Young EcoLeaders of the Brazilian Rainforest

Dear friends and supporters,

What an amazing year, and what a lot we have achieved together! Thanks to you we’ve been able to set a whole lot of rainforest kids on their way to becoming forest champions. We’ve  hosted several large school groups for their first ever adventure day in the forest, we’ve made presentations in local schools and citizen associations, we’ve involved parents, teachers and school support staff, and of course we’ve been running our regular Eco Leaders Program, and reaching more students all the time. .

And this year we've been doing it a little differently. We hope you love our new approach as much as the students do! Here's how it works. Since our objective is to introduce them to the amazing world of the rainforest - and become future environmental champions and EcoLeaders - we’re focusing on helping them learn not only with their heads, but also with their hearts and all their senses.

You can't love something that you don't really know. And to know it is more than reading about it or hearing your teacher talk about it. If you want to get to know the rainforest you need to get out of the classroom and into the forest.  You need to roll up your sleeves, take off your shoes, get your hands in the dirt. Feel the cool air as you step into the forest, place your cheek against the rough bark of a tree or the soft velvety smoothness of the moss. Smell the earth after the rain, and the scents of the flowering trees. Stay quiet and listen to the tiny sounds of the forest – the leaves moving, the sound of the birds and the insects. Lie on your back and look up at the leaves dancing in the breeze. Look and really see the colors and shapes of the leaves and the flowers. Watch a hairy caterpillar or a brightly colored bird. Understand that you yourself are a part of nature.

And once you understand that, you'll be far more interested in learning the whys and wherefores. It seems to be working. You only have to loook at the big smiles on the faces of the kids as they jump out of the school bus or the Iracambi Kombi, run back into the forest and then settle down for a discussion.

With your help we're reaching more Eco Leaders, one child, one parent, one teacher, one visitor at a time. Thank you so much for being a part of such important and exciting work. We couldn't do it without you! 

Rainforest love for a wonderful holiday season, 

Marina and the Eco Leaders  

Links:

• Iracambi site