No one protects forests better than the people who live in them. Indigenous and local communities manage almost a quarter of the world’s lands, which means they care for an astonishing 80 percent of Earth’s biodiversity. Numerous studies show that deforestation rates are significantly lower inside Indigenous territories than outside them.
In Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve, local communities have maintained a near-zero deforestation rate for twenty years, while nearby protected areas have suffered devastating deforestation rates.
Scientists agree that strengthening land rights for such communities is key to protecting forests—and to protecting our future.
Direction & Creative Production: Douwe van der Werf
Script: Douwe van der Werf & Rainforest Alliance
Production & Project Management: Nora Höppener
Art & Animation Direction: Midhat Avdagic
Frame-by-frame Animators: Lucas Flaton & Mickey Cohen
Musical Score: Francisco Mejía
Sound & Mixing: Sander Houtman