At Fazenda Dois Irmãos, in southern Pará, Mr. Celso Rodrigues looks at the landscape around him and remembers his childhood, which he spent in Gaúcha do Norte, Mato Grosso.
It was from there that he and his family left in search of new opportunities and a life closer to their relatives. Today, in Pará, cattle ranching is the main productive activity on his property. But over the years, Mr. Celso has also noticed changes in the landscape he knows so well.
“It used to rain much more, with more rainy days, and over the past few years things have been changing, with less and less rainfall and lower volumes of rain. Today, the heat is very different, and the forest is gradually decreasing.”
Today, Fazenda Dois Irmãos is part of the Floresta para o Bem-Estar project, through which the Black Jaguar Foundation will support the restoration of 150 hectares on small rural properties in southern Pará. Before the rainy season begins and the first seedlings reach the ground, our team has already mapped the property and conducted a field assessment, identifying the level of degradation and the main factors affecting the area.
As cattle ranching is the main productive activity and the main degradation factor identified, the restoration plan takes the reality of the property into account and seeks to integrate the recovery of the area with its productive activity.
The team is also finalizing the selection of the species to be used, taking into account the native vegetation that still exists on the property and the characteristics of the area, including periods when part of the land is subject to flooding. Planting is expected to begin as soon as the rains arrive.
For Mr. Celso, restoring this area is a choice that looks to the future. And for him, this transformation needs to be collective:
“If everyone contributes to these areas, we will have a better planet, with more moisture, and we will have more oxygen, which will be part of all nature.”
Watch the interview with Mr. Celso:
This initiative is part of the Floresta para o Bem-Estar project, implemented by Conservation International (CI-Brazil) in partnership with local organizations and funded by the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) through resources from the Amazon Fund. The project supports the restoration of degraded areas and the strengthening of the native seedling and seed supply chain in the states of Acre, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, and Pará, while also promoting greater engagement with the restoration agenda.
