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This project stems from the observation that for the great majority of people the experience of nature is fragmentary and that much of the natural world remains out of bounds. Lack of time, lack of resources, difficulty of access are, usually in combination, the main reasons for this. Indeed, even through a lifetime of travelling, sightseeing, outdoor activities and other pursuits it would be possible to experience only a fraction of what nature has to offer.
A second important fact is that a lot goes on in nature at all times, big events and small, involving human interaction or not. Yet little makes it to any headlines or media, in spite of real interest and even demand in various parts of the public.

Fortunately, the internet can help change this. While it is not possible physically to access every part of the natural world at will, the internet offers the next best thing: the ability to "open it up", to bring it right to us, on our screens and at our fingertips, without limits. The Open Earth Project was created to use this ability in order to foster better knowledge, awareness and enjoyment of nature for all, and to work for the benefit of our natural world and of our environments.

Operating through this website, the Open Earth Project collects information from all people who are able and willing to become contributors: conservationists, scientists, outdoors enthusiasts and anyone able to contribute quality, specific information about the parts of nature they know. Such information includes all types of facts about the natural environment, the events that affect it or relate to it, as well as the actions and achievements of those who are active in nature. To supply information is quick and easy, and it can be put online with very little delay.

For these contributors, the Open Earth Project provides a new, specialised yet multi-interest medium offering them opportunities to communicate and to reach publics which they do not have otherwise. Reciprocally, the public easily and conveniently can find there facts and information that are not or poorly reported on elsewhere.

On this basis our vision for the Open Earth Project has the dual character of (i) a resource allowing the gathering and presentation of information that would otherwise be much less widely available and, as a direct consequence, (ii) a "window" open on all corners of the natural world, making it possible to explore it at will and to remain attuned to it.

While this project looks at all aspects of nature and the interaction of people and nature, and while it has the ability to bring benefits to all segments of the public, it also has the ability to make a particularly useful contribution to the conservation and protection of nature.

Many issues that affect nature, whatever the location, are not or poorly reported on. Even when problems are well known in principle, the fact that they remain mostly out of sight directly results in a low priority of action. The problems, aggressions and mismanagement that threaten or destroy our natural world thrive on remaining hidden.

By providing a medium that is global, free and easy to use from virtually anywhere, and which addresses a wide range of interests, the Open Earth Project can help to bring environmental issues out of the shade and to the attention of a wider public.

We believe that this can make an important contribution to the environmental initiatives and action that are required to keep this planet a great place to live.

The Open Earth Project was created and is fully controlled by Nicolas Chappaz, and is independent from any other organisation, vested interests or third party.
I hail from the French Alps, also became a New Zealand citizen, and am currently living in Vancouver, BC.
I studied mostly geology and obtained a Ph.D in Geography from the University of Auckland, NZ, in 1986.
I have long been interested in communicating about nature, and the advent of the internet offered me the tool which I needed to try and turn passion into reality.

The Open Earth Project operates through this website: www.open-earth.org.
The website's content is designed primarily to come from the voluntary contributions of members of the public: anyone who has specific information regarding a subject related to nature is welcome to become an Author, to create Documents in this website and to share them with the community at large. To do so is entirely free (for non-commercial information).

The edition of the documents submitted before publication and the technical development of this website are carried out by our Editorial and Developer's Teams. Volunteers are sought and welcome to join these teams and to become Editors and Developers of the Open Earth Project.

We believe that to offer free expression in a quality communication environment (make sure to read Authoring Guidelines) is the way to attract a wide array of interests and competencies, thus making it possible to achieve this Project's aims of collecting and presenting diverse, specific and up-to-date information from all corners of the natural world.

Authors benefit from a convenient and attractive medium which lets them present for free their information to a wide audience, while all Members share the fun and excitement of participating in a serious and meaningful project.

For more information please read Help to build the Open Earth Project.

Nature Documents (also called Nature Pages) make up the core of the information presented in this website. Each Nature Document supplies non commercial information on a specific subject or event related to the natural world.
Nature Documents can include text, images and, in the future, other multimedia formats.

Websites Listed here are websites that supply specific, quality information about nature-related subjects. Like Nature Documents they are sorted within the most appropriate categories in the Nature Directory. Purely commercial websites such as online stores and businesses are not included. However companies can create "Service Documents" where their website can be listed (see below).

Press Review items Recent news headlines and stories, mostly published in online media from around the world and dealing with relevant aspects of nature, are collected and can be accessed from the headline pages. For each story only the title and a very short abstract are supplied, linking directly to the corresponding website. However press releases supplied by organisations who do not have a website can be stored and presented in full, and accessed in the same way as other items.

Service Documents (also called Service Pages) are specfically designed for companies and businesses to present services and products of interest to travellers and nature-goers. NOT AVAILABLE AT PRESENT

Forum Our forum is open to all but Members only can post information.

Newsletters Members and visitors alike can subscribe to our free newsletters.

Start in our Help page in order to learn about:
- How to use this website
- How to join the Open Earth Project
- How Members can create documents and manage information
- Services available to Companies and Advertisers
- Guarantees and Conditions