Yacumama: the Mother of All Rivers
Big Story
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52m
Across the spine of the Andes, life depends on ancient Polylepis forests that gather glacial melt and sustain the rivers below. “Yacumama: The Mother of All Rivers” follows Constantino Aucca as he leads a massive effort to restore these endangered forests, planting trees to safeguard the region’s water future. In Colombia’s Sierra Nevada, the Arhuaco people reclaim lands once taken by cartels, using spiritual guidance and modern tools to bring native species back to their mountains. Their work reconnects damaged terrain to the high paramos—mystical wetlands where clouds condense and the water cycle first awakens—now themselves under threat from mining. Tied to these landscapes is the legend of the Yacumama, the great serpent mother whose presence reminds us of humanity’s enduring bond with the natural world.
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