7 Places to Visit Before It’s Too Late

The Congo Basin, Africa

Rain forests produce a large chunk of the world’s supply of oxygen. As they shrink, less carbon dioxide is absorbed, adding to climate change. Research reveals that two million acres are lost every year in the Congo Basin, the world’s second largest rain forest after the Amazon, due to illegal logging, ranching, mining, and civil warfare. And newly paved roads double as easy access routes for poachers to track down endangered species like mountain gorillas, okapis, bonobos, and forest elephants. If conversation efforts do not amplify, scientists estimate that up to two-thirds of the forest might be lost by 2040.