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Some achievements deserve to be celebrated as milestones. This is one of them. 

After four years of joint work, the Black Jaguar Foundation and the CAIXA Socio-Environmental Fund have reached the goal established at the beginning of the partnership: 1 million native trees planted in the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. 

Since 2022, this partnership has made it possible to restore priority areas for connectivity between the Amazon and the Cerrado, turning resources into concrete actions for ecological restoration, water resource protection and environmental education. 

The results of this stage are significant: 510 hectares undergoing restoration, 69 springs protected and a broad network of people involved in restoring the landscape. 

Throughout the partnership, 4,745 people have directly benefited, including nursery workers, seed collectors, rural producers, public managers and thousands of students who participated in environmental education and awareness activities about the importance of restoration. 

Reaching the milestone of 1 million trees, however, does not mean the work is over. Restoration is a long-term process, and restored areas continue to receive three years of maintenance and ongoing monitoring, essential steps to track the development of native species and support the long-term success of restoration. 

This journey has also received national recognition. In 2026, the partnership received the Gold Medal at the ESG Award, recognizing the social and environmental results achieved over these four years of collaboration. 

We celebrate this first million trees planted through the partnership with the certainty that it represents much more than a number. It represents a long-term partnership, hundreds of people working towards restoration and a legacy that will continue to grow in the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor for many years to come. 

The UBS Optimus Foundation, a partner of the Black Jaguar Foundation in restoring the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, marked an important milestone with the inauguration of its first office in Brazil and its first presence in South America. 

For the Black Jaguar Foundation, being part of this moment was especially meaningful. Among the partner organizations present, we were one of three organizations selected to take part in the event’s main panel, alongside Fundação Lemann and Onçafari. 

Representing BJF, Ben Valks presented the organization’s mission and the impact of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, sharing how large-scale restoration depends on building long-term partnerships and bringing together different sources of funding that can work in complementary ways. 

The panel also featured Tom Hall, Global Head of Social Impact and Philanthropy at UBS, as well as leaders from the UBS Optimus Foundation and UBS Brazil, creating a space to discuss how philanthropy can accelerate solutions with social and environmental impact. 

For the Black Jaguar Foundation, being among the event’s main guests was an important opportunity to present the work being carried out in the Araguaia to UBS teams in Brazil, Europe and the United States, while also strengthening connections with clients and philanthropic advisors interested in supporting impact initiatives. 

The opening of the UBS Optimus Foundation’s office in Brazil also represents an important step forward for the future of our partnership. From now on, UBS clients in Brazil can support the Black Jaguar Foundation directly in Brazilian reais, making the donation process simpler and creating new opportunities to connect philanthropic supporters with the restoration of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. 

A little over 100 days ago, Esther Lapere and Adriana took their first steps of Hike4Nature in Vondelpark, Amsterdam. 

They set out on an ambitious mission: to walk 2,600 kilometers from Amsterdam to Lisbon. Not by coincidence, 2,600 kilometers is also the length of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. The goal was to turn every kilometer walked into more people engaged, more companies involved and more resources for restoration in the Araguaia. 

One hundred days later, this journey has already grown into a collective movement. 

More than three months of impact

Over these 100 days, Hike4Nature has crossed four countries, covered more than 2,000 kilometers and raised €69,567 towards the €100,000 goal to support the restoration of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. 

Much more than a fundraising campaign, Hike4Nature has been connecting people from different places around a shared purpose: showing that nature restoration happens when we come together. 

Kilometer by kilometer

The journey began in the Netherlands and continued through Belgium, France and Spain. Along the way, there have been rainy days, intense heat, ferry crossings, blisters, challenging climbs and route changes, including a detour in the Bordeaux region due to wildfires near the route. 

In Spain, Esther and Adriana followed part of the Camino del Norte, along the country’s northern coast, passing through historic towns, mountains and coastal landscapes and often walking more than 30 kilometers in a single day. 

Each stage brought new challenges, but also new encounters. 

A journey that brought a community together

Over these more than three months, friends and family have walked alongside Esther and Adriana on different sections of the route. Partners have helped expand the campaign, companies have supported the initiative, and hundreds of people have followed the journey and contributed to restoration in the Araguaia. 

This has always been at the heart of Hike4Nature: inspiring people to become part of a cause that connects two continents through nature. 

The walk is taking place in Europe, while restoration is happening in Brazil — but the journey shows how people in different parts of the world can contribute to the same shared purpose. 

The journey continues

Day 100 was celebrated in Gijón, Spain, with more than 2,000 kilometers completed. Hike4Nature is now continuing towards Portugal, approaching both the final stretch of the journey and its fundraising goal. 

A little over €30,000 is still needed to reach the €100,000 goal that will support the restoration of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. 

Every new kilometer is an invitation for more people, companies and partners to walk alongside this mission. 

Follow Hike4Nature’s next steps and be part of this journey to restore nature. 

[Polarsteps — Hike4Nature]

Every great project begins with an idea. But turning a vision into reality requires people and organizations willing to believe in it long before tangible results can be seen.

That is exactly what Roemer Kamp & Partners did in 2016. At the time, the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor was still in its early stages, and not a single tree had yet been planted. Even so, the company recognized the potential of the initiative and became one of the Black Jaguar Foundation’s first partners.

Over the past decade, Roemer Kamp & Partners has closely followed the growth of the project, from the planning of the first restoration areas to the development of nurseries, seed networks, local teams, and hundreds of hectares of forest under restoration. Recently, the partnership was renewed for the tenth time, reaffirming a relationship built on more than ten years of trust and collaboration.

When explaining why the company continues to support the Black Jaguar Foundation, the Roemer Kamp & Partners team summed up this journey with a statement that continues to inspire us:

“The BJF demonstrates that, with perseverance and persuasiveness, you can bring about positive change even when going against the grain.”

Today, when we look at the restored areas, the nurseries, the communities involved, and the return of biodiversity to the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, we are reminded that none of this existed in 2016. That is why we are especially grateful to partners such as Roemer Kamp & Partners, who chose to believe in our mission long before the first tree was planted.

The documentary produced in partnership with Planet Wild continues to create new opportunities for ecological restoration in the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. 

Following the documentary’s release, Planet Wild invited its community to vote for the quarter’s most inspiring project in the platform’s first-ever Community Vote. With 1,165 votes, the Black Jaguar Foundation was selected as the winner, receiving an additional €10,000 to strengthen biodiversity monitoring across our restoration sites. 

The documentary introduced over 883.000 of viewers to the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, showing how farmers, seed collectors, nursery workers, and field teams work together to restore one of the world’s most important ecological connections between the Amazon and the Cerrado. 

The additional funding will help transform the way we monitor wildlife returning to restored areas. In addition to traditional camera traps, we will deploy solar-powered, permanently connected cameras capable of transmitting images in real time. Combined with image-recognition technology and expert analysis, these cameras will allow us to monitor biodiversity more effectively while sharing nature’s return with supporters around the world. 

This recognition is another reminder of the power of storytelling to inspire action. More than a thousand people chose to support our work because they believe that restoring forests also means protecting biodiversity, strengthening local communities, and creating a more resilient future. 

Our sincere thanks go to Planet Wild and to everyone who watched the documentary, voted for our project, and shared our story. This achievement belongs to everyone who believes that nature can thrive again. 

The Black Jaguar Foundation participated in SOBRE 2026, Brazil’s leading conference on ecological restoration. Held in Brasília, the event brings together researchers, universities, NGOs, and restoration practitioners from across the country to exchange scientific knowledge, practical experience, and innovative solutions for restoring ecosystems at scale. 

This year, Laís D’Isep, Community Engagement Coordinator, and Norivânia Diniz, Nursery Production Supervisor, presented two scientific posters based on the work developed through the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. Their participation highlighted how the lessons learned in the field can contribute to advancing ecological restoration far beyond our own project. 

The first poster explored the lessons learned while building the ecological restoration supply chain in southern Pará. It examined challenges and solutions related to workforce development, native seedling production, strengthening seed networks, engaging landowners, and establishing local governance – all essential components of successful large-scale restoration. 

The second poster demonstrated how local ecological knowledge can help expand the diversity of species used in the restoration of seasonally flooded areas. Developed in partnership with the BJF Araguaia Seed Network, the study combined scientific research with the expertise of local seed collectors to identify species better adapted to the region’s environmental conditions. Two seed collectors also participated as co-authors of the study, highlighting the value of local knowledge in scientific research. 

Participating in SOBRE is an opportunity not only to share our experience, but also to learn from researchers and restoration practitioners working across Brazil. It reinforces our commitment to restoration grounded in scientific evidence, continuous learning, and collaboration between science and local knowledge—an approach that continues to strengthen the impact of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor.

When Francisca came across a job opening posted by the Black Jaguar Foundation on social media, she had no idea it would mark the beginning of a new chapter in her professional life. With no previous experience in native seedling production, she joined the nursery team eager to learn. Four years later, that dedication led to her promotion to Seedling Production Lead. 

Over the years, Francisca gained hands-on experience in every stage of seedling production and nursery management, taking on increasing responsibilities along the way. Today, she coordinates the team’s daily activities, supports Nursery Production Supervisor Norivânia Diniz in organizing operations, and helps ensure the high quality of the native seedlings produced in our nursery. 

Her story reflects one of the Black Jaguar Foundation’s core commitments: investing in the people who live in the regions where we work. Ecological restoration is not only about restoring forests—it is also about creating opportunities for employment, professional development, and long-term careers, while strengthening local economies through the creation of green jobs. 

The Black Jaguar Foundation’s forest nursery is also a powerful example of women in leadership. Today, two women oversee seedling production: Norivânia, as Nursery Production Supervisor, and Francisca, as Seedling Production Lead. Together, they guide the nursery team, share knowledge, and help ensure that every seedling is ready to begin its journey toward the restoration areas. 

Stories like Francisca’s show that ecological restoration goes far beyond planting trees. It is also about creating opportunities, developing local talent, and empowering people to grow alongside the forests they help restore. By investing in people, we strengthen not only ecological restoration itself, but also the future of the communities that make this work possible.

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.