Insects have shaped forests for millions of years. They pollinate plants, recycle nutrients and support birds, mammals and entire food webs. Yet their world is fading due to habitat loss, pesticides, climate change and pollution. As insects decline, ecosystems weaken. Through restoration work like Restore the Legacy, forests and their insect life can recover.

Plants are able to heat up thier reproductive organs to attract beetles. They do this coordinated between male and female plants and thus get beetles to bring pollen around for them.

Rhizobium are nitrogen‑fixing bacteria living in root nodules of legume plants. They convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form plants can use, enriching poor tropical soils and helping forests recover. These bacteria also support nature‑inclusive farming by reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers.

Climate change is not just about drought. In tropical regions like Indonesia, too much rain can also threaten agriculture, food security, and livelihoods, showing why resilience must be approached at the landscape level.

Healthy forests are essential for healthy coral reefs. When forests disappear, sediment, nutrients, and polluted runoff flow into the ocean, smothering corals and reducing water clarity. Reforestation stabilises soil, filters water, restores natural hydrology, and reduces nutrient overload — giving coral reefs the chance to recover. In Bali, restoring forests upland directly supports the reefs below.

Plants can produce chemicals we use for everything from medicinal purposes, to caffeine in our coffee. However, how plants have “discovered” how to make some of these chemicals separately from each other. How these plants may have done this, is that they can borrow genes ‘which are the plans to mak these chemicals’ from bacteria!

Our work at Restore the Legacy shows that mycorrhiza is essential for restoring healthy tropical forests in Bali and Borneo. In this article, we explain how these underground fungi improve soil health, boost tree growth, and strengthen ecosystem resilience.