Working side by side with Indigenous and local communities to safeguard Suriname’s forests and the knowledge, culture, and climate they sustain
Community-led Conservation
Feet in the Mud
We work directly with Suriname's Indigenous, Maroon and local communities because they know their forests and coasts best.
On the ground we:
- Train local forest rangers – ordinary villagers who patrol their own lands, protecting trees and wildlife.
- Support women to start small eco-businesses – like harvesting honey or weaving mangrove fibers – so families earn income without harming nature.
- Teach kids through "forest schools" – where elders pass on traditional knowledge and young people learn to heal damaged ecosystems.
- Record cultural stories and maps, ensuring sacred sites and ancestral wisdom aren’t lost to mining or logging.
Policy Change
Head in the Sky
In Paramaribo, we make sure Indigenous and Maroon voices shape Suriname’s future.
We do that by:
- Pushing for laws that recognize land rights so communities can legally own the forests they’ve protected for generations.
- Designing fair payment systems where money for protecting trees (like carbon credits) goes straight to villages.
- Holding oil and mining companies accountable making them respect community lands and clean up after themselves.
- Giving technical input to Suriname’s Green Development Plan putting nature and people at the center of national decisions.
