Restoring Brazil's Atlantic Forest

Hey there 

I'm Liz, WeForest's Corporate Partnership Development Manager. I’ve recently returned from a super inspiring visit to our Wildlife Corridors programme in Brazil which I can't wait to tell you about. 

Seeing first-hand the devastating effects agricultural farming has had on the Atlantic Forest really brought home to me just how important the work is that we are doing here.

Because of the wonderful generosity of you and other donors, we have now exceeded the 2 million tree mark in this incredibly biodiverse biome! Thank you, thank you, thank you :)

Restoring such a diverse forest landscape isn't easy. The level of detail that goes into the process from sourcing and storing the seeds to planting and caring for the seedlings in the nurseries before they are finally planted in the wild is truly mind blowing! With over 120 different tree species all with different needs, there's some serious planning required to ensure these trees not only survive but thrive for the long term. 

By restoring forests strategically, we’re also helping animals to have a better chance of survival. Trees are planted to create wildlife corridors which join remaining forest fragments together, giving species larger areas to roam and breed and guess what .......it's working!!!

Whilst visiting an area restored around 8 years ago by our partner AES, we had the great (and very rare) privilege of seeing a puma using these forests! Check out the video on the youtube link to see the puma entering the young forest! 

This year, WeForest is participating in GlobalGiving’s Giving Tuesday incentive. This 24-hour campaign takes place on 29th November, a global day of giving celebrated by nonprofits, corporations, and donors alike!

GlobalGiving is offering a $1,200,000 incentive fund to organizations who receive the most funding on the day so we're super excited to see what WeForest can achieve with your help.

Without your kind donations none of this would be possible, so thank you once again from all of us here at WeForest and of course Patsy (the puma)

Links:

• Puma entering a restoration area, Tiete

The adjustments we’ve made in planting and maintenance are already showing a much better result than the seedlings we monitored early this year, which, after the worst dry spell in 91 years being followed by unprecedented frosts, were showing lower survival rates than usual.  Though we haven’t got the data analyzed yet, it’s clear to the naked eye that the seedlings are coming up faster and stronger. Invasive grass control is also taking place so that replanting can start once the rains arrive, hopefully in October. 

The photo shows an area approximately six months after planting where the new technique of irrigating at the same time as planting was carried out. During the last field visit, our Brazil Project Manager was impressed by the high survival estimates – around 90% in some areas, like this one. Early in 2023 a vegetation assessment will take place to measure survival and development of planted trees as well as spontaneous regeneration. 

As well as making adjustments in planting techniques to ensure better survival, our partner Viveiro Floresta (IPÊ) is helping the community nurseries improve their facilities, making sure there will be enough seedlings to fulfill the increasing restoration demand at Pontal. Following a workshop organized by WeForest and IPÊ at the end of last year, the nursery staff have been using the reference books and incorporating the best identification practices into their daily routine. Year after year, the identification of the best performing species will be tailored to concentrate on the most likely to survive and develop in the field.

Thank you for making this possible!