“Providing access to safe, healthy and especially affordable food is one of the biggest challenges the world faces today. At the same time, we need to reduce the impact our food production systems have on vulnerable ecosystems. To achieve both goals, we need to produce food more efficiently to prevent excessive land use change in the near future. We can only achieve that when we treat farmers as our allies when tackling these challenges. That’s what we like about the Black Jaguar Foundation. They work together with farmers on the realisation of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor”

                                                                                            Koen de Heus, CEO of De Heus Animal Nutrition

De Heus Animal Nutrition is 110 year old family business and has grown to become an international producer of a complete range of compound feed, premixes, concentrates and feed specialties. The 2020 BJF partnership with the Brazilian division of De Heus has now officially been extended at its global headquarters.

To help realize the mission of the Black Jaguar Foundation, to protect and increase biodiversity in the corridor between the Amazon rainforest and the Cerrado savanna, De Heus will lend its long-term support and dedication to the project.

De Heus already has a strong sustainability program in place, summarised in their ‘Global Green Goals’- four global ambitions towards tackling sustainability issues in the feed industry. For example, the company will only procure certified soy with a verifiable zero deforestation policy in all its business units by 2025.

The partnership between the Black Jaguar Foundation and De Heus will focus on restoring biodiversity in two of the most vital ecosystems on the planet, the Cerrado savannah and the Amazon rainforest. The largest part of this year’s contribution by De Heus will be utilized for the construction of the large-scale tree nursery in Santana do Araguaia. Furthermore, part of the contribution will also be used to set up the foundations seed collection initiative and the training of the fire brigade in Santana do Araguaia to help fight and prevent forest fires. Starting next year, the contribution of De Heus will be used for the planting of native trees in the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor.

We are excited to welcome Royal De Heus to the BJF Community, and look forward to growing many trees together!

One of our Restoration Analysts, Kaléo Pereira, created a short informational video to explain the complicated process of land validation with all of you! The validation process is meant to determine which areas are restorable through a series of evaluations. Kaléo explains each of these evaluations briefly, to give you an introduction to the process.

The validation process is a very detailed one, and therefore requires a lot of time and attention. If you’re curious about how the validation process works, check out the video on our blog post for an understandable insight to the complicated process of land validation.

The BJF supported a Fire Brigade course for the local firefighters of Santana do Araguaia. This course took place at the end of July, and focused on fire prevention and combat.

During the dry season, fire prevention is crucial, as the environment is at an increased risk of catching fire. We documented some of the training, to share with all of you what the fire fighters learned throughout the week of training!

The Secretary of Environment of Santana do Araguaia created a video of this training, so have a look below to see what was learned in this training:

On the 15th of July, a beautiful ceremony was hosted by SEMMA (Secretary of the Environment of Santana do Araguaia). This ceremony was organized to officially celebrate the partnership with the Black Jaguar Foundation, and the handover of the 3,6 hectares of land from SEMMA to the BJF for the latest and grand nursery.

The ceremony also celebrated the start of the partnership between the Black Jaguar Foundation and the Municipality of, and the Secretary of the Environment of Santana do Araguaia.

The burning season threatens not only the fauna and flora of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, but also our future. We, from Black Jaguar Foundation, have been working since 2017 in Brazil to realise one of the largest ecological restoration projects in the world, connecting the Cerrado and the Amazon in the center of Brazil via a green corridor.

By 2022, we will have planted 1 million native trees on the banks of the Araguaia River. There will be 10 million trees planted by 2025. As the fires rapidly advance, it is not only these ecological restoration areas that are at risk, but the whole surrounding region and remaining nature.

PROTECTING LIFE AND BIODIVERSITY

We need to take immediate action, on two fronts, in the region where the Black Jaguar Foundation operates: one preventive and the other to fight the fires.

PREVENTION – STRENGTHENING FIRE RESILIENCE ON RURAL PROPERTIES IN THE REGION

This is done in two ways: conducting the training of voluntary fire brigade to support the local prevention plan, and reinforcing firebreaks on restoration sites.

TRAINING VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADES

For both Prevention and Combat, local fire brigades need to be trained in the areas close to our restoration sites for the coming millions of native trees. Black Jaguar will provide for the professional training of fire brigade in Santana do Araguaia (PA), who will certify the volunteers in managing fire-fighting equipments. The fire brigades will be managed with the support of the Enviromental Secretary and local landowners and communities.

REINFORCING FIREBREAKS

Firebreaks are strips of bare land which physically separate two areas susceptible to fire. Black Jaguar field team and local workers build these firebreaks on restoration sites, with the help of tractors, and they then restrict the passage of fire to new areas of vegetation, making the fire more easily controlled.

FIRE FIGHTING – EQUIPMENT AND WATER SUPPLY

Besides training, fire brigades need appropriate equipment and water supply to put out the fire.

FIRE-FIGHTING EQUIPMENT

Black Jaguar will purchase appropriate fire-fighting equipment, such as blowers, back pumps and dampers, allowing brigades to act at the beginning of occurrences and prevent them from worsening.

WATER SUPPLY

Once the fire is already raging in an area, however, only water is capable of extinguishing the flames. Additionally, in the case of an extinct fire, there is an action called aftermath, which is when a previously burnt area is wetted to prevent a new outbreak of fire. BJF will support the rental of for water-tank on wheels to the municipality of Santana do Araguaia.

“We all have the power to change. What are you waiting for?”

Yann Arthus-Bertrand

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A PLACE OF POSITIVE IMPACT

We have areas in the process of restoration in the states of Pará and Tocantins. In Pará, in the municipality of Santana do Araguaia, we will protect an area of 2,000 km², and in Tocantins, in the municipality of Caseara, an area of 700 km².

The total area that will receive this emergency assistance will be 2,700 km² (equivalent to 270,000 football pitches).

HOW IT WORKS

We will enable the training and equip the fire brigades in the cities of Santana do Araguaia (PA) and Caseara (TO), as well as create fire breaks and reinforce those that already exist. In addition, we will enlist the support of water trucks for the immediate combat of fire outbreaks and the aftermath of the area.

We will reserve a sum of money for contingencies that arise and to support the fire brigade of the Cantão State Park (TO), as this is a vital conservation unit present in the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, and it is close to the areas under restoration by the Black Jaguar Foundation.

COLLECTION TARGET:R$100.000,00

Distribution model:

1st Fire Brigade Training

2nd Reinforcement of fire-fighting equipment

3rd Reinforcement and renewal of firebreaks: Blade tractor + labor

4th Water Truck Rental: if necessary to contain the fire and make the aftermath after fire

You can donate as much as you can, and any amount you choose to contribute will help – even small actions can have a large positive impact.And remember: no one is too small to make a difference.

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OBJECTIVES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

By planting native trees on a large scale to realise the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, the Black Jaguar Foundation is contributing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDOs), in particular the following 6 SDOs:

TRANSPARENCY AND USE OF RESOURCES

We will document all the fieldwork and report back on our website at the end of the campaign to all people who decide to support this initiative. Welight platform records the financial flow – from donations to the final result – and ensures transparency and fraud prevention through blockchain technology. Access the accountability report of the SOS-Araguaia campaign in 2020 here: Accountability Report 2020

By planting native trees on a large scale to realise the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, the Black Jaguar Foundation is contributing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDOs), in particular the following 6 SDOs:

Support all those on the front line fighting fires in the Cerrado and Amazon. Be part of this movement to care for and protect Brazilian biodiversity. We all depend on this.

On World Environment Day, which fell on June 5th of this year, the UN officially launched the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The Decade of Restoration is meant to promote the United Nation’s environmental goals, and facilitate global cooperation for the restoration of degraded ecosystems.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration symbolizes a chance to revive the natural world that supports us all. It is these next ten years that scientists claim will count the most in the fight to avert climate change, and halt irreversible biodiversity loss. The UN outlines ten actions that will build a #GenerationRestoration.

10 years to restore our planet. 10 actions that count:

1. Empower a global movement

The UN Decade is designed to connect the actions of many, and empower them in this way. Groups and individuals can get informed about restoration opportunities in there area. They can join any initiative or even start their own! In this way, many smaller projects can join forces, and together, fight for a better, greener future.

2. Finance restoration on the ground

Organizations involved in restoration are often underfunded and face financial insecurity. While the benefits of restoration far outweight the costs, initial investments in the magnitude of billions are needed. The UN Decade raises awareness on these organizations, so that businesses, individuals, and other parties can consider giving a donation.

3. Set the right incentives

Caring for nature has often meant foregoing some of the financial gains of less sustainable practices. However, there are ways to change this: agricultural and fishing subsidies that often finance harmful practices could be used to support restoration instead. In the long-term, healthier ecosystems can produce bigger harvests, more secure incomes and a healthier environment for people.

4. Celebrate leadership

The UN Decade will celebrate leadership in a way that will encourage many more to step up and act.

5. Shift behaviors

Deforestation, the depletion of fish stocks and the degradation of agricultural soils are all caused by global consumption patterns. The UN Decade will work with all partners to identify and encourage restoration-friendly consumption. This can range from shifting diets to promotion restoration-based products.

6. Invest in research

Restoration is complex. Practices that work in one ecosystem may have adverse impacts in another. Scientific understanding of how to restore and adapt ecosystems is still developing. Considerable investments are required to identify the best practices to restore our planet.

7. Build up capacity

As a priority, the UN Decade’s strategy seeks to build the capacity of marginalized groups that stand to lose most from the continued destruction of ecosystems – such as indigenous peoples, women and youth to take an active role in restoration.

8. Celebrate a culture of restoration

The power to revive our environment does not lie with governments, experts and practitioners alone. Far from it: Shifting from plundering the planet to healing it is a cultural challenge. The UN Decade’s strategy therefore calls on artists, storytellers, producers, musicians and connectors to join the #GenerationRestoration.

9. Build up the next generation

It is youth and future generations who are most impacted by the consequences of the current rapid destruction of ecosystems. The UN Decade’s strategy makes a direct link between the wellbeing of youth and the goals of restoration.

10. Listen and learn

We can all learn from each other’s knowledge and experience in restoration. The UN Decade acts as a platform to share restoration efforts around the globe. Have a look at the different efforts right now: decadeonrestoration.org/what-ecosystem-restoration

During one of their maintenance visits, our field team stumbled upon a pleasant surprise. After only 9 months of growth, this restored ecosystem has allowed new life to grow, in the form of the hatching of young chicks! See the images of the nest and freshly hatched birds below!

The speed at which these ecosystems are recovering after the planting of native trees is truly astonishing. These small, but meaningful cases, demonstrate that our restoration efforts are working, and that as time goes by, more and more life will return to these restored ecosystems! We are excited to see how these ecosystems will look in the coming years.

Here are some more snapshots from the maintenance visits:

Have a closer look at some of the biodiversity coming back to our restoration sites: