Wetlands

Wetlands International works globally to safeguard and restore wetlands ecosystems, advancing restoration approaches that combine ecological knowledge with community-led action.

To help explaining how to restore mangroves, Wetlands International approached Science Crunchers to develop, what became, a four-part animated video series on mangrove restoration. Mangrove forests are vital ecosystems that safeguard biodiversity and support coastal communities for millions of people. They are key elements in climate action, capturing carbon 3 to 5 times more than land-base forests, provide habitat to more than 300 endangered species globally and have millions of people depending on them for their livelihood.

The goal of our work for Wetlands International was clear but far from simple: explain why restoring mangroves matters, why mass plantation efforts fail, how ecological restoration is the solution and how it should be approached, and what it takes to make those efforts last. At the center of the series was Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration, an approach that places local communities at the heart of restoration. Rather than relying on mass planting, it works with local ecological conditions, supports natural regeneration, and values the knowledge and stewardship of the people who live alongside mangroves. Community engagement is, therefore, a core part of how restoration is understood, carried out and sustained over time.

Our challenge was multifaceted: from raising awareness to the beneficence and complexity of mangroves forests, to transforming a technical and globally relevant methodology for their ecological restoration into a visual language that felt clear, engaging and alive. Starting from the client’s colour palette and existing visual elements, our design team built a rich graphical universe for the series, and the crunchers shaped the narrative to ensure the message was clear, accurate and accessible throughout.

The result was a set of animations that do more than explain a process. Together, the four videos form a science communication tool that helps audiences understand mangroves as living systems, restoration as a long-term ecological practice, and local communities as essential actors in making that work. In turning evidence-based restoration into accessible visual storytelling, the series supports Wetlands International’s broader mission to inspire, mobilise and upscale action where it matters most.