Takeaways from AP’s report on how Suriname’s Saamaka are fighting to protect their rainforest

TUTUBUKA, Suriname (AP) — Deep in Suriname’s rainforest, a group of Saamaka men hacking their way up a forested mountain discovered an abandoned excavator and logging camps in an area they believed should have remained untouched. The discovery highlights growing threats to one of the world’s most heavily forested countries, where roads, logging and gold mining are pushing deeper into largely intact rainforest. Saamaka communities are fighting back with satellite images, GPS mapping and forest patrols, documenting areas they have protected for generations in hopes of securing government recognition of their traditional forest management system. The Associated Press accompanied community patrols and a helicopter flyover to see how the Saamaka are responding to the incursions. Here are takeaways from AP’s reporting: Suriname’s largely intact forests face growing pressure Suriname, a small South American country of about 650,000 people, remains roughly 93% forested. Its fores