Caring for the forests is caring for Cuba’s future (+ photos)

Forestry Workers’ Day is a celebration established in Cuba in 1982 to honor those who build the nation’s green heritage, and to recognize the daily work of the men and women who, deep in the forests, defy the silence, the remoteness, and the harsh weather.

This June 21st is not just another date on the calendar: it is a well-deserved recognition of those who carry the scent of resin in their hands, the sun of the mountains on their skin, and in their souls the conviction that every tree planted is an act of sovereignty.

Cuba now boasts a forest cover exceeding 33 percent of its territory, the result of a political will that placed reforestation among the priorities of Tarea Vida (Task Life), the State’s plan for confronting climate change.

Forests not only oxygenate the air and sequester carbon; they are irreplaceable sources of water, a refuge for biodiversity, and a shield against soil erosion. But behind that olive green that brings so much pride, there is sweat, science and a mystique that only someone who has planted a majagua post on an almost vertical hill understands.