Giants Rising

Telling the epic tale of America's most iconic trees, GIANTS RISING reveals the secrets and saga of the redwoods -- the tallest and among the oldest living beings on Earth. Living links to the past, redwoods also hold the power to impact our future. Through the voices of scientists, artists, native people, and others, the film explores the wonder and plight of these awe-inspiring forests, offering insights that could help sustain us all.

Eyes on the Forest

The Congo Basin is the second largest rainforest in the world and serves as a last refuge for several critically endangered species, including bonobos, giant pangolins and the African forest elephant. However, the density of this rainforest makes it difficult to track the status of these species.

Camera traps, with their infrared sensors to detect any moving animal, have revolutionized conservation efforts. These small, unobtrusive devices can capture invaluable footage of elusive animals and rare events that would have otherwise gone undocumented. With their minimally invasive nature, camera traps enable eco-guards to monitor poaching activities while simultaneously providing researchers with data on the distribution, abundance, movements, and behaviors of threatened species. These “eyes on the forest” offer a unique window into the lives of endangered species and have become an indispensable tool in our efforts to protect the biodiversity of the Mai Ndombe REDD+ project.

The project’s biodiversity team spends up to six weeks at a time deep in the rainforest collecting and replacing camera traps. However, getting out to these remote locations in the forest is no easy journey.

Covering nearly 300,000 hectares of swamp forest and critical wetlands, the Mai Ndombe REDD+ project partners with over 50,000 local community members to stop deforestation and co-create new economic opportunities. With community self-governance and sustainable job creation at the heart of the project’s strategy, the Mai Ndombe REDD+ project drives direct investments to community-determined projects relating to health, education, clean water, sustainable agriculture and income-generating opportunities. By stopping deforestation, this project helps prevent 3.8 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere each year.