As President of the Board, I want to give you an update on our partners in Nepal we introduced you to in our August e-blast as they work to recover from the devastation resulting from the massive landslides, avalanche, and flooding. Our principal contacts have let us know that they are working to find information about their friends and families, including ManRaj (Carolyn’s partner in Nepalaya) going into hydro tunnels to see if he can rescue anyone trapped there. The landscape is difficult to navigate, community resources are strained, and life in the path of the destruction will take a long time to recover.
In Lamjung, Mission Green and Nepalaya stand together in support of the people of Nepal—building a long-term vision for conservation, community opportunity, and responsible ecotourism. Nepal’s community forests provide an inspiring foundation for this work. For decades, local forest user groups have helped protect, manage, and restore forests through local knowledge, shared responsibility, and community-led governance. These forests are not simply landscapes to admire; they provide water, biodiversity, food, materials, carbon storage, livelihoods, cultural meaning, and spiritual connection.
We received this video today which lets us know that some aspects of village life are continuing as “normal.” The teacher is working with her students to learn to write, take notes, and remain calm in the face of what is certainly difficult. School continues uninterrupted, showing remarkable resilience even while the village is cut off by a recent landslide and amid the ongoing disaster. Despite bare walls, simple wooden benches, and very limited resources, the energy and eagerness to learn among these young children is truly inspiring and, in the end, it’s the learning that will change their lives. We hope that a canopy walkway in Nepal will not only educate these children, but teach the entire world about the magical forest canopies of Nepal.
Vanessa Wassenar
Board President, TREE Foundation
