Introducing the Nature Guild
By Nurfatin Hamzah
Why the Nature Guild?
Over the past year, we've been listening to people who are restoring ecosystems and building community resilience. Many of them are already leading incredible work like reviving forests, rebuilding food systems, regenerating soil, helping communities adapt to climate change through collective action.
What if the people doing this work could also design the systems that support it?
The Nature Guild is an experiment in community-led governance. We're asking whether communities can coordinate themselves, make shared decisions, and create regenerative systems that truly reflect their lived experience. It's a space where local leaders move beyond just participating in existing systems to actually co-creating new ones. The Nature Guild brings together changemakers from different communities. We're testing new ways to collaborate, share what we know, and support each other's work.
Built on the GainForest Network
The Nature Guild builds on work already happening within the GainForest network. It grows out of communities that have been leading restoration efforts, collecting biodiversity data, and exploring alternative funding pathways through the GainForest network.
Many of the Guild’s first members come from this ecosystem. Now, we are taking the next step. Instead of simply participating in existing systems, these communities will co-create new ones. Together, we will design how decisions are made, how resources are shared, and how collaboration can happen across regions while staying grounded in local knowledge.
What We Are Exploring
At its core, the Nature Guild is an experiment. We are asking whether communities can coordinate themselves, make shared decisions, and design regenerative systems that reflect their lived experience.
To begin this journey, we are launching Cohort 0. This founding group includes stewards and organizers from East Africa, Asia, and the Amazon. They are already leading on-the-ground work in diverse settings, including reforestation, biodiversity protection, food sovereignty, and community resilience.
Over the next six months, they will:
Complete a hands-on curriculum covering Web3, governance, and regenerative systems
Listen to their communities and bring those voices into decision-making processes
Test models of resource sharing, mentorship, and regional coordination
Build systems that balance local autonomy with global solidarity
Meet Cohort 0
We are proud to introduce the first members of the Nature Guild. These individuals are already shaping regenerative change in their communities. Each brings different knowledge and context, yet all share a commitment to building something that serves the many, not the few.
Cohort 0 will act as listening stewards. They will help shape the governance model, experiment with new decision-making tools, and design shared systems that reflect the needs and values of the communities they represent.
Our Core Values
The Nature Guild is grounded in shared values that guide how we work together, make decisions, and build trust across geographies.
Trust and Accountability
We believe strong relationships are built through consistency and clarity. Members commit to what they can offer and follow through. We hold each other accountable with care.
Inclusive Participation
Not everyone participates in the same way. We make space for different voices through one-on-one conversations, community calls, and asynchronous tools that gather insights even from those who cannot be present in real time.
Stewardship-Based Leadership
Leadership in the Nature Guild emerges through trust. Stewards are responsible for listening, sharing what they learn, and making decisions transparently on behalf of the wider group.
Ongoing Learning and Knowledge Sharing
Everyone brings something. We share what we know and stay open to new ways of thinking, whether rooted in science, community practice, or cultural experience.
Regenerative Thinking
We focus on systems that restore, rather than extract. This applies to both ecological work and the way we govern, fund, and support one another.
Governance Through Listening
Rather than relying on majority votes or top-down decisions, the Nature Guild operates through a listening-first governance cycle that puts community voices at the center. It starts with Community Input, where members share their thoughts through calls, one-on-one conversations, and AI-assisted tools that gather insights on their own time. Cohort 0 then reviews all this input in the Making Sense Together phase, discussing openly how community voices will shape decisions before anything is finalized. Once decisions are made, we Implement & Test them in real-world situations, always staying flexible to adjust based on what we learn. Finally, the Community Feedback phase ensures everyone can share what's working and what's not, suggesting improvements for the next governance cycle. This creates a living, breathing system where decisions evolve based on collective wisdom rather than rigid rules.
We've been testing this approach over the past two months through internal listening sessions, capturing conversations and notes on Figma, then using DeepGov—an AI-assisted governance tool—to identify emerging themes and create visualizations. The themes that emerged from this analysis actually shaped the core values and direction outlined in this document.
See DeepGov visualization here.
Now we're ready to scale this proven methodology with Cohort 0 and the broader communities they represent.
What This Looks Like in Practice
The Nature Guild doesn't start with predetermined solutions. We aim to respond to what communities actually need. Early conversations have surfaced ideas like regional tool-sharing for expensive equipment (AudioMoth sensors, for example) or creating country-specific funding guides that actually work in local contexts.
But the real decisions will emerge from what Cohort 0 learns as they listen to their communities. This responsive approach is exactly the point: building systems that adapt to whatever challenges arise from the ground up, rather than imposing solutions from the outside.
Commitment Pooling
We do not ask everyone to contribute in the same way. Instead, each member brings their unique strengths to a shared pool. This could include restoration knowledge, technical skills, regional coordination, or peer mentorship.
Commitment pooling is what gives the Nature Guild its strength. It allows the network to redistribute skills and support in a way that values everyone's contributions, not just financial ones. This support flows both 1) globally by connecting communities across different continents and 2) locally, by helping members collaborate within their own regions where shared context makes coordination even more powerful.
A Guild That Can Grow
The Nature Guild is designed to be replicable. As we refine the model with Cohort 0, we are also preparing for future cohorts. Each will have its own rhythm and context, but all will be connected through shared values and open collaboration.
Over time, we hope to see nodes take root. Each one will be locally grounded and globally supported. As the network matures, we envision local nodes emerging—regional hubs where communities can coordinate more closely while staying connected to the broader guild network.
What’s Next & How to Get Involved
Cohort 0 is just the beginning. Over the next six months, we’ll be testing tools, decision-making processes, and new ways to collaborate, always rooted in community input.
If you’re part of a community working on regeneration, stewardship, or local resilience, here’s how you can stay connected:
Stay Updated
We share updates and reflections through our blog, and often during our monthly Community Calls. You can subscribe to our event page on Luma to receive call invitations.
Join the Conversation
We welcome feedback, ideas, and stories. You can reach us at community@gainforest.net.
Express Interest in Future Cohorts
If you’re interested in joining a future cohort, fill out this form. When there’s an opening, we’ll send you the application details.
Acknowledgements
The Nature Guild is a collective effort. While Cohort 0 leads this journey, the Guild is also supported by members of the GainForest team working behind the scenes:
Sharfy Adamantine
David Dao
Niña Cerilla
Diego Rivera Buendia
Satyam Mishra
We’re also deeply grateful to our advisors:
Sejal Rekhan
Marie-Claire Graf
Their insights and support have been instrumental in shaping the direction and foundation of the Nature Guild.