New ACT documentary: Kwamalasamutu – In Pursuit of Human Wellbeing

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ACT is pleased to share Kwamalasamutu – In Pursuit of Human Wellbeing, a short documentary film that highlights nearly two years of participatory research in the Trio indigenous village of Kwamalasamutu, Suriname conducted by ACT-trained indigenous Amazon Conservation Rangers together with students from the University of Utrecht and local partners, such as the Center for Agricultural Research in Suriname, Suriname’s National Herbarium, as well as Suriname’s National Forest Management Agency and its Nature Conservation Division.

Through the project, student and indigenous researchers analyzed biomass and carbon provision of forest plots, calculated from measured trees and soil samplings. The project also supported the measurement of tasi (a palm species whose leaves are frequently used by villagers as roofing materials), which should lead to the drafting of harvesting guidelines for the community. An inventory of common macro-fungi and fungi-like bromeliads (epiphytes) in the plots provided a picture of the current health of the forest and organic matter breakdown. In addition, wildlife recordings were conducted within a 5km and 10km radius from Kwamalasamutu. These measurements yielded long-term insights into the availability of protein for food security.

Kwamalasamutu – In Pursuit of Human Wellbeing from Amazon Conservation Team on Vimeo.

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