The Ebony Project, a partnership between the UCLA Congo Basin Institute and Taylor Guitars, seeks to make a transformative difference at the intersection of science, community and sustainability. This year marks the 10th anniversary of working toward intertwined goals: restoring the Congo Basin’s population of ebony trees, a slow-growing species prized for its dense, dark wood, and empowering local communities in Cameroon. As someone whose lifelong passions are art and the environment, working on the Ebony Project was a dream opportunity. Environmental work must always prioritize the consent and knowledge of local Indigenous groups as the past and present stewards of the land. The Ebony Project's intersectional lens embodies this new era of environmental research and conservation that my generation of graduates is embarking upon.