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The beautiful biodiversity of seeds

By News Home

This gorgeous image, taken by our Forest Engineer Carlos Eduardo, shows the plethora of different seeds that are currently being collected in the region of Caseara (Tocantins) in Brazil. Selecting and cultivating the right mix of native trees is a fundamental step of ecological restoration, and so the BJF team in Brazil is expertly refining the art of seed collecting.

These seeds are to be safely stored and used by the end of the year to initiate BJF’s ecological restoration.We are creating a portfolio of species of seeds that will allow us to give form to the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. The different species are collected in a number of different ways. At our Santa Fé farm, Carlos Eduardo uses his expertise about the forests in this region to harvest local seeds that have germinated. We also acquire specialized seeds from sources such as the Amazon Seed Network or universities such as the University of Goiás (UFG).

Meet Francisco: our new Partnerships Coordinator

By News Home

We are very pleased to welcome Francisco Martes Porto Macedo to our team as our new Partnerships Coordinator based in Sao Paulo. Francisco is a very well travelled man who has lived on every continent in the world in places including Boston, Singapore, London, Hoedspruit and Sydney. After obtaining an economics degree from the  University of Sao Paulo, he gained plentiful experience in the corporate world, working for both a leading strategy consulting firm and a corporate investment bank. He says that he  enjoyed this work alot, but his main intention was always to use the expertise he’d gained from these experiences in order to help society and build a better world for future generations.

This intention took him to South Africa where he worked on animal conservation projects such as reintroducing cheetahs into areas of Angola and Mozambique where they had almost become extinct. Eventually, whilst undertaking a postgraduate degree in Brazil, he was introduced to the BJF by our project coordinator Ivan Nisida. Francisco says that he was immediately attracted to BJF because of the professional way in which our ecological restoration project is structured.

His role within the foundation is ultimately to deliver the BJF message in Brazil. This will include engaging with different partners, from potential sponsors to NGOs, that may be able to provide the BJF with funding or expertise. He sees this role as an opportunity to take what he already knows from his experience in corporate business, and to put this knowledge towards something that he can be proud of helping future generations by preserving the environment. We are immensely happy to have him on our team!

Our Jaguar family is now complete!

By Allgemein, News Home

The award-winning sculptor Chris Tap has done it again! After 9 months of incredible dedication and craftsmanship, Chris has completed a Life-Sized sculpture of the majestic Black Jaguar as a gift to BJF’s exclusive sponsor-partners. The first seven of these magnificent sculptures are already being showcased in the reception halls of our exclusive sponsors, serving as a wonderful symbol of their positive involvement.

The life-sized jaguar is the fourth and final statue to complete our happy family of four, ranging from smaller statues of just the jaguar head up to this full form. The statue is available for our Diamond Friends within our corporate package. When you receive a life-sized statue, you will also receive a personalized brochure, outlining a tailor-made explanation of how your company became part of one of the largest reforestation projects on earth. Together, the statue and the brochure serve as an amazing way to capture interest about the BFJ and the positive involvement our Diamond friends engage with our mission.

Are you also interested in becoming an exclusive BJF partner and receiving your very own Life-Size Jaguar Sculpture? Please write to us at partners@black-jaguar.org.

Meet Eduardo: our first BJF forest engineer

By News Home

We are proud to share that forest engineer Eduardo Carlos Oliveira has recently joined our permanent team in Brazil. Eduardo embraced our mission from the start and is passionate about his work and to make our first reforestation projects a success.

Based in the field and guided by BJF’s Ivan Nisida and the scientists of Bioflora/LERF, he will coordinate the important and complex tasks of the ecological restoration of our 6,000 ha pilot project. With the ultimate goal to build and manage our first nurseries, expand our network of stakeholders in the Corridor and plant the first 15.000 native trees this year.

Eduardo has recently relocated himself from Goaiania to Paraíso in Tocantins, close to the BJF corridor zone, and the BJF Pilot Project, and is fully motivated to realize the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. He is already successful in creating connections with other landowners and is at the start of creating a BJF landowner’s network. Next to this Eduardo has established a partnership with the University of Goias, for the collection of seeds for certain native trees required wihtin the first 2 nurseries. At the same time he has written a report with the experienced scientists of Bioflora and LERF about Ecological Restoration in the area. 

With his positive energy and big smile he is able to motivate the people he works with in a productive way. At the same time he is very knowledgeable and passionate about his work and life as a Forest Engineer. Point at any tree and he will know all about it! Right now Eduardo is managing the building of the 2nd nursery and the implementation fo the first one. The first of many seeds have been collected and identified to be useful in the nurseries, where Eduardo will guide the process of seedling production, and finally trees.

He will keep you updated on his important work and what is happening in the field.
We look forward to share with you more action pictures of Eduardo in the future!

Ready to build our second nursery!

By News Home

We are happy to share our second nursery is now also ready to be built. It is located at Guaíra Farm (Caseara, Tocantins), one of the farms of our BJF partner and landowner, Guilherme Tiezzi. He is the owner of two cattle farms in the Tocantins state. Both stand right in the very heart of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, neighboring the beautiful Cantão State Park.

We are fortunate to have the landowner and visionary Guilherme Tiezzi to be part of our pilot-project. Tiezzi’s goal is to materialize the first ‘Farm of the future’ in the Araguaia Corridor, uniting productive activities with nature and people, and setting a new paradigm in the relationship between humankind and the land.

Now that we have finalized the Mapping and Biodiversity planning of his 2 farms, Santa Juliana and Guaíra, all is set to start the restoration of the identified areas in partnership with LERF and Bioflora. This nursery will be a true example for everyone in the surroundings and also an important educational tool as it will hold a strong social role in the area along with schools, settlements and authorities in the area.

BJF’s Field Coordinator, Carlos Eduardo, is sending daily updates from the field about his close work with the farm manager, Heroito Landa, to accomplish this important step. The area that will receive the nursery structure has been cleared and the installations are in progress as we write these lines. Meanwhile, Carlos Eduardo is continuously improving BJF’s seed stocks thanks to field trips to the surrounding areas of the farm. The species portfolio is growing (15.000 seeds as of today). Last week only, a brand new batch of 13 species has been added to our seed bank.

We will keep you up to date about these exciting developments!

The capacity for the nursery is estimated today at 10.000 seedlings/year, but the room to expand is already reserved according to the (rising) demand. The native trees we will grow in the upcoming nursery will be used to reforest his lands and also to support the creation of a 18km long mini-corridor from his one farm to the other. It will be a great example of success for the Araguaia Corridor and surely will inspire and involve other landowners.

It’s getting more and more concrete.

We will keep you up to date with these exciting developments!

Mapping project: major breakthrough with WRI Brazil

By News Home

Our recent institutional partner World Resources Institute (WRI Brazil) has truly embraced our Mapping Project beyond our expectations.

WRI Brazil recently decided to step up its support to the BJF by building an online platform to map the entire 10,4 millions hectares of the Araguaia Corridor. Over 70% of the Corridor has already been mapped by their team of experts. First results show that this new online mapping-platform will truly become a pillar for future success in planning the entire the Corridor. In the coming months the online platform will be fine tuned as per the requirements of BJF by the mapping-experts of WRI Brazil in close partnership with BJF Brazil.

The amount of data from satellites and governmental organisations and key research laboratories brought together by WRI Brazil in the online Araguaia Corridor Mapping Platform is truly amazing. It will help BJF tremendously by setting the strategy for implementing BJF’s other 2 tasks for the Araguaia Corridor for the years to come.

WRI’s state of the resources allow decision-makers to explore environmental challenges, opportunities, and solutions. Thank you WRI Brazil for your vital support!

Salesforce Foundation extends BJF Partnership

By News Home

To manage its important relations of our donors, sponsors and institutional partners worldwide, BJF works with the state-of-the-art CRM tool of Salesforce. After a thorough compliance check, the Salesforce Foundation recently extended its grant to BJF for a large number of free licenses. Thank you Salesforce

The foundation of Salesforce is the Salesforce Foundation. Salesforce.org is based on a simple idea: leverage Salesforce’s technology, people, and resources to help improve communities around the world. We call this integrated philanthropic approach the 1-1-1 model, because it started with a commitment to leverage 1% of Salesforce’s technology, people, and resources. By encouraging and enabling companies to adopt the 1-1-1 model, Salesforce.org is helping to spark a worldwide corporate giving revolution.

BJF lectured at prestigious event: Nexus Global Brazil

By News Home

The 2018 NEXUS Brazil Forum convened last May 27, 2018, in São Paulo, Brazil in partnership with a coalition of social, industrial and philanthropic institutions. It brought together young philanthropists, impact investors, and allies – including family business members, successful entrepreneurs, and inspiring social change leaders. BJF’s Ivan Nisida was one of the key speakers and interacted with the Forum members to discuss challenges facing Brazil today and innovative solutions to address them, such as creating the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. As an election year, some of the leading presidential candidates will also participate in the Forum and discuss youth issues with the group.

After his presentation, Ivan received a round of applause and proudly connected with the audience. Thank you Ivan for positioning BJF Brazil to the next level!

The building of the first nursery has begun

By News Home

Now that the Mapping and the Biodiversity Planning phase of our Pilot project has been completed, the building of our first nursery has begun. In close partnership with the large farm Santa Fé, located in the heart of the Corridor, everything has been set in motion to finalize the construction of the first nursery later this month.

The owners of this 57,000 ha farm, are very driven to partner with us and make the nursery a success with the main goal to restore the degraded areas on their farm and of neighboring farms to their natural state.

Seedlings of ‘pioneer trees’ will be grown and planted first, as they will provide shade for ‘secondary trees’ to flourish hereafter.

We are keen to update you on these exciting developments!

Seed collection has started

By News Home

Restoring nature is truly an art. It all starts with collecting the right mix of seeds of indigenous trees in the forests and savanna near the degraded areas. Hereafter, each specimen of seeds needs to be stored differently before the planting process begins.

A small team of seed collectors, among Carlos Silva from Fazenda Santa Fé has now started this delicate process! Over 20 species of seeds have been collected so far.