Every Day is Earth Day - iGiveTrees

Brazil is home to the biomes of Amazonia, Mata Atlântica & Cerrado.

The Amazon

COP25-Francisco-P-Amazon — Meeting Ashinka leader Francisco Piyãko at COP25 in 2019 in front of the Brazilian Pavilion, he spoke of the agroforestry work of his people in Acre, Brazil. He then presented us with a book about their projects. At that time iGiveTrees wasn’t able to offer assistance.

The Atlantic Forest

Our 2021-2023 field partners Fazenda Sertão, in the biome of the Mata Atlântica (Atlantic Forest), in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, began the restoration of an endangered species palm Euterpe edulis Martius on their own land.

Commonly known as juçara, jussara, açaí-do-sul or palmiteiro, it’s a palm tree native to the Atlantic Forest. Its fruits are highly appreciated in cooking and have high nutritional value. As it is a plant that grows in a more shaded area of the forest, it is being introduced in agroforestry systems that are already in place, which guarantees that they will be cared for together with the other species that are present in the planted areas.

Since Fazenda Sertão is an established organic farm using syntropic agroforestry methods, while educating their local community, we see great potential for cooperative growth. We are now creating a master plan to scale up their agroforestry plantings.

They have also initiated design plans with two neighboring properties

Sertao-Rixo-WhatsApp-Image-2022-10-04-at-9.24.01-AM

In this area (Capim Roxo) is reforestation with (native) forest species, we are not going to do agroforestry. They are areas of difficult access and the objective is to restore forest cover as they are areas covered by grass. Using the grass itself we will cover the soil.

Camila Tati Barata – Fazenda Sertão

The Cerrado

In 2022 we welcomed new field partners in second biggest biome of South America, Cerrado, in the state of Goiás, Brazil. It is fundamental to the hydric balance of South America. Threatened by the expansion of soy monoculture, only 20% of its original vegetation remains intact. Today it is one of the most endangered biomes of the planet, inhabited by “invisible” people.

The Chapada Verde Project, is a socio-environmental project that contributes to the conservation and restoration of the Cerrado biome, producing seedlings of native species along with native communities, providing technical support for reforestation and running environmental education activities.

Our first pledge to this extensive project, was to support the operation of this newly constructed greenhouse for tree seedlings to be used in community reforestation projects. In the video below you’ll see a local neighbor who was given tree seedlings to plant on his land in exchange for a load of compost. Our pledge has been fulfilled and we will continue to support their outreach.

Our nursery is already operating at full capacity. Next week we will start an accurate and detailed inventory. Our estimate is that we already have around 10,000 seedlings ready for planting, to be distributed as soon as the rainy season begins.

The seedlings we have today were produced and donated by a nursery belonging Rede Terra (founded by Zizo), in the municipality of Cristalina, 330km from Alto Paraíso. As the (seed) collection window only occurs in the months of August and September, donations were of great importance so that we are ready to contribute during the next planting season, which begins in November.

Rudá Iandê

Communities of the Cerrado

Brazil is home to the biomes of Amazônia, Cerrado, Mata Atlântica, Caatinga, Pantanal and Pampa.