Teachers Embrace Environmental Education

In honor of World Teachers’ Day, Maria Ghiso — the Rainforest Alliance’s education program outreach coordinator — blogs about her recent trip to meet with a group of eco-conscious teachers in Colombia…

Teachers are a special group of people.  I have met teachers from all over the world and no matter where I find myself, I am always awed by their passion and commitment.  Not only do they work to shape the minds of future generations, they also play a leadership role within their communities.

Earlier this month, Julianne Schrader – manager of our education program – and I had the pleasure of working with a truly wonderful group of teachers in Colombia.  Together with Project Learning Tree, we were there to help support the work of our colleagues and friends at Fundación Natura, a locally based nonprofit and a member of the Sustainable Agriculture Network. During the week, we led two workshops — one in San José de la Montaña  (part of the Department of Boyacá) and one in Encino (part of the Department of Santander), a community outside of the beautiful Cachalú Biological Reserve. [Editor’s note: Maria will be sharing a blog about her trip to Cachalú later this week.]

In Encino, we were joined by 30 teachers from nearby schools.  We spent the day sharing experiences and resources for teaching environmental education.  We discussed activities for working with young students, looked for shapes in the environment, and incorporated music and movement as we danced with leaves.  We learned about the parts of a tree and how they function to help the tree live and grow.  We looked at the distribution of the forests of the world in comparison to the population of the world, and we talked about climate change and discussed the role forests play in the global climate.

We also addressed the fundamentals of environmental education – beginning with awareness, sharing knowledge and skills, and inspiring action.  Teachers worked in groups and created a map of changes they would like to see in their schools.  Many dreamed of greening their classrooms and schools, and adding more plants and trees in and around their school sites. 

As a group, we planted trees to be left and cared for at the school.  It was a symbolic gesture that represented the group’s commitment to the environment.  The teachers were very motivated by the activities and the resources we shared during the workshop.  We encouraged them to work to make some elements of their plans for greening their school a reality.

Inspired by the Rainforest Alliance’s work to spread environmental education around the world? Share our Learning Site resources with teachers in your community, and introduce the children in your life to our Kids’ Corner. Want to do more? Support our work by making a donation today.

A Network of Sustainable Tourism Professionals

We’re excited to announce the launch of Tour Operators Promoting Sustainability (TOPS), a global network of tour operators dedicated to promoting and supporting sustainable tourism in their respective markets.

“TOPS is designed to help transform the business practices of tourism companies and motivate tourists to support these efforts,” said Ronald Sanabria, vice president of sustainable tourism at the Rainforest Alliance. “The long-term aim is to help the industry become socially and environmentally responsible as well as profitable, encouraging tourism practices that protect ecosystems and improve the lives of individuals and communities.”

Rainforest Alliance president Tensie Whelan says a few words about the launch…

In Memory of Wangari Maathai

Credit: Martin Rowe

Today, many in the global conservation and environmental movement are feeling the loss of Wangari Maathai, a native of Kenya and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. They’re also, undoubtedly, feeling grateful for the inspiration and determination she showed  the world.

Founded in 1977, her Green Belt Movement planted tens of millions of trees.  Her death was confirmed today on the organization’s website — she died of cancer on the evening of September 25^th. Maathai was 71, and she will be greatly missed.

We at the Rainforest Alliance are among the thousands who will miss her and would like to share these words from Winnie Mwaniki, who works with the Rainforest Alliance in Kenya:

“She was definitely my role model and did great things with her work in conservation. I did not realize she was unwell until last evening, when I had a discussion about her with my girlfriends, and we all wondered about her disappearance from the limelight lately. A friend explained that the media recently reported that she was admitted to the Nairobi hospital. That was already shocking. For some reason, I have held her in such high esteem that I was even blinded into believing she was too strong to come down with any health condition.  The news of her death left me in utter shock this morning.”

“At a more personal level, Wangari was involved in planting trees in around my upcountry home in Kangundo, Machakos. My late mother in-law was part of the women’s group that worked on this project. I ‘inherited’ some of these trees that form part of the ‘greenbelt’ in and around my village. I will forever treasure them.”

“May God rest her soul in eternal peace.”

 

A Few Words from Fernando the Frog

In anticipation of Rainforest Alliance Week — which kicks off on Monday, September 19 — we’ve been posting installments of Fernando the Frog’s story on Twitter all week long. Well, the story has finally come to a (sweet) end and we want to share it with those of you who didn’t have a chance to check it out on Twitter. Here it goes…

Hola! I’m Fernando the Frog and I live in the rainforest. I like it here, but life’s not always easy. You see, I live next to this guy who grows coffee. I know you all like coffee — so do I. But it wasn’t always so good.

Up to a couple of years ago, the coffee farmer and I didn’t get on. I’d often wake up and find that a few more of the lovely trees I live in had gone! Other days the farmer would spray all this stuff on his plants; trouble is, some would land on me – and boy did it burn! I’d also find that after he’d sprayed that stuff, all the insects I love to eat would disappear.

The weather is doing funny things, too. It seems to be getting hotter and sometimes it doesn’t rain when it’s meant to. Other times it rains and rains in torrents when it’s meant to be dry. It’s very confusing. I think you call it climate change. I call it madness! Can’t understand why you’d do this to our planet and my home.

I didn’t want to fall out with the farmer and his family. It wasn’t his fault. I could see he was struggling too. Sometimes his crop didn’t produce enough coffee and other times the quality was pretty bad so he couldn’t sell it for much. Sometimes his family was short of food and he struggled to send his kids to school. When people came to work with the farmer he struggled to give them proper places to live. There wasn’t really anywhere for them to go when they got sick. It was a bit grim living here…

Then one morning something funny happened. There I was chewing on a fly when I noticed the farmer. He was talking to a couple of guys I hadn’t seen before. This could be trouble, I thought. But for once I was wrong. And us frogs are not often wrong; we’re normally experts on knowing when something funny happens to our environment. That’s why so many of my cousins are now extinct.

Anyways, after the guy left, things began to change for the better. The farmer began to plant trees and not cut them down. He sprays less of that funny stuff. He also started to use the organic waste he used to throw into the river on his coffee plants. He seems happier and I think he grows more coffee and gets more money for it. So the family are happy too. The kids go to school now, and when people come to work on the farm the farmer has built them proper places to stay. And a doctor visits regularly to help them if they’re sick.

So things are cool here now. I like my rainforest and its getting better all the time. It’s heavenly really. There are plenty of juicy flies — and other species are asking if they can move in, too. Well, even paradise has its downsides.

The End.

Your Guide to Rainforest Alliance Week Events

What’s happening during Rainforest Alliance Week?  Educational events, online contests, travel discounts and more! A few of the events brought to you by the Rainforest Alliance and friends:

Coffee and Tea Tastings

• Allegro Coffee Company samples Rainforest Alliance Certified™ coffees in several Whole Foods Markets in New York City.  Stop by for a pick-me-up and learn more about how certification benefits nature and coffee-growing communities.

•  Get a taste of Republic of Tea’s Three Gardens Breakfast tea from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms in Kenya, Indonesia and Malawi. Natural foods markets in California, Oregon, Texas and Washington will be sampling the teas throughout the week.

Special Events

•  Big Screen Plaza in NYC will feature Rainforest Alliance videos throughout the week. Stop by the outdoor courtyard, get a cup of Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee in the café and enjoy the show(s)!

•  Join Birds and Beans for a migratory bird walk in Toronto on Saturday, September 17. Catch a glimpse of birds en route to their wintering grounds in the rainforests of Central and South America where Rainforest Alliance Certified shaded coffee farms are sometimes their last refuge.

• On two Sundays, September 18 and 26, the Rainforest Alliance will welcome children and their parents to New York City’s Prospect Park for fun, educational activities on the environment and climate change.

• Join Noah Jackson (independent trainer and auditor) and Sabrina Vigilante (director of markets and sustainable value chains) for a webinar on Wednesday, September 21 at 12 PM EST. Hosted by the Rainforest Alliance, the event will introduce participants to our on-the-ground efforts and their connection to the global marketplace.

Giveaways

• Birds and Beans will also offer online customers who purchase two pounds or more of Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee a free travel mug. (Shipping within Canada only.) Visit their Toronto café for specials on Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee and chocolate.

• One lucky Zavida Coffee fan will win a gourmet coffee gift basket featuring Zavida’s entire line of Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee blends.  Learn how you can enter on Twitter and Facebook.

• Tetley Tea will host a daily competition on their Farmers First Hand Facebook page for a cuddly Rainforest Alliance plush frog.  Find out more.

Special Discounts

• Travel with Yampu Tours to see the sights and stay in sustainably managed, Rainforest Alliance Verified™ hotels and lodges in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Peru. These itineraries are discounted by 15 percent from September 19 to December 15, 2011.

• Get away to Nicaragua with VaPues Tours at a 15 percent discount. This 11-day trip highlights renewable energy projects and boutique hotels working together with the Rainforest Alliance.

• Explore Guatemala on horseback! Unicornio Azul offers visitors a 15 percent discount on two-day package tours to their Rainforest Alliance Verified rural lodge and equestrian facility in the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes.

•  Discover off-the-beaten-path Costa Rica with Country Walkers on a tour that includes stops at some of Earth’s most impressive biodiversity hotspots. Book during Rainforest Alliance Week and get a $500 per person discount.

• Adventure Life invites you to cruise among the Galapagos Islands or hike the Ecuadorian Amazon. Make your reservation anytime from Rainforest Alliance Week through October 23, 2011 and get a 15 percent discount.

• Book two rooms at Uxlabil EcoHotels in Guatemala during Rainforest Alliance Week and you’ll get one room free!

• Experience Costa Rica’s incredible landscape on an 11-day luxury vacation with Hands Up Holidays that includes visits to pristine national parks, stunning beaches, a Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee farm and a volcano. Reserve your trip anytime from September 19 to 30 and you’ll reserve 20 percent off the package.

Don’t see an event in your community? Look for the green frog seal on coffee, tea, chocolate and more to help support a healthier planet!

The Seeds of a Better Future in Africa – Q&A with Joseph Osei

Though its name sounds a little odd, the Allanblackia tree could soon be music to the ears of thousands of farmers in Africa. Named for Allan Black, the Scottish botanist who was the curator of Charles Darwin’s private plant collection, the Allanblackia tree produces fruit whose seeds contain an oil that can be used in the manufacture of margarine and other foods as well as non-food products. Grown primarily in the tropical rainforests of West, Central and East Africa, Allanblackia is an evergreen that thrives in natural forest settings and agroforestry systems (such as shade-grown cocoa farms)—which means that it has the potential to become an effective tool for forest conservation and economic development in areas that desperately need both.

Credit: Union for Ethical BioTrade

 

The Rainforest Alliance is in the process of auditing communities in Ghana and Tanzania to verify that they are carrying out their Allanblackia cultivation and collection in an environmentally and socially responsible way, as measured against the Ethical BioTrade standard developed by the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT)—a nonprofit organization that promotes “Sourcing with Respect” for ingredients that derive from biodiverse areas. The UEBT standard requires conservation of natural resources, respect of traditional knowledge and the equitable sharing of benefits. From his office in Accra, Ghana, the Rainforest Alliance’s Joseph Osei—who led the audits of the Allanblackia operations—answers our questions about this innovative project and the Rainforest Alliance’s role in it.

How did the project come about?

After discovering the potential of the tree’s oil to be used in various products, the multinational company Unilever joined with locally based groups in Ghana and Tanzania to figure out a system for Allanblackia cultivation and collection. A private/public partnership was established by Unilever and various nonprofit groups to ensure that the trade of Allanblackia oil helps alleviate poverty, conserves biodiversity and offers an economically sustainable source of livelihood for the communities where the tree is grown.

Credit: Union for Ethical BioTrade

How does the partnership work?

In both Ghana and Tanzania, local companies were established to teach farmers how to cultivate Allanblackia and collect the tree’s seeds as well as basic bookkeeping and business skills. The members of these communities are predominantly farmers who already cultivate tree crops such as cocoa, oil palm and rubber.

Project participants are given tree seedlings free of charge to plant on their farms, and collectors are paid for the number of seeds they gather. To date, the project has generated crucial income for approximately 11,000 farmers, about half of them women. The goal is to bring 500,000 farmers into the supply network.

Credit: Union for Ethical BioTrade

 

What was the Rainforest Alliance’s involvement?

We conducted audits of the local operations and companies to ensure that they were meeting the UEBT’s minimum indicators—a starting point on the road to full compliance and implementation of ethical sourcing practices. During the audit, we identified gaps or problems that must be addressed by a specific deadline. The companies will then draw up and implement a work plan to deal with these issues and will be audited again in two years to determine their progress. Beyond that point, audits occur every three years.

What are some of the conditions you assess during an audit?

With regard to the environment, the UEBT’s standard states that Allanblackia operations cannot convert natural forests into production areas, and they must protect biodiversity and prevent damage to the environment. This means protecting air, soil and water quality, reducing waste and avoiding the use of any banned pesticides. They must also monitor when and where the seeds are being collected and make sure that the trees are regenerating at an appropriate rate.

And on the social side?

Operations must demonstrate that the benefits of the product’s sale are being shared equitably among smallholders and farmers, and that there are no disputes regarding land rights or the use of traditional knowledge. This also means that community members must be adequately compensated and kept involved in the negotiation of prices and trading conditions.

Credit: Union for Ethical BioTrade

 

Additionally, we look for the sound financial management of each operation (to ensure its economic sustainability) as well as product traceability; in the case of this particular product, we want to make sure that the origin of the Allanblackia seeds can be determined, regardless of where the ingredient is along the supply chain. Obviously, there are many more issues to consider, but these are just a few of the indicators.

When you met with some of the farmers, what were their feelings about the project and the verification audit?

They take pride in being Allanblackia collectors. In the past, they’ve had companies come to them and promise all sorts of things, only to disappear after the farmers had spent precious time doing what was asked of them. The fact that the local companies are spending time and resources to be audited by the Rainforest Alliance has reinforced the farmers’ faith in the process. They are glad to see that companies and their buyers are demonstrating a long-term commitment to the trade of Allanblackia.

Does the Rainforest Alliance’s verification of this project mean that we’ll be evaluating other similar projects in the future?

Yes. Given the critical role of wild plants in areas of high biodiversity and the potentially negative impacts of unethical and irresponsible trade, it makes sense that we would work to ensure that companies and individuals are conserving their environments, protecting community knowledge and rights and ensuring sustainable livelihoods.

A Cassowary Under the Cacao Canopy

Noah Jackson — Rainforest Alliance auditor and trainer — continues to share stories from his assignment in Papua New Guinea.

As I write, waves wash ashore. I listen to the rhythm of cicadas, the wind against coconut fronds and my fingers tapping against the keyboard. I recently arrived on the small coastal strip of Madang, Papua New Guinea and, from there, took a speedboat to the volcanic island of Karkar.

Tonight I’m staying on a forested strip of land on the coast. It’s a welcome change from the highlands, and my skin is enjoying the salty air. The island is home to people living in upland forests, riverine communities and coastal abodes.

The illusive cassowary.

There was a major volcanic eruption in the 1970s, making the soil here especially fertile. It’s one reason that this piece of land is on my itinerary.  When approaching the landmass from the sea, I noticed several humps.  These forest bulges are (relatively) recently cooled masses of volcanic vents. Trees have taken them over, giving an appearance akin to the patches of rumpled, windswept hair on my head.

At first glance, it’s not unlike any island where there are coconuts, timber trees and crops growing. On closer inspection, however, cocoa trees can be found peeking from beneath the canopy.

Over the coming days, I’ll be exploring a biodiesel plant, looking at cocoa crops on both smallholder and larger plantations, and discussing the challenges of earning certification with farm managers. There will be some tough issues to address on my visit, along with periods of relaxation.

Venturing into a forest patch today, a forest trail unfolded in front of me. The canopy of cocoa and food gardens yielded to a canopy of banana and fruit trees.  Walking in the lowland rainforest, so close to the coast, I’m always astounded at how the world becomes darker under the canopy and the shadows become deep.  Wild cacao grows in the forest and — in the shade some fallen cocoa pods cracked by forest animals — gives off a faint whiff of fermenting cocoa.

As I studied the forest layers, I caught a hint of blue and teal among the trees. I scanned the forest, catching sight of a large bird waddling parallel to the forest path.  It could only be a cassowary, a large endangered Old World flightless bird. Most likely tame from interactions with nearby plantation workers, I watched as this bird waddled through the forest.  I kept my distance, but followed as the bird wandered, searching its home range for the large fruits that it forages and disperses. In addition to its seed dispersal abilities, cassowaries are known for their strong guts — it’s a trait I admire.

Cassowaries are known for taking on extra large fruits and dispersing them far and wide without damaging their seeds. In many wet tropical lowland forests, they play an important role.

Cassowaries provide a valuable environmental service -- seed dispersal.

Eventually, I got close enough to take a few pictures. The lone cassowary waddled off, and I turned and headed back to my group. Once again, I was confronted with the complexity of the agro-ecosystem, a colorful surprise under the cacao canopy and – in the cassowary — yet another gardener at work.

From Wisconsin’s Garlic Beds to Papua New Guinea’s Valleys

Noah Jackson reveals some of the unexpected similarities between the food gardens of his Wisconsin home base and the food gardens of Papua New Guinea.

It’s cold and it’s raining, not unlike the conditions in Papua New Guinea. My knees are sunk into the soil and I’m weeding through a line of heavily mulched garlic on a farm in Wisconsin. My dog is following me; she knows I’m leaving for another trip. I’m quiet, listening to the sounds of rain hitting the soil and weeds being pulled from the ground. I’m working at a frantic pace — half hopping, half dancing down the row.

Noah Jackson's dog lounges near the garlic harvest.

Days later, I find myself examining a row of squash, beans and corn in Papua New Guinea. In the US, this is a Native American technique known as a “three sisters” planting. The theory is that squash will shade out the weeds and the beans will colonize up the stalks of the corn. This technique, growing plants of different varieties together, is an example of intercropping. The same technique is used in Papua New Guinea; it’s one of several indigenous techniques that co-evolved here.

Yesterday, another farmer shared with me techniques for breaking up dry, clay soils by using cover crops and leguminous weeds. Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms do this regularly. Similar techniques involving planting cover crops are also practiced in the United States.

Farmland in the Waghi Valley of Papua New Guinea.

Back in Wisconsin, when I weed my rows of garlic in the rain, I’m helping to spice the palette of dozens, if not hundreds, of people. Here in Papua New Guinea, coffee farmers are doing the same. One smallholder farmer managing an area of about 2.5 acres (1 hectare) might grow 1,700 lbs (800 kg) of cherry in a good year. After pulping, drying, milling, sorting and roasting, that farmer might produce enough coffee for 20 families to drink daily for one year. As the world’s food supply becomes stressed, I find myself on the lookout for more food gardens.

The valley bottom of Papua New Guinea’s Waghi Valley is quickly filling up. Yesterday, while driving around in the area, my guide and I realized that there is not as much land left as we had initially thought. When land runs out and food becomes a bit scarcer – as is happening in the Waghi Valley — the nearest market might be too far and locals might be forced to explore new options. The result of this creativity: a wave of garden farmers transitioning their lawns to food crops. I’ve seen it in my travels, and some of my friends are doing it in their own yards.

Scaling productivity up can be as simple as planting a few more fruit trees. It can mean growing wine grapes or berry bushes along the fence line of your driveway. I’ve seen this is Sri Lanka and Indonesia: varieties of cinnamon pruned to make live fencing and, simultaneously, provide a second income. Our challenge is not keeping the world out by fencing, but opening up the possibilities of our land. My travels are teaching me that we might have to start looking a little harder for food gardens. It is not only about caring for the soil, but recognizing our needs and meeting them. We might start by growing our own food gardens – gardens that might not be so different from those found in the Waghi Valley.

A Photo Tour Through the Food Gardens of Papua New Guinea

Noah Jackson — auditor and trainer for the Rainforest Alliance — shares photos from his time exploring food gardens in Papua New Guinea. [See his last blog to learn more about the importance of food gardens.]

Papa is a Papua New Guinean farmer with coffee land and a diverse food garden.

An aerial view of a banana and fruit tree garden. During the rainy season, water channels help drain water from the clay soils.

An aerial shot of a cluster of food gardens in Papua New Guinea.

This food garden sits next to a house. Bananas, sweet potato, tapioca plants, taro, tea and sweet potato form part of the home garden landscape in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.

Non-edible wild peanuts protect a slope and fix nitrogen to improve soil quality.

A food garden, including corn and squash, takes over some rusting equipment. Every bit of good land close to houses is used to cultivate food crops that provide additional income for local farmers.

Plants along a roadside garden can be harvested to make dyes for native fibers. These fibers are used to weave baskets.

Two women show off two varieties of recently harvested sweet potatoes.

Sweet potato – also known as cocoa yam – can be found in the majority of food gardens within the highlands of Papua New Guinea. In the lower left part of this image, a thick layer of weed-minimizing mulch is shown.

A pig peeks over an enclosure to watch some of the action in the garden. In addition to being a good source of protein, pigs can be garden tools for new planting areas -- they uproot and turn over soil.

Chiles and native grasses border one farmer’s coffee plot.

Kids – some of my guides on my food garden tour – point out plants in their gardens.

 

The 10,000 Year-Old Roots of the Wahgi Valley

Noah Jackson weighs in on what it means to be “indigenous” and why indigenous knowledge is so important.

We should be clear: by indigenous, we do not mean primitive. Although some of the Papua New Guinea villages I’m staying in do not have power or electricity, farmers can still check coffee prices with their cellphones.  Others have rigged up small solar panels to illuminate their homes at night.

An indigenous child in Papua New Guinea, where Noah Jackson is currently stationed.

Indigenous literally means native. And because some of the groups I visit are very isolated, there is a strong sense of roots, culture and place.  There are also a number of challenges.

When I stay in these small villages –  exploring, socializing, cooking meals with farmers, community development officers and extension officers — I’m engaged in conversations about climate change, soil quality and other issues that affect the coffee and the land.

While some nearby farmers are migrants to the area, and others are just first or second generation farmers, there is a sense of indigenous knowledge on many farms I’ve visited.  I write from a small plantation, set in the Wahgi Valley, where there are 12 clans. Each clan speaks its own unique language, in addition to Pidgin and some English.

Taro growing in the Wahgi Valley.

Taro was first cultivated in these swampy soils more than 10,000 years ago. Three thousand years later, bananas (native to the region) were cultivated. There is evidence that this is one of the original global centers of agriculture; the people of the Wahgi Valley do not seem to have been passive recipients of domesticated agriculture. How do we know? Proof of the domestication of these staple foods wasn’t found elsewhere in Asia for another 3,000 years.

As I explore the area’s forested farms, some of the farmers’ children point out the features they know I’ll be interested in: drainage systems that allow water flow and mounds where water tolerant plants such as maize, sugarcane and yam grow. Coffee, as I’ve explained in a previous post, is a relatively new crop here. Many of the farmers in the area are just second generation coffee farmers.

Nonetheless, there is a strong history of indigenous knowledge to draw from. Forest fruits are collected and tended to in small nurseries in a way that closely mirrors the development and maintenance of coffee nurseries. Children who play in the coffee gardens and help their parents benefit from firsthand lessons and transfers of knowledge.

In the Wahgi Valley, children learn the art of farming from their parents.

Among indigenous farmers, there is much in the way of direct knowledge exchange.  These farms are classrooms. It’s one of the reasons that I like this work so much; I get to ask questions from farmers who have roots in the origins of a 10,000 year-old knowledge system.

This area is not without problems. Some indigenous people don’t have electricity, running water or even water storage tanks.  Some of the roads are quite poor, too. The road leading from the farm to market — where coffee, pandanus fruits, betel nuts and taro can be sold and purchased — is sometimes no more than a forest trail.  These crops, carried in sacks, are sometimes transported on foot for hours.

Naturally, there is temptation to earn income in other ways. The gas and oil industries are major employers in Papua New Guinea. This is having a transformative affect on the valley’s indigenous people and on surrounding communities.

Still, my outlook for the preservation of the local culture and their farming livelihoods is relatively positive.

It’s impossible to ignore the fact that the economy transforming. Some flows of capital have driven up prices. I’ve met many families that have been split up because some members have left to work in oil and gas. The landscape is changing.

When I think about indigenous people and my work with communities throughout Southeast Asia, it is the knowledge that most often stands out. This knowledge is shared, traded, constantly tested and passed down. It’s what will protect farmers – they are the keepers of the secrets of planting good seeds and maintaining crops of wild edibles.

A local and his two children make their way out of the forests of the Wahgi Valley.

Their knowledge is buried within stories, customs and culture. It’s something we all need — it’s fundamental — and it’s one of the many reasons we so value these indigenous people. In addition to their rich history and culture, we need their indigenous knowledge. Here, as in many places, it’s allowing them to grow food and survive in a changing world.