Planting Water: Marcela Flores

What if protecting forests could also mean putting food on the table? Marcela Flores, CEO of TierraSphere is working with Indigenous communities and the food industry in Mexico to bring nutritious, traditional forest foods, including seeds harvested from standing trees, into modern food supply chains. By creating income from forests without cutting them down, she's helping protect both livelihoods and the rivers that depend on healthy forests. From the Yucatán to Oaxaca, Marcela introduces us to the beautiful idea of sembrando agua, or ‘planting water’, and shows us why forests, food and water are so wonderfully connected.Growing up in Monterrey, Mexico, with its towering mountains, nearby deserts and fireflies lighting up the night, Marcela was a child full of questions. Why were mountains being destroyed in the name of progress? Why did some children have shoes while others didn't? The adults would simply say, “Así es”, meaning “That's just the way it is.” But Marcela wasn't convinced. Those questions became the compass for her life's work, and if she could speak to her younger self today, she'd tell her, “You're not naïve. You're early.” A lovely reminder that change begins when we dare to question the way things are.More about Marcela FloresMarcela Flores is CEO of TierraSphere and an award-winning sustainability leader and entrepreneur with over 18 years experience in strategic commercial roles, driving transformative solutions at the intersection of planetary health, human wellbeing, and social justice. She is an expert in natural capital, biodiversity, and sustainable value chains, with proven ability to deliver impactful, commercially successful sustainability initiatives.Subscribe for more stories and practical tools from Reboot the Future.www.rebootthefuture.org

Brontie Ansell is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Lawyers for Nature, a collective of senior lawyers working to give nature a voice in the legal system. From protecting rivers and challenging pollution to developing new ideas such as the River Standing Bill and ecological attribution rights, Brontie is reimagining what justice could look like if we considered the interests of the natural world alongside our own. She shares how bringing nature into the rooms where decisions are made can shift conversations, challenge established thinking and help create a more complete and holistic sense of justice, rooted in kindness and respect for all life.Growing up in a home where even the smallest insects were treated with respect, Brontie developed a deep appreciation for all life. But the sudden death of a school friend when she was just 12 brought a new understanding of life's fragility. She reflects on how those early experiences shaped her relationship with nature and her belief in what she calls 'fierce kindness'. Far from being naïve, Brontie believes that kindness, combined with courage, can help us rethink the way we live, the laws we make and how we treat all life on Earth.Brontie would love to share more of Lawyers for Nature’s work towards a ‘Parliament of Rivers’. Link here.More about Brontie Ansell:Brontie Ansell is a Nature lawyer and managing director of Lawyers for Nature, which represents the interests of Nature directly in law, policy and governance. She was named one of Vogue Business’ 100 Innovators of 2024 for her work as a thought leader.Brontie founded Lawyers for Nature with the barrister Paul Powlesland in 2019. Her early work there focused on planning, public law and judicial review, and later Rights of Nature governance work. She was a lead legal architect of the 2022 Nature on the Board intervention at Faith in Nature, and went on to become the first person to sit as the legal guardian for Nature on the company’s board. She has held several non-executive director positions, always attempting to speak in Nature's best interests. She is currently a trustee of the charity TreeSisters.Her work draws on the philosophy of Rights of Nature and multi species justice to change systems, organisations, and mindsets. She focuses on building robust legal structures that allow Nature to be represented wherever humans make decisions affecting it. She argues that Nature already has rights, which the law must recognise if society is to be just, equitable, and democratic. She is also developing, in theory and in practice, concepts of responsibility to future generations and the fair sharing of the Earth’s resources. Brontie sees her work as continuing the hard won paths of earlier movements such as women’s rights and children’s rights, while stretching imaginations towards a just transition for all life.Brontie graduated from the University of Sussex in 2006 with a first in Law, followed by a master’s in Rights, Responsibilities and Law. She qualified as a solicitor, then built a career spanning international work and legal education, teaching at the University of Sussex, the University of Brighton and Grenoble School of Management before being appointed Associate Professor of Law at the University of Essex. Subscribe for more stories and practical tools from Reboot the Future.www.rebootthefuture.org

What does it take to change the course of your life, or even the world? This week we're joined by Dr Roz Savage MBE MP, the first woman to row solo across three oceans, spending more than 500 days alone at sea and setting four Guinness World Records. Now the Member of Parliament for South Cotswolds, Roz has taken her passion for protecting the natural world from the oceans to Parliament, championing environmental action and a kinder, more sustainable future.Roz shares how writing two versions of her own obituary prompted her to question what success really meant and set her on an extraordinary new path. From witnessing environmental change firsthand to discovering the power of persistence through five million oar strokes, she reflects on our interconnectedness with nature, the importance of holding on to hope and why even the smallest actions matter. A conversation about courage, purpose and the possibility of positive tipping points, reminding us that creating a better future begins with believing we can make a difference.More about Dr Roz Savage MBE MPRoz Savage is the Member of Parliament for South Cotswolds and one of the world’s most accomplished ocean rowers. Before entering politics, she became the first woman to row solo across three oceans - the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian - spending more than 500 days alone at sea and setting four Guinness World Records.Her path to the ocean began with a moment of reckoning. Working as a management consultant in London, she wrote two versions of her own obituary: the one she wanted, and the one she was heading for. The gap between them prompted her to leave her career and seek a life of purpose. Out on the water, she witnessed plastic pollution and a changing climate at first hand, and returned determined to help people live in balance with the planet.Elected in July 2024, Roz sits on the Environmental Audit Committee and brought the Climate and Nature Bill to Parliament. She champions clean rivers, community energy, Rights of Nature and measuring progress by wellbeing as well as GDP, and works across party lines.She is the author of Rowing the Atlantic and Stop Drifting, Start Rowing, and believes that a kinder, fairer future is within reach.Subscribe for more stories and practical tools from Reboot the Future.www.rebootthefuture.org

What if nature could teach us not just how to learn, but how to live in greater harmony with each other and the world around us? In this episode Richard Dunne founder of The Harmony Project, shares how a childhood shaped by kindness, a life-changing experience working with Mother Teresa in Kolkata, and 18 years as a headteacher inspired him to rethink education. Drawing inspiration from Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World, written by King Charles III when he was Prince of Wales, Richard explores how the principles of Harmony found in nature, including diversity, cycles and interdependence, can transform education and help children develop a deeper understanding of themselves, each other and the natural world.From exploring local rivers to creating joyful school communities rooted in care and connection, Richard reflects on why we need to learn not just about nature, but in nature and from nature. His story reminds us that Harmony is more than an approach to education; it's a way of living that recognises how deeply connected we all are. And his advice to his younger self? Be kind, trust your inner compass, and keep smiling.Discover more about Richard's work and The Harmony Project: https://www.theharmonyproject.org.ukMore about Richard Dunne: Richard Dunne is Founder and Director of The Harmony Project - – an education charity working with schools and educators in the UK and around the world to help them develop a new way of learning that puts sustainability and nature at the heart of the curriculum.The Harmony Project’s approach brings together subject specific skills and knowledge around project-based enquiries that take the learning beyond the classroom and apply it to the real world. The approach is informed by what are called principles of Harmony, principles of nature that include cycles, diversity, interdependence and adaptation. The Harmony curriculum is wholly National Curriculum compliant for schools in England and can be adapted to any country and school context. Richard was a headteacher for 18 years and developed this way of learning in his previous role as headteacher of an Outstanding School. He now shares the Harmony approach across the education sector nationally and globally through presentations, workshops and school support programmes. He has written a teachers’ guide to enable teachers and educators to integrate Harmony principles into their curriculum in ways that bring learning to life. The teachers’ guide is in 9 languages. He also works with schools to help them to be smarter and more sustainable in their practices.Subscribe for more stories and practical tools from Reboot the Future.www.rebootthefuture.org

From a childhood fascination with wildlife and David Attenborough's Life on Earth to helping restore rivers and Sussex's lost kelp forests, Sean Ashworth has spent much of his career challenging the way we think about and care for the natural world. Now working as a Catchment Strategy Manager with Southern Water, Sean shares how a determination to question the status quo has taken him from removing barriers on the River Ouse to helping turn a rather uninspiring trawling bylaw consultation into a community campaign to bring back Sussex's kelp forests – with a little help from David Attenborough!In this episode of Let's Reboot the Future, Sean reflects on what it takes to challenge established thinking, the importance of listening to different perspectives and why communities should have a voice in decisions about their environment. He encourages us all to become positive disruptors – to question systems that aren't working, seek out people who share our values and not be put off by those who can't see what might be possible. A reminder that even when we feel like a lone voice, with a clear vision and good people around us, remarkable things can happen.More about Sean Ashworth: Sean Ashworth is a Catchment Strategy Manager at Southern Water. For the last five years he has been working on developing the company's interactions with key environmental stakeholders and Catchment Partnerships. His work at Southern water has also included delivery of critical water quality risk and mitigation work in river and groundwater systems. Sean started his career with a PhD in ecology at Exeter and went on to be a manager at the Environment Agency for fourteen years before joining Sussex Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority as Deputy Chief Officer, where he worked for seven years. Throughout this time he built the first Catchment Partnership pilot in Sussex, ran river enhancement project programmes, developed EA marine strategy, managed compliance programmes and developed and implemented significant marine protection regulationLink to the 'Help the Kelp' film, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, Sean speaks about here.It is also included in the book Ocean - Earth’s Last Wilderness, David Attenborough, Colin Butfield (2026)Subscribe for more stories and practical tools from Reboot the Future.www.rebootthefuture.org

Charmian Love is a leading voice in reimagining the role of business in creating a thriving future. Alongside her work as the Global Ambassador with Brazilian beauty and wellbeing company Natura, she serves as Mother Nature & Future Generations Director at House of Hackney - bringing the voice of nature into the boardroom and helping businesses think differently about the impact they have on the world around them.Charmian shares where that conviction began: from campaigning to save whales as a child in Canada, to the lakes that shaped her love of nature and a powerful encounter with the Amazon where, as a friend told her, her “soul met its soil”. It’s a story about having the confidence to see things differently, holding onto what you care about and finding the courage to act on it.More about Charmian Love:Charmian (Char) Love is a fiercely determined optimist and believes in the power of people coming together to use business as a force for good. She is the Global Ambassador at Natura, a Brazilian-based beauty and wellbeing business, where she leads the International Advocacy function.In a personal capacity, Char serves as the legal representative for Mother Nature and Future Generations on the board of House of Hackney.  She is also Executive in Residence at Oxford’s Said Business School, where she designed and teaches MBA and Executive MBA courses on topics such as Regenerative Business. Char’s work has been featured in publications including HBR, Wired, SSIR, and Fast Company and she delivered a TEDx talk on the topic: ‘How to be both in business and an activist’.Her advisory and board commitments focus on integrating environmental and social value into financial systems, advocating for structural and cultural-level change and championing intergenerational dialogue:Member of the TNFD (Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures)Founding Working Group Member of the TISFD (Taskforce for Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures)Advisory Council member at the Capitals Coalition Business Advisory Group member at Business for NatureBoard Member of B Beauty CoalitionChair of the Board, Force of NatureBefore joining Natura, Char was Co-Founder, Chair and Activist in Residence at B Lab UK and Co-Founder of Volans. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an honours degree in Art History from Queen’s University.Char enjoys long distance swimming, colourful clothing, bringing poetry into business meetings and hosting ‘Hartigan Dinners’ in her home in London. She has two rugby-loving teenage boys and a border collie who all keep her on her toes.Subscribe for more stories and practical tools from Reboot the Future.www.rebootthefuture.org

Professor Steve Waygood is Chief Executive of The Finance Transition Centre and a leading voice in sustainable finance.Having spent his career exploring how capital and markets can support sustainable development, Steve reflects on what he has learned about our financial systems - and how we can harness them to help create a better future.But Steve’s story begins far from the world of finance, with a childhood dream of becoming a vet in the Yorkshire Dales, inspired by James Herriot and David Attenborough. He reflects on the unexpected path his life took, his work to drive change in areas from energy and climate to the health of our rivers, and what he would tell his younger self today: believe that you can drive change - and remember that none of us does it alone.More about Professor Steve WaygoodProfessor Steve Waygood, CEO, The Finance Transition Centre. Steve is Chief Executive of The Finance Transition Centre - a think tank and education centre focussed on mobilising capital in support of sustainable development - and a Trustee of WWF-UK. Previously, he was Chief Sustainable Finance Officer at Aviva Investors. He holds a PhD in sustainable finance and is Honorary Visiting Professor of Sustainable Finance at the University of Surrey. Steve has advised the UK Government, the European Commission, the G20, the Financial Stability Board, the OECD and the UN on the creation of sustainable capital markets. He has received awards from Brummell, the International Chamber of Commerce, the City of London, the United Nations Foundation, Yale and Harvard. In 2024, he was listed among the 80 most influential people in European finance by Financial News. Subscribe for more stories and practical tools from Reboot the Future.www.rebootthefuture.org

This week's Reboot Forum series episode features Ben Goldsmith, who talks about growing up fascinated by wildlife and refusing to let go of a vision of Britain living with wildlife. Visits to France as a child showed him it was possible, and by his teens he was writing to park rangers and Country Life magazine to make the case for bringing back species like wild boar.Ben is hopeful about where the country is heading. He reflects on Britain's shift from a nation wary of wildness to one increasingly ready to trust nature to lead, and on what it takes to keep pushing for change even when the odds feel stacked against you.More about Ben Goldsmith:Ben has two decades of investment experience in green industries. He is co-founder of Nattergal Ltd, a natural capital company focused on restoring ecosystems at scale, and founded and chairs Conservation Collective, a growing network of locally-focused environmental philanthropic foundations. He also serves as a Trustee of the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, and was a non-executive director of the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2018 to 2022. Alongside all this, Ben hosts the Rewilding the World podcast, is author of God is an Octopus, and is rewilding land surrounding his family home in south Somerset.You can listen to Ben Goldsmith’s weekly podcast ‘Rewilding the World with Ben Goldsmith’ here.Subscribe for more stories and practical tools from Reboot the Future.www.rebootthefuture.org

This week’s guest is Aimee Felus, CEO of the Western Sussex Rivers Trust. Aimee loves working for Rivers Trusts, drawn to the reciprocity and energy she finds there. She and her team know the value of the work they do, for rivers and for people, particularly through the ecosystem services that help mitigate environmental issues like flooding and biodiversity loss.She finds it challenging when others don't place that same value on the work, but this spurs her on to help people understand. Ultimately, Aimee feels that treating people with kindness and respect, fuelled by real passion for the work, takes you  a long way in bringing others on board. A grounded conversation about staying committed to work that matters.More about Aimee Felus: Aimee has worked with water for 21 years, specialising in water quality issues, nature-based solutions and community engagement. Rivers captivate Aimee, for their vital place in the natural world, for their role in our culture and all that they offer to us. Aimee’s top river moments include hauling 3500 tyres from the Lea with amazing Thames21 volunteers, watching the sand martin’s aerial dance from a canoe on the Wye and seeing a river weave its magic into her son as he was charmed for hours on a paddleboard. Aimee feels very privileged to be able to work for her local rivers through the Western Sussex Rivers Trust.Subscribe for more stories and practical tools from Reboot the Future.www.rebootthefuture.org

Hitendra Wadhwa has spent his career exploring what it really takes to live and lead well, work he now leads at Columbia Business School and through the Mentora Institute, which he founded. In this episode, he talks about the years he spent pulling back from the world (leaving strategy consulting and a Silicon Valley startup behind) to go deeper into his own inner life, and what that inner work eventually taught him: that the goal isn't to choose between the inner and outer world, but to find the intersection between them. He shares how that thinking played out in an unexpected place, a leadership programme he ran inside a Northern California prison.That instinct not to inflict pain on others goes right back to childhood. Hitendra became a vegetarian at eight, in a Punjabi meat-eating family, and held to it even when it meant pushing against his own dinner table. It's a thread that runs through everything else he talks about: living an inspired life, and finding freedom not in our circumstances, but in how free we are on the inside.More about Hitendra: Hitendra Wadhwa is the founder of the Mentora Institute and a professor at Columbia Business School, where he's won the Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence. He's the author of Inner Mastery, Outer Impact, and draws on the world's mystic traditions to codify the laws of success in life and leadership. Before academia, he was a strategy consultant at McKinsey and founded a Silicon Valley startup. He holds an MBA and PhD in Management Science from MIT's Sloan School of Management, and a BA with Honours in Mathematics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi.Subscribe for more stories and practical tools from Reboot the Future.www.rebootthefuture.org