Can we heal the soil? Can people and land be woven back together?

In a time when climate anxiety and ecological degradation often dominate the narrative, Healing Forests offers a different kind of story—one rooted in hope, regeneration, and partnership. This powerful short film, directed by Brad Abrams and produced by the forest creators at SUGi, captures a unique collaboration between the global rewilding movement and the Yakama Nation. It asks two profound questions: Can we heal the soil? Can people and land be woven back together? The answer it offers is a resounding yes.

At its heart, Healing Forests is about reconnection. It invites viewers into a living, breathing forest born of care, culture, and commitment. As the camera moves gently through sun-dappled leaves and newly flourishing undergrowth, we meet the SUGi Forest Makers—Ethan Bryson and MaryLee Smunitee Jones—who have worked hand-in-hand with the Yakama Nation to bring this land back to life. Together, they nurture not just trees, but community, heritage, and hope. Watch the video below.

 

The film is more than a visual celebration of nature—it is a call to action and a reminder that restoring the environment begins with restoring relationships. Relationships between people and place, between ancestral knowledge and modern techniques, between what has been lost and what can still be regained.

Healing Forests is ore than just a local project. It is part of a broader tapestry of ecological and cultural renewal, connecting to other rewilding efforts like SUGi’s Manhattan Healing Forest in New York City, which reimagines urban restoration through a similar lens of community-led planting and education. (You can explore these stories at Healing Forest and Healing Manhattan).

Ultimately, Healing Forests is a reminder that healing is possible—if we listen, if we partner, and if we plant. The soil remembers, and with the care of people who honor its story, it can flourish again. This film invites us all to join that movement. To grow something deeper than roots—to grow renewal.

 

About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 , led by the United Nations Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and its partners, covers terrestrial as well as coastal and marine ecosystems. As a global call to action, it will draw together political support, scientific research and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration. Find out how you can contribute to the UN Decade . Follow #GenerationRestoration.