After 19 years working for large corporations, Marie-Noëlle chose to align her work with her life’s purpose and make a real difference in the world. With her corporate background, MBA and master’s degree in environmental sciences, she co-founded WeForest.org, a respected reforestation NGO in 2009 which addresses the planet’s most formidable challenges: global warming, water scarcity, biodiversity loss and poverty. 15 years on, WeForest counts 90 professionals, mostly located in Africa, and has restored over 71 000 hectares (with close to 100 million trees).
Read moreListen as Mo Safdar, Origination Lead at Climate Impact Partners and Marie-Noëlle Keijzer, co-founder and CEO of WeForest unearth why mangroves are the hidden jewels of our planet.
Marie-Noelle co-founded WeForest in 2010, with a vision of a world where communities and nature sustainably thrive together to stop global warming ‘in our lifetime.’ An international NGO, they work in threatened and degraded tropical forests and landscapes to create locally-led reforestation projects, including amazing mangrove restoration projects.
Marie-Noelle’s drive and determination has paid off, under her leadership the organisation has delivered over 40,000ha and 47 million trees under restoration across 3 continents; with an aim by 2025 to reach a total of 100,000 ha (100 million trees).
As Marie-Noelle says, “Everyone loves mangroves. They're more than just trees – they're the lifeline of coastal communities, weaving together livelihoods and cultures.”
Listen to this episode to discover:
- What mangroves are and why they're the heroes on the frontline of climate change
- Why we need mangrove restoration projects and why communities are central to their success
- Marie-Noëlle's vision for the future of mangroves and how listeners can get involved in protecting these vital habitats.
Click here to learn more about our mangrove restoration project with WeForest in Senegal.
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