Príncipe is a small island - only about 142 square kilometres - but it is packed with life. Ancient rainforest covers most of the interior, rare birds sing in the canopy, and sea turtles come ashore on quiet beaches. UNESCO gave it Biosphere Reserve status because so much of nature here is still intact and healthy.
A Biosphere Reserve is not just a wildlife park. People live and work inside it too, growing food, fishing and running small businesses. The idea is that people and nature look after each other. Farmers on Príncipe grow cacao, pepper and other crops in ways that keep the soil and forest healthy at the same time.
The waters around Príncipe are just as rich as the land. Coral reefs shelter fish, dolphins swim close to the shore, and the island has some of the clearest ocean water in the Atlantic. Snorkellers can see colourful fish without even going very deep.
Children on Príncipe grow up learning about the island's nature from a young age. Local schools run programmes where pupils help count birds, record what plants are growing and report what they see on the beaches - making them junior scientists for their own island.