World Rainforest Day: The Future of the Amazon Depends on Its Forest Peoples
Every year on June 22, World Rainforest Day invites us to recognize the extraordinary importance of tropical forests to our planet. The Amazon rainforest stores vast amounts of carbon, regulates rainfall patterns, sustains biodiversity, and provides resources that support millions of lives.
But the Amazon is more than a forest. It is also home.
For countless generations, Indigenous Peoples and local communities have lived in, cared for, and shaped these landscapes. Their knowledge, governance systems, cultural traditions, and livelihoods are deeply connected to the forest. The future of the Amazon cannot be separated from the future of the people who call it home.
At CONAPAC, we believe effective conservation begins by recognizing communities as leaders and decision-makers in the stewardship of their territories. The people of the Amazon are not passive participants in conservation efforts; they are essential partners whose knowledge and experience are fundamental to protecting forests and building sustainable futures.
Through our programs, we work alongside communities to strengthen locally driven conservation, sustainable livelihoods, environmental education, and community-led resource management. Our role is not to determine the future of Amazonian communities but to support their visions for resilient territories, healthy ecosystems, and improved wellbeing.
World Rainforest Day is an opportunity to celebrate the Amazon’s richness and the people who sustain it every day. It is also a reminder that protecting rainforests requires supporting the rights, autonomy, and leadership of the communities who have safeguarded them for generations.
As we mark this day, we reaffirm our commitment to working in partnership with Amazonian communities to advance conservation efforts that respect local knowledge, strengthen community governance, and contribute to a thriving forest for generations to come.
When rainforest communities thrive, the rainforest thrives as well.
Every child deserves the opportunity to learn and succeed. And it's never too late to add a contribution to help us give them the tools they need. (All donations are received by our partners, the Detroit Zoo; 100% of your donation is transferred directly to CONAPAC.)
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We have several long-time donors and partner organizations who work tirelessly for CONAPAC; with you, we can do so much for our communities.
Our work is only possible with the many other donations, big and small, that we receive throughout the year.
