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CAIXA Econômica Federal, one of Brazil’s two federal banks, wins Gold Medal at the 2026 ESG Award for its support of the Black Jaguar Foundation’s Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor restoration project. We are truly honoured and thrilled with this recognition! It has been 4 years of intense collaboration with the Caixa teams, detailed reporting and above all hard work in the field by all our colleagues.

The documentary produced in partnership with Planet Wild continues to create new opportunities for ecological restoration in the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. 

Following the documentary’s release, Planet Wild invited its community to vote for the quarter’s most inspiring project in the platform’s first-ever Community Vote. With 1,165 votes, the Black Jaguar Foundation was selected as the winner, receiving an additional €10,000 to strengthen biodiversity monitoring across our restoration sites. 

The documentary introduced thousands of people to the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, showing how farmers, seed collectors, nursery workers, and field teams work together to restore one of the world’s most important ecological connections between the Amazon and the Cerrado. 

The additional funding will help transform the way we monitor wildlife returning to restored areas. In addition to traditional camera traps, we will deploy solar-powered, permanently connected cameras capable of transmitting images in real time. Combined with image-recognition technology and expert analysis, these cameras will allow us to monitor biodiversity more effectively while sharing nature’s return with supporters around the world. 

This recognition is another reminder of the power of storytelling to inspire action. More than a thousand people chose to support our work because they believe that restoring forests also means protecting biodiversity, strengthening local communities, and creating a more resilient future. 

Our sincere thanks go to Planet Wild and to everyone who watched the documentary, voted for our project, and shared our story. This achievement belongs to everyone who believes that nature can thrive again. 

The Black Jaguar Foundation participated in SOBRE 2026, Brazil’s leading conference on ecological restoration. Held in Brasília, the event brings together researchers, universities, NGOs, and restoration practitioners from across the country to exchange scientific knowledge, practical experience, and innovative solutions for restoring ecosystems at scale. 

This year, Laís D’Isep, Community Engagement Coordinator, and Norivânia Diniz, Nursery Production Supervisor, presented two scientific posters based on the work developed through the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. Their participation highlighted how the lessons learned in the field can contribute to advancing ecological restoration far beyond our own project. 

The first poster explored the lessons learned while building the ecological restoration supply chain in southern Pará. It examined challenges and solutions related to workforce development, native seedling production, strengthening seed networks, engaging landowners, and establishing local governance – all essential components of successful large-scale restoration. 

The second poster demonstrated how local ecological knowledge can help expand the diversity of species used in the restoration of seasonally flooded areas. Developed in partnership with the BJF Araguaia Seed Network, the study combined scientific research with the expertise of local seed collectors to identify species better adapted to the region’s environmental conditions. Two seed collectors also participated as co-authors of the study, highlighting the value of local knowledge in scientific research. 

Participating in SOBRE is an opportunity not only to share our experience, but also to learn from researchers and restoration practitioners working across Brazil. It reinforces our commitment to restoration grounded in scientific evidence, continuous learning, and collaboration between science and local knowledge—an approach that continues to strengthen the impact of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor.

When Francisca came across a job opening posted by the Black Jaguar Foundation on social media, she had no idea it would mark the beginning of a new chapter in her professional life. With no previous experience in native seedling production, she joined the nursery team eager to learn. Four years later, that dedication led to her promotion to Seedling Production Lead. 

Over the years, Francisca gained hands-on experience in every stage of seedling production and nursery management, taking on increasing responsibilities along the way. Today, she coordinates the team’s daily activities, supports Nursery Production Supervisor Norivânia Diniz in organizing operations, and helps ensure the high quality of the native seedlings produced in our nursery. 

Her story reflects one of the Black Jaguar Foundation’s core commitments: investing in the people who live in the regions where we work. Ecological restoration is not only about restoring forests—it is also about creating opportunities for employment, professional development, and long-term careers, while strengthening local economies through the creation of green jobs. 

The Black Jaguar Foundation’s forest nursery is also a powerful example of women in leadership. Today, two women oversee seedling production: Norivânia, as Nursery Production Supervisor, and Francisca, as Seedling Production Lead. Together, they guide the nursery team, share knowledge, and help ensure that every seedling is ready to begin its journey toward the restoration areas. 

Stories like Francisca’s show that ecological restoration goes far beyond planting trees. It is also about creating opportunities, developing local talent, and empowering people to grow alongside the forests they help restore. By investing in people, we strengthen not only ecological restoration itself, but also the future of the communities that make this work possible.

Our forest nursery in Santana do Araguaia, Pará, is growing to meet the increasing demand for ecological restoration in the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. Through a series of infrastructure investments, we are increasing production capacity from 650,000 to up to 1.2 million native seedlings per planting season, while continuing to improve the quality of the seedlings that will one day become future forests. 

One of the first milestones was the expansion of the Transition Area, which has already doubled in size. Here, seedlings spend time under 30% shade, gradually adapting before moving to the final stage of development. 

Every seedling passes through three stages before being planted in the field. They begin in the Shade House (Sombrite), where they are protected under 50% shade. Next comes the Transition Area, with 30% shade, where they continue adapting to outdoor conditions. Finally, they are transferred to the Hardening Area, where they grow in full sunlight, preparing them for life in the field. 

To support the increase in production, a new Hardening Area covering nearly one hectare is also under construction. Once completed, it will almost double the capacity of this stage, allowing many more seedlings to be prepared for planting. 

Alongside the expansion of the production areas, we have also invested in key infrastructure improvements. Two new wells have been drilled, two additional water pumps installed, and a new underground irrigation and electrical system implemented to improve the efficiency and reliability of the nursery’s operations. 

Construction is also underway on a new warehouse, which will provide dedicated space to store the materials and supplies needed for the nursery’s daily activities, helping streamline operations as production continues to grow. 

Looking ahead, the next phase of the expansion will include the construction of a large garage to protect the seedling truck, water truck, and other vehicles from the sun and dust. The new facility will also house additional equipment that will soon arrive through the support of our sponsors and partners. 

We’ll continue sharing updates on the nursery expansion in future editions of our newsletter, following each step of its growth and the role it plays in helping us restore forests at an ever greater scale. 

We are delighted to share another important milestone in our journey: the results of the first year of our partnership with Rabobank and the renewal of this collaboration for a second phase of growth and transformation across the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor.

Throughout the first year, we invested in the infrastructure, energy supply, and water management of our nursery in Santana do Araguaia (Pará state, Brazil). These improvements have significantly increased our capacity to produce high-quality native seedlings, enabling us to restore larger areas of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor.

We expanded our field operations while creating greater impact for local communities and invested in camera systems and innovative technologies to monitor biodiversity recovery and further strengthen our ecological restoration monitoring systems.

To see the impact of this partnership firsthand, Thaís Zylbersztajn Fontes, Rabobank’s Senior W&R Sustainability Lead, visited the heart of our operations in Brazil. Watch the video below to hear her reflections on the progress we’ve achieved together.

And this is only the beginning.

With the renewal of our partnership, a new chapter begins. Over the coming months, we will further expand the infrastructure of our first Restoration Hub in Santana do Araguaia. By the end of the year, our nursery will have the capacity to produce 1.2 million native seedlings per planting season.

Rabobank’s philanthropic support will also enable us to expand our operations by developing our second Restoration Hub in Lagoa da Confusão (Tocantins state, Brazil). This new hub will allow us to expand our restoration efforts into new regions of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor.

The next phase includes site preparation, the construction of a large-scale native tree nursery, the strengthening of our native seed collection network, the establishment of new partnerships with rural landowners, and the launch of the region’s first ecological restoration projects.

Rabobank and the Black Jaguar Foundation share the same vision: the future of agribusiness will be led by landowners who produce in harmony with nature. The long-term collaboration is built on a shared recognition of the urgent need for ecosystem restoration and a belief in the power of collective action to drive impact in line with our long-term goals.

Check out a selection of photos from Rabobank’s field trip

The Black Jaguar Foundation welcomed representatives from Rabobank for an immersive journey through the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, offering a closer look at the partnerships, people, and landscapes driving large-scale ecological restoration. 

The visit began in Lagoa da Confusão (Tocantins), where the group explored the site of BJF’s future second restoration hub. They also visited farms and strategic restoration areas while meeting with local stakeholders to discuss opportunities for expanding restoration efforts across the region. 

The following day, the delegation traveled to Santana do Araguaia (Pará) to meet members of the BJF Araguaia Seed Network. The conversations offered a firsthand perspective on the vital role seed collectors play in restoring ecosystems while creating new income opportunities for local communities. 

The itinerary also included visits to the Black Jaguar Foundation’s forest nursery and operational warehouse, where guests followed the journey from seed collection to seedling production and gained insight into the logistics behind large-scale restoration. The group then visited restored areas in the field, seeing firsthand how native vegetation is returning and ecological connectivity is being rebuilt across the landscape. 

The itinerary also included visits to the Black Jaguar Foundation’s forest nursery and operational warehouse, where guests followed the journey from seed collection to seedling production and gained insight into the logistics behind large-scale restoration. The group then visited restored areas in the field, seeing firsthand how native vegetation is returning and ecological connectivity is being rebuilt across the landscape. 

The visit concluded with a look ahead at the Black Jaguar Foundation’s next milestones, including the expansion of restoration activities and the development of the second restoration hub in Lagoa da Confusão. By the end of the week, participants had experienced firsthand how collaboration, local engagement, and long-term commitment are helping reconnect the Amazon and Cerrado through large-scale ecological restoration. 

As the rainy season between October and April comes to an end, so does another planting season at the Black Jaguar Foundation. With the arrival of the dry season, a new and essential phase of ecological restoration begins: monitoring and maintaining the areas restored over the past several months. 

Even in this early stage, the transformation is already visible. Native seeds and seedlings are establishing themselves, vegetation cover is gradually returning to the soil, and previously degraded land is beginning to recover life, structure, and biodiversity. 

Field records and images captured across the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor reveal the first stages of this regeneration process. Areas that were once degraded are slowly developing into young forests, helping reconnect the Amazon and Cerrado while supporting the recovery of ecosystems and biodiversity throughout the region. 

Over the coming months, our field teams will continue monitoring these areas closely, carrying out maintenance activities and tracking the development of native species as the restored landscape continues to evolve. 

Ecological restoration goes far beyond planting trees. It is a long-term process of regenerating ecosystems, rebuilding connections, and creating the conditions for nature to thrive once again.