News and Insights
Bringing Awareness to the World’s Most Forgotten Rainforest
Can you name the three largest rainforests in the world? The average person may only be able to name the largest: The Amazon. The Congo and Mekong basins garner much less global attention than the Amazon, but they are just as important and worthy of protecting.
Rainforests act as carbon sinks, making these rainforests crucial to using nature as a climate solution. A recent report released by the Science Panel for the Congo Basin detailed that the Congo basin absorbs 600m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. However, the number is decreasing due to deforestation.
“[The basin’s] significance extends far beyond its borders. The basin’s rainfall feeds main river systems across the continent, sustaining life as far away as the Sahel.”
We hope this coverage helps bring critical attention and funding to the Congo basin and other large, underfunded rainforests.
oices continue to be honored as climate leaders around the world.
Return of the Parrots: Red-browned Amazons Find their Way Home
Earlier this year, twenty red-browned amazons were released in a forest reserve in Alagoas, Brazil. At the time, only four wild birds remained. Due to illegal trade and deforestation, the species was nearly driven to extinction.
After a decade of silence, these birds have brought their cheerful chirps back to the forest.
Before being released into the wild, these birds spent a couple of years in a large aviary within the forest, where they learned to identify food sources and adjust to the environment. The released parrots are all young, and it’s likely that they will be able to breed in the next few years. Keep an eye out for updates on red-browned amazon chicks in 2027!
Events and Community
How Trees & Forests Shape Our Climate – Kicking off in January 2026
Discover how forests actively regulate climate through wind, water, carbon, biodiversity, and the “living water cycle” that modern climate models often overlook. This course distills what leading scientists now recognize: forests don’t just store carbon – they cool landscapes, stabilize rainfall, buffer heat extremes, prevent floods and droughts, and sustain the wildlife networks that keep ecosystems functioning.
Across eight weeks, we’ll unpack myths, examine logging, biomass, thinning, wildfire narratives, and explore what truly makes a forest healthy. With expert guest speakers, weekly live sessions, and advocacy coaching, you’ll learn how to protect forests in your own region and recognize industry narratives that undermine them.
Join us for a grounded, science-based exploration of why protecting forests is one of the most powerful climate actions of our time.
Register now to receive our Early Bird Price of $97!
Miyawaki Update
This week we ground ourselves in with the opening reflection by Hartman Deetz, Mashpee Wampanoag, which Alex Ionescu shares, “reminds us of the importance of cultivating relationships with both human and more-than-human communities — as relatives connected through what we all hold in common: symbiosis, interconnection, and our shared Earth.”
For the next few weeks, we will be sharing videos from the 2025 Northeast Miniforst Summit! From a seasoned forest maker who has already planted several forests to a public official focused on cultivating biodiversity in their district, everyone will have something to glean from this summit and something to share with your community.
A Moment for Art
In honor of this month’s full Beaver Moon, one of Jim Laurie’s students from the Symbiosis Team shared her beautiful painting entitled Beaver Moon. Thank you, Melissa Guillet of 15 Minute Field Trips, for sharing your beautiful artwork with us!
