Registration for the 2019 Natural Capital Symposium now open!

[Prosperity] springs from nature.

At The Natural Capital Project we’re developing practical tools and approaches to account for nature’s contributions to society, so that leaders of countries, companies, communities, and organizations worldwide can make smarter decisions for a more sustainable future.

How do we know it works?

Dig into our work testing the benefits of natural capital valuation.

SCIENCE FOR ACTION

Learn more about our experiences co-developing science and putting it to work in the real world.

PUBLICATIONS

Browse our publications library to see how rapidly the science and real-world applications of natural capital approaches are evolving.

IN THE NEWS

Find stories about people using natural capital in a wide array of decisions.

Dive In.

NatCap has learned a lot while working on the science of natural capital and using that knowledge to inform decisions. We’ve built some of that learning into free software and educational materials to help you assess the role of natural capital in the places and contexts that matter to you.

Try our tools, take one of our online courses, come to a training, get help on our online forum, collaborate with us, or come share your stories at one of our events.

LEARN ABOUT OUR SOFTWARE

What We’re Up To

Catch up on news and events at The Natural Capital Project.

Wetlands

Wetlands stopped $625 million in property damage during Hurricane Sandy. Can they help Houston?By Nsikan Akpan | PBS NewsHour | August 31, 2017

Safeguarding Livelihoods in the GalapagosEcuador is using tools like NatCap's InVEST to figure out how to balance fisheries, research, and tourism interests while sustaining the nature that attracted those interests in the first place.

In the NewsNOVA features the natural capital research of 50 scientists around the world, published in a special issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Dawna Tenasserim Landscape

WORKING UPSTREAM—AND DOWNSTREAM—TO PROTECT MYANMAR’S NATURAL WEALTH By Jill Schwartz | April 20, 2018

cell phone

Study: Using social media to better understand urban park useBY Julie Hanus | April 20, 2018

Nature is priceless - So let's value it!In an essay in Ensia, NatCap's Anne Guerry argues that the natural capital concept is not a sell-out. It's a way to shine light on, and cultivate appreciation for, the invisible benefits of nature.

In the NewsA feature story in the Smithsonian describes NatCap's work in China where the government has adopted NatCap's tools for targeted reforestation across the nation.

Gretchen Daily

The Environment and the Bottom LineBy Melinda Sacks | March 5, 2018

Water Funds Celebration in BogotáPartners get ready to replicate efforts in major cities across Latin America.

glass of water

An integrative approach to protecting Minnesota’s drinking waterBY Orli Handmaker | February 28, 2018

A new NatCap software tool supports landscape restoration around the globeBy Bonnie Keeler | October 31, 2017

Rise after

People on the MarginsNotes from informal urban settlements in Fiji and Indonesia

Fire and the Future of California Forests

Fire and the Future of California ForestsBy Sarah Cafasso | May 22, 2018

Oct 2017 Newsletter

Anything but Par for the CourseExploring the natural capital value of golf courses

Natural Capital Project 2018 at Stanford University.

NatCap2018 Symposium Highlights

Mitigation Contributes to Inequity, But it Doesn't Have ToNatCap research shows that the mitigation required by development projects don't typically benefit the people affected by the project, but a new software tool could change all that.

Hydropower in the HimalayasIconic landscapes in northern India are slated for many more dam projects, but natural capital assessments show they may not pencil out.

Checking the conditions of captured elephants in Balai Raja. Photo courtesy of WWF-Indonesia / Samsuardi

Blind men with an elephant?The importance of understanding context

What Makes Costa Rica's Water Fund Special?Costa Rica has a long history investing in nature, but before it became a conservation icon, it nearly lost all its trees.

Aerial view of cross-island waterways, tidal flats, and coastal forests on Andros.

Sustainable development planning in The Bahamas, one map at a timeAerial view of cross-island waterways, tidal flats, and coastal forests on Andros. By Katherine Wyatt

Investing in Nature = Investing in PeopleThis short video makes the case that people need nature to survive and thrive.

Mozambique Moving Forward With Natural Capital AssessmentWracked by extreme drought, the government is assessing where to invest in nature.

Yangshuo, Chin

The Power of CommunityBy Gretchen Daily | May 15, 2018

Pasture bordering forest in high elevation areas in Kaʻūpūlehu Photo Credit: Leah Bremmer

Looking at Land Use Decisions Through Multiple LensesBy Sarah Cafasso | May 15, 2018

MOZAMBIQUE: THE VALUE OF NATURE, FROM THE FRONTLINES

MOZAMBIQUE: THE VALUE OF NATURE, FROM THE FRONTLINES By Jill Schwartz | January 31st, 2018

Science Meets Art in MyanmarAs the nation opens up to bothy democracy and development, WWF is using photography, public campaigns and social media to stimulate conversation about the connections between nature and people.

In the NewsbioGraphic features NatCap's work on Andros Island in The Bahamas where economic prosperity and ecological health together form the basis of a new master plan for sustainable development.

China tackles ambitious conservation experiment

Following damage caused by economic rise, China tackles ambitious conservation experimentThe Christian Science Monitor | August 20, 2017

Weaving an Equitable and Sustainable Urban Fabric

Weaving an Equitable and Sustainable Urban FabricAn Update on NatCap's Livable Cities Program.

cassava farming

Natural capital in Carolina’s kitchenBy Eoin Sinnott | February 8, 2018

Research Brief | August 2017Green Infrastructure Benefits: Location Is Key

root bridge in Meghalaya, India

Assessing nature's contributions to peopleScience | January 19, 2018

China's Natural Capital Efforts Paying OffA ten-year assessment, published in Science, shows that China's decision to invest billions in restoring forests and grasslands have reduced erosion, and increased other benefits for people.

Mozambique’s Lifeline: Nature

In the NewsIn the Huffington post, NatCap co-founder Gretchen Daily and CEO of The Nature Conservancy Mark Tercek discuss investing in nature.

Natural Capital Protocol LaunchedIt's one thing to talk about natural capital, and another to implement new business practices that take into account the value of nature, as Protocol members are doing.

Global Kids Study: More Trees, Less DiseaseUniversity of Vermont | October 6, 2017

Win–Win for Wildlife and RanchingOct 15 2018

Gretchen Daily

A Conversation with Gretchen Dailyby Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment February 22, 2018
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Stanford, CA

Climate One: Aligning Profits with the PlanetStanford professor of Environmental Science and recent Blue Planet Prize winner, Gretchen Daily, participated in the Commonwealth Club's Climate One series panel discussion on whether economic growth can be compatible with environmental conservation.