The Philippines’ Sibuyan Island is home to some of the world’s densest forest and several rare, endemic plant and animal species. In June, Seacology struck a deal with the island’s Mangyan tribe, who reside at the foot of Mount Guiting-Guiting, to safeguard almost a quarter of this pristine landscape, which has come under increasing pressure due to illegal logging.

The community has long struggled to meet its electricity needs and is concerned that the continued deforestation in Sibuyan’s important watershed will impact the performance of the island’s micro-hydro power station. Seacology’s plan to supply the villagers with dozens of solar lighting units—one for each household—in exchange for active protection of the forest, will both mitigate the strain on the area’s power system and protect much of the threatened forest. The project, generously underwritten by our affiliates at Seacology Germany, represents a true win-win.

Read more about the project here.