By Instituto Terra
Instituto Terra
The dream of making the completely degraded Atlantic Forest in an old farm was the starting point for Instituto Terra, founded by Lélia Deluiz Wanick Salgado and Sebastião Salgado, in Aimorés, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Browse through this exhibition and get to know better this initiative that has helped transform an arid landscape without water in a green scenery full of beauty. An ecologic scape that every year gets new samples of flora and fauna from this important and threaten biome.
Instituto Terra's founders (2006) by Ricardo BelielInstituto Terra
It was in the end of the 90's when taking over the land that belonged to the family, in the little city of the state of Minas, Aimores, that Lélia Deluiz Wanick Salgado and Sebastião Salgado decided to there, plant a forest. To move on with the project, they've founded Terra, an environmental NGO working on environmental recovery of the region known as Rio Doce Water Basin.
Instituto Terra - Bulcão Farm, in the beginning of the reforestation (2000) by Sebastião SalgadoInstituto Terra
Planting a forest on such an abused soil from droughts and erosion demanded amazing effort, partnerships and lots of technology.
The first step in transforming was turning the old cattle farmland into a Private Reserve of Natural Heritage - RPPN Bulcão Farm.
This title, being given in an unprecedented way in October 1998, was the first recognized conservation unit from a degraded area with the commitment to be reforested.
Instituto Terra - RPPN Bulcão Farm in the year of 2013 (2013) by Sebastião SalgadoInstituto Terra
RPPN Bulcão Farm, headquarters to Instituto Terra, in the year of 2013, nearly fully covered by Atlantic Forest vegetation.
Up to January 2019, more than 2.5 million seedlings from 297 native species of the Atlantic Forest have been planted. Planting always takes place during the rainy period, from November to January.
First plantation in RPPN Bulcão Farm (1999) by Sebastião SalgadoInstituto Terra
Community interaction has been made present since the beginning. The first planting in Bulcão Farm RPPN took place in November 1999 with an enthusiastic participation mainly from the city school student from the City of Aimores, state of Minas Gerais. It was a party in nature and even the rain came to participate.
The initiative was the embryo of a greater purpose from Instituto Terra: associate a reforesting project to educational actions in order to promote the environmental revival and the sustainable development of all the Doce River Valley region.
Reforested area in the RPPN Bulcão Farm (2013) by Sebastião SalgadoInstituto Terra
Surrounding the Private Reserve of Natural Heritage Bulcão Farm, the contrast of deforested areas. (2013) by Sebastião SalgadoInstituto Terra
In less than a decade, a forest has been planted
A forest's reconstruction goes beyond planting native seedlings in a systematic way. Forests are not only trees. The whole interaction among trees, fauna and other diverse types of vegetation is essential and seen as a great chain of relations, that once destroyed, require intervention to be reestablished.
Using this logic, with research and support from partners, the reforesting actions from Terra Institute at Bulcao Farm RPPN guaranteed planting over 2.5 million seedlings from 297 native Atlantic Forest species. In the initial stage the strategy prioritized fast growing species that covered the soil, taking in organic material and nutrients, protecting it from the direct impact caused by rain and improving its physical and chemical characteristics.
As the forest quickly grew, in 2015 started the planted area enrichment stage aiming at expanding the biodiversity, one of the greatest challenges in forest restoration.
Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) found in RPPN Bulcão Farm (2012) by Instituto Terra's Collection/Photo by Leonardo MerçonInstituto Terra
With the forest back, it did not take long for the animals to return. Nowadays the RPPN Bulcão Farm is a safe haven even for endangered species from the Brazilian Fauna.
Fauna monitoring records show that everything from small invertebrates to a family of ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) live there, in a remarkable demonstration that the cycle of the food chain has been reestablished.
The jaguatitica is one of the 33 mammal species seen in the area as well as 173 species of birds, 16 reptiles and 15 amphibians.
Red-browed Parrot (Amazona rhodocorytha) (2012) by Instituto Terra's Collection/Photo by Leonardo MerçonInstituto Terra
Threatened birds from the Atlantic Forest, the Red-crowned parrot (Amazona rhodocorytha) and the Vinaceous Parrot (Amazona vinácea) are notable residents in the new forest planted by Instituto Terra.
Location
Instituto Terra headquarters is located at the border between the State of Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais. Both states are home to Doce River, one of the most important river basins from the southeast region in Brazil. An area that belongs to the Atlantic Forest biome, center of attention in environmental recovery promoted by the NGO.
Headquarters of the Instituto Terra - Sustainable architecture (2011) by Instituto Terra's Collection/Photo by Weverson RocioInstituto Terra
From its inception, Instituto Terra sought sustainable processes in every aspect. Even the architectural project adopted construction standards that prioritizes integration with nature.
As an example of memory and preservation, the old structures of the barn have been remodelled for new uses; accommodating the offices for the institution's administration. The area where cattle were weighed is now a pleasant cafeteria.
Headquarter buildings from Instituto Terra are all integrated to nature (2011) by Instituto Terra Collection/Photo by Weverson RocioInstituto Terra
Other buildings provide space for teachers, researchers and students. All buildings are designed to be accessible.
A flowered park all year round
A chapter that stands out in the history of Instituto Terra, the landscaping, was designed by the institutions co-founder, Lélia Deluiz Wanick Salgado. The types of flowers, flowering time and size of species chosen for the gardens were meticulously considered in order to create a spectacle of colours, shapes and different shades of green within the large reforestation project at RPPN Bulcao Farm. The garden has become unique among all facilities and living spaces, always attractive to the eyes of those who visit Terra Institute, regardless of the season of the year.
Private Reserve of Natural Heritage Bulcão Farm - Landscaping (2009) by Lélia Deluiz Wanick SalgadoInstituto Terra
Natural scenario (2011) by Lélia Deluiz Wanick SalgadoInstituto Terra
Planting Trees and a Future
Along with the new forest, all the functions of RPPN Bulcão Farm have been designed to turn the Instituto Terra in a great center of environmental knowledge, based on research, recovery and forest conservation, and revitalization of water resources, aiming at increasing agricultural production and improving the quality of lives in rural areas.
Ecosystem Recovery Study Center (2011) by Instituto Terra's Collection/Photo by Weverson RocioInstituto Terra
To spread the technological know-how developed in recovering the Atlantic Forest, the Instituto Terra promotes countless Environmental Education projects. Aimed at a diverse public, all the programs target stimulating a reflection on the current model of development, empowering the creation of transformation agents toward a sustainable development.
Quatis Trail (2011) by Instituto Terra's Collection/Photo by Weverson RocioInstituto Terra
A tourist attraction and sightseeing spot in the small city of Aimorés, in the east of Minas Gerais, Instituto Terra offers guided tours to RPPN Bulcão Farm, ecological trails, culture and art spaces.
During the guided tour, (booking required) the visitor has the opportunity to discover fauna and flora species from the Atlantic Forest, on the route that is integrated into the area of the first plantations made to reforest the Reserve.
Movie Theater Terra - A place for culture, art and interaction with the community (2011) by Instituto Terra's Collection/Photo by Weverson RocioInstituto Terra
Inaugurated in August 2004, in addition to showing films and theatrical performances, the Cine Teatro Terra is used for seminars, debates and workshops, welcoming the community of Aimorés and neighbouring towns.
You can help Instituto Terra plant more trees and protect more springs. Find out how by visiting the institutional website (www.institutoterra.org) or the online store (http://institutoterrastore.com/). Be part of this vision.
Those who visit the Terra Institute have the opportunity to learn a little about the history of the Krenak indigenous groups, descendants of the Aymorés (Botocudos), from the collection of artefacts that make up the Aimorés Archaeology Museum. The artefacts on display were found during excavations for the construction of a hydroelectric power station in the region.
Instituto Terra Exhibition Area (2011) by Instituto Terra's Collection/Photo by Weverson RocioInstituto Terra
The challenge to recover Atlantic Forest' s biodiversity
Instituto Terra was conceived as a large forest restoration laboratory. It has a nursery of native Atlantic Forest species with the capacity to produce 1 million seedlings a year, one of the largest in Brazil. Most of the seedlings produced go to external reforestation and spring protection projects that the environmental NGO carries out in various locations in the Rio Doce Valley, a Brazilian region originally covered by Atlantic Forest vegetation.
Instituto Terra’s nursery - Seedlings of Atlantic Forest species (2013) by Sebastião SalgadoInstituto Terra
Reforestation Nursery (2011) by Instituto Terra's Collection/Photo by Weverson RocioInstituto Terra
The production of native seedlings are among the greatest challenges to supply the recovery of Atlantic Forest, a biome that plays an essential role in mitigating climate change and regulating the rainfall system.
With its vast biodiversity, the recovery of Atlantic Forest can assist in improving and increasing water flow, increasing agricultural production and promoting sustainable development, among many other benefits to this area once covered by this vegetation.
Working in Native Nursery of Instituto Terra (2009) by Instituto Terra's CollectionInstituto Terra
The Atlantic Rainforest is one of the world's richest biomes in endemic plants, i.e. plant species found only in its area of dominance.
These diverse specimens - such as boleira, jenipapo, cherry, cajá mirim, pau ferro, pau brasil, embaúba, angico canjiquinha, angico vermelho, ipê amarelo, ipê roxo, aroeira pimenta, among many others - leave Instituto Terra's nursery every year to cover the Rio Doce Valley with the green of the Atlantic Forest.
Native Species seedling from the Atlantic Forest (2006) by Instituto Terra's Collection/Photo by Ricardo AzouryInstituto Terra
Instituto Terra has a Seed Laboratory, where it researches and organises technical information on the entire process of producing forest seedlings from seed. All this knowledge is available to the public free of charge on the Semear Portal (www.portalsemear.org). A pioneering initiative in Brazil, the portal was supported by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development, through the BNDES Atlantic Forest initiative.
Seedling Nursery: beginning forest recovery (2009) by Lélia Deluiz Wanick SalgadoInstituto Terra
More green, more water
Once the forest cover at the Fazenda Bulcão RPPN was restored, the water sources also returned. From this experience came the Olhos D'Água Programme, which aims to recover and protect all the springs in the Doce River Basin, estimated at more than 370,000. It's an endeavour that will take dozens of years to complete.
Recovering the green and water at Private Reserve of Natural Heritage Bulcão Farm (2011) by Instituto Terra's Collection/Photo by Weverson RocioInstituto Terra
Seeding forest and water. This is how, through many actions, a committed community relationship, and partnerships, the Terra Institute strengthens its mission to help promote the sustainable development of Doce River Valley.
Visit www.institutoterra.org to know how it is possible to contribute with the projects under development.
Exhibition - "It is possible to recover the Atlantic Forest"
Editing and Text by Maria Helena Fabriz
Translated to English by Zclass Business English Services - Zach Cheibub
Audio by Faunativa for Instituto Terra
Video by Leonardo Merçon for Instituto Terra
Photos - Credits in the media
Contacts:
Instituto Terra - RPPN Bulcão Farm
Aimorés / MG / Brazil
Zip code: 35200-000
Phone: +55 33 3267 2025
iterra@institutoterra.org
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