Sunlight filtering through a dense forest, illuminating green plants and trees with mist in the background.
Graphic with the text 'Shifting Baselines VR' and colorful curved lines below, symbolizing technology or innovation.

The world is emptying

Over the past 50 years, global wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73% and insect numbers have fallen by more than 75%.

Most people alive today have no sense of how much biodiversity has been lost. Each generation redefines their baseline of what is normal.

Scientists call this the ‘shifting baselines’ syndrome.

Shifting Baselines VR is an interactive 360° experience that brings to life the changes in biodiversity which have occurred since pre-industrial times.

Using science-based data on changes in species diversity and abundance, the journey showcases the loss of biodiversity that has taken place over time - revealing what has been lost and what we still have to protect.

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Our mission

Our mission is to raise awareness of biodiversity loss, deepen understanding of its key drivers, and inspire action at every level – from individual to global – to restore the richness of life on Earth.

Aoife Toomey, a woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing glasses and a dark sweater, smiling in front of a plain white wall.

Aoife Toomey is a former Technology Innovation Lead at bp where she was responsible for developing bp’s technology strategy for biodiversity monitoring and founded their Digital Biodiversity Observatory. Recognizing the need to move beyond monitoring and towards action, she left bp in 2025 to set up Shifting Baselines.

Angus Stevens, a smiling middle-aged man with glasses and a beard, wearing a gray shirt.

Angus Stevens is the CEO and co-founder of Start Beyond, Australia's leading award-winning virtual (VR) and augmented (AR) reality studio. Working with Fortune Global 500 companies Accenture and Meta, US-based VR company Strivr, as well as various state and federal government departments and leading Australian enterprises such as Woolworths, Qantas and St Johns Ambulance; Start Beyond is at the forefront of immersive learning, having delivered more than 1.8 million AR and VR experiences since August 2015.

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Our Partners

The Start Beyond team is backed with over 9 years of innovation and spatial design thinking, more than 75 AR & VR training and sales applications and more than 1.8 million immersive experiences delivered to local and international organisations.

Our multi-award winning studio and platform has received global recognition and our client list includes Fortune Global 500 companies Accenture and Meta, US-based VR company Strivr, as well as various state and federal government departments and leading Australian enterprises such as Woolworths, Qantas and St Johns Ambulance.

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Collaborate with us

We’re seeking restoration organisations, along with financial and scientific partners, to join us in bringing Shifting Baselines VR to life, and help guide our planet to a richer, more bio-diverse future.

Interested?
Please fill in the form below

Illustration of forest and climate change over time, showing different trajectories of trees from 2010 to 2100 with green, yellow, and pink color codes for different scenarios.
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Increased Conservation Efforts
+ more Sustainable Production & Consumption

Increased Conservation Efforts

Business as Usual