This paper analyses the community revitalization process, made possible through the new narratives about the village wetlands and forests. The "Camellia" Village, Jeju Island, South Korea, had been once devastated by a political trauma: the massacre of more than a third of the village's population, followed by a process of depopulation due to urbanization. However, since the 2000s, Camellia Village has rebuilt its sense of community by reevaluating the village forest and wetlands as a common resource and heritage. With the dire memories of the massacre and the remnants of the numerous dead bodies, the forest had become a site of fear associated with the memory of death and horror. Similarly, since the introduction of the public water supply system, the wetlands have become abandoned. Yet, with the rediscovery of ecological values, the elders' memories of the forest and wetlands began to be considered indispensable village assets. Memories of making charcoal in the forest and carrying drinking water from the wetlands to their village provided a concrete narrative for younger generations to synthesize in ecotourism and village building. The village forest, given a new value, became a place to dream of a new future rather than a place of massacre. Furthermore, as a UNESCO heritage site, the village wetlands became a conduit for the village to engage with the world. Most importantly, the village elders were no longer viewed as distant but as individuals with tangible resources that made the village's future possible. Even their hard to understand Jeju vernacular gained a new value. This change resulted in an increase in the village population, the formation of new relationships between generations, and a restored sense of community. In this sense, the Camellia Village case exemplifies how the new cultural understanding of the local ecosystem can lead to community revitalization.