Sign the declaration
In recent years, rivers and other ecosystems worldwide have been recognised as legal entities, enabling them to seek legal protection for their integrity before the courts. On 23 September 2026 we will issue the Declaration of Dependence on Nature. On this first-ever Rights of Nature Day, we acknowledge that we are dependent on nature. This change of perspective is intended to put an end to man-made destruction, and is crucial for our own future on Earth. The Declaration of Dependence recognises our close connection with nature. It expresses our unwavering resolve and our readiness to respect the Earth's integrity. We want to protect our livelihoods and turn around our relationship with nature.
We would be glad to have your support, whether as an individual or as an organisation.
23 Sept 2026
In the Southern Hemisphere, spring begins with the equinox on 23 September. For us, this is the start of autumn. As in Mother Earth Day in in the first half of the year, Rights of Nature Day aims to reinforce the global movement for the rights of nature, inviting everyone to gather and to celebrate the abundance of life – and our place as part of nature. Our programme in Vienna is only one of many opportunities, and we would be glad to link up with your venue and your celebration.
Rights of Nature Day – Vienna, 23 September 2026 (in German)
Afternoon (3 pm): Rights of Nature in Flux, with talks on the movement, which is gaining momentum, also in Austria. Venue: Orangerie Kagran (Siebeckstrasse 14) and in the Kagran school garden. The Declaration of Dependence on Nature will be read out. At around 6.10 pm we will go together to the Alte Donau campsite. (If the weather is bad, we will stay in Kagran; follow information on https://rightsofnatureday.earth/). At 6.40 pm, we will celebrate with art and music by the water, as the sun sets (7.01 pm), reading out greetings from other places. First we will mark the start of spring in the Southern Hemisphere, then the start of our autumn, with snacks made from freshly harvested produce.
We invite you to bring fresh fruit and vegetables and drinking vessels; tea-lights or solar lanterns are also welcome. Possibly also blankets and insect repellent.
Program
Afternoon: Rights of Nature in Flux (in German)
Orangerie Kagran, large lecture room, 1st floor, Österreichische Gartenbaugesellschaft (1220 Wien, Siebeckstrasse 14, U1 Kagran)
| Time | Program item |
|---|---|
| 3 pm | Welcome and introduction by the organisers |
| 4 pm | Talks on nature and the law (Thomas Wallentin: Why do we need to talk about the rights of nature at all? Origins and global development up to the present day) and on initiatives relevant to Austria concerning the rights of nature. |
| 5 pm | Selected messages from other regions |
| 5.45 pm | Installation From OBJECT to SUBJECT and presentation of the Declaration of Dependence on Nature irrespective (almost) of the weather, in the Kagran school garden |
Option to join us
We’ll meet at 6:10 pm at the Kagran subway station (U1), at the “Gartenbaumuseum” exit on the Danube side, and walk together from there to the Lagerwiese Alte Donau.
Evening: celebration of the Rights of Nature by the water
| Time | Program item |
|---|---|
| 6.10 pm | A brisk walk along the Alte Donau |
| 6.40 – 9.30 pm |
Lagerwiese Alte Donau, 1220 Wien
Map: Lagerwiese Alte Donau, 1220 Wien |
Through art and messages of greeting, we will celebrate the start of spring and the sunset (7.01 pm) with the Southern Hemisphere, to insect sounds by Edgar Honetschläger and the Insecto Manifesto.
Then the Declaration of Dependence on Nature, and we will share our ideas, fresh fruit and vegetables and water.
We will gather at our respective locations around the world to mark the equinox.
Please register by emailing info@rightsofnatureday.earth
Good news for the Earth
We recognise our dependence on nature, celebrating and sharing this valuable relationship.
Our initiative thrives through celebrating the good news from many different spheres of activity, while keeping in mind the persistent damage inflicted on our environment. Over the year, we will link this to our initiative Turning towards the Good: Taking Action for the Earth.
We invite individuals and organisations worldwide to send us messages for the Rights of Nature Day, by 17 September, to be shared on our homepage. It would be a splendid idea if they could be read aloud or shown as videos everywhere.
Send us your message to info@rightsofnatureday.earth
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Greetings
Natalia Rudenko, Stop Ecocide Deutschland -
Greetings
Sithara Pathirana, Klima Biennale Wien -
Greetings
Norbert Mayr, Tag der Rechte der Natur (Österreich)
From Object to Subject
What if we looked at other forms of life not as object, but as subject?
The "Ob/Subject" sign is intended to encourage questioning our perspective on nature and other life forms.
It can be printed out and displayed in any context, as a visible reminder for this crucial change in perspective.
get active
Turning towards the Good: Taking Action for the Earth.
Good things are happening around Earth Day: planting initiatives, energy saving, repairing, re-use and re-purposing, cycling, expansion of solar power – enjoyable activities instead of mindless consumption.
The Earth keeps turning, while aggressive extractivism and all manner of assaults by humans inflict ever graver injuries on it. Our ideology of growth is not compatible with respecting planetary boundaries.
Let us take our responsibility seriously, avoiding and preventing violations of nature. Let us use peaceful resistance to defend the Earth against destruction and overexploitation.
We welcome videos and photos of you activities and campaigns
Mail to: info@rightsofnatureday.earth
Please ensure (e.g. by subtitles) that you commitment can be clearly understood beyond your own cultural circle. Mail us title, location, country, hemisphere and a link, to info@rightsofnatureday.earth, and let us know if the link should ever become invalid.
Send us your video or photos and tell us about your project.
Email us at: info@rightsofnatureday.earth
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Action
Google-Rechenzentrum, Kronstorf, Oberösterreich -
Action
Geplantes Rechenzentrum, Nickelsdorf, Burgenland
News
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Grußbotschaft von Christine Ax, Vorständin des Netzwerks Rechte der Natur e.V.
Liebe Freundinnen und Freunde von Mutter Erde, ich möchte euch heute im Namen des Netzwerkes Rechte der Natur in Deutschland herzlich…
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Grußbotschaft von Nico Döring, Wildflussakademie
Rechte der Natur und eine Stimme für unsere Flüsse und Berge; und unser Lebensgefühl der Erdung, Wertschätzung und Dankbarkeit Wie finden…
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First Rights of Nature Day in Scharnitz as well
To mark the first Rights of Nature Day on September 23, 2026, there will also be a concert by Bluatschink (https://www.bluatschink.at/) in…
About
The Rights of Nature Day initiative is a fairly new group of people from various regions, initiatives and organisations in Austria. The Day and the Declaration were initiated by Norbert Mayr [forum for ecosocial transformation] and launched together with the Austrian youth biodiversity network GYBN Austria.
What are Rights of Nature?
Rights of Nature is a philosophical, ethical, moral and legal approach, recognising the intrinsic value of nature and ecosystems as legal entities. The concept has a long tradition in indigenous cultures worldwide, understood as living in harmony with nature.