Biosphere Foundation

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Welcome! Find out more about us and what we do to inspire behavioral change for a regenerative future.

You can be a ‘Biospherian’ too– people who understand that their life depends on changing the way we care for our natural world. Mission Statement:

The problem:
The health of our biosphere - our life support system - is decreasing due to climate change and the needs associated with a growing human population. Our efforts are strategic:
We address this global challenge by working locally with island peoples whose livelihood is most affected by sweeping ecological changes. Our projects are collaborative:
We learn from individuals about their environment while empowering them to become active advocates, practitioners, and leaders in their communities. All of our programs contain the following four components:

1) Research - contribute to the existing body of knowledge about the biosphere;
2) Education - inspire individuals to get involved through hands-on fieldwork and community-based skills and programs;
3) Community - engage with island peoples to learn about their challenges and work together to create solutions for them to lead stewardship efforts in their community; and
4) Policy - provide baseline data, information and recommendations about conservation and sustainable development initiatives to individuals and communities. Biosphere Foundation was founded in 1991 as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization and has championed a wide range of ecological research and education projects around the world.

07/10/2026

Please see a 5-min video about the 2026 PILLARS Program! 🌱
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tbGDwvPqgk

About PILLARS -- People Inspiring Local Leaders About Ridge to Reef Stewardship -- at Biosphere Stewardship Center

PILLARS is our new internship program that works from ridge to reef to empower Indonesian youth as future village leaders and 'Biospherians'. The program combines science-based knowledge, hands-on ecosystem regenerative practices, sustainable innovation, and leadership. The program is guided by the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana—the harmonious relationship between God, community, and nature. Participants explore the interconnected ecosystems of mountains, forests, villages, mangroves, and coral reefs while gaining practical skills in tree planting, rain catchment swales, soil management and composting, organic food gardens, waste management, and ecosystem restoration. Interns also have the opportunity to explore sustainable livelihoods through eco-products, green packaging, organic business models, and basic marketing, while engaging with local communities and schools to inspire positive environmental action.

21/06/2026

Sailing Ship Mir is back in Bali after voyaging to Banda, Flores and Sumbawa Islands. 🥳

Onboard is an Indonesian crew who have been trained by Biosphere Foundation in ecosystem regenerative practices and traditional organic food gardening, which they share with remote island communities.
Biosphere Foundation is dedicated to strengthening biosphere stewardship across Indonesia through local leadership, ecological literacy, and whole systems learning. It is widely recognized that the future of Indonesia's resource management must be led by its local peoples, yet access to structured ecological training, practical leadership development, and whole systems knowledge remains limited, particularly in remote island and coastal communities. Biosphere Foundation exists to address this gap.

Drawing on the legacy of the Biosphere 2 experiment, the Foundation promotes a Ridge to Reef approach linking land, water, food systems, coral reefs, and human wellbeing.

Through MIR, a mobile learning platform operating across the Coral Triangle, the Foundation has engaged more than 2,000 participants from 40 countries, including 181 certified Coral Stewards and Indonesian youth at its Biosphere Campus in Bali. 🌱

26/04/2026

Pak Sutama (our Community Leader at Biosphere Foundation and Coral Champion at Taman National Bali Barat) just installed a Wastewater Garden for his son's family of four. Wow, that is awesome!

Wastewater Gardens are an ecological waste recycling system that can process black and grey water from toilets, showers and sinks. These wetland ecosystems recycle all waste: The plants take up most of the nutrients and are pruned for compost, and the reclaimed water is used in our organic gardens.

We are so pleased to showcase this system at Pak Sutama's family, which includes food gardens and a chicken farm. 🌱

22/04/2026

Thank you Pak Putu Bawa for joining us at Biosphere Center to plant Majegau and Gayam seedlings in the Bukit Indah forest.

Majegau trees are sacred in Bali. Traditionally, the Balinese people have used all parts of the tree in the past for wood, incense, as well as ceremonial and medicinal purposes (to name a few). Gayam trees are known for the dense shade canopy and the ability to store water.

Majegau and Gayam are becoming rare rare, but thanks to Pak Putu who grows these seedlings, we were able to increase the biodiversity of the forest.

All together we planted 7 Majegau, 9 Gayam, 4 Coffee, 2 Cashew, 4 Coconut and 7 Jack Fruit.

A special thank you to our friends at Earthways Foundation & Fleur and Mike Meek-MacIntyre 🌱

13/04/2026

In February, Yasmine Izzatunnisa joined the crew of sailing vessel MIR to begin the preparations for the sail to Banda Islands in April. Yasmine, who is a dive instructor and speaks fluent English, fell right into life at sea with a big smile.

Yasmine is the first “Coral Catch Superwoman” to join MIR as crew, bringing her experience in coral restoration into this living classroom at sea. 🐠

11/04/2026

The crew of sailing ship Mir, our PILLARS local Indonesian Interns and international students from Envirotech Education join together for an intensive Coral Steward Apprenticeship Program at our Biosphere Campus in Northwest Bali.

Here, learning moves beyond theory into lived experience. Students worked across our Ridge to Reef programs, practicing:

– Coral reef stewardship
– Forest restoration
– Soil regeneration through composting
– Engagement with Balinese philosophy, Tri Hita Karana, harmony between people,
nature, and the spiritual world

This is what it looks like to live in relationship with the biosphere. It is understanding that life depends on how we care for the systems that sustain us. 🌱

08/04/2026

Over the past months, seeds have been planted in people, in ecosystems, and in the future of ocean stewardship.

In December, the Indonesian-led crew of Biosphere Foundation began preparing for the 2026 Coral Triangle Voyages. Among them is Yusril Mahardi, once a MIR intern, now stepping into his path toward becoming Captain. His journey reflects what we believe in most: Growing local leadership rooted in place and purpose.

From December through February, six international and Indonesian interns were selected to join this voyage. In March, they arrived aboard MIR, beginning their training not just in seamanship and navigation, but in something deeper: how to live in relationship with the biosphere and remote island communities.

22/03/2026

Do you know what Biosphere Foundation does?

Please watch a 1 min video about our programs on land and at sea:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y2l8nY84Jc

💙 🌏 💚

01/03/2026

Thank you for including Wastewater Gardens in your architecture and for making this beautiful video. It was a pleasure to work with you at .

"In a place where centralized sewage systems are limited, Wastewater Gardens offers an ecological solution to transform black and grey water into beautiful gardens and clean water.

Rooted in the lessons of Biosphere 2, these systems remind us that when water cycles are closed, impacts are immediate, and care becomes essential.

Designed with the guidance of the , these gardens treat water using constructed wetlands while creating beauty, biodiversity, and awareness. Here, infrastructure is architecture. It is alive, regenerative, and shared. When systems are visible, they invite responsibility. When they are beautiful, they invite care."- Pablo Luna Studios

25/02/2026

Meet the 2026 PILLARS Team!

PILLARS stands for People Inspiring Local Leaders About Ridge to Reef Stewardship and is a 2-month internship program at Biosphere Center, which is led by Lulu Sulastri with Virga 'Kasu'. There are currently 8 interns from around Indonesia who attending this program, learning about sustainability, ecosystem regeneration, resource management and biospheric studies. We believe that everyone is part of the solution, and each of us can restore our own backyard ecosystems.

Thank you Yohanis (Alor, East Nusa Tenggara), Iqbal from (East Java), Cindy - (Aceh, Sumatera), Adfi - (Jakarta), Regina and Puspa (Buleleng, Bali), and Ihram and Dani (Makassar, Sulawesi) for joining us! 💚 🌱

Address

Biosphere Foundation-BiosphereStewardshipCenter
Buleleng
81155

Telephone

+6281237562791

Website

http://www.biospherefoundation.org/, https://jointhevoyage.org/

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