About
Nature has rights. We're making sure the world recognizes them.
forNature exists to advance the recognition and respect of the Rights of Nature: the idea that ecosystems, species, and natural systems have an inherent right to exist, thrive, and regenerate, not simply a value measured by what they provide to people.
We work at the nexus of science and storytelling, translating hard data into the kind of narrative that moves scientists, policymakers, and the public alike. It's a new kind of advocacy, built for a moment when the case for protecting Nature can no longer wait on incremental change.
Founded by a marine biologist, built for a movement
forNature was founded by Callie Veelenturf, a marine biologist whose work protecting sea turtles in Panama led her to a bigger question: what if Nature itself had legal standing? That question connected her to the broader, decades-old Rights of Nature movement, and she moved quickly to bring it into her own work, helping to catalyze Panama's national Rights of Nature law. That leadership has since grown into a push for a United Nations Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature.
How We Work. We expand the movement for the Rights of Nature through a two-pronged strategy:
With Scientists
in partnership with the National Geographic Society and grounded in Indigenous and local knowledge, using rigorous data and storytelling to demonstrate why Nature's decline demands legal recognition, not just protection.
With Nations
working alongside multilateral institutions like the United Nations and supporting countries like Panama to translate that evidence into law.
Where We're Headed.
Since 2009, the Rights of Nature movement has worked to bring this idea into global standards through the UN's Harmony with Nature programme. In 2026, Panama became the first country in over a decade to formally commit to championing a UN Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature, a process forNature helped set in motion. We're now working towards a resolution at the UN General Assembly that would give a path to a possible UN Universal Declaration to follow.
Our Team
Leadership
Callie Veelenturf
Founder and Executive Director
Rafaela Iturralde
Director of Strategy and Operations
Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature Initiative Staff
Xiomara Acevedo Navarro
Campaign Strategist
Félix Wing Solís
Senior Legal Advisor
José Manuel Palacios
Design & Digital Communications Specialist
Core Team
Supporters
The launch of forNature, and our partnership with the National Geographic Society, was made possible by the generous support of The Alfred Kobacker and Elizabeth Trimbach Fund. Their seminal seed funding helped transform an idea into a global initiative, setting the stage for Rights of Nature to reach new communities and countries.
Katie Miller Davies
Administration and Finance Manager
