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“The Last Howl” for Reforestation in Costa Rica
The Metal Community Joins Non-Profit NGO ‘Savage Lands’ in Song to Preserve Precious Wildlife
“Hearing the chainsaw on a daily basis, because of a recent real estate fever destroying Costa Rica’s ecosystem, we thought it was time to start a new type of action”,
declares Sylvain Demercastel, a Costa Rican resident, activist, and metalhead. Together with Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren, Demercastel indeed took action and co-founded Savage Lands, a US-based 501(c)(3) NGO whose two main missions are:
- Finance reforestation operations
- Buy lands in order to preserve natural forests that would otherwise be threatened
Since their inception in 2022, Savage Lands has captured the attention and support from the international heavy metal community and entertainment industry. Highly touted bands Sepultura, Gojira, and Heilung join in spearheading the cause, along with record label Season Of Mist, and Decibel Magazine. They also team with local non-profits, scientists, forest engineers, and volunteers to help combat deforestation by building nature sanctuaries and establishing green zones.