase of his RiverLESS SUGi Pocket Forest, a project designed to help regenerate the Beirut River, and reclaim it as a public space. After a protest at Martyrs’ Square, he took people directly from the streets and brought them to plant trees on the banks of the Beirut River.

Amman, Jordan is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, and the ongoing desertification of the region continues to threaten its resources. Our SUGi Forest Maker Deema Assaf watched her hometown of Amman become almost unrecognisable as urbanisation swept through its landscapes.

Understanding the cost of losing so much Nature she trained to become a Forest Maker and in 2018 she planted the first Miyawaki Forest of the Arab world.Focussing on preserving the genetic diversity of Jordan, Deema’s important work has protected some of the country’s most endangered tree species.

On this excerpt of SUGi Talks, we speak about Amman’s rapid urbanisation, and the importance of changing mindsets towards Nature