Indigenous Guardians of the Forest: Revealing Papua New Guinea’s Biodiversity | SLICE

In Papua New Guinea, forests are not just ecosystems—they are living worlds, shaped, named, and protected by the people who inhabit them. For generations, indigenous communities have developed an intimate understanding of the land, recognizing the value of every tree, bird, and insect. As the country launches its first National Forest Inventory, modern scientific teams enter these forests with notebooks and traps. But alongside them walk indigenous guides, whose knowledge comes not from laboratories, but from memory, observation, and ancestral transmission. Through the eyes of Mundiya Kepanga and the scientists working with local communities, this film reveals a different way of understanding biodiversity. Here, insects are not insignificant, birds are not abstract species, and forests are not resources—they are relatives, indicators, and guardians of balance. In Papua New Guinea, where more than 70% of species are endemic, indigenous knowledge proves essential to reading the forest. Knowing where animals live, how seasons shift, and which areas must remain untouched is the result of centuries of coexistence. This is the story of a partnership between ancestral wisdom and observation, showing that protecting biodiversity begins with listening to those who have always lived within it. Documentary: Our Forests – Papua New Guinea, A Time For Solutions Directed by: Marc Dozier Production : Arte France, Lato Sensu Productions, Wide Productions We fully own the rights to the use of the published content. Any illegal reproduction of this content will result in immediate legal action. SLICE wants to fill up your curiosity! Accessible to anyone from anywhere at any time, this channel is your weekly dose of short docs about curious facts, discoveries, astounding info, unusual stories, weird, fun and instructive. Be smart, have a slice! Subscribe now ►►► http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvziXdVCN7PMdFZEFZ6aEqQ?sub_confirmation=1 Become a fan ! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvziXdVCN7PMdFZEFZ6aEqQ/join Follow us 👇 In French: https://www.youtube.com/c/SLICEFR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slicedocs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slicedocs #documentary #slice #fulldocumentary #freedocumentary