Cyrielle Hariel, journalist, experiences the Forestever project in the Amazon, with the Maisons du Monde Foundation

The programme to raise awareness about the challenges of sustainable development conducted by this NGO gave her the opportunity to experience a reforestation project set up with the indigenous Ticuna communities, living along the Amazon River. She discussed with the communities of Casiyanaira, San Martin de Amacayacu, Km 6 and Villa Andrea and thus got a better understanding of the issues these communities have to grapple with.

The aim of the Forestever project is to give the indigenous Ticuna communities the wherewithal to participate actively in the protection of their environment, in particular through the sustainable management of their forest resources.

To combat continuing deforestation and bolster the resources of indigenous communities, Cyrielle took part in the planting of trees along the communities’ camps to provide shade for the inhabitants or fruit trees and timber trees on the land of beneficiaries of the project in order to mark out the boundaries of their lands and promote species that can be economically exploited for these communities.

Through awareness creation workshops, the Forestever association supports schools to combat continuing deforestation and the loss of their biodiversity and thus preserve resources for these generations. In this context, the journalist took part in a painting workshop on the plants identified in the forest and a workshop for raising awareness about the recognition of plants that can be used in local handicraft.

Lastly, to combat the exclusion of communities who live off the resources of the forest, the NGO Forestever contributes to the promotion of their lifestyles and looks for the right balance between communities whose livelihoods depend on forests and the preservation of forests and their biodiversity. To support these communities, Cyrielle contributed to the consolidation of a booklet for identifying woody species and palm trees and the identification of an old plot of fallow land to mark out the boundaries of the future reserve of palm trees that can be used for local handicraft and the construction of houses.