Project Report
| May 31, 2017
Moringa and agroforestry
By Katie | Project Coordinator
This week we expanded our agroforestry project with a new species, moringa! Moringa is a plant that comes from Asia and Africa and has been discovered as a superfood for its amazing benefits like vitamin B and C, iron, Magensiam, and Zinc. Its seeds can actually filter water to make it potable. Moringa Oleifera grows in virtually all countries where malnutrition is widespread and may be a great part of a comprehensive plan to alleviate malnutrition throughout the world. Moringa is a tree that grows extraordinarily fast in environments where most other plants can’t survive — dry, semi arid places like Darfur and southern Ethiopia, in addition to tropical climates like Brazil.
Here at SINAL, we are experimenting with different ways in which to regenerate the Mata Atlantica, including productive systems such as agroforestry. We want to find ways the reforesting the ecosystem can also bring economic benefit to local landowners, otherwise we believe we will never be able to recuperate the forest. We had American students from Canisius College - who were participating in a learning journey here at SINAL - that were able to particpate in our reforestation and they were extremely touched by the planting. Many said it was their favorite moment of their time at SINAL, knowing they were participating in the restoration of this endangered ecosystem.
The college come every year - so the idea is that each year they can plant more trees time they come and eventually reforest the whole hill.
![Share on Twitter]()
![Share on Facebook]()
Mar 1, 2017
Guava Plantation
By Katie | Project Coordinator
SINAL has earned itself a new guava orchard! Last month, Sydney and Jorge - two local Brazilian workers who both have quite the green thumbs - planted 150 guava trees. Half are white guavas and half are red guavas. Guavas are a very typical fruit from Brazil and are used in many local dishes. As SINAL promotes healthy, sustainable and local foods, we are working to produce as many native, local fruit trees as we can and then designing recipes to fit them.
Agroforestry is a great tool we use here at SINAL for reforesting while also producing an edible crop. We hope to use agroforestry as a technique with other local farmers in order to promote reforestation. Guava is a great fruit for agroforestry, as welll as cacau, which we often plant.
In addition, our natural regeneration project is continuing with great sucess. In fact, a spring that had been dried up for years has returned on its own - a great sign of the water shed health of the region.
![Share on Twitter]()
![Share on Facebook]()
Dec 6, 2016
A Year in Review
By Katie | Project Coordinator
![The "mutirao"]()
The "mutirao"
As the year comes to an end, we here at SINAL are reflecting on the wonderful successes we have had in terms of reforestation this year!
In total we planted over 1,000 trees in over 50 species since January, and many of these are thanks to the generous donors of Global Giving. Having done the calculations, this is at least 70 tons of carbon we are capturing. As we have shown in our reports throughout the year, we are using various methods of restoration in order to develop prototypes of possible techniques that can then be replicated in the region – from agroforestry to classical reforestation to an experimental and innovative technique called Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR). Read more about our ANR project here. We are working to show that cheaper, more innovative methods do exist for reforestation and production of food and our vision is to spread this knowledge throughout the Rio Green Belt region.
Last month on national reforestation day, we had a large "mutirão" (which is a beautiful brazilian word for when everyone comes together to get something done) with another NGO called Reflorse to plant over 200 trees in agro-forest style. We planted a mixture of mulberry trees and banana trees (to provide shade) and native Mata Atlantica trees. We will soon add cacau and goiaba trees to complete the agroforest. It was a beautiful day, especially as this area had suffered from the fire in August. The group was very enthusiastic to participate and are looking forward to returning to plant the rest of the trees.
Donors who are interested in reading more about the agroforest can read about it on our blog here: http://thelivinglaboratory.weebly.com/journal
![Share on Twitter]()
![Share on Facebook]()
