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Naturethon 2025
The second edition of Naturance’s citizen engagement initiative features three hands-on training events in October and November 2025.
Naturethon Newsletter #2.1
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Naturethon Newsletter #2.7
Citizens Growing Nature-Based Futures
After the success of the first edition, the NATURANCE project has launched the second edition of the Naturethon: “Citizens Growing Nature-Based Futures”. Get inspired by high-profile talks, engage in the discussion with experts, and acquire skills to promote a tangible change in your territory. With the knowledge and insights gained from the training sessions, participants will be guided by facilitators in the design, implementation, and deployment of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in their local area, helping shape the vision of a greener, more resilient, and more inclusive future.
At the end of the initiative, groups shared their ideas with the Naturethon team in their preferred format. The Naturethon team is currently reviewing all the ideas, giving back operative feedbacks to shape feasible and meaningful actions. Representatives of the three proposals that stand out for innovation, feasibility, and social and environmental impact will be hosted by the project at the upcoming Finance Innovation Festival in Brussels (February 3-5, 2026).
There, they will have the opportunity to present the key highlights of their submission to an audience of international professionals. This will provide valuable feedback and suggestions for further improvement.
Awarded proposals
Explore Sustainable Financing Strategies to Scale Up NbS for Cool Milan (Italy)
The COOL MILAN team presented a strong, data-driven analysis of urban heat risks in Milan. Built around the 3-30-300 approach, the project proposes well-designed NbS with each intervention clearly described and illustrated through “before and after” narratives. It stands out for its innovative mix of existing and new financing instruments, strong stakeholder engagement, and a coherent, ambitious vision.
Johannesburg’s Biodiversity Restoration (South Africa)
The Green City Champions proposed a community-led NbS approach to address biodiversity loss, climate risks, and social challenges in Johannesburg. Combining urban greening, habitat restoration, and community farming, the project stands out for its strong stakeholder engagement, scalable business model, and innovative mix of public, private, and grassroots financing.
Share your vision
After weeks of inspiring talks, expert discussions, and practical training, the Naturethon initiative is calling for the submissions of impactful projects for a
nature-positive future.
Follow the steps
Seeds of Change
On October 9, 2025, the second edition of the Naturethon initiative kicked off. Luciana Favaro, Climate Pact Ambassador and president of EuCliPa.IT, highlighted the importance of citizen engagement in climate adaptation measures within a European framework, sharing insights and best practices from initiatives such as the PAESC Summer School with high school teachers.
Andrea Staccione, from CMCC, then offered a deep dive into Nature-based Solutions, explaining what they are, their benefits, and how they are applied in practice. The day concluded with a collaborative work session, where participants actively engaged in developing their own ideas and solutions.
Innovative Tools for Success Stories
On October 28, 2025, NbS experts Marcelo Gerlach from ICLEI Europe showcased the Youth Inclusion Toolkit for Local Authorities, developed through a co-creative process within the NBS EduWorld project. The toolkit offers 12 flexible tools to engage young people in local decision-making — from hackathons and role-playing games to youth councils, participatory mapping, innovative citizen science methods, and activities in “third spaces” such as parks and libraries.
Following this, Nicolas Keller, Sustainability Educator at Växtverket, and Ludwig Wahlund Sonesson, Project Manager at the City of Malmö, illustrated how the City of Malmö, Sweden, orchestrated a network of local associations to engage diverse citizen groups in the development of urban NbS, with a focus on community and sustainability.
Financing local NbS for lasting resilience
The third 2025 webinar, held on November 26, offered Naturethon participants an overview of alternative financing systems and best practices for bottom-up NbS implementation, drawing on insights from the Land4Climate and Naturance projects.
Lenka Slavikova (UJEP) presented the NbS Alternative Financing Guide, an interactive resource developed within Land4Climate to help public authorities, NGOs, land managers, and private actors diversify their funding beyond traditional public sources.
Next, Jaroslav Mysiak (CMCC), coordinator of NATURANCE, outlined project results aimed at bridging the gap between finance and nature under changing climate conditions, highlighting financial tools that support a local, collaborative, ecosystem-based approach to strengthen community resilience.
Key materials
The Naturethon 2025 initiative has now closed its call for ideas, but the knowledge it generated remains accessible! You can still explore the Naturethon booklet, review the step-by-step guidance, and consult a range of expert-selected materials on Nature-based Solutions. These resources are intended to support ongoing learning and to inspire future NbS actions beyond the framework of the initiative.