In person, it’s a whole different experience! After a fruitful virtual journey over the past few months, representatives of the three selected proposals from the second Naturethon edition came together in Brussels for the award ceremony and final workshop. The gathering, held on February 5 as part of the Finance Innovation Festival organized by the NATURANCE project, celebrated the outstanding efforts of the teams. Yanchao Wang (COOL MILAN), Francesca Mazza (Green City Champions), and Fabio Tullio (RisorGivers) were presented with certificates recognizing the remarkable work carried out by their groups in shaping green futures.
«We are truly honoured that COOL MILAN was selected among the winning groups of Naturethon 2025-Seeds of Change. Through the three training sessions and the rich guidance provided by the NATURANCE Team, we gained valuable knowledge that strengthened our vision for innovative financing strategies to address Milan’s urban heat waves. A tree planted in our team name COOL MILAN is a deeply meaningful recognition and encouragement for our collective effort. We are very grateful for the dedication of NATURANCE Team in organizing such inspiring and well‑supported initiative. Participating in the Finance Innovation Festival in Brussels further enriched our learning and it brought substantial new insights on the Nature‑based futures» – Yanchao Wang, COOL MILAN team
«The Festival was a truly transformative experience in Brussels. I was immensely proud to see our project, “Johannesburg’s Biodiversity Restoration”, receive an award, validating our commitment to community-led Nature-based Solutions. Beyond the ceremony, the opportunity to learn from and connect with a global network of inspiring experts was invaluable. I am deeply grateful for these new connections and energized by the shared vision of a more resilient, biodiverse future» – Francesca Mazza, Green City Champions team
«The journey that led RisorGivers to this recognition has been an extraordinary challenge for us at Legambiente Treviso. Seeing the dedication of our group of individuals and associations, focused on protecting threatened habitats, urban regeneration, and the preservation of local water resources, rewarded, confirms that Nature-based Solutions are perhaps the only viable path for the future of our city. Beyond the award itself, the opportunity to connect with such a vast network of experts and innovators in Brussels was truly invaluable. We return home with new synergies and an even stronger vision: to transform Treviso into a model of resilience and biodiversity, where nature once again becomes the beating heart of the community» – Fabio Tullio and Agostino Forlani, RisorGivers team
One of the five pillars on which NATURANCE stands is building awareness and capabilities for green innovations. Accordingly, as the festival’s final session, the “Seeds of Change: Citizens & Cities” event showcased how creative, community-led initiatives can drive change by combining public engagement with co-creation alongside local authorities. The programme featured the keynote “Dutch Tile-Flipping Contest: Restoring Greenery” by Remco Moen Marcar (Frank Lee Concept Agency), promoter of the NK Tegelwippen (tile-flipping) initiative, who also introduced an innovative citizen-science project on butterfly biodiversity in Amsterdam.
Following this, the final interactive session engaged representatives of nine other urban NbS projects from Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Spain. A total of 83 participants took part in a speed-dating poster session: the projects were paired based on similar challenges or approaches and engaged in short, facilitated “dates” to present their work to one another, exchange ideas, and discuss opportunities for collaboration. Participants also listened to these conversations and were invited to actively contribute by providing feedback, suggestions, or reflections.
