iGiveTrees has supported smallholder nursery, reforestation and agroforestry projects in rural Brazil since 2010. Past field partners have been sharing best practices with one another while also teaching neighbors in their communities in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Goiás in Brazil. Now we are focused upon support for native tree seed collection in the Amazonian state of Acre.
Native seed collection in the Brazilian Amazon
With funds raised by iGiveTrees, Ashaninka native tree seed collectors now have climbing equipment to harvest seeds safely and efficiently. Photos below are from prior years, pre-pandemic, in a different part of the forest when they were last able to do large scale seed collection. Seeds are cleaned, sorted and taken to a laboratory where they are tested for viability before being sent to nurseries where they’re propagated for planting in regional projects.
Yorenka Tasorentsi is an indigenous-led institution that integrates traditional knowledge with modern techniques as a response to current planetary challenges. Their work is focused on regenerating and preserving the Amazon Rainforest to guarantee a future where all living beings can live in harmony with nature.
“One of the main meetings I had during the Amazon Dialogues was with Francisco, Wewito and João, from the Ashaninka tribe, which is one of the projects we support. Their leadership in the region of Acre and very efficient organization have, for a long time, had a high impact in spreading traditional seeds and agroforestry techniques.” ~ Leo Andrade iGiveTrees Brazilian Project Advisor