The Tsa’chila people see the forest as the “essence of life.” Yet their lands, which span the rainforest and marshland of Ecuador, are on the brink of obliteration. “If this continues, soon we will no longer have lungs to breathe.” . Old-growth tropical rainforests remove up to 15% of human carbon emissions annually. The Tsa’chila have known this benefit for hundreds of years. . “Old-growth forests are the very lungs of our community,” says Jessica Matute Quintero, Tsa’chila photographer. The forests have provided food, water, medicine, and shelter to the Tsa’chila since they arrived in Ecuador over a thousand years ago. . The next generation of Tsa’chila has taken up the fight to protect their lands and the ancient forests they depend on. Read a first-hand account of their fight by clicking the #linkinbio 📸: @jessicm_ph Content supported by Indigenous-led charity @ifnotusthenwho #IndigenousPeoples #indigenous #photojournalism #Ecuador #noplanetb #biodiversity #climateaction #cli...