My travels to Guyana are always emotionally charged, usually full of equally inspiring and heartbreaking experiences.
In the interior, surrounded by the beauty and warmth of both the forests and the native people, your mind effortlessly slips into a state of rest. You can walk barefoot on the villages’ dirt roads, past the grazing cows and humble, yet colorful houses and feel yourself connect with the earth. An earth that is still healthy and thriving. An earth free from the stressors of a first world country; no interstates, no power lines, no high rises, no rush hour. An earth with a heartbeat that pulses and pumps life into the millions of organisms working to maintain an equilibrium. Homeostasis. In the interior, people believe the intrinsic value of their animal counterparts far exceeds any dollar amount placed on them.
On the periphery of the interiors’ havens, along the coastlines and borders with neighboring countries, the effects of human lust and greed are evident. Guerrilla miners strip the earth with chemicals that create irreversible damage to the forests and rivers. Logging operations, hydrocarbon exploration and illegal extraction of plants and animals are acts of degradation growing in intensity and frequency. In the cities, people view animals as disposable sources of income and nothing more than a piece of property.
The juxtaposition of these harshly conflicting ideologies has created a sense of urgency within the Guyanese government and the indigenous communities to secure the remaining areas of untouched land and impose tighter regulations on the wildlife trade. 80% of Guyana’s forests remain in pristine condition and with the dedication and support of people who aren’t afraid to join together to fight the good fight, it’s possible
to keep it this way.
Project “Save the Giants” is gaining momentum in the fight for Guyana’s wildlife. Please follow our blog and join us in the journey:
https://savethegiants.blog/donate/
