December 8, 2014 — Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the northern hemisphere and one of those most susceptible to the impacts of climate change, especially to extreme weather events like hurricanes and flooding. From early September to early October, Our Place On Earth traveled to Nicaragua, filming, researching and visiting with various groups working on the ground to address these impacts.
One of the last stops of the trip was to the Khaka Creek Wildlife Reserve, run by the organization Fadcanic. The reserve is home to wildlife — increasingly threatened by land use and resource extraction pressure — and a reforestation center, where various types of forest management practices are tested and implemented.
As we hiked through the bush, our guides, Miguel and Tito, explained how preservation of tropical rainforests increases water quality, mitigates erosion and the impacts of extreme storm events, creates livelihoods for local communities, and — especially important for the endangered tapir featured in this video — provides habitat for animals that, without these forests, would be pushed to extinction.
Editor’s note: Throughout 2014–15, Tom Miller and Nuin-Tara Key of PrettyGoodProductions will be traveling the world filming the documentary “Our Place On Earth.” The film will be an on-the-ground portrayal of people’s lives as they spearhead climate change initiatives in their own communities. The team will also lead workshops on low-cost video production as a way to help people in the communities they visit share their own stories with the world. During the year, Ensia will feature a series of in-the-field videos and reports from Miller, Key and their team.
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