These are the people building the biofabrication industry from the ground up, and sitting with them changed how we thought about what's possible. They talked about their products, sure, but what struck us was their conviction that we don't have to keep taking from a planet that's running out. Biology can be a tool for building, not just something to protect. It's a strange kind of hope, rooted in labs and science, but it feels real.

In the villages of Mozambique, we weren't treated as outsiders. Families opened their doors, shared their meals, and made space for us in their daily lives. What we learned is that without seeing local communities as partners, without honoring their needs and listening to their voices, no effort to protect wildlife can ever truly succeed.