@natcapalliance.bsky.social
NatCap is a collaboration between interdisciplinary researchers, professionals, and leaders helping people, governments, and corporations incorporate the value of nature into decision-making. Celebrating 20 years of NatCap!
A diverse group of people in a circle drawing around a large map at a workshop
In this edition of The Exchange, NatCap writer Zoë Wilson sits down with Senior GIS Analysts, Stacie Wolny and Jesse Goldstein, for an illustrative conversation on Mapping, Modeling, and the Power of Place. #NatCapReview
🗺️ Read the full Q&A: bit.ly/40en2HO
Call for Abstracts 📣 #NatCap2026
Share your work, research, or software / technology contributions in natural capital & nature-based solutions at Stanford University for the Natural Capital Symposium!
Submit abstract for short talks or poster presentations by March 4th: bit.ly/NatCap2026Abstracts
#DidYouKnow Brazil is named after a tree? 🌳🇧🇷
Learn more fun facts and hear the stories of those working to restore/protect the Atlantic Rainforest in this podcast episode by Alice Heiman, an undergraduate researcher at Stanford NatCap.: https://bit.ly/4aacQpW
#podcast #Brazil #AtlanticForest
Mary Ruckelshaus leans forward from a podium with a smile during a presentation on scaling natural capital
The Exchange | The Ruckelshaus Legacy: Nature's Way Out of the Vacuum
In this interview, Mary Ruckelshaus (Executive Director of NatCap, 2010-2025) delves into working with her father, shining a light on alternate futures, and making the case for nature and people. #NatCapReview
bit.ly/4rGlHFx
Check out InVEST's Coastal Blue Carbon Model this #TrainingTuesday 🌊🪸
This model quantifies the value of coastal ecosystems' carbon storage services by analyzing changes in carbon storage over time/comparing alternative management scenarios: stanford.io/3ZgHibz
#InVEST #carbonstorage #GIS
Dark green call for abstracts for the Natural Capital Symposium 2026 a Stanford University, hosted by the NatCap Alliance from June 29 to July 1
Call for #Abstracts 📣 #NatCap2026
Share your work or research in natural capital and nature-based solutions (#NbS), or related topics, at Stanford University during the Natural Capital Symposium 2026! We are seeking a diverse range of speakers and topics.
Due March 4th: bit.ly/NatCap2026Abstracts
Hands wearing gardening cloves harvest ripe tomatoes from a garden. Text below: Researchers find community gardens' contributions to global sustainability are under explored.
#DidYouKnow researchers know little about community gardens' effect on sustainability?
A new literature review from NatCap's Tong Wu and other researchers analyzes nearly three decades of research on community gardens: go.nature.com/3Ltnbn8
#sustainability #communitygardens
Large group of diverse attendees gathered for a group photo outside of the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center at Stanford
Dark green invitation to the Natural Capital Symposium 2026. Text: Registration open, early bird and student pricing available. Stanford University from June 29th - July 1st. In the bottom right corner is the 20th Anniversary Natural Capital Alliance logo.
Two conference attendees engage in conversation, one holding a coffee cup and the other a tumbler
A speaker resents research findings to an audience in a conference room with two screen displays
Don’t miss the 20th anniversary edition of the Natural Capital Symposium!
We're bringing together the growing global community of public and private sector leaders, researchers, practitioners, and students moving us toward a future where nature is valued in decision-making.
💡🌱 bit.ly/NatCap2026
An over-the-shoulder view of two people at a wooden conference table collaborating over a laptop. One person points toward lines of code on the screen while the other looks on. A name tent on the table reads "Marta Sylla;" it is surrounded by cords and water bottles.
A man with a beard and glasses shakes hands with a smiling woman in a black top and patterned skirt. They are standing in front of a red, teal, and white banner that reads "Stanford Data Science." In the foreground, the back of a photographer's head is visible as they capture the moment with a camera. There is a lectern in front of the pair with a gray Macbook on it. The wall behind them is a bright wood.
A photo of a projection screen at a symposium titled "2025 Data Sharing Prize Winners." The slide features three winner blocks: Ayako Kawano, David S. Roberts, and a team from the Natural Capital Project consisting of Dave Fisher (Senior Software Engineer), Emily Pavia (Data Manager & Data Scientist), and James Douglass (Software Architect). The audience is partially visible in the foreground.
#NatCapImpact: championing open-source science 🏆
Sharing is caring, especially for software & science 🤝 Congrats to out team behind the Data Hub and Geometamaker, who won the 2025 Data Sharing Prize at the Stanford CORES Symposium & presented to the Bay Area Open Science Group!
stanford.io/4qYI2Oc
A promotional graphic for "Career Conversations" by the NatCap Alliance. It features a circular headshot of Tom Ramsay, a smiling young man in a red Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability cap and glasses, set against a blurred background of a lake and greenery. A quote bubble reads, "I felt like I was standing on the shoulders of this massive body of NatCap literature” - TOM RAMSAY." The NatCap Alliance logo is displayed at the bottom.
“I felt like I was standing on the shoulders of this massive body of NatCap literature” 🌎📚
Meet Stanford MS student Tom Ramsay in our new #CareerConversations series. We'll show the people, roles, & professional development helping mainstream nature in decisions worldwide.
🔗 stanford.io/4brSHfU
Two colleagues collaborate over a program on a laptop at a conference room table
Hello World! 🌎👋
Software Team Lead, Doug Denu, introduces our new #Substack column, which aims to give a peek behind the curtain into how we think about developing open-source software like #NatCapInVEST – and engage our broader community in helping us.
bit.ly/4bZHGmc
NatCap's InVEST® is a suite of #OpenSource software models that help you map and value #nature's benefits to people.
Software Team Lead, Doug Denu, breaks down what InVEST is, common uses, and how to get started.
Check out downloads, model descriptions, and guides here: bit.ly/NatCapInVEST
Group photo of participants standing and sitting in a conference, holding a thumbs up in front of a green event screen
Dr. Steve Polasky video calls in, speaking to participants at a U-shaped conference table
Dr. Ouyang, wearing a dark suit and striped tie, speaks at the podium
Mengye Zhu, senior scientist at Stanford University's Natural Capital Alliance, speaks at a podium in front of a green backdrop
NatCappers from Stanford and the Chinese Academy of Science recently convened a dialogue on natural capital and green development. Participants discussed sustainable supply chains, green development, Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP), and more 🌎
#naturalcapital #economics #supplychain
A skyline view of Shenzhen, China, with thick foliage in the foreground, blooming with vibrant pink flowers. In the mid-ground, the colorful, wing-shaped roof of the Shenzhen Civic Center is illuminated in pink and yellow under a gently overcast sky.
Four professionals stand on a stage in a celebratory huddle, placing their hands together. They are positioned in front of a large turquoise screen displaying "Natural Capital Project 20," marking the 20th Anniversary Workshop. The group consists of three men in business-casual attire and one woman in a green floral blouse.
A wide-angle group portrait of 31 workshop participants and leaders standing on a stage in a modern conference room. They are posed in front of a large digital screen that repeats the "Natural Capital Project 20" logo in English and Chinese. In the foreground, a polished wooden boardroom table features laptops and nameplates for the attendees.
Two men, one in a plaid shirt and khakis and the other in a light blue button-down and black trousers, share a laugh while standing in a brightly lit, modern hallway. A marble wall behind them displays several awards and plaques in gold frames. Both men are wearing event lanyards and appear to be engaged in a friendly, informal conversation.
#NatCapImpact: sharing lessons learned from our 20 years 👩🏫
We celebrated our 20th birthday NatCap style: with an InVEST training! 🎉
In Shenzhen, leaders from our core member institutions shared current work (including a preview of the newest #InVEST model), with thousands joining online.
Sunlight filters through trees in a moss-covered forest. Text below: Consulting Opportunity, monitoring and evaluation.
Consulting Opportunity 📣🌱
NatCap (at Stanford University) is looking for eligible international #consulting firms to conduct the Final Evaluation of the regional IDB–GEF project on Mainstreaming Rapid Approaches for #NaturalCapital Assessment and Accounting
Apply by 2/6: stanford.io/4qHLcpZ
Large #COP30 sign in front of a textured wall with United Nations Climate Change and COP30 Brasil Amazonia logos
WEBINAR | #COP30 Debrief: Reflecting on Belém and the road ahead
Stanford’s delegates, including Senior Scientist Mengye Zhu (NatCap), will reflect on options for progress on climate change that build on or are independent of the UNFCCC
Register: stanford.io/3LLjZ6A
Jan. 27, 2026 | 11am to 12pm PT
Aerial view of downtown Valdivia's waterfront and Callecalle river in Southern Chile under a clear blue sky.
The Natural Capital Review | In Chile, Nature is at the Heart of Governance and the Economy
In 2023, Chile's Natural Capital Committee was established to “institutionalize ways to measure, value, protect, restore, and improve” natural capital. NatCap and IDB collaborated with them: bit.ly/4rgyrCN
What is the Natural Capital Alliance?
As part of celebrating 20 years of NatCap, we asked our colleagues from across institutions to describe the collaboration. The twist? Trying to use only one word.
Learn more about our name change and impact: stanford.io/4bDOIwQ
#NaturalCapital #NatCap20
White text on a green rectangle reads "InVEST: Habitat Quality Model". In the background, a photo of a mangrove habitat in Thailand.
Spend time with NatCap InVEST's Habitat Quality Model this #TrainingTuesday 🌎 🌱 🪸
This model estimates biodiversity by measuring habitat quality and rarity. It aims to pinpoint where conservation might be most effective: stanford.io/4joxMMx
#mapping #habitat #conservation
A toucan of the Cecropia genus sits on a leafy branch, looking right. Text: Science. Unlocking nature's potential to mitigate climate change.
Nature's potential for climate mitigation 🌦️
Hilary Brumberg, a Ph.D. student of #GretchenDaily, discusses a collaborative paper published in PNAS Nexus that analyzes challenges to implementing natural #climate solutions across the globe and highlights real-world successes.
stanford.io/3WUwSwX
Two people walking through a wide field of tall grass. Text below: Key Concepts. Natural capital approaches: a jump-start glossary of key terms.
Introducing Key Concept & Applications 💡
We’ll explore the scientific, spatial, and economic tools behind natural capital approaches, tracing how they connect to real-world applications #NatCapReview
Read on the glossary: thenaturalcapitalalliance.substack.com/p/natural-capital-approaches-a-jump
Headshot of Lisa Mandle from the Natural Capital Alliance with a quote: If there were no nature, there would be no economy.
“If there were no nature, there would be no economy.” 🌱💰
In a recent Inside Climate News interview, Co-Executive Director Lisa Mandle explains how we’re making nature's value on visible on the balance sheet—and in the rooms where global decisions happen.
🔗 Read the story: bit.ly/49WdPtp
Aerial view of Muri Lagoon from mountain to sea in Rarotonga, Cook islands. White text over a blue gradient below says: Science. People, Planet, Prosperity: Mainstreaming Nature in Policy and Investment Decisions.
Since 2023, NatCap, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Asian Development Bank, and the World Bank have worked with 16 pilot countries to co-develop #NaturalCapital approaches that inform policy and investment decisions for development and conservation goals.
🌱 bit.ly/peopleplanetprosperity
Green-crowned hummingbird, Heliodoxa jacula, hovers next to orange flowers with NatCap's 20th anniversary logo in the bottom left corner. Bellow text reads: InVEST ® Crop Pollination. This model focuses on wild pollinators providing an ecosystem service.
This #TrainingTuesday, explore NatCap InVEST's Crop Pollination Model 🐦🌾
This model uses info on wild pollinators and local plant life to calculate the abundance of wild pollinators and their value to agriculture: stanford.io/45s3seh
#NatCapInVEST #Mapping #Pollinators
A cyclist rides on the pedestrian path over a city road and urban nature. Text: Research. More accessible urban parks linked with greater physical activity across U.S. cities.
#Research | Stanford University researchers show that access to nature is linked to increased physical activity in urban communities using wearable device data from 53 U.S. cities.
stanford.io/3Ld85Cl 🌱 #UrbanNature
Meet the Natural Capital Alliance 👋 a collaboration based at Stanford University with the Stockholm Resilience Centre, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the University of Minnesota, Natural Capital Insights, The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund
naturalcapitalalliance.stanford.edu/about
NatCap co-creates information with decision-makers and communities about the values of nature to people, helping apply this in policy, finance & operations.
NatCap leadership share about our efforts and approach as we hit 20 years of science, technology, and collaboration.
stanford.io/49q3l4i
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Sun filtering through a branching tree and wild grass. Text: The Natural Capital Review. New Ways to connect, welcome to the natural capital review.
Over the past 20 years, NatCap has evolved from a small group of scientists and economists into a global network, reshaping how the world understands and incorporates #nature in human societies.
A new publication is extending that work. Welcome to the Natural Capital Review: bit.ly/455Tak2
Four women posing for headshots against a dark green background with the NatCap Alliance logo above them. From left to right: Gretchen Daily, Mary Ruckelshaus, Anne Guerry, Lisa Mandle.
NatCap leadership reflects on 20 years of the keys to collaboration, engaging unusual allies, turning science into software, the science-policy interface, and the future of the Natural Capital Alliance.
A special thanks to Mary Ruckelshaus for 15 years of transformative work!
stanford.io/49q3l4i
