Bringing Life Back to the Terra Institute
Terra Institute: where reforestation flourishes and nature thrives again.
Euresia Eunice butterfly in the Instituto Terra forest by Leonardo MerçonOriginal Source: Instituto Terra's Collection
Bringing life back to the Terra Institute
The Atlantic Forest once covered 0.5 million square miles (1.3 million km²). Today, only 24% of its original cover remains. Still, it is one of the most biodiverse biomes on the planet. In 1998, Lélia Wanick and Sebastião Salgado decided to transform the old Bulcão Farm, bringing life back to a place marked by degradation.
At first, everything seemed impossible: the soil was poor, the rivers were dry and the fauna had disappeared. Over time, the forest began to reappear and new life emerged.
Seeds that will become trees at the RPPN Fazenda Bulcão by Philippe LemarchandOriginal Source: Instituto Terra's Collection
The cradle of life in the forest
In the heart of the Terra Institute, the forest of tomorrow is born. The native seedling nursery is a cradle of life, capable of producing 500,000 trees every year.
Instituto Terra's native tree nursery by Leonardo MerçonOriginal Source: Instituto Terra's Collection
There are more than 300 different species, preserving the biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest and carrying the promise of a greener future.
Reforested Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN) Bulcão Farm by Leonardo MerçonOriginal Source: Instituto Terra's Collection
The forest is reborn
Today, more than 3.3 million canopies stand tall as a reborn forest. Springs are gushing again, rivers are flowing freely, and the previously arid soil is flourishing with life. Nature celebrates its reunion with hope.
Birds have started singing again and leaves rustle as mammals walk, silent reptiles glide along the trails, and small insects buzz in search of nectar among the flowers.
Besourinho-de-bico-vermelho in the reforested area of Bulcão Farm by Leonardo MerçonOriginal Source: Instituto Terra's Collection
Fauna returned
Some 235 animal species have returned to their home—172 birds that cross the skies, 33 mammals that follow quiet trails, as well as reptiles, amphibians and insects that find shelter and food among the reborn trees.
Among these new residents, 12 endangered species found refuge, and 32 species endemic to the Atlantic Forest once again protect the unique identity of this biome. Life has returned.
A pair of canaries in the Instituto Terra forest by Leonardo MerçonOriginal Source: Instituto Terra's Collection
Wings of hope
The birds were the first to return. Woodpeckers, seriemas, and hummingbirds fly freely through the forest, coloring the horizon and spreading seeds that speed up natural regeneration.
Corujinha-do-mato among the foliage of the reforested forest by Leonardo MerçonOriginal Source: Instituto Terra's Collection
Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) found in RPPN Bulcão Farm (2012) by Instituto Terra's Collection/Photo by Leonardo MerçonInstituto Terra
Guardians of the forest
Anteaters, ocelots, and howler monkeys have returned silently, like ancient guardians reclaiming their territory and helping maintain ecological balance, reminding us that the forest is alive.
Besouro-da-hortelã with its metallic carapace by Leonardo MerçonOriginal Source: Instituto Terra's Collection
Small inhabitants
In the humid silence of the forest, small inhabitants also announce the recovery—there are insects and 15 species of reptiles, such as opossums, turtles, and forest lizards, which circulate among the foliage, fulfilling their role in the delicate balance of the ecosystem.
Donzelinha, a delicate insect that flies through the forest by Leonardo MerçonOriginal Source: Instituto Terra's Collection
In addition, 15 species of amphibians also found shelter, including the blacksmith toad, the stone frog and the monkey tree frog. Small inhabitants that, with their movements, are proof that the forest is pulsating again.
Hammerhead tree frog on forest leaves by Leonardo MerçonOriginal Source: Instituto Terra's Collection
A promising future
Every tree planted and every animal that returns to the forest carries the promise of a greener, more vibrant future. Knowing nature is preserving it. Understanding its dynamics allows us to offer a better quality of life to the forest and its inhabitants.
Green parakeet fills the forest with its song by Leonardo MerçonOriginal Source: Instituto Terra's Collection
At Terra Institute, every gesture of care echoes with hope: life has returned, and with it, the certainty that a better world is possible when nature and people walk together.
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