Clara Rowe | The Power of Ecological Restoration | Talks at Google
94Clara Rowe discusses sustainability, the importance of open data platforms to accelerate the global restoration movement and the company Restor and its mission. Ecosystem restoration and conservation are essential for protecting Earth’s biodiversity and achieving climate goals with the potential to reduce 30% of accumulated global carbon emissions.
While growing up in Costa Rica, Clara’s family taught her to make positive changes for the people and environment around her, and she knew that she wanted to make an impact at the intersection of sustainable development and conservation. Clara has more than a decade of experience in natural resource management, international development, and sustainable agriculture. This expertise in bridging the gap between global sustainability solutions and on-the-ground challenges has prepared her for the work she’s doing today as the CEO of Restor, a science-based open data platform that supports and connects restoration projects of all sizes around the world.
Supported by a $1.2M grant from Google.org, Restor is accelerating the global restoration movement by connecting people to scientific data, supply chains, and funding to increase the impact, scale, and sustainability of restoration efforts. Founded by ETH Zurich’s Crowther Lab and powered by Google Earth Engine and Google Cloud, the platform allows anyone to analyze the restoration potential of any place on Earth while connecting practitioners, facilitates the exchange of information, and makes projects visible to potential funders and the public. With this information, anyone can better understand their local environment and become a restoration practitioner. Restor is an Earthshot Prize 2021 Finalist and is an official partner of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
For more information on Restor, please visit https://restor.eco/.
Before joining Restor, Clara worked in supply chain sustainability in Latin America, engaging large consumer goods companies, plantation owners, and smallholder farmers in order to design and implement solutions to protect forests and respect human rights. She has also worked in fishery management, youth development, and environmental education. Clara was born in the U.S., grew up in Costa Rica, and after stints in Mexico and Cameroon now lives in Switzerland. She holds a Bachelor’s in Biology and Environmental Studies from Amherst College and a Master’s of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment. Clara was also featured in Google.org’s first-ever Leaders to Watch list, which provides recognition, financial support, and mentorship to remarkable nonprofit leaders who are meeting the needs of their communities.
Moderated by Alexandrina Garcia-Verdin.
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