There are so many days where we remind people of a special cause. You name it, there is a day for it. But this one is special to me. More than forty years ago I first walked amongst the rainforest trees in Borneo and started to learn about the amazing complexity and beautiful biodiversity. It was about ten years later that I first looked into the eyes of an orangutan and started seeing the rainforest as their home, a home that we humans continue to destroy day after day, as if it were ours to take for merely the greed of this human generation.
I learned much on the path from objective scientist to passionate activist. Academic proof sure, but we do not need more evidence to know that we need to take action now! The rainforests of the world hold our future capital but also our worst nightmares if we continue on the present path as the ongoing pandemic is sadly showing us.
Masarang Foundation and the many organizations that we work with and are supporting us are showing that it is possible to live in balance with nature. That if we learn from nature there can be a future for all. Let’s all contemplate this on this World Rainforest Day.
Willie Smits
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