OUR FLAGSHIP COURSE

Foundations

The practical know-how you need to understand biodiversity, think strategically, and feel more confident in the actions you take on the path to a Nature Positive world.

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Course features
  • LIVE INSTRUCTION FROM: Dr. Helen Crowley and Dr. Jennifer McGowan
  • COURSE DURATION: 6-8 weeks
  • TIME COMMITMENT: Approximately 15 hours total
  • DATES: Course dates to be released soon
  • STYLE: Mixed cohort, prep work, live instruction
  • OUR SPECIAL PRICE FOR THE FIRST COHORT: $3,500
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WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Part 1: Getting the Basics Right – Understanding Biodiversity & the Building Blocks of Nature
  • Chapter 1: Biodiversity: The engine of Nature
  • Chapter 2: How we think about Biodiversity: values, services, capital and investment
  • Chapter 3: How and what we are accountable for: frameworks for action
Intermezzo: Thinking Differently
  • Chapter 4: Thinking differently: the art & science of making better decisions

Part 2: What Matters to You – Getting to Solutions
  • Chapter 5: Materiality, risk & opportunity: aligning values & setting objectives
  • Chapter 6: What you can actually do: setting the action plans & pathways
  • Chapter 7: What you can measure & track: metrics & beyond
  • Chapter 8: Telling your story: building a powerful narrative
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WHAT YOU WILL GET
  • 8+ hours of live instruction
  • 1 bonus office hour (small groups)
  • 1 year access to course materials
  • Discounts and special promotions on future courses
  • Private access to the Nature Matters Community and Events
  • Curated peer-to peer learning cohorts
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Applications now open for 2025 cohort!

Pricing

First 2025 Cohort Pricing

SPECIAL PRICE
$3500 USD $5000
We're offering a special price for our first Foundations cohort. If you're interested in taking the course, please apply.

View our refund policy here.

Our FOUNDATIONS course helps you understand nature and move towards solutions.

We get it, it's not easy. There is an overwhelming amount of information, guidance, frameworks, metrics and documentation for how companies and financial institutions should contribute towards a Nature Positive future. What should we be measuring? How do we get more boardroom buy-in? Do we wait for all the recommendations and science or should we just get started? What about uncertainty and failure?

We see and hear the frustration, confusion, fear, and fatigue that comes with viewing Nature through the lens of risk, reporting, and monitoring. We want to change this. We want the world to see the massive opportunity in front of us when we begin to think differently about nature and how we integrate it into our decision-making. That is why our Foundations course has been thoughtfully prepared based on our experience working with and developing nature strategies for companies, NGOs, foundations and financial institutions.

We know we can’t change the world just yet. But we can ensure you have the practical know-how you need to affect change in your sphere of influence, get buy-in, think strategically and feel more confident in the actions you take on the path to a Nature Positive world. Whether you are just starting to think about nature in your supply chains, or are an early adopter with an existing nature strategy - there will be new insights and practical tools to add to your repertoire.

Our FOUNDATIONS course helps you understand nature and move towards solutions.

We can’t do everything all at once, everywhere. Yet, most of us have never been trained in how to make and prioritize decisions. 

This course will train you in the art and science of “prioritization” to help you be more efficient in your work and more effective in your outcomes.  

Pulling from the field of decision-science for conservation, we will work through relevant, thought provoking activities and lectures that will reshape how and why you make decisions.

This course will benefit everyone, from students to professionals, and will enroll on a rolling basis until full or the closing date.

Meet your Instructors

Dr. Helen Crowley

Dr. Crowley has a 30+ year career underpinning her global expertise in biodiversity across public and private sectors designing and implementing nature based and natural climate solutions, integrating nature/biodiversity into business and finance strategy and enterprise development. Her professional work spanned over a decade on conservation strategy and programs with Wildlife Conservation Society in Africa and Madagascar, a decade building corporate sustainability leadership with the luxury group, Kering, and most recently leading the nature focus across all sectors as Managing Director at the advisory and investment firm, Pollination. She now focuses her efforts more broadly as a global advisor to companies, investors, NGOs and start-ups. Dr. Crowley also dedicates time to teaching, writing and presenting to build awareness of the power of Nature. She has co-produced a short documentary film and was noted as one of the top 52 ‘newsmakers’ in Australia in 2022. She is a non-executive Director and Advisor on several for-profit and non-profit Boards. She has a PhD in Zoology from the Australian National University, has led research expeditions with the Australian Antarctic Expeditions and the National Geographic Society. She was awarded Chevalier de l’Ordre National from the President of Madagascar for services to the country.

Dr. Jennifer McGowan

Jennifer brings 15+ years of experience in decision science, strategy design, and spatial planning to solve for conservation challenges. She serves as the Global Managing Director of the world’s most impactful conservation planning software - Marxan – an optimization tool that has planned over 5% of the planet for nature. She currently directs a large international partnership focused on democratizing access to data, tools, and theory needed to reverse biodiversity loss through improved spatial planning and decision-making. Prior to her current roles, Jennifer was a global strategy and spatial scientist at The Nature Conservancy where she worked closely with finance, policy, and corporate engagement teams. Jennifer has over 40 peer-reviewed publications in the field of conservation science which have been covered by BBC Environment, The Economist, Vice, National Geographic, and more. Jennifer has trained over 2500 people across 50 countries from the Galapagos to Papua New Guinea in conservation planning theory and decision science.

Meet your Instructors

Dr. Helen Crowley

Dr. Crowley has a 30+ year career underpinning her global expertise in biodiversity across public and private sectors designing and implementing nature based and natural climate solutions, integrating nature/biodiversity into business and finance strategy and enterprise development. Her professional work spanned over a decade on conservation strategy and programs with Wildlife Conservation Society in Africa and Madagascar, a decade building corporate sustainability leadership with the luxury group, Kering, and most recently leading the nature focus across all sectors as Managing Director at the advisory and investment firm, Pollination. She now focuses her efforts more broadly as a global advisor to companies, investors, NGOs and start-ups. Dr. Crowley also dedicates time to teaching, writing and presenting to build awareness of the power of Nature. She has co-produced a short documentary film and was noted as one of the top 52 ‘newsmakers’ in Australia in 2022. She is a non-executive Director and Advisor on several for-profit and non-profit Boards. She has a PhD in Zoology from the Australian National University, has led research expeditions with the Australian Antarctic Expeditions and the National Geographic Society. She was awarded Chevalier de l’Ordre National from the President of Madagascar for services to the country.


Dr. Jennifer McGowan

Jennifer brings 15+ years of experience in decision science, strategy design, and spatial planning to solve for conservation challenges. She serves as the Global Managing Director of the world’s most impactful conservation planning software - Marxan – an optimization tool that has planned over 5% of the planet for nature. She currently directs a large international partnership focused on democratizing access to data, tools, and theory needed to reverse biodiversity loss through improved spatial planning and decision-making. Prior to her current roles, Jennifer was a global strategy and spatial scientist at The Nature Conservancy where she worked closely with finance, policy, and corporate engagement teams. Jennifer has over 40 peer-reviewed publications in the field of conservation science which have been covered by BBC Environment, The Economist, Vice, National Geographic, and more. Jennifer has trained over 2500 people across 50 countries from the Galapagos to Papua New Guinea in conservation planning theory and decision science.

Ready to build your FOUNDATION 
for creating a Nature Positive world?

Questions? Reach out to hello@naturematters.earth.