Deep in the Budongo Forest of Western Uganda, looms Alstonia, a tree species with powerful healing properties. For centuries people living in the forest-edge have used the bark of this tree to treat malaria and many other serious illnesses. Hearing these rumors, I travelled into the forest to learn more. My focus, however, was not just on human uses of Alstonia. Stationed at a small outpost in a forest clearing, I spent 9-months following two communities of wild chimpanzees, observing what they ate and taking health measurements. My goal: figure out whether the chimpanzees of the Budongo forest also use Alstonia bark for medicine. Alstonia tells the story of a race against the clock, an attempt to unlock the bank of chimpanzee medicinal knowledge and identify the plants they need to survive—before it's too late.

As climate change and habitat destruction continue to disrupt natural processes, humans and chimpanzees are being displaced and losing access to familiar flora. As the story unfolds, we realize we are not only fighting to save the chimpanzees and their forest homes, we are fighting for our own survival. As the growing threat of anthelmintic and antibiotic resistant pathogens looms large, we may need to return to nature’s pharmacies for solutions. But without our primate cousins to point us in the right direction, will we have a chance at finding the medicines we need? Or will it be too late?