Hunter-gatherers like the Mbendjele BaYaka, also referred to as Pygmies, have unique knowledge about the delicate balance of the eco-system they live in. In order to address climate change it becomes increasingly important to search more innovatively for solutions. The intimate knowledge of people who have lived for millennia in such eco-systems could be valuable in conservation projects working in the Congo. When people are forced to sedentarise in order to have access to health, education and other services, they not only abandon their previous mode of life but also lose the accumulated knowledge and skills that came with it, and humanity is that much poorer.