Our forest nursery in Santana do Araguaia, Pará, is growing to meet the increasing demand for ecological restoration in the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. Through a series of infrastructure investments, we are increasing production capacity from 650,000 to up to 1.2 million native seedlings per planting season, while continuing to improve the quality of the seedlings that will one day become future forests.
One of the first milestones was the expansion of the Transition Area, which has already doubled in size. Here, seedlings spend time under 30% shade, gradually adapting before moving to the final stage of development.
Every seedling passes through three stages before being planted in the field. They begin in the Shade House (Sombrite), where they are protected under 50% shade. Next comes the Transition Area, with 30% shade, where they continue adapting to outdoor conditions. Finally, they are transferred to the Hardening Area, where they grow in full sunlight, preparing them for life in the field.
To support the increase in production, a new Hardening Area covering nearly one hectare is also under construction. Once completed, it will almost double the capacity of this stage, allowing many more seedlings to be prepared for planting.
Alongside the expansion of the production areas, we have also invested in key infrastructure improvements. Two new wells have been drilled, two additional water pumps installed, and a new underground irrigation and electrical system implemented to improve the efficiency and reliability of the nursery’s operations.
Construction is also underway on a new warehouse, which will provide dedicated space to store the materials and supplies needed for the nursery’s daily activities, helping streamline operations as production continues to grow.
Looking ahead, the next phase of the expansion will include the construction of a large garage to protect the seedling truck, water truck, and other vehicles from the sun and dust. The new facility will also house additional equipment that will soon arrive through the support of our sponsors and partners.
We’ll continue sharing updates on the nursery expansion in future editions of our newsletter, following each step of its growth and the role it plays in helping us restore forests at an ever greater scale.
