In the heart of the Congo, a small tropical forest in the extreme southeast of Cameroon live the Baka. The forest is their home, their market, their pharmacy and their hunting grounds but especially their soul. In this dense, green habitat that received 2,500 MM of water annual it always seems to be raining. The Baka culture is intimately linked to the forest. These sanctuaries of tropical vegetation shelter a dense biodiversity. Regardless, the rich life has been diminished by resource extraction.
Photographer Cyril Ruoso journeys into southeast Cameroon to live with the Baka natives, hunter-gatherers to are intimately tied to the forest. His voyage helps us to understand the essential role of this rainforest environment to maintaining the health of the planet. He traveled to the heart of the forest to learn about the dangers that threaten the survival of this region, but equally to learn about the solutions that are being used to heal this emerald land, the lungs of our planet.
A book entitled 'Il Etait une fois la Foret' will be published in 2009 through Groupe Fleurus which is illustrated by Ruoso's photos and Grundmann's text.
