Young EcoLeaders of the Brazilian Rainforest

Hello dear donors and friends! 

Grab your water bottle and put on your boots, because today we're going to take you into the forest. Close your eyes and remember when you used to climb onto the yellow school bus and head out on an adventure. 

Sometimes I'm guessing you were apprehensive. But many times you were excited to be with your friends, right? 

So let's roll back the years, and imagine you are aboard the little yellow bus. Heading down the dirt road, over the wooden bridge, to an EcoLeaders class at Iracambi. And today it's time for your first lesson in the Ecosystems module. 

Are you ready? 

We'll start with a welcome and ice breaker. Everyone forms a circle and we'll ask you to tell us about the time you had an experience with nature. You saw a brightly colored frog. You heard the sound of water in a stream. You noticed the scent of the earth after a rainshower. So, what do you think that this place can teach us? What did the person next to you notice? Was it very different from your experience? 

Now it's time to explore the living map of Iracambi. You'll be divided up into groups of 3 or 4 and each of you will be given an illustrated map showing the key points of Iracambi. You'll hike the Medicinal Plants Trail and we'll ask you to describe three different species of plants, insects, or birds. As you explore the river we'll ask you to think about the water. Where does it come from? Where does it go? Why do we need rivers? Next we'll visit the forest nursery with its tables of tree seedlings. Why does Iracambi grow baby trees? Look at all the different species. Why do we need different species?  

Time to go to the restaurant for a quick snack, and to listen to our classmates as we discuss what we've seen and learned so far. 

Next we'll be going on a blindfold walk. We'll divide into pairs and take a safe section of the trail with one student blinfolded being guided by the other. The student who is blindfolded will focus on the sounds, smells and textures. And then the two will switch roles. Time to reflect. What did you notice without seeing it? Afterwards we'll all talk about what we noticed and how it changed our perception of the environment.  

And now its time for our creative workshop. We'll settle down in our open-air restaurant using paper, colored pencils, paints and other natural materials and create something to help us remember the day - painting, drawing, writing, making a poem or making music. Making a collage, doing a rainforest dance.  And then we'll share our work and think back about our day. What surprised us? What did we learn?  

So now, dear readers, we need to get back on the bus. And we really hope you enjoyed your day. Thank you for coming along with us, and we'll see you soon!

with love and appreciation from 

Dayana and the Young EcoLeaders 

Hello everyone! We hope you are well! 

We're very happy to share some hot news from Iracambi, straight from the Atlantic Forest. We've got news about a prehistoric plant, cultural exchange between volunteers and the community and reforestation. Thanks to the solidarity of our donors, we are still going strong in our efforts to reforest this important biome and make a difference to the community. Our year has just begun! Let's keep going together.

Happy reading, and have a great week!

Iracambi Team


Samambaiaçu: a plant from the Atlantic forest that has existed since the time of the dinosaurs

Samambaiaçu, popularly known as Xaxim, is a fascinating species from the Atlantic Rainforest. Our Environmental Education Coordinator, Dayana Duarte, explains that the samambaiaçu has a very fibrous trunk that is much sought after and used in gardening. Its rampant exploitation and illegal harvesting led to it being listed as endangered in 1992. In other words, it has been protected by law ever since. Link to video below.

Samambaiaçu has no flowers, fruits or seeds. Its reproduction is based on very small spores that remain under the leaves and need ideal conditions to multiply. It takes 100 years to reach ten metres in height, which means that it grows slowly. Isn't it sad to think that a species that has existed for millions of years, since the time of the dinosaurs, could become extinct because of human activity?

Cultural exchange: Together we are part of one world

Isabel Schroer, the Iracambi volunteer who produced this incredible video and wrote the text, has a story and a very beautiful message to share with you that says a lot about our NGO. Link to video below

“The aim of the cultural exchange project is to promote cultural exchange between Iracambi's volunteers, most of whom come from other countries, and students from the communities surrounding the NGO. This initiative allows the students to broaden their horizons and learn about new realities. Each week, a volunteer presents the riches of his or her country, its culture, environment, sports, curiosities and cuisine. To enrich the experience, they prepare typical dishes for everyone to try. Before the presentations, the students practise their English in small groups, which helps them to feel more confident in communicating. The students also proudly presented Brazil, Minas Gerais and the stories of their own community. The presentations included music, traditional dances and moments of interaction that made learning easy and fun. It was an exciting exchange, full of learning and new perspectives. Cultural exchange goes beyond learning about other cultures. It's an opportunity to practise languages, build bridges and reinforce the idea that 'TOGETHER WE ARE PART OF ONE WORLD'.”

Let's celebrate Women and Girls in Science Day

To celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, 11th February, we share (link to video below) this beautiful testimony from 11-year-old Isadora, one of the Young Ecoleaders trained here in Iracambi in last year's girls' class. The project engages students from the region in immersive experiences in the Atlantic Forest and hands-on learning to foster a new generation of environmental champions. At Iracambi, we believe in the transformative power of education in nature. Through hands-on experiences and engaging programs, we prepare students to protect this biome which is so vital to our region, the country, and our planet.

Links:

• Samambaiacu, a pre-historic plant
• Cultural exchange: Together we are part of one world
• Let's celebrate Women and Girls in Science Day