Ana Paula Mendes

Nr. 136/600 Marina Cançado – Black Jaguar Foundation

I have worked for a decade as a consultant to the most relevant Brazilian enterprise families on projects related to philanthropy, next generation education and ESG/Impact investing. I have also built a trajectory with the public sector, as a consultant for strategic and innovation projects and, later, as member of the advisory Board of the Brazilian Presidency from 2016-2018.

Named a talent in the Forbes Brazil “Under30” list in 2018, she supports the BJF because we ‘address two of the most critical issues of our time – climate change and biodiversity’. Marina also arranged the 2020 Converge Capital Conference in Rio, at which the BJF were part of the ‘forest solutions’, where the environment was discussed as a crucial area for impact investing.

“Business leaders now have an incredible opportunity. By giving stakeholder capitalism concrete meaning, they can move beyond their legal obligations and uphold their duty to society. They can bring the world closer to achieving shared goals, such as those outlined in the Paris climate agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda. If they really want to leave their mark on the world, there is no alternative.” 

– Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder of the World Economic Forum, at the 2020 Converge Capital Conference

After working for a decade as a consultant to the most relevant Brazilian enterprise families on projects related to philanthropy, next generation education and ESG/Impact investing, Marina has now joined XP Inc., one of the largest Brazilian financial institutions, to be Head of Sustainable Wealth. This means working with wealthy clients to transition their portfolios from traditional investments to sustainable and impact investing.

With such an impressive history working in the world of impact investing and her passion for creating sustainable change through venture philanthropy, we could not be more excited to have Marina as part of our community, and we’re excited about what the future may hold!

With the implementation of our plans to plant our first million trees, it’s fair to say we need to expand our field team, and we could not be more excited to have Carlos Willyan on board as our first Field supervisor!

Trained as an Agronomist Engineer at the Federal Rural University of Amazônia, Carlos Willyan believes that together we can work and develop in a way that respects the land as a source of natural resources. Through this mindset, we can then integrate sustainable agriculture with practices that preserve our environment. Creating a future where we all can thrive.

Originally from the state of Pará, Carlos Willyan joined our team in June and will be helping to expand our operations in the states of Pará and Tocantins, where our work is currently based. Supervising the planting of your new native trees, not to mention the crucial job or monitoring and caring for these new trees for 3 years after they enter the ground!

Last month, the Black Jaguar Foundation’s extended team took some time to calm our minds. After working so hard for the planet, we saw Covid-19 clearing some space in our schedules, as an opportunity to reset and rebalance. 

This was truly a global online retreat, with team members from Brazil, Denmark, England, France, Romania, Scotland, Switzerland and the Netherlands, many of whom had never participated in a retreat before.

We were gladly being led for a week of re-energizing classes by the wonderful Ingrid Valks, founder of the power of time off. As we know, the forest never sleeps, so this time off was mixed with time on, however, as a team we’ve emerged with a newfound respect for taking time to step back, and consider the actions that will help us move forward in our reforestation mission and in life! 

The results and feedback showed that all of our team felt more self-aware and more connected. Almost all felt we had learned new insights, techniques and exercises to integrate into daily life for easier rest and relaxation. In addition, we’ve also noted increased concentration and ability to manage stress, among so many other impacts. 

Our global core team is now re-energised and we’re ready to take on the coming challenges! 

Read more about our week on retreat and the Power of Time Off here…

Online retreats with childcare organization Op Stoom and with the Black Jaguar Foundation – the power of time off

Thanks to Covid-19 we designed an online retreat to reset, rebalance and re-energize. No pre-produced videos but live stream experiences with impact including space for personal guidance. We never thought of producing a retreat online. But it worked! Here you can read some personal stories from the online retreat participants in May and June this …

In amongst the chaos, there is hope! While taking precautions in the field, we have managed to get some updates on the progress of your new native trees…and the results are better than we could have expected!

We monitor the trees regularly to nurture their progress and learn lessons for the many planting seasons to come. With your help, these beautiful baby trees were planted in 2018, now see them here in their first and second year…their growth has been astonishing!

We have also seen amazing first results from the seeds that were planted by the direct seeding method this season. For this reforestation technique, rather than first being grown in nurseries, these new trees were seeds when they entered our restoration sites. In the space of a couple of months, we
already see strong growth from these powerful little seeds…

New trees planted in 2020 via the direct seeding method.

This method when used correctly can help minimise costs and quickly create a denser ecosystem. With the help of new partner Caminhos da Semente we’ll be able to maximise the potential of this technique.

We’re excited to keep you up to date on the progress of your trees as they continue to grow and replenish the biodiversity of these crucial biomes!

Published 18th June, 2020. 

Your update on what’s happening in the field! Our work continues but of course, some plans have needed to be changed and adapted…

At the moment we are in preparation season, planting season will start again in October/November. This means working to prepare the seedling and collect that seeds that we will use to plant our next round of trees. While access to our partner farms and restoration sites is restricted, thankfully we still have limited access! In our nurseries this means operating with a small team, all of whom are following a strict safety protocol. This means all the required seedlings are still being produced for when the rains come and we are able to start planting.

Another major challenge during this time is how to connect with rural landowners. In our model, we don’t buy land. We partner with local landowners who are obliged by Brazilian Forest code to leave areas of their land to allow nature to return. This works by creating strong, trusting relationships with these stakeholders. As we’re no longer able to have the same level of personal interaction, we’re finding new solutions. This includes creating a series of virtual materials to allow these landowners to continue to engage with us and see how the project will work for them. This includes local radio advertisements, videos, animations and utilising our local network to build trust without the need to meet face-to-face.

This period has brought many new challenges, however, thanks to the ingenuity of our team, so far, each has been met with a solution and we are still on track to plant our first million trees! Thank you for your support during this time – you make it all possible!

Published 18th June, 2020. 

As two of the newest additions to this epic reforestation mission, Mickey (aged 10) and Juultje (aged 7) are filling us with hope!

Their Auntie, Brenda Smeenge, is a long-time friend of the BJF and co-author of No Risk, No Life, an inspiring story about the adventures that led to the creation of the Black Jaguar Foundation. Click here to find out more about what started this journey to complete one of the largest reforestation projects on earth.

Brenda introduced these two young environmentalists to the BJF and joined the first600 campaign in their honour. Becoming some of the first 600 individuals and companies to sponsor the completion of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, the longest nature corridor on its kind on earth.

Before even learning of the BJF, Mickey and Juultje were passionate about our planet. As Mickey so earnestly stated,

“We don’t own planet earth. Please take care of her instead. We need to act now, or else we’ll not survive. Take action for our climate, the animals and our environment!”.

We are inspired by Mickey and Juultje, they reaffirm our hope that together, we can progress with increased consideration, respect and unity. It is amazing to have such young individuals as part of this mission. It is for their generation, and the many more to come, that we do what we do.

Looking at these two young BJF members, we hope you too will feel inspired! We thank these three wonderful individuals for their support and look forward to them joining us on this reforestation journey.

Click here to purchase the BJF Book

Published 18th June, 2020. 

The support we receive from you, our loyal friends, consistently blows us away. Last month, Seacon Logistics got in touch following our last update, asking how they could help. They immediately showed their commitment by renewing their partnership! Seacon’s business model focuses on people, planet and profit, and their sponsorship of the BJF is just one way they are contributing to a more sustainable future.

Making strides to limit their C02 emissions, Seacon acknowledges the need to incorporate environmental, social and economic development into their business plans, utilising their position to create change in the industry.

“ We are constantly investing in the development of better, cleaner, faster and more reliable logistics. Increasingly more and more, this starting point forms the basis for applying new technologies and creating smart and effective solutions.”

Each sponsorship is a powerful statement of support and a desire to create a brighter future for all of us, and for the generations to come. Thank you Hai & Corrie Berden, and all the team at Seacon Logistics for continuing to prioritise our planet.

Nr. 059/600 SEACON LOGISTICS – Black Jaguar Foundation

 

Published 18th June, 2020. 

We are honoured to have Piet-Hein join our dynamic core team! Piet-Hein has over 14 years of experience at Accenture, providing financial training and consulting. In addition to this, he has recently been coordinating Accenture’s Battle-for-Good Team.

Piet-Hein exemplifies the passion and commitment that are the cornerstone of our small but powerful team. He will join as a financial consultant, committing part of his time to help establish the new BJF financial system and contributing his extensive knowledge to help drive forward the BJF mission.

Now is such a crucial point in our journey, as we start to scale up and receive more funding, the expansion of our core team is vital to be able to fully serve our community and follow through on our commitment to our planet. A vital part of this scaling up is making sure we remain transparent in everything we do. This is why, along with our Brazilian governance project, the addition of Piet-Hein to our team is a huge asset. As a financial consultant he will be integral in making sure our international accounts are aligned, and that we maintain the trust that we have developed with all our sponsors.

Published 18th June, 2020. 

We don’t want you to miss a thing! This is why you will now be able to receive all the latest Black Jaguar Foundation updates via Whatsapp. See everything from planting to partnerships and continue on this reforestation journey with us.

To sign up for our Whatsapp newsletter save the Black Jaguar Foundation in your contacts +31 6 57843682 and message us the word ‘reforest’. Now, you won’t miss a thing on our journey to a greener future!

Your phone number will not be shared or used for any other purposes. Once we receive your ‘reforest’ message, you will be added to our the BJF WhatsApp list receive our updates directly to your phone. You can also respond to these updates and start a conversation with us to ask any questions you may have about our recent updates or the work we do.

Published 18th June, 2020. 

March saw the end of another successful planting season in Brazil. You’ll be pleased to know that we managed to complete our planting work before Covid-19 measures were put in place. In total over 76,000 trees have now been planted!

This number is set to increase drastically once natural regeneration plays its part! This is the process by which seeds of trees in the restoration sites are carried by the wind and animals to other areas. There they establish themselves if the environment is suitable and conducive to their growth. Leading to the natural restoration of the site.

As the planted trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide, promote nutrient cycling in the soil, shelter animals and create the ideal conditions for the establishment of new plants, increasing local biodiversity. By carefully planning which trees are planted and where, we act as a stimulus for nature to flourish.

Part of the team that helped with this season’s planting. On this day the team were carrying out the direct seeding method.

Small trees planted this season (2020).

Last year we saw a 90% survival rate our seedlings, well above the expected average of 70% for this type of planting. Now, we are excited to see this latest round of young trees begin to flourish in their new home. In the coming months and years these trees will be monitored and maintained by our field team. This means bi-yearly checks for 3, 10, and 20-year reviews, to ensure the best chance of survival. From this process, we are also able to evaluate and modify our field processes.

Each year we learn more about the particularities of the planting sites. Adapting and making improvements for the following season. When the rains return later this year, we will once again be ready to plant, taking with us all the knowledge of the previous years. Each tree planted represents months of hard work from our dedicated team, both in the field and those in support, across the world. But ultimately, this is made possible because of your support. This is just the beginning…

Trees of one year old, planted in 2019.

Published 7th May, 2020.