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Last month our long-term partner De Heus represented by Rinus Donkers (LATAM director) and Ademir Pereira (Business Manager at De Heus Brasil), visited the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor and had the opportunity to witness firsthand the environmental restoration preservation impact and the results of joint efforts between De Heus, Black Jaguar Foundation, and local farmers!

During his first visit to the project, Rinus Donkers emphasized the importance of building trust between Black Jaguar Foundation, local communities, rural landowners, and members of Ressemear (Araguaia Seed Network).  

“During the gathering, organized by Black Jaguar to introduce us to producers and government authorities in the region, it became evident that it’s possible to reconcile production with preservation, which pleasantly surprises us. After all, what we are doing together is leaving a legacy for future generations, making it possible to achieve a more sustainable production model. It was gratifying to witness the progress made and the potential of this partnership between Black Jaguar, De Heus, and producers, which has proven beneficial for all involved!” he declared. 

While visiting the restoration areas, Rinus highlighted that “even the most skeptical producers now support the organization and are open to receiving people to show this. It’s truly impressive to see how reforested riparian areas, planted around a year and a half to four years ago, have transformed into real forests, with a biodiversity of at least thirty to seventy different species.” 

In addition to the restoration areas, we also visited the Black Jaguar seedling nursery and talked with members of Ressemear, initiatives directly supported by De Heus. 

To conclude the visit, we took the chance to exchange experiences and socialize with the project’s partner rural landowners. 

READ: DE HEUS VISITS BLACK JAGUAR FOUNDATION’S ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION AREAS IN PARÁ

Would you like to join us in realizing one of the longest biodiversity corridors on Earth? Become one of the First 600 to join our mission of hope and action HERE.

March 22nd marks World Water Day! This year, we want to underscore the importance of preserving springs for the balance of aquatic ecosystems, biodiversity restoration and natural resource preservation—as well as for sustainable development and the quality of life of communities depending on these water sources. 

Water is a fundamental resource for life, for both humans and ecosystems. Preserving springs is crucial for ensuring the supply of drinking water and maintaining the balance of aquatic ecosystems. 

Therefore, seeking ways to preserve these springs is vital. Small actions, such as avoiding deforestation in areas near springs, promoting the restoration of riparian forests, and adopting sustainable water use practices, can make a significant difference. 

With this purpose in mind, the Black Jaguar Foundation develops actions that promote ecological restoration, thus conserving watercourses and their respective springs. 

Check out the image below of a small spring identified during field validation work by our validation analyst, Matheus Fonseca, which will soon have its surroundings restored: 

Matheus Fonseca also prepared content directly from one of our partner rural properties to demonstrate how simple actions can preserve springs and ensure a healthy ecosystem: 

Would you like to join us in realizing one of the longest biodiversity corridors on Earth? Become one of the First 600 to join our mission of hope and action HERE.

On International Women’s Day, Restor.eco launched a campaign to share stories of women dedicated to the conservation and restoration of nature – and guess what? Laís D’Isep, our seed production analyst and responsible for mobilizing Ressemear (Araguaia Seed Network), was one of the highlights in the community leadership category! 

Among over 18,000 stories within the Restor Community, there are countless brilliant and resilient women dedicating their days to making a positive impact on nature and local populations. 

Given so many inspiring examples, we’re proud that Laís’ work in leading Ressemear was one of the five highlights selected to feature in the #SheRestors campaign. It’s a fantastic opportunity for more people to learn about this initiative that generates income and employment for local communities in the Araguaia region. 

Click here to see the full #SheRestors campaign by Restor.eco – featuring Laís’ story and those of other incredible women in restoration! And watch the video below:

Would you like to join us in realizing one of the longest biodiversity corridors on Earth? Become one of the First 600 to join our mission of hope and action HERE.

Last Friday March 1^st, we had the opportunity to host, together with the J.Pzn Sweelinck UvA Orchestra (University of Amsterdam), a benefit concert to raise funds for the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor.

The concert was hold in a special venue in Amsterdam, in an old church in the center of Amsterdam, which allows for an amazing place for a (classical) concert as well as for us to (re)present Black Jaguar Foundation.

Our initiator, Ben Valks, presented Black Jaguar Foundation and after the amazing concert we had the opportunity to socialize with all the supporters. We celebrated a GREAT evening together with partners, family, friends, and potential partners.

We would like to happily share some images of the event and thank all of you for the continuous support. Together we are realizing one of the biggest ecological restoration projects on Earth and creating a better world for the future generations!

Would you like to join us in realizing one of the longest biodiversity corridors on Earth? Become one of the First 600 to join our mission of hope and action HERE.

Join us on the 1st of March in Amsterdam for a special Benefit Concert for the Planet. A special collaboration between UvA-Orkest J.Pzn Sweelinck and Black Jaguar Foundation.

You can buy a ticket for a normal price of €35,00 or donate an extra amount to the BJF! If you want to become a BJF Friend you can purchase a ticket to the concert and directly join our BJF Community!

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE

Would you like to join us in realizing one of the longest biodiversity corridors on Earth? Become one of the First 600 to join our mission of hope and action HERE.

We are extremely happy to announce that, after being nominated by Restor.eco, the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor is officially competing for the 2024 Earthshot Prize!

THE EARTHSHOT PRIZE

Launched by HRH Prince William, the Earthshot Prize exists to discover, spotlight and help grow innovative solutions that are working to restore and regenerate our planet.

Its name refers to the President Kennedy’s plan in the 1960s to send a man to the Moon within a decade.

The goal is that until 2030, 5 awards of £1 million each will be distributed annually to the winners of each of the categories:

• Protecting and restoring nature
• Cleaning our air
• Reviving our oceans
• Building a litter-free world
• Fixing our climate

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Restor.eco, responsible for the nomination, for supporting the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. We are looking forward to the next stages of the selection, which should only be completed by the end of 2024!

Would you like to join us in realizing one of the longest biodiversity corridors on Earth? Become one of the First 600 to join our mission of hope and action HERE.

Our partners are visiting the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor! This time, we had the honor of receiving the technical team from CAIXA Federal Bank, who, through the Socio-Environmental Fund, will support our project in planting 1 million native trees in the coming years.

During the first project verification visit, which occurs after reaching 20% of the implementation goal, we had the opportunity to present the activities in the field and promote contact between partners and project beneficiaries.

We were also able to demonstrate in more depth the structure implemented by the Black Jaguar Foundation in the region, such as:

• The forest nursery built and operated in Santana do Araguaia, with the capacity to produce more than 500 thousand seedlings per year, and currently already functions as a hub of environmental education activities in the region.
• Donation of training and equipment to municipal fire brigades in the cities of Santana do Araguaia (PA) and Caseara (TO).
• The Araguaia Seed Network, which was made viable and trained by the Black Jaguar Foundation and currently has an extensive local network of seed collectors.

BLACK JAGUAR IS HIGHLIGHTED ON CAIXA’S SOCIAL MEDIA

And after four days of visit, we were featured on CAIXA’s social media, with an emotional video full of testimonials from some of those directly benefited by the project.

Check out the video produced by CAIXA about the partnership with the Black Jaguar Foundation.

It is supporters like these who make our project possible. Therefore, we want to thank the support of all our long-time partners and hope this is just the beginning of a long journey in building a greener planet for future generations.

Would you like to join us in realizing one of the longest biodiversity corridors on Earth? Become one of the First 600 to join our mission of hope and action HERE.

The Araguaia Seed Network has been growing! And now our collective has a visual branding, its own mission, vision, and values, and even a new name: Ressemear – which means reseeding in Portuguese.

Since last year, our team has held meetings with the collectors so that, together, they could discuss and collectively build the project’s mission, vision, and values.

And now we share with you the results of these experiences:

MISSION:

Our mission is to contribute to the ecological restoration of the Amazon and Cerrado through the collection of native seeds, improving the quality of life for current and future human generations and allowing the conservation of the region’s biodiversity and natural resources.

VISION:

Our vision is to be a Seed Network reference in quality and group work, capable of inspiring everyone to act for the conservation and ecological restoration, generate income and opportunities for local seed collectors, and inspire humanity to thrive in balance with nature.

VALUES:

• Responsibility: We are responsible for seed collection activity and biodiversity preservation, recognizing the fundamental role of seeds and their matrices in the cycle of life.
• Fellowship: We put people and communities at the center of our actions, promoting group work as an agent of positive change towards the environment.
• Respect for the environment: Our commitment to sustainability is unshakable, promoting practices that ensure a greener and more prosperous future.
• Commitment: We are a group committed to deliveries, to our colleagues, and to our mission.
• Enthusiasm: We love working with seeds, and always remember that this work will restore our forests.

2024 CALENDAR DELIVERY TO COLLECTORS

And to celebrate so many achievements, we produced a calendar for the year 2024, which includes images of trees, flowers, and fruits of native species from the region.

The calendars were distributed among Reseeding members, who were extremely happy with the result of such a rewarding job. Check out some pictures:

Would you like to join us in realizing one of the longest biodiversity corridors on Earth? Become one of the First 600 to join our mission of hope and action HERE.

Amidst another planting season, our field team continues to work intensively to successfully complete growing and planting many trees! We have already finished the areas with direct seeding, and in the coming months, we will finish the planting of the seedlings.

At the moment, we have already finished the areas of direct seeding, and by the end of this month, we are focused on planting seedlings. Meanwhile, we continue to maintain the already restored areas, especially the more recent ones, in previous rainy seasons.

ASSISTED REGENERATION AS AN ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION TECHNIQUE

For March, the assisted regeneration will be conducted. In the last planting season, 30 hectares were restored through this technique. Given the good results obtained, we want to further explore the method and take full advantage of the region’s potential.

Learn more about how natural regeneration is carried out by the Black Jaguar Foundation:

BJF PLANNING FOR THE COMING MONTHS

In the last months of the rainy season, with ecological restoration already completed, it will be time to focus efforts on maintenance and monitoring the areas planted in previous years. And, as expected, start planning for the next planting season!

Want to stay informed about everything happening in the field? Subscribe to our newsletter and receive monthly updates directly from Santana do Araguaia and the region!

Would you like to join us in realizing one of the longest biodiversity corridors on Earth? Become one of the First 600 to join our mission of hope and action HERE.