From soils to rivers: these women are reshaping our relationship with life

Leen Gorissen: “The intelligence of life is not focused on efficiency, but on regeneration”

“Whales, plankton, fungi, trees, wolves – all of them leave our planet better off than before”, says biologist Leen Gorissen. This is why she advocates for Natural Intelligence: to align with and embody the wisdom of living systems, including in how we design our economies. “Only what is reciprocal, regenerative and resilient can last over the long haul.”

Nynke Laverman: “A worldview is just a story you believe – or not”

How do trees see humans? And if we could speak to our great-great-grandchildren? Through her musical stories – inspired by Indigenous cultures – singer and linguistic artist Nynke Laverman seeks to move people towards a new worldview. “I feel like a storyteller with the most beautiful medium at my disposal: music.”

Lilian Bosch: “The Sámi and the boreal forests are the hidden treasures of Europe”

In the vast boreal forests of Scandinavia lives Europe’s last remaining Indigenous people: the Sámi. Their centuries-old knowledge of the ecosystems they live with is little known. Just as overlooked is the importance of the boreal forests themselves – ecosystems comparable to the Amazon, yet disappearing at an alarming rate. To help protect both these landscapes and their original guardians, Lilian Bosch co-founded WILD Sápmi together with the Sámi.

Nora Bateson: “How our ways of knowing shape our collective future”

“Applying static data to a living world is dangerous – especially when it comes to preserving our planet”, says researcher, filmmaker and author Nora Bateson. Through her work on warm data, Bateson warns of the risks of reductionist thinking in education, healthcare and food systems, insisting instead that “who we are, our health, the wellbeing of generations to come – these are all interconnected ecological systems.”

Vandana Shiva: “It’s nature who’s keeping me alive” 

“We must overcome our anthropocentric arrogance and embrace nature’s wisdom – much like seeds, that multiply life rather than destroy it”, says Dr. Vandana Shiva. For over five decades, this physicist-turned-activist has been at the forefront of the fight for environmental justice, seed freedom and ecological agriculture. “We are just one species amongst millions. That realisation should inspire humility.”

Toby Kiers: “Fungal spores influence cloud formation over the Amazon rainforest”

With every new thing we discover about fungi, our astonishment grows, as we realise they’re the foundation of all life on Earth and, consequently, of our agricultural system. Toby Kiers has been studying fungi since she was 19, and recently her groundbreaking research earned her the prestigious Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (often called ‘The Nobel for the Environment’).  “Our understanding of fungi ushers us into a new era of connectivity.”

Arita Baaijens: “If I’ve managed to sow doubt about how the world works, then I’m satisfied”

After years of expeditions to the most remote corners of the planet, writer and explorer Arita Baaijens turned her attention to a landscape closer to home: the North Sea. What began as an intuitive experiment gradually unraveled her assumptions about nature, ecology and connection. “There isn’t just one way of understanding reality”, she says.

Jessica den Outer: “Equality between human beings and nature matches our worldview”

Every human being has the right to exist. Nature deserves that same right, according to Rights of Nature-expert Jessica den Outer. For almost ten years, she has been advocating to protect ecosystems like forests and rivers by making them equal before the law. “We have to change our worldview and ask ourselves: what does nature need – and how can we represent those needs?”

Anne van Leeuwen: “We don’t solve problems by eradicating life, but by inviting it in”

On 45 hectares in the Dutch town of Lochem – together with her partner Ricardo, Daan and Roos – Anne van Leeuwen runs ‘t Gagel. The harvest of this regenerative farm is not limited to nourishing food, but also consists of healthy soils, biodiversity, an engaged community, inspired people and even a resilient economy. “In everything we do, we work towards more life.”

Claudy Jongstra: “Natural dyes are the gold of the future”

For over thirty years, Claudy Jongstra has captivated audiences from Paris to New York with her textile artworks, crafted from local materials such as wool and natural dyes. She advocates for a renewed appreciation of artisanal knowledge, a slower, more deliberate pace of life, and living in connection with all beings. “It’s what our individualistic society needs.”

Zuzanna Zielínska: “Imagine a system that pays farmers for producing nutrition, not just calories”

Every year, across the EU, more than €700 billion is spent treating preventable diseases. “That’s nearly 80 percent of all healthcare spending”, says Zuzanna Zielínska, co-founder of HarvestCare. Together with Anne van de Peppel, she runs food-is-medicine trials in Rotterdam to show how restoring soil and human health can go hand in hand. “Quality-of-life scores rose by nine points in just three months. For such a short pilot, that’s huge.”

Helena Norberg-Hodge: “More hands and hearts per hectare, it’s what the land needs to heal”

For over half a century, Helena Norberg-Hodge has been a leading voice in the movement towards localised economies. Her work calls for a reorientation – one that prioritises the true needs of people and the Earth over corporate profits. “We need to care for every little earthworm, every apple tree, every bit of water”, she emphasises, “and create a culture in which that care is celebrated.” 

These women, too, are building a world full of life:

• Fashion designer Joline Jolink is turning the clothing industry on its head. On her fashion farm, she grows organic and regenerative flax for linen, amongst other crops.
• Denise Collignon and Silke Tijkotte, founders of Wilderful, are making pesticide-free seasonal flowers the norm.
• For chemical-free garden plants, look to Sprinklr – the regenerative, steward-owned company of Suzanne van Straaten.
• Regenerative entrepreneur Thekla Teunis is working with thousands of local farmers to build a regenerative processing industry in Africa.
• Along the banks of the river Dommel, Lianne van Genugten and Joep Brekelmans show how regeneration and gastronomy can come together.
• Each year, hundreds of thousands of kilos of Dutch wool go to waste. With The Knitwit Stable, Reina Ovinge is breathing new life into the European wool industry.
• On more than 200 hectares of farmland, Winny van Buuren and her husband Arjen grow a wide range of regional products – fully regeneratively.

Looking for more inspiration? On our map you’ll find hundreds of regenerative initiatives.