Mangrove trees, Walakiri Beach, island of Sumba, Indonesia (© Boonchet Ch./Getty Images)

As twilight descends on Walakiri Beach on the island of Sumba, Indonesia, the silhouettes of mangrove trees stand like sentinels in the tide—graceful, resilient and vital. Today, on International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, we honour these extraordinary trees and the critical role they play in sustaining life on our planet.