Stories
The Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil is already 93% gone. But we can renew it, and our hope for the future.
The rural people of Sao Paulo state are hoping we will help them plant 170,000 native trees, reforesting 247 acres (100 hectares) of slashed forest. And we’re helping our partners to establish native seed banks. So far WE’VE SENT 5,200 TREES TO THEIR NEW HOMES.
I’m Alana Lea, a botanical artist and the founder of the ECO Floresta projects. Some people call me “a real world Lorax,” because like the Lorax in the Dr. Seuss story, I speak for the trees. If you’d like to learn how I got that name, please read these stories on Care2:
December 2010
Real Wold Lorax Speaking for the Trees
March 2012
The Story of a Real Life Lorax
July 2012
The Adventures of a Real Life Lorax in Monsantoland
December 2012
The Lorax Prepares for the End Days of the Mayan Calendar
April 2013
An Earth Day Appeal from the Real Lorax
You can also read some of my most heartbreaking discoveries on this Huffington Post blog for Climate Day 2012.
And even more stories can be found in my book Trees of Transformation.
To see more photos of our TREES and our renewal process please visit my Rainforest ECO blog.
Our process flows like this:
Native seed harvest is distributed to an Association of organic tree nurseries…
What’s different about our story from most in our region, is that we are working with independent organic rainforest tree growers, who get their seeds from people in the back country who harvest sustainably. When you make a (non-tax deductible) donation, I use the funds to buy these trees at a fair trade price, then transport and give them to a local permaculture NGO who gives the trees to cattle ranchers and subsistence farmers who want to replant some of their pastures.
Saplings are transported to rural families who need, but can’t afford to buy them…
Sometimes the reason is that the small landowners have been fined by the government for cutting too much of their forest down, and MUST replant a percentage. Other times, because their water supply is dwindling, and they’ve learned they must replant forest near the waterways to bring back the flow.
Reforestation stabilizes water flow, both ways – more fresh water in streams, less flooding…
Still others have learned the hard way, that deforestation causes landslides, flooding and diminished fresh water supplies.
And a few others are interested in finding new sources of income, from agro-forestry. Whatever the reason, we love giving them trees as long as they promise to take care of them, and never cut them down.
