Scott Poynton Podcast - Tim Christophesen

Ecological literacy, ecosystem restoration, and why humans belong in nature

Scott Poynton speaks with Tim Christopherson, author of Generation Restoration, about why ecological literacy is now a survival skill and why humans must rediscover that we are part of nature, not separate from it. From shifting baselines and EU policy to regenerative farming, restoration case studies, and the spiritual practice of reciprocity, this is a hopeful, grounded conversation about the choices that shape our future.

Topics include: ecosystem restoration, ecological literacy, sustainability leadership, regenerative agriculture, climate and nature policy, stewardship, spirituality and nature.

Episode Summary (Long)

In this episode, Scott Poynton is joined by Tim Christopherson - UN and Salesforce sustainability leader and author of Generation Restoration - for a wide-ranging conversation on what it will take to repair our "relationship crisis" with nature.

Tim shares the personal roots of his restoration journey (including a childhood pond restoration) and traces a career spanning the IUCN, the Convention on Biological Diversity, UNEP, and now the private sector—helping build nature strategies inside a major technology company.

Together, Scott and Tim explore the core thesis of the book: that ecological literacy is now essential for a functioning civilisation. They unpack the "shifting baseline syndrome" that blinds us to what's been lost, challenge the deeply embedded Western assumption that humans are separate from nature, and argue for a more grounded view: humans as responsible ecosystem engineers capable of stewardship and reciprocity.

The conversation moves from philosophy to practice - regenerative agriculture, farmer-managed natural regeneration, the emerging scale of restoration efforts (including examples from the Amazon and the Andes), and the crucial role of policy in setting enabling conditions, such as the EU Nature Restoration Law. Finally, they touch on the inner dimension: quiet attention, spirituality (distinct from religion), and the everyday choices that shape whether we continue an extractive path or step into "generation restoration."

Core Themes

• Generation Restoration: a hopeful, action-oriented frame for ecosystem restoration as a cross-generational task.

• Ecological literacy: why it matters for a functioning civilisation; shifting baselines and remembering abundance.

• Humans as part of nature: challenging the Western/Enlightenment separation; stewardship and reciprocity.

• Restoration in practice: nature's rapid response; agriculture as the key sector; FMNR and scalable examples.

• Policy & markets: EU Nature Restoration Law; enabling conditions; incentives and externalities.

• Hope without denial: focusing attention on what works; "pages 5–7" good news mindset.

• Spiritual dimension: quiet, listening to nature, reciprocity; spirituality distinct from organised religion.

Key Quotable Lines

• "We are ecosystem engineers - far more powerful than beavers or elephants - and we're barely aware of the responsibility."

• "Shifting baseline syndrome means we forget how rich nature once was… and we stop imagining what we could restore."

• "Read pages five to seven of your newspaper - good news is rarely on the front page."

• "Nature isn't saved by removing people. The best protected landscapes are often Indigenous-managed territories."

• "This is less about nature's survival and more about the quality of life our civilisation can afford."

• "Restoration is reciprocity: moving from an abusive relationship with nature to a caring one."