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NetworkNature TF4 April Digest

The NetworkNature Task Force 4 (Communicators) is pleased to provide you with a summary of upcoming events and opportunities announced by Horizon 2020/Europe projects and select Missions. This Task Force is responsible for synergizing and enhancing communication approaches and messages across Nature-based Solutions (NbS) projects. If you are not a task force 4 member, but would like to submit to this informal digest, please reach out to hello@networknature.eu. We will get back to you as soon as possible with instructions!

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TF 4 Digest: April 2025

Project Updates

  • NetworkNature partner TNOC has published a roundtable on the Nature Restoration Regulation. 
  • The PONDERFUL Project has published a Technical Handbook and Policy Guidance on “Ponds and Pondscapes as NBS”. Also has made available two animated short films (in 13 languages) on “The Importance of Ponds as NBS” and “How To Build A Pond”.
  • The BIOFIN-EU project is now in its second year! Explore our achievements and what's coming next! 
  • Introducing NATURELAB, a 4,5 year-project (June 2023 – November 2027) that aims to go beyond the present knowledge of the positive impact NBS offer to society, encompassing nature-based therapies (NBT) for common health, well-being and community resilience. Find out more about this initiative by exploring the project website and watching its presentation video! 
  • Check out the latest six NBS Comics: Nature to Save the World from the Nature of Cities! These new stories bring nature-based solutions to life through creative storytelling and illustration. Dive into Saiga of the Steppes, Relatives, That’s My Spot, A Polarising... Issue, and Qi of the City, each offering a unique perspective on how people and nature can thrive together. 
  • Join the #FosterTheFuture Campaign from NBS EduWORLD and empower Educators with Nature-Based Solutions (NBS)! We invite educators and partners to join the campaign by using the hashtag #FosterTheFuture, exploring our resources, and sharing their experiences through the end of April. 
  • Check out the key takeaways from the DesirMED General Assembly held in Valencia last February! 
  • Scientix invites you to support its STEM Discovery campaign through April, an opportunity to award outstanding achievements in education. In the same vein, explore the STEM School Label to award and recognise nature-positive efforts for NbS education. 
  • NBS EduWORLD recently held its EduCommunity Workshop, the insights of which will inform future work with youth in an innovative toolkit.

Upcoming Events

April 2025

  • Vatican Youth Symposium Hosted by SDSN and PASS
    Date: April 3-4, 2025; Location: online
    The Symposium has become a premier global gathering for young leaders dedicated to sustainable development. Serving as an intergenerational platform, it fosters collaboration and the growth of impactful social movements.  This year’s theme, “Voices of Change: Sparking Hope with Sustainable Solutions,” invites participants to explore how youth can shape a future that is “healthier, more human, more social, and more integral.” Watch the Symposium livestream on Zoom here.
  • 2025 Forecasting Healthy Futures Global Summit
    Date: 8-10 April, 2025; Location: Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel, Río de Janeiro and online.
    This three-day summit will bring together experts and leaders to drive urgent action on climate change, health financing, and system resilience. Through dynamic discussions and evidence-based insights, participants will explore nature-based solutions, policy innovations, and adaptation strategies to protect both human and planetary health. The event will culminate in a focused symposium addressing equitable climate financing for the most vulnerable nations.  Register now!
  • 2025 Festival of transformative Nature-based Solutions
    Date: 9 April, 2025; Location: Kraš Auditorium, Ravnice 48, Zagreb
    The inaugural festival in Croatia (April 9, 2025) will bring together experts, innovators, and local communities to advance Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for climate resilience. Through knowledge exchange, practical tools, and inspiring examples, the event will empower regional actors to drive large-scale, sustainable adaptation efforts. Collaboration, innovation, and community engagement will be at the heart of this transformative gathering. Register now!
  • MIP4Adapt Meeting
    Date:10 April, 10.30-11.30am (CET); Location: online
    We would like to invite you to the Spring Mission Projects Communications Working Group Meeting. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about recent developments from MIP4Adapt and discuss how we can work together to amplify the messages and outputs of various Mission projects.
    Register now!
  • ICLEI's World Local Government Climate Summit
    Date: 14-16 April 2025; Location: Goyang City, South Korea
    This global event will gather mayors and local governments. Sessions topics include a focus on nature. More information to come soon.
  • European Green Infrastructure Day 2025
    Date: 24 April 2025, 9:30-12:30am (CET); Location: L42 Business Centre and Workspaces in Brussels.
    It will bring together EU policymakers, urban green infrastructure experts, local authorities, and NGOs to discuss the future of urban green spaces in Europe. This key policy conference will explore strategies to enhance climate adaptation, water resilience, and the multiple benefits of nature-based solutions, driving the transition from grey to green in European cities. Register now!
  • EGU General Assembly 2025
    Date: April 27-May 2; Location: Vienna, Austria and online.
    The EGU General Assembly 2025 brings together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. The EGU aims to provide a forum where scientists, especially early career researchers, can present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geoscience. Register for early bird tickets by March 31.
  • The 1st European Symposium “Fostering Cultivated Biodiversity through Local Food Policies”
    Date: April 29-30; Location: Granollers, Barcelona Metropolitan Area
    This Symposium will bring together municipal leaders, researchers, and civil society organizations to advance the integration of cultivated biodiversity into sustainable urban food policies. Over two days, participants will exchange knowledge, best practices, and strategies to build resilient, healthy, and biodiverse local food systems.

May 2025

  • Cities Mission Conference 2025
    Date: 6-8 May 2025; Location: Vilnius, Lithuania
    The EU Green Capital 2025 will welcome invitation-only attendees to the event. Organised by the European Commission and the Mission Platform, the conference will bring together political representatives and practitioners from the 112 Mission Cities to celebrate the Mission’s considerable progress after three years. NetworkNature will be here. Stay tuned!
  • Deltas & Wetlands 2025 International Symposium
    Date: 12-16 May 2025; Location: Tulcea, Romania
    The 32nd edition of the Deltas and Wetlands International Symposium will be organised by DDNI, the National Research and Development Institute Delta. Main thematics include biodiversity and nature conservation; ecological restoration; Mission Ocean; system modeling. Deadline for registration and submission is April 18th.
  • Alternet Conference 2025: Achieving Transformative Change for Biodiversity
    Date: 13-16 May 2025; Location: CESAM, University of Aveiro, Portugal
    This conference will explore the root causes of biodiversity decline and the transformative changes needed to reverse it. Through interactive sessions, participants will examine how to study, govern, protect, and restore nature while reintegrating it into human society. Engaging discussions will inspire innovative solutions for a more just and sustainable future.
    Register here.
  • Urban Future
    Date: 21-23 May 2025; Location: Lodz, Poland
    Join 250 speakers, 50 game-changing sessions, 30 field trips and 20 side events. This is where city leaders, urbanists, and change-makers come together to shape the future. Will you be there? Register here.
  • Horizon Europe info days - Cluster 6 Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
    Date: 20 May 2025 - 21 May 2025; Location: Online
    Are you interested in research & innovation funding opportunities in the areas of food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment? Join the Horizon Europe Cluster 6 Information Days to learn more about the topics of the forthcoming Work Programme 2025.
  • The European Maritime Day 2025
    Date: 15-16 May 2025; Location: Cork, Ireland
    The premier annual event for Europe’s maritime community. Bringing together professionals from business, government, academia, and NGOs, EMD fosters networking, discussion, and action on the sustainable blue economy. With inspiring speakers, thematic sessions, and interactive workshops, this is the key platform to shape the future of our oceans. Organized by the European Commission, Cork City Council, and Ireland’s Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. Register now. 

June 2025

  • EU Green Week 2025
    Date: 3-5 June 2025; Location: Brussels, Belgium
    This year’s Green Week will focus on the "three Cs" – Clean, Competitive & Circular – exploring how circularity can drive Europe's economic transition. The event will feature policy discussions (June 3-4) on how circular resource use can enhance competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability, followed by a stakeholder event (June 5) to foster collaboration among industry leaders, communities, and experts, in partnership with the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and the European Circular Cities and Regions Initiative. Registrations to the EU Green Week conference will open in April.
  • EFUF 2025
    Date: 3-7 June 2025; Location: Zurich, Switzerland
    The City of Zürich, ETH Zürich, the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape (WSL), the Waldlabor Zurich, ArboCityNet and the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) invite you to attend the 27th European Forum on Urban Forestry.
  • 7th EUROPEAN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION CONFERENCE
    Date: 16-18 June 2025; Location: Rimini, Italy
    This ECCA2025 will serve as a vibrant platform for showcasing cutting-edge research and innovative solutions, sharing knowledge and best practices and fostering collaboration towards a climate-resilient society. Register here.
  • AquaConSoil
    Date: 16-20 June 2025; Location: Liege, Belgium
    The conference explores four pivotal themes to advance sustainable management of soil, sediment, and water resources. SPADES will host a session on soils and spatial planning. Early Bird tickets will be available until March 1st 2025 →Register
  • Cities Forum 2025
    Date: 17-19 June 2025; Location: Krakow, Poland
    The tagline for this year’s forum, “Empowering cities, shaping Europe’s future”, shares the vision of cities as engines of growth, innovation, and sustainability in Europe. Together, the focus and tagline aim to emphasise the forum’s role in fostering collaboration and exchanges between urban stakeholders.
    Register here.
  • EURESFO 2025
    Date: 25-27 June 2025; Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
    Organized by ICLEI and the European Environment Agency (EEA), EURESFO serves as a unique platform for city representatives, experts, and stakeholders from local and regional institutions to discuss strategies and actions on climate change adaptation, disaster management, and urban resilience. This year’s edition will focus on accelerating resilience action to address the growing challenges cities face in a changing climate. Register here.

July 2025

  • Aesop Annual Congress
    Date: 7-11 July 2025; Location: Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul
    This event will explore how planning can address both environmental crises and socio-spatial inequalities in cities and regions. With a focus on spatial justice, ethics, and care, the Congress will foster discussions on how planning can act as a powerful agent of change, reshaping our approach to urban and regional development in times of planetary crisis.  Register here.

Calls for Proposals (Events)

  • EUROSOIL2025
    Date: September 8-12; Location: Seville, Spain
    The EUROSOIL is the official meeting of the European Confederation of Soil Science Societies. Abstract submissions due May 15th 2025 (Regular submissions); July 15th 2025 (Last minute, only posters). An exposition for products and services related to soil sciences is being organized. Early Bird conference registration closes March 31, 2025. 
  • SUITMA 13
    The Conference will focus on “SUITMA from a One Health Perspective”. Abstracts due May 31, 2025.

Calls for Abstracts (Publications)

  • Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
    Call for papers on Accelerating urban nature-based solutions in Latin American and European cities. Proposals due May 31, 2025. 

Other Opportunities