The Forest Guardians Initiative
Our Latest Impact Report
Welcome to our work with the communities of the Verdant Basin – partnerships we've nurtured for over two decades.
Our nonprofit organization empowers the wisdom and cultural heritage of indigenous communities in the Silva Verde Reserve, creating ripples that preserve the biodiversity of one of the world's most vital rainforest ecosystems for generations to come. We develop essential infrastructure, create projects that support resilience and regenerative systems, provide clean drinking water, offer emergency aid during crises, support economic development, and promote inspired education that celebrates rainforest culture, traditions, and sustainability practices.
Here we share our accomplishments toward these goals.
A Message from our Executive Director
Dear Forest Guardians Community,
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to build bridges for enduring change in the heart of the rainforest. I'm humbled by how my experiences as an educator, artist, and humanitarian continue to inform this work – awakening the world to the invaluable wisdom of ancestral indigenous communities. Life moves in mysterious ways indeed.
It is hugely inspirational to be part of our incredible team and to empower community leaders to guide the world towards global holistic sustainability.
Hope is so very important these days. When I am with the communities we serve – and all those who experience our work – I see the possibility of a different future. I believe our work can catalyze innovative solutions and holistic systemic change to address the challenges faced by both humanity and the rainforest. But we need to weave this great tapestry of hope through our efforts to bring this future into being.
Our mission is to work towards the conservation and preservation of the rainforest and the families whose lineages have held the stewardship of these lands for thousands of years. They need support (not dependence) to ensure they can meet our modern age with agency, despite being underserved and denied opportunities for generations. We – you, the board, myself, our staff, and all our volunteers – work for and with them.
Change takes time, and the challenges of our present moment are more interconnected and extreme than ever before. We have worked in global collaboration to put many initiatives into action this year. We've been immersed in the rainforest, responding to requests to develop sustainable ecotourism. Through beautiful inter-community collaboration, we have provided emergency aid during environmental crises, supported individuals through medical emergencies, expanded awareness through social media, provided training and creative educational opportunities, and much more which you will read about in this report.
I know what you read here will inspire you and help you see the possible future that I see. I hope you will be moved to get involved as a volunteer and support the continuation of this profound work.
I can't wait to share the coming year's story of impact as we continue to meet our mission to protect the rainforest and empower its indigenous communities.
With gratitude,
Maya Riverstone
Executive Director, Forest Guardians Initiative
The Reserve That Impacts The World: Silva Verde
This internationally recognized heritage site used to be home to more than 30 indigenous villages. Modern climate-change-related crises including floods, fires, and drought caused many people to flee and assimilate into nearby towns and cities. We aim to reverse this population decline and keep these protectors of the rainforest in their ancestral home.
indigenous villages
indigenous lives impacted
acres of rainforest
Community Refuge Inauguration
We finished construction on and inaugurated a refuge with running water, bathrooms, and shelter for community members who find themselves stranded downstream due to all-too-common gas shortages, storms, or dangerous river conditions.
Before, people had to resort to sleeping under trees, on the sides of houses, or wherever they could find shelter. This project was the first to address this problem and now serves our community friends regularly.
In a heartwarming display of appreciation, the community named the refuge the "Riverstone Welcome Center" to honor our founder's legacy.
Approximately 488 people use our refuge on a regular basis
Inter-Regional Exchange:
Building Bridges Between Communities
One particularly inspiring aspect of our work has been the bridge-building between indigenous communities and individuals throughout the rainforest region. Experienced communities have been important mentors as our partner villages formalize and enhance their ethical and sustainable ecotourism programs. They have also been pioneering creative solutions to problems within education systems, which have historically pressured children to leave home and assimilate into modern society.
We are working with local leaders on this same challenge and have connected them with progressive teaching experts from around the world. Our Executive Director has helped connect community leaders with educators who have found educational models that incorporate indigenous culture and practices within the school year, integrated with traditional cosmology, agrarian calendars, cultural music, festivals, and life celebrations.
We also facilitated visits from respected musicians and artists to share cultural traditions, listen to ancestral songs, and hold workshops on creating instruments from natural materials like bamboo. We are excited to continue facilitating these connections and building this network of support between indigenous peoples as they all work toward maintaining their tribal identities and ancestral homes in the face of modern challenges.
4 indigenous cultures connected, to solve modern challenges facing them all
Economic Development:
Sustainable Journeys Program
12 community leaders travelled for mentorship and training
Many communities within the Silva Verde Reserve have been hosting international visitors interested in experiencing rainforest life as an opportunity for cultural exchange, as well as to support essential costs such as medical emergencies and food supplies in the face of environmental crises like floods and fires.
We've been able to learn from experienced organizations on how to support our communities through this endeavor in an ethical and sustainable way.
Experienced leaders visited three communities interested in expanding their Sustainable Journeys Program, bringing specialists in guiding, food safety, housekeeping, and nature interpretation. This team led workshops on everything from food preparation and safety to how communities can maintain their power as the authorities on what is appropriate when international guests visit their home.
We then sponsored 12 leaders – 6 men and 6 women – from these three communities to travel to a vibrant model community to be mentored by people who run successful programs. These communities have since welcomed their first inaugural groups of guests through this new initiative. Our team works to connect thoughtful travelers with these experiences. We receive no profit from program fees, and all money goes to those who make the journeys happen, with most remaining within the local communities.
Water Systems
121,800 gallons of clean water per hour can be delivered to communities through our systems
Our nonprofit continues to maintain the clean water systems that each community has access to. During the past year, we purchased new well-digging equipment, built a new well, and conducted maintenance on multiple systems. We have begun prep work to install irrigation systems in food forests and gardens.
Irrigation is a new need related to climate-change-caused droughts. The rain has always been sufficient to grow food, but these droughts are impacting ancestral ways of living, and new methods of adaptation are necessary.
Storytelling
In order to continue the important work we do, we need to introduce a broader audience to these stories and bring in supporters who will volunteer, advocate, and donate. During the past year, our team significantly grew our social media presence and shared carefully crafted, educational content about the area, the indigenous people, and our work to support both.
We also utilized storytelling as a means of bridge-building with different communities. Cultural performances honoring traditional myths and legends have had profound impacts, opening up fascinating conversations with elders, enchanting entire communities, and building trust in manners respectful of indigenous culture.
Storytelling has an ancient lineage of power to deeply resonate within the human psyche, bridging worlds and sharing knowledge in unexpected and magical ways. We are excited to continue holding storytelling as a core part of our work, both to share community stories with the broader world and to connect and build trust between our team and indigenous communities.
Minutes of video content viewed
New followers in our digital community
Cultural performances honoring indigenous histories and myths
Our Growing Global Community
staff members joined our team
volunteers gave their time from around the world
mentors shared their wisdom with our staff
We are an international team of legacy and bridge builders for enduring change in the rainforest, and we have welcomed many new friends over the past year!
We are deeply grateful for the support, time, and mentorship from our community that has shaped and honed our work as we evolved and grew. We would not be here today without them.
Join Us
Contact our team to learn more about volunteering, partnerships, or supporting this vital work.