When you meet Lorenz Zeller, his enthusiasm for maps quickly becomes contagious. As implementation lead for geospatial data and GIS infrastructure at the Wyss Academy for Nature, he doesn’t just see landscapes—he sees stories. Stories of change, resilience, and deep interconnection between people and the natural world. 

“GIS allows us to put together puzzle pieces of nature and people,” Lorenz explains. “It helps us see patterns, trends, or developments that might otherwise not be visible on the ground.” 

In a world increasingly shaped by complex environmental and social challenges, geographic information systems (GIS) are a significant asset for how the Wyss Academy for Nature monitors and learns across its work. GIS brings satellite imagery, partner surveys, and field observations into one view. Teams use it to set baselines, track vegetation cover and restored area, and compare livelihood indicators over time. In practice, these layers guide where to extend semi-circular bunds, when to revisit monitoring plots, and how to report progress with communities. 

At first glance, GIS might seem highly technical — layers of data, satellite imagery, coordinates. But for Lorenz, it’s far more than that. It’s a way to visualize and understand the often invisible dynamics shaping ecosystems and livelihoods. 

Lately, his focus has been on collecting and preparing accurate data to support consistent monitoring in the Wyss Academy’s Solutionscapes—regions where science, policy, and practice converge to co-develop solutionsthat restore ecosystems and support livelihoods. 

“My goal,” Lorenz says, “is to build a solid base for tracking changes in vegetation, livelihoods, or restored areas over time. In the long run, I hope this helps make our work more data-informed and guides our interventions.” 

Working with partners, his team aligns satellite imagery and survey data into comparable maps that show where to focus work next and how to report progress with communities and authorities. 

One of Lorenz’s recent projects in Hub East Africa brings this approach to life. Working with local communities in the Lower Naibunga Community Conservancy, he has been monitoring semi-circular bunds — small, crescent-shaped earth structures designed to retain water and restore degraded land. 

“Using satellite imagery, I’ve been mapping and tracking the areas where these semi-circular bunds have been built and where vegetation is recovering,” he explains. “The maps help visualize which parts of the landscape show signs of restoration and how the bunds contribute to improving vegetation cover over time.” 

These visualizations make what was hard to see legible: the maps show recovery spreading and give communities a landscape-scale record of their work and a source of pride. 

“Finally,” Lorenz adds, “the communities that have been digging the bunds have a spatial overview of the work they have put into the landscape to restore it.” 

The map below shows the Lower Naibunga Community Conservancy in Laikipia, Kenya, where the community in the lead of the Green Earth warriors have been digging the bunds to restore the land. The yellow polygons show where the land is starting to restore through the bunds. Since February 2023, over 367 hectares of land have been covered by the semi-circular bunds. 

For Lorenz, GIS is as much about perspective as it is about technology. 

“GIS helps us see the bigger picture,” he reflects. “And when we see it clearly, we can act more wisely.” 

Considered closely, this unambiguous statement captures the essence of our work: using scientifically grounded evidence and insights for the benefit of the people rooted in the landscapes where we work.