Thanks to Juan Carlos Antezana and Nena Baltazar, eleven-year-old Tomas is not shining shoes on the streets of El Alto, Bolivia's biggest and harshest slum. He is taking care of the pumas, monkeys and birds at the Inti Wara Yassi refuge in the country’s lush tropical region of Chapari.

Lucas Chiappe, eco-activist, farmer and photographer from Argentina's spectacular Patagonia region, is leading an international coalition with a bold vision: creating a sanctuary that encircles the bottom of the planet to preserve the earth's southern-most forests. The Gondwana Forest Sanctuary is the first plan to conserve millions of acres of forests in four countries.

For indigenous people in Peru, for thousands of years being a good steward of the forest meant speaking the language of animals and plants, and mastering the nuances of their interdependence. These days, being a good steward means in addition to this, speaking the language of oil executives and interior ministry officials, and mastering the nuances of territorial law. 

The Earth's natural beauty and bounty have inspired awe, reverence, and spiritual passions for millennia. Today, religious and environmental leaders around the world are working to connect the religious traditions that support nature with environmental activism and protection.

This emerging alliance of religion and ecology is rooted in a belief that environmental protection can be promoted by activating a sense of the earth's sacred qualities. It’s happening all around the globe.

The Earth's natural beauty and bounty have inspired awe, reverence, and spiritual passions for millennia. Today, religious and environmental leaders around the world are working to connect the religious traditions that support nature with environmental activism and protection.

This emerging alliance of religion and ecology is rooted in a belief that environmental protection can be promoted by activating a sense of the earth's sacred qualities. It’s happening all around the globe.