After years of caring for their forests, recognition arrives for the communities of Petén, Guatemala
The experience of Guatecarbon shows how organized communities can defend their rights, influence national policy, and ensure that payments for protecting forests reach those doing the work.
Making Forest Carbon Markets Work for Communities: A Case Study on Benefit Sharing in the REDD+ Guatecarbon Project
Benefit sharing is a critical component of REDD+ forest carbon projects, particularly where Indigenous peoples and local communities are central to forest stewardship. As REDD+ evolves into market-based mechanisms, with carbon credits generating revenue in international carbon markets, ensuring that benefits are distributed fairly is essential for the long term success of the initiative. However, […]
AI is a double-edged sword for Indigenous stewardship, say U.N. experts (Published by Mongabay)
Spring 2026 Newsletter
A Message From Our Executive Director Dear Friends and Supporters, Each spring offers a moment to reflect on our connection to the natural world and our shared responsibility to protect it. As Earth Day nears, Rainforest Foundation US (RFUS) recognizes the leadership of Indigenous communities, whose knowledge and care for their lands sustain the world’s […]
More than a thousand turtles return to the Amazon after being rescued from illegal trafficking (Article published in Spanish by Infobae)
How Indigenous Women in Guyana’s North Pakaraimas Are Organizing for Change
Indigenous women are charting a path toward stronger leadership and gender representation in their communities—an approach reflected in Rainforest Foundation US’s new Gender and Social Inclusion Strategy.
Yanomami Territory Three Years After the Crisis: What Has Changed and What Leaders Still Demand
In early 2023, shortly after taking office, Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared a public health emergency in Yanomami territory, the largest Indigenous territory in the country. Years of illegal mining, environmental destruction, and institutional neglect under the previous administration of Jair Bolsonaro had culminated in a devastating humanitarian crisis. Images of malnourished […]
Why Stingless Bees Matter—and How Indigenous Communities in the Amazon Are Protecting Them
Along the Napo River in Peru’s Amazon, Indigenous Kichwa communities are reviving traditional knowledge to care for Amazonian stingless native bees as part of a project focused on sustainable livelihoods and forest stewardship. Using hollowed logs and wooden boxes, families manage bee nests that support food security, provide medicinal honey, and contribute to the health […]
How Rainforest Foundation US Ranks Among the Most Effective Climate and Environmental Organizations
Rainforest Foundation US (RFUS) is recognized as one of the most effective environmental and climate organizations working today, combining Indigenous leadership, evidence-based strategies, and high transparency to deliver measurable impact. As 2025 comes to an end, RFUS reflects on a year of meaningful progress made possible by Indigenous leadership across the Amazon Basin and Central […]
Winter 2025 Newsletter: A Year In Review
A Message From Our Executive Director Dear Friends and Supporters, This year, Rainforest Foundation US (RFUS) worked closely with our Indigenous partners to advance their efforts to shape how forest finance reaches communities protecting the world’s rainforests. Despite safeguarding 36% of the world’s tropical forests, Indigenous peoples and local communities receive just 1% of international […]
