On September 22, the 5^th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves officially opened in Hangzhou, China, bringing together voices from around the world to explore the future of people and nature. At the same time, the official theme film of the Congress was launched, telling the world the story of humanity's relationship with nature.

We've never stopped asking a very old question: Are we part of nature or just its witnesses? When we say PROTECT, what is it we're really trying to secure? Across the world, some are trying to answer this question.

Across civilizations, long before scientific conservation had a name, people lived in harmony with the land, not beside it, not against it. The wisdom of coexistence wasn't theory. It was custom, woven into the fabric of daily life.

In the heart of primeval forests, trees have stood for more than a thousand years. They provided shade, memory and belief. They were not avoided, but honored. And in doing so people shaped a way of life rooted, patient, and deeply aware.

Through this respect and companionship that humans began to use science to understand nature, rather than simply record what was vanishing. Here it stayed, not just to study, but to stand alongside. Science is not above nature, it listens, it learns, and it protects.

People build their lives alongside the wild. There are no walls, just habits, rhythms and trust. Coexistence is not a goal, but a way of growing together. Connection is rediscovered in daily moments that feel personal and shared.

From alpine forests to coastal wetlands, Biosphere Reserves carry different names but share the same purpose. These are not just protected zones. They are test grounds for balance, trust and possibility.

This gathering is not a celebration. It is a promise, a promise to ask better questions and shape a sustainable future for people and nature.