Cone People
Trever Santora
11 mins | 2023
Meet the unsung heroes who steal from squirrels to regrow forests and spark hope in the battle against climate change. The Cone People’s labor of love, collecting and growing native seeds, preserves the forest's diversity while they earn a modest living.
Sponsored by:
Friday Harbor Film Festival
Meet the unsung heroes who steal from squirrels to regrow forests and spark hope in the battle against climate change. In the shadow of tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft, nestled within Washington's struggling timber communities, reside the unsung heroes known as the "Cone People." They collect and grow native seeds, even borrowing from squirrel caches, to preserve the forest's diversity and earn a modest living. Their unseen labor, much like the quiet workings of nature, shapes our world in ways often unacknowledged.
Cone People documents their intricate labor of love - foraging, bargaining, and baking cone - showcasing how their communities depend on tree seeds for survival. In an age dominated by billion-dollar tech companies, their story serves as a powerful reminder that the most vital solutions to our problems are often the simplest and closest to the earth.
Trever Santora
A documentary photographer, ethnographer, and product designer, with unique access to the profound and obscure life of forestry workers, Trever Santora's work has been featured in Forbes, NPR, CNN, and TechCrunch. Santora’s first job in forestry was as a commercial mushroom picker.
CREDITS
Director
Trever Santora
Producer
Brady Holden
Native Seeds
Producer
McKenna Asakawa
Native Seeds
Sound Designer
Billy Wirasnik
King Coal, Best Clowns
Executive Producer
Alexis Ohanian
Executive Producer
Katelin Holloway
DIRECTOR STATEMENT
In the shadow of tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft, nestled within Washington's struggling timber communities, reside the unsung heroes known as the "Cone People." They collect and grow native seeds, even borrowing from squirrel caches, to preserve the forest's diversity and earn a modest living. Their unseen labor, much like the quiet workings of nature, shapes our world in ways often unacknowledged. Cone People documents their intricate labor of love - foraging, bargaining, and baking cone - showcasing how their communities depend on tree seed for survival. In an age dominated by billion-dollar tech companies, their story serves as a powerful reminder that the most vital solutions to our problems are often the simplest and closest to the earth.