Forest restoration is often described as a long game. Trees that are planted today may take decades to mature, and ecosystems can take even longer to recover. Yet restoring degraded ecosystems requires more than patience, it often depends on the commitment of individuals willing to invest their own time, energy and resources for results they may never fully see. In Sungai Buaya, Selangor, photographer, conservationist and Green Tree co-founder David Lok has spent years personally funding a forest restoration initiative that brings together Orang Asli communities, conservationists and forestry authorities. He joins us to discuss the challenges and rewards of restoring a degraded landscape, what meaningful progress looks like over decades rather than years, and how a new exhibition of his works, Forest Speaks, is helping to support the effort.

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