Loss and preservation
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The world of sloths
Sometimes the silent movement needs the loudest effort.
When trees fall, cables are stretched, roads penetrate the forest –
then the silence moves deeper, and sloths are in danger.
But there are people who speak into this silence –
with projects, visions, courage and tireless patience.
They fight for what we hardly see, but must absolutely 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.
Especially in Costa Rica and Panama, forests are being cleared, power lines are being built,
and many animals die from electric shocks, 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,
becomes a weakness in an accelerated world.
But it is precisely in this silence that their strength lies –
and their salvation begins where people listen again.
The Keepers – 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
Sloth Conservation Foundation (SloCo) –
an organization that shows what modern species conservation work can achieve,
when science, empathy and creativity come together.
Under her leadership, projects are created that have an impact:
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Connected Gardens – Private gardens become bridges to life.
Plots in residential areas are planted and networked,
so that sloths can move from tree to tree again. -
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 areas. -
Awareness & Education – Schools, communities, tourism projects
are involved in programs to raise awareness.
Rebecca Cliffe was awarded the Future For Nature Award for her work.
Under her leadership, SloCo has, in just a few years,
Over 360 tree bridges installed , over 10,000 trees planted
and dozens of communities are connected.
Your project is proof that science and commitment
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 insulated power pole, every bridge, every planted tree
is part of a large map of preservation –
a map that grows, tree by tree.
Brandwork: Art as Preservation
With The Keeper of Stillness , Brandhoek
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 attitude.
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
At Brandhoek it’s also about balance –
between nature and design, between calm 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, compassion, precision and vision.
This sloth edition does not represent sadness,
but for memory and energy at the same time.
It shows that standing still is sometimes the bravest thing,
what you can do to counter a world full of speed.
The Keeper of Stillness is not a quiet work.
It is a reminder
that patience is a form of strength
– and preservation 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 the current Brandhoek collection of exotic rainforest plants
Sometimes salvation comes not from movement, but from perseverance.
This work reminds us that patience is not standstill –
it is preservation in the breath of time.