OUR WORK
Forest Conservation as a Climate Solution
Nature and Culture helps address climate change by protecting large, intact forests at scale from the Amazon rainforest to the Andean páramo in Ecuador and Peru. Working alongside Indigenous and local communities, we establish and strengthen protected areas that keep carbon stored, safeguard biodiversity, and support resilient ecosystems.
Our protected areas help avoid an estimated 3.9 billion tons of CO₂ emissions by keeping forests standing.
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NATURE-BASED CLIMATE SOLUTION
Tropical Forests Are Among the Planet’s Most Powerful Climate Solutions
They store massive amounts of carbon in trees and soil, helping keep greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. In the high Andes, páramo ecosystems also hold large amounts of carbon in their deep, wet soils. When forests are cleared or degraded, carbon is released into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change.
Partnering with Indigenous and Local Communities for Climate Action
Indigenous and local communities have long safeguarded forests through knowledge and sustainable land management. In the Ecuadorian Amazon, we support Indigenous nations protecting 14 million acres through the Amazonian Platform, strengthening their long-term leadership.
Changing rainfall, rising temperatures, and extreme weather already affect many forest communities. Conservation must support both ecosystems and people.
PROTECTING FORESTS AT SCALE
Connected Landscapes Strengthen Climate Resilience
Large, connected landscapes are more resilient to climate stress and disturbance. That is why we connect protected areas into corridors, from the Andes down into the Amazon basin. Intact forests store significantly more carbon than fragmented forests and are better able to regulate rainfall and local climate patterns over time.
Deforestation Drives Climate Change
Tropical forests are among the planet’s most powerful natural climate solutions.
From the Amazon to the Andes, standing forests are a natural climate solution
They store massive amounts of carbon in trees and soil, helping keep greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. When forests are cleared or degraded, that stored carbon is released into the atmosphere. At the same time, the forest’s ability to absorb future carbon is lost.
Tropical forests are being deforested faster than all other ecosystems, and they play a crucial role in regulating and stabilizing global climate patterns.
How You Can Help Protect Forests and the Climate
Protecting tropical forests is one of the most immediate, effective climate solutions available. Your support helps expand protected areas, strengthen stewardship, and ensure long-term protection for forests that store carbon and support life.
