Loss and Preservation
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The World of Sloths
Sometimes the silent movement requires the loudest effort.
When trees fall, cables are strung, roads encroach on the forest –
Then the silence grows deeper, and sloths are put in danger.
But there are people who speak into this silence –
with projects, visions, courage and tireless patience.
They are fighting for what we barely see, but absolutely must preserve:
the slow world of sloths, their forests, their paths, their lives.
The state of sloths – endangered, but not lost
Sloths have become symbols of patience and peace –
But their habitat shrinks with every new kilometer of road.
Particularly in Costa Rica and Panama, forests are being cleared and power lines are being built.
and many animals die from electrocution, traffic or dog bites.
It is estimated that over 3,000 sloths lose their lives every year.
through human intervention in their habitat.
Their slow movement, which was once a survival strategy,
In an accelerated world, this becomes a weakness.
But it is precisely in this silence that their strength lies –
And their salvation begins where people start listening again.
The guardians – people who go full throttle
One woman is at the center of this movement: Dr. Rebecca Cliffe .
She is a biologist, researcher, and founder of the
Sloth Conservation Foundation (SloCo) –
an organization that demonstrates what modern species conservation work can achieve,
when science, empathy and creative power come together.
Under her leadership, projects are created that have an impact:
-
Connected Gardens – Private gardens become bridges to life.
Plots of land in residential areas are being planted and networked,
so that sloths can once again move from tree to tree. -
Canopy Bridges – crossings made of ropes and rope walkways,
connect the forests and replace power lines. -
Power line protection – insulation and infrastructure projects
prevent fatal electric shocks in densely populated regions. -
Education & awareness – schools, communities, tourism projects
are integrated into programs to raise awareness.
Rebecca Cliffe was awarded the Future For Nature Award for her work.
Under her leadership, SloCo has grown in just a few years
Over 360 tree bridges installed , over 10,000 trees planted.
and connects dozens of communities.
Their project is proof that science and commitment
to create a new form of preservation – real, measurable, moving.
The dimension of rescue
Sloth conservation is not romantic – it is expensive, complex, and challenging.
It costs materials, personnel, training, monitoring and infrastructure.
But this is precisely where the interface between vision and reality lies.
Rebecca Cliffe and her team finance their work
through donations, partnerships and targeted funding.
Every isolated power pole, every bridge, every planted tree
is part of a larger map of preservation –
a map that grows, tree by tree.
Brandwork: Art as preservation
With The Keeper of Stillness , Brandhoek
continue this story – not as an observer, but as a participant.
Art becomes the language of preservation.
It makes visible what is slowly disappearing,
and transforms silence into posture.
Brandwork stands for more than just aesthetics.
It is a commitment to the connection between consciousness and design:
the idea that beauty can carry responsibility.
As in the projects of the Sloth Conservation Foundation
Brandhoek is also about balance –
between nature and design, between tranquility and expression.
Loss and preservation – a shared truth
Loss has many faces:
Trees falling. Habitats disintegrating.
But preservation is not a state – it is movement.
It arises from knowledge, empathy, precision, and vision.
This sloth edition does not represent mourning,
but for memory and action at the same time.
It shows that sometimes standing still is the bravest thing to do.
what one can counter a world full of speed.
The Keeper of Stillness is not a quiet work.
It is a reminder of
that patience is a form of strength
– and preservation is a form of movement.
Sources & further information
– Sloth Conservation Foundation (SloCo) – www.slothconservation.org
– The Sloth Institute Costa Rica – www.theslothinstitutecostarica.org
– Future For Nature Award – www.futurefornature.org
– BBC Wildlife – Saving the Slowest Animal on Earth , 2023
– National Geographic – The Secret Life of Sloths , 2024
– Ubuntu Magazine – Interview with Dr. Rebecca Cliffe , 2024
Brandhoek 2024
This work – The Keeper of Stillness – comes from Brandhoek's current collection of rainforest exotics.
Sometimes salvation comes not through action, but through perseverance.
This work reminds us that patience is not stagnation –
It is preservation in the breath of time.