Tea and coffee plantations in southern India encroach on Indigenous Peoples’ ways of life and territories, threatening the protection of their sacred groves. WORDS AND IMAGES Lakshmi Unnithan   . Are our modern temples different from sacred groves? Sacred groves are patches of trees on forestland, representations and remains of what forests used to be

The Hewa of Papua New Guinea pursue conservation-based development by maintaining traditional biodiverse mosaics on their lands. William Thomas . Why does cultural diversity go hand in hand with biodiversity? What’s the secret? Do Indigenous societies hold some special knowledge that we in the developed world have lost, or have we misinterpreted the relationship between

Despite the challenges of changing times, the Bhils of Maharashtra stay connected to the forest, their homeland, and their cultural traditions. Shankar Bhil   This story is about my people, the Bhils of Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, India. It shows how connected we are to our land. The Bhils are one of the largest Indigenous

In the heart of the Congo, a community revives a traditional code of conduct for caring for the environment. WORDS AND VIDEO Petna Ndaliko Katondolo with Maurice Carney IMAGES Stella Ramazani Nyota   Enter the fascinating world of Basandja: The Living Wisdom of the Congo Rainforest, where the documentary camera lens captures more than just

A walk through one of France’s land commons reveals that the right to self-govern ensures the responsible management of natural resources. Gretchen Walters and Alain Levet . . The Stevenson Trail, a meandering 220 km path across rural central France, passes through the forests of the Mercoire massif, in the department of Lozère. The Mercoire,

Une promenade dans l’un des communs fonciers montre que le droit à l’autonomie garantit une gestion responsable des ressources naturelles. Gretchen Walters et Alain Levet . Le chemin de Stevenson, un sentier sinueux de 220 km à travers le centre de la France, passe par les forêts du massif de Mercoire, dans le département de

A Dayak woman unleashes the power of song in defense of Borneo’s forest. WORDS Pinarsita Juliana | IMAGES AND VIDEO Save Our Borneo   . “What is the purpose of the invitation for the Dayak to stand united? What is the purpose of loving the forest? As an inheritance for posterity, it is,” sang Rani

A community advocates for land rights and protects its ancestral forest with mapping technology. WORDS AND IMAGES Rudo Kemper   The Ogiek of Mount Elgon are an Indigenous group native to western Kenya. They have lived across the vast swathe of moorland and forests of Mount Elgon since before colonial occupation and the subsequent creation

A forest community in Gabon affirms its will for self-determination and responsible management of its ancestral land. WORDS Benjamin Evine-Binet | IMAGES Nsombou Abalghe-Dzal Association   Ours is a real story, one both lived and shaped by the Kota community of Massaha — a group of villages located in the Ogooué-Ivindo province of northeastern Gabon,

Sitting in Terralingua’s offices a couple of weeks ago, I looked out the window. All I saw was a thick, white haze enveloping and obliterating the landscape. Wildfire smoke. My office is in the woods; on a normal day, I would be greeted by the awe-inspiring sight of giant Douglas firs—the signature tree species of