Global Diversity Foundation - GDF

Global Diversity Foundation - GDF We work with changemakers to help communities and environments flourish. It was registered as a non-profit in the United States in 2006. GDF has a dual mission.

Global Diversity Foundation was founded in November 1999 by ethnobiologist and executive director Gary J. Martin and obtained charitable status from the Charity Commission of England and Wales in May 2000. Through our regional programmes, we support indigenous peoples' and local communities' efforts to protect their biocultural diversity, and peacefully achieve just and autonomous decision-making

regarding their territories, resources and futures. In collaboration with diverse institutions, we provide support for communities to elaborate their own research, development and advocacy programmes. Areas of specific focus depend on community interests, although they tend to be community access to lands and resources, community-led conservation, advocacy and campaigning for social and environmental justice, the continuity of ethnobiological and biocultural knowledge, and health. We fulfil the other aspect of our mission through our cross-cutting international programme, which builds the capacities of dynamic environmental changemakers working at local, national and international levels. Since 2011, we organise the Global Environments Summer Academy (GESA), a multidisciplinary course that works to broaden and deepen the knowledge, networking and communication skills of postgraduate students and professionals. Our international programme also serves to disseminate project results and organise seminars and workshops on contemporary issues in biocultural diversity, socio-ecological dynamics and the policy-practice interface. GDF’s work is supervised, guided and supported by two dynamic, diverse and multidisciplinary teams: the Board of Trustees in the UK and the Board of Directors in the US.

πŸ‘ Last month marked the start of the annual wool-shearing season across the flocks of the Atlas Mountains. To this day, ...
06/02/2026

πŸ‘ Last month marked the start of the annual wool-shearing season across the flocks of the Atlas Mountains. To this day, the work is carried out the old traditional way: entirely by hand, using manual shears and no machinery. βœ‚οΈ

As the season begins, shepherds from across the area gather at the laazibs (seasonal transhumance encampments), working side by side in the spirit of Tiwizi, a longstanding Amazigh tradition of collective mutual aid. 🀝 Amid laughter, conversation, and the rhythms of Amazigh songs 🎢, the flocks are shorn and generations-old knowledge is passed on through practice.

Last year, we had the privilege of joining one of these heartwarming Tiwizi gatherings in the Siroua region of Morocco’s Anti-Atlas ⛰️, documenting the shearing season alongside members of the Association of Imallasen n’ Siroua.

The region is home to its own distinctive local sheep breed (called Siroua, after the name of its home region), whose wool has long been prized as the preferred raw material for carpet weaving in many Amazigh regions across the country. 🧢

🌿 Today, on the International Day for Biological Diversity, we celebrate the rich biodiversity of Morocco’s High Atlas r...
05/22/2026

🌿 Today, on the International Day for Biological Diversity, we celebrate the rich biodiversity of Morocco’s High Atlas region and the communities working to protect it.

Through our High Atlas Cultural Landscapes programme, we have supported the propagation of nearly 500,000 plants across the region: from threatened and endemic species, to plants with deep ethnobotanical significance, and crops that sustain local mountain livelihoods 🌱

By establishing plant nurseries across the High Atlas, we are helping safeguard both biodiversity and cultural heritage for future generations 🌍

This ongoing work is made possible through our collaboration with the Moroccan Biodiversity and Livelihoods Association .morocco and by the generous and sustained support of our funding partners, whose commitment to community-led conservation continues to bear fruit across the High Atlas πŸƒ

Did you know about π’•π™žπ’Žπ™žπ’‹π™Ÿπ’‚ (as well known as mersita), the high atlas' special mint? 🌿 Native to Morocco, π’•π™žπ’Žπ™žπ’‹π™Ÿπ’‚ is a f...
05/01/2026

Did you know about π’•π™žπ’Žπ™žπ’‹π™Ÿπ’‚ (as well known as mersita), the high atlas' special mint? 🌿

Native to Morocco, π’•π™žπ’Žπ™žπ’‹π™Ÿπ’‚ is a fragrant round-leaved mint, often used in tea making or in cooking, though its use also extends to traditional herbal medicine in reason of its digestic, analgesic & antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about the work we do within our wider High Atlas Cultural Landscapes programme to safeguard this precious plant, as well as other wild-harvested aromatics. πŸ’š

Looking back on the wonderful session our team had the other day with the girls at Dar Taliba’s boarding school 🌿! This ...
04/29/2026

Looking back on the wonderful session our team had the other day with the girls at Dar Taliba’s boarding school 🌿! This marked our first time back in quite a while to reinvest in the school’s ethnobotanical garden, and it was such a meaningful way to kick off a series of upcoming workshops we have planned 🌸.

🌞This spring gardening session was held in collaboration with .aboghlou , who led the workshop by sharing their deep expertise and hands-on experience with the students. We mainly focused on assessing the current state of the garden and worked together on cleaning and weeding.
It was great to see how quickly our collective efforts made an impact in the garden, and it felt really good to be back and active in that space again 😊

As always, the interaction with the girls was nothing short of wonderful: their energy and engagement made this first step a big success πŸ’š.

This collaboration with the girls’ boarding house began in 2015, and since then we’ve built a strong foundation for youth environmental education, sharing practical knowledge about traditional plant uses and the conservation of endemic, threatened, and valuable plant species.

The garden includes a nursery for cultivating plants from seed, a space rich with local flora, a vegetable garden for school meals, and an area for outdoor classes and recreation.

04/28/2026

As part of our π‘Ήπ’†π’Šπ’Žπ’‚π’ˆπ’Šπ’π’Šπ’π’ˆ π‘·π’π’‚π’π’†π’•π’‚π’“π’š π‘Ήπ’†π’ˆπ’†π’π’†π’“π’‚π’•π’Šπ’π’ π‘ͺπ’π’Žπ’Žπ’–π’π’Šπ’•π’š π‘¬π’™π’„π’‰π’‚π’π’ˆπ’†, we spent the day at , an agroecological farm perched on a small hill in the Western Ghats mountain range, about fifty kilometres west of Pune in Maharashtra, India. ⛰️

β˜•οΈ We spent the day learning from co-founder Ashwin Paranjpye, the ways he has incorporated principles of agroecology and forest-garden design into his arabica coffee production. Ashwin interplants his coffee with spices like ginger, turmeric, black pepper - and him and his team also grow cherry tomatoes, lettuce, kale, hot peppers, basil, cucumbers, aubergines, tapioca and beans for those who live and work on the farm.

We had the privilege of being shown around the farm by Ashwin whose love and passion for organic, nature-friendly farming, his dogs, and his community really shone through 🀎

Today on Earth Day, we are reminded once again of the breathtaking beauty of the planet we call home, and all living bei...
04/22/2026

Today on Earth Day, we are reminded once again of the breathtaking beauty of the planet we call home, and all living beings who inhabit it alongside us.

Photos from our field programme in Morocco, by the talented Inanc Inka Tekguc πŸ“Έ

⛰️ Spring reaches its peak in the High Atlas around this time of year, unfolding in a landscape shaped by color, scent, ...
04/17/2026

⛰️ Spring reaches its peak in the High Atlas around this time of year, unfolding in a landscape shaped by color, scent, and quiet intensity. Hillsides and terraces come alive with the flowering of native species such as πΏπ‘Žπ‘£π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘™π‘Ž π‘‘π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘Ž, π‘…π‘’π‘–π‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘–π‘Ž π‘π‘–π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘–π‘‘π‘’π‘  and πΆπ‘™π‘Žπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘  π‘šπ‘–π‘₯𝑑𝑒𝑠, alongside cultivated and symbolic plants like πΌπ‘Ÿπ‘–π‘  π‘”π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π‘–π‘π‘Ž and π‘ƒπ‘Žπ‘π‘Žπ‘£π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘Ÿβ„Žπ‘œπ‘’π‘Žπ‘  🌸πŸͺ»πŸŒΊπŸŒ·

This moment in the season aligns with the transition from Batn El Hout (March 23rd to April 4th) into Ennat’h (April 5th to April 17th), two key M’nazel in the Moroccan agricultural calendar. 🌞 As temperatures rise and the first dry winds begin to settle in, rainfed crops enter a critical phase, especially cereals, which depend on the last rains to reach full maturity 🌧️

Farmers say: "Ψ¨Ψ·Ω† Ψ§Ω„Ψ­ΩˆΨͺ، Ψ§Ω„Ω…Ψ§ ΩˆΩ„Ψ§ Ω†Ω…ΩˆΨͺ، Ψ§Ω„Ψ°Ψ±Ψ© ΩˆΩ„Ψ§ Ω†ΩΩˆΨͺ" (In the whale’s belly, either water me or I die, either a grain or I’m gone) pointing to how essential rainfall is during this period, both for sustaining crops and as the final window for sowing corn.

With the arrival of Ennat’h, the rhythm in the fields begins to shift. Farmers start preparing their land for corn cultivation, while closely monitoring the condition of their crops as soils gradually lose moisture. In this time of anticipation, they say: "Ψ₯Ω„Ω‰ رواΨͺ في Ψ§Ω„Ω†Ψ·Ψ­ΨŒ يΨͺΨ­Ψ²Ω… الفلاح Ω„Ω„Ψ΄Ψ·Ψ­" (Should it rain durng Ennat'h, the farmer would get ready for a celebration danceπŸ•Ί) a reminder of how a timely rain can still tip the balance toward a generous season.

Keep a look out for our next posts as we'll be sharing more about the different M'nazel and the Moroccan Agricultural Calendar. πŸ—“οΈ

Our long-term commitment to supporting earthquake-affected High Atlas communities continues πŸ’šCultural Heritage Restorati...
03/24/2026

Our long-term commitment to supporting earthquake-affected High Atlas communities continues πŸ’š

Cultural Heritage Restoration is a project funded by the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), aiming to restore cultural heritage sites deeply connected to local livelihoods 🌿. These include agricultural terraces, water mills, traditional irrigation canals, water sources, and aazibs (nomadic shelters πŸ‘).

In Amskrajen village, within the Ighil commune, farmers are actively leading the restoration of their agricultural terraces 🌾. A total of 60 damaged terraces have been identified and collectively prioritized for rehabilitation through close collaboration with the Jma’a (community council) and the local association. This effort is expected to generate over 200 workdays, contributing not only to the recovery of essential agricultural infrastructure but also to local economic resilience.

Beyond physical restoration, the project reinforces community ownership, strengthens traditional knowledge systems and intergenerational exchange, and supports the long-term sustainability of High Atlas cultural landscapes β›°οΈβœ¨

Looking back on our π‘Ήπ’†π’Šπ’Žπ’‚π’ˆπ’Šπ’π’Šπ’π’ˆ π‘·π’π’‚π’π’†π’•π’‚π’“π’š π‘Ήπ’†π’ˆπ’†π’π’†π’“π’‚π’•π’Šπ’π’ π‘ͺπ’π’Žπ’Žπ’–π’π’Šπ’•π’š π‘¬π’™π’„π’‰π’‚π’π’ˆπ’† this February in Pune, India 🌏🌱Co-organised wi...
03/09/2026

Looking back on our π‘Ήπ’†π’Šπ’Žπ’‚π’ˆπ’Šπ’π’Šπ’π’ˆ π‘·π’π’‚π’π’†π’•π’‚π’“π’š π‘Ήπ’†π’ˆπ’†π’π’†π’“π’‚π’•π’Šπ’π’ π‘ͺπ’π’Žπ’Žπ’–π’π’Šπ’•π’š π‘¬π’™π’„π’‰π’‚π’π’ˆπ’† this February in Pune, India 🌏🌱

Co-organised with , the Exchange brought together conservationists, activists, artists, researchers and practitioners from South and Southeast Asia committed to community-led environmental and social justice.

Over five months of online sessions aligned with lunar cycles πŸŒ™ followed by a 5-day immersive retreat in Pune at the beautiful we held gatherings that explored the deep entanglements between spirituality, ecology and activism. From spiritual ecology and to degrowth economics and a wellbeing economy with , and environmental justice to food and material sovereignty with , the exchange was both reflective and action-oriented.

We moved from theory to practice through farm visits 🌾, ethnobotany offerings πŸͺ, embodied sessions, co-designing a toolkit on the role of imagination, and peer learning circles. Throughout, we leaned on Indigenous wisdom, peer knowledge, and welcomed facilitators and participants alike to actively shape the programme.

We feel deeply grateful to the land that held us, the learning that emerged, and the collective courage to reimagine a future rooted in equity, justice and flourishing ✨🌍

In late Nov–early Dec 2025, Dr. Ugo D’Ambrosio, our in-house Scientific & Technical Advisor, carried out a field mission...
02/10/2026

In late Nov–early Dec 2025, Dr. Ugo D’Ambrosio, our in-house Scientific & Technical Advisor, carried out a field mission across a number of our project sites in the High Atlas.

From seed banks and nurseries to cooperatives and attending the inspiring Food Sovereignty Forum organized by our Moroccan team ✨, the visit was about learning alongside farmers and local partners, as well as about bridging the distance and getting the best out of physically spending time with team members. πŸ’š

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