We are proud to share with you that we have been invited by Conservation International (CI) to be among the first 20 environmental NGOs in Brazil to form the Alliance for Restoration in Amazon. This new and prestigious multi-stakeholder network aims to catalyze and strengthen all forest restoration initiatives in the Brazilian Amazon. Our key developments for realizing the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor will be amplified on an international scale through our fellow members of the Alliance.
Fazenda Santa Fé, a farm with an area around 35.000 hectares, is another great property that has joined the BJF pilot project.
Fazenda Santa Fé already consist of more intact natural forest than the law dictates. To further reforests parts of the farm, the BJF and its technical partners intend to build a large nursery for native trees on their land. More updates about these exciting developments will be provided shortly.
Last week, we had the pleasure of sharing our ambitious project with The Multinationals, a group of entrepreneurs and managers in the food and agro industry, initiated by our Ambassador Kees Rijnhout. A live-video-update of BJF’s field-results in Brazil was given by Ivan Nisida. The energetic group shared their knowledge ánd interest to start supporting our work.
In May, a reporter/photographer working for a renowned magazine traveled to the Araguaia Corridor region in Brazil to prepare an article on the dream mission of the BJF. During an intense three weeks, the rich biodiversity of the Cerrado and Amazon were photographed and the landowners in our pilot project were interviewed. We will keep you updated on the results!
Last April, the Rotary Club Amstelveen organized a dynamic fundraising event: the Rotary Beach Volleyball Tournament! Twelve teams, one of which was a BJF Team, faced each other to share nice moments and raise funds for our cause. The final result: € 8.000 in donations for the BJF! Thank you so much Rotary Amstelveen!
Eric Schoorl is a dedicated member of the BJF-Team in Holland. Eric holds extensive professional experiences as a physical geographer and environmentalist. He is also an avid nature-lover and birdwatcher. Nowadays he uses his enthusiasm to manage TheLast600 campaign and carries out many other daily tasks to keep the BJF running. Thank you Eric
The Tiezzi family own two cattle farms along the Araguaia river in Tocantins state. They are truly setting the example for all other landowners in the Corridor Zone. They have embraced the idea of starting to reforest key areas of their two farms and join the Araguaia Corridor initiative. As ‘transition farmers’, they are also transforming their cattle farms into an ecologically friendly operation, while aiming to increase its productivity.
After one year of valuable experiences, the first phase of the BJF Pilot Project has now been completed! We have partnered with six landowners, mapped their properties totalling 6,000 hectares and determined the key areas to be reforested (as per the Brazilian environmental law). Also, the selection of native trees required for the reforestation phase for each property has now been concluded!
Phase 2 is about to begin: the planning of the forest restoration itself, in close cooperation with our technical partners, LERF and Bioflora. Hereafter, we will start with planting the seedlings of native trees in order to bring new healthy forests back into existence.
We are honored to welcome our first female Ambassador: Her Royal Highness Princess Basma bint Ali of Jordan. Besides being a heartwarming and down-to-earth personality, she is a globally renowned advocate of biodiversity conservation. She has earned an impressive list of awards for her work in the field of conservation, among them the honorary title of Hero for the Planet by Time Magazine. She is the first Arab woman to be featured.
Princess Basma bint Ali was also elected as a laureate of the Global 500 Roll of Honor for Environmental Achievement (UNEP). In December 2016, she signed on for the BJF Ambassadorship and she is very committed to promoting the BJF and our cause in the Middle East and beyond. Welcome to the the BJF Team, Princess Basma!
Dr. Tito is also the owner of the medical clinic Villas Boas in Brasília and became the first landowner in the Araguaia Corridor who also supports the BJF financially. To share his positive involvement, he uses the waiting rooms and reception hall in his clinic as a ‘BJF sanctuary’ to draw attention from all patients and suppliers to our major reforestation initiative. Thank you, Dr. Tito, for your endeavours to set an example for all landowners in Brazil and beyond.
