The Giving Forests

This breathtaking morning moment was captured from an open area in Poiana Calineasa of the Apuseni Mountains. A summer destination for many nearby inhabitants and their animals, Poiana Calineasa is made of warm, inviting rolling hills with mystic forests.

The Apuseni Mountains maintain their ancient robustness thanks to the Romanian government, which has protected over 50% of the area in stunning natural parks. The mountains also feature 67 of Europe’s Environmental Agency’s protected Natura 2000 sites.

While the government’s efforts have curbed large-scale exploitation of the forests, the Apuseni Mountains have the biggest population among Romanian mountains, and threats like overlogging and extensive grazing still remain.

Remember to use a real tree this holiday season, as it is more eco-friendly than synthetic ones if you’re celebrating the season with a tree. Forests are an ever-giving presence in our natural world - one of humanity’s great joys is protecting them in any way we can.

This award-winning photograph is from the seventh season, “The Moment”, of the Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Rashid al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) Archive. The Climate Tribe has partnered with HIPA, leveraging the power of photography to inspire global awareness of sustainability and advance climate action.