Tree collectors project
The reason for the
“Tree collectors” project
Unfortunately, Brazil is considered one of the most dangerous countries for environmental defenders. Environmental protection is a minefield, with interests, deliberations and crimes that, when highlighted or denounced, cost a lot for those who report it. Brazil was the country, in recent years, where most environmental activists were murdered. However, that doesn't mean we should become complacent. Today more than ever, it is urgent and mandatory that we dedicate part of our time to protecting the environment. Within this context, we found a simple, direct and safe way to help Nature. Our objective is to buy areas of the Cerrado biome (Forest biome) to guarantee that those regions are never deforested, protecting its sources and its biodiversity.
Much is said about the Amazon, and we know that its preservation is fundamental. However, we cannot forget that there is an interdependence between all Biomes that must also be protected in order to maintain the balance of the planet. And unfortunately, the Cerrado biome is often used as a source for food production through deforestation. The Biome that helps feed the world pays a very high price. The proof of this is that the Cerrado biome was not included in the European Union regulations to combat imports of products that contribute to deforestation. The evidence is clear today that the Cerrado biome is suffering as many countries demand more imports from those regions without regulation.
Should nothing be done, the prediction is that the Cerrado biome will be extinct by 2030. Between 2020 and 2021 we lost the equivalent of twice the size of the Federal District. Half of the vegetation has already been eliminated and transformed into pasture land. Less than 3% of the Cerrado biome area is currently protected which means that we are heading towards an environmental catastrophe with serious consequences for the entire planet. As a result, the Instituto Guardiã do Ser will make a contribution to help transform this scenario with the implementation of the “Tree collectors” project.
Many people have a passion for collecting all kinds of things, why not have that same passion to become lifelong tree collectors?
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<a href="https://br.freepik.com/fotos-gratis/lobo-guara-em-seu-habitat-natural-belos-prados-animais-incriveis-no-ambiente-da-natureza-america-do-sul_22456249.htm#query=cerrado&position=2&from_view=keyword">Imagem de vladimircech</a> no Freepik
How to participate
By donating any amount to the “Tree Collectors” project. Each area of the Cerrado biome will be purchased as soon as the required funds are collected.
Transparency
The donor will be able to follow the process of acquisition and maintenance of the areas through the Institute's website. If you are interested, you can visit the areas in person.
Let's talk a little about the importance of the Cerrado biome
Water potential - Brazil's water tank
The Cerrado biome is the cradle of Brazilian waters and is known as the "water tank" of Brazil. Alone, it nourishes 3 giant underground aquifers, the entire Pantanal and even 6 of the 8 major Brazilian hydrographic basins.
<a href="https://br.freepik.com/fotos-gratis/linda-e-ameacada-onca-americana-no-habitat-natural-panthera-onca-selvagem-brasil-vida-selvagem-brasileira-pantanal-selva-verde-gatos-grandes_28920594.htm#query=cerrado&position=20&from_view=keyword">Imagem de vladimircech</a> no Freepik
Biodiversity - The largest savannah in the world.
The Brazilian Cerrado biome plays a fundamental role in maintaining the balance of global biodiversity, since it is considered the most biodiverse savanna formation on the planet.
The biome encompasses the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Tocantins, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Maranhão, Piauí, Rondônia, Paraná, São Paulo and the Federal District, in addition to some enclaves (land within another) in Amapá, Amazonas and Roraima. In addition, it comprises some territories in north eastern Paraguay and also in eastern Bolivia.
Humanity's natural heritage
The national parks of Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas, located in Goiás, were declared World Natural Heritage by Unesco in 2001. Both regions are protected areas of the Brazilian cerrado, one of the oldest and most diverse tropical ecosystems in the world.
Archeological sites
The National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan) has cataloged 1,246 archaeological sites in the State of Goiás alone. There are remains of villages, camps, cemeteries, caves with paintings and engravings of the indigenous peoples who occupied the territory of Goiás. The archaeological complex of Serranópolis is one of the most important in the country, with a large amount of rock art and lithic workshops. In the city, the remains of a human skeleton dating back 11,000 years were found, the so-called "Homem da Serra do Cafezal", recognized as one of the oldest in South America.
The Terra Ronca State Park is one of the largest sites of caves and caves in Latin America. Many of them have not yet been mapped. These geological formations attract speleologists, tourists, adventurers and curious people from all over the world, eager to know the natural beauties, the rivers of crystalline waters that form underground lakes and the huge internal halls of the caves. Located in the municipalities of Guarani de Goiás and São Domingos, the Park has an area of approximately 57,000 hectares, houses caves with rare and preserved limestone formations, a spectacle of underground nature.
Social
The Cerrado biome has great social importance. Many people depend on the natural resources that the Biome offers in order to survive with quality of life, including indigenous groups and Quilombos. , geraizeiros, ribeirinhos and babassu coconut breakers, who are part of the historical and cultural heritage of Brazil and share the traditional knowledge of biodiversity.
Traditional peoples and community
Tribal People have lived in the Cerrado biome for over 12.000 years, always living in harmony with the environment. They are representitive of our socio-biodiversity as both connoisseurs and guardians of the region's ecological and cultural heritage.
There are more than 80 indigenous ethnic groups present in the biome, in addition to the Quilombolas, Geraizeiros, Ribeirinhos, Quebradairas de coco babaçu and Sertanejos.
These peoples and communities of ancestral culture live mainly from extractivism, handicrafts and family farming. Their way of life constitutes an important ally in the conservation of our ecosystems, as they provide for the productive landscape that ensures the continuity of environmental services provided by the Cerrado biome, such as maintaining biodiversity, hydrological cycles and carbon stocks.
Great tourist potential
We are talking about a biome that extends across many states and that presents a variety of tourist itineraries with a huge number of waterfalls, caves, rivers, hot springs, national parks and historic cities. Tourism, in addition to being an industry “without chimneys”, is a very important element in the social and economic life of communities in the Cerrado biome.
Medicinal plants
The vegetation is rich in diversity and its plants are widely used for medicinal purposes. The Cerrado biome has specimens that are being carefully analysed by researchers in search of combinations to cure various diseases.
Click:
https://www.scielo.br/j/abb/a/3rz398SBpqjMsf8ppFvPHxM/?lang=pt&format=htmlhttps://www.scielo.br/j/abb/a/n7MYRxm33WnsQRXzbZV5zTQ/?format=html
https://scientiaplena.emnuvens.com.br/sp/article/view/159
http://aspta.org.br/article/medicina-popular-e-biodiversidade-no-cerrado/
Destructive Fires in the Cerrado biome
The Cerrado biome burned at record levels in 2022. Up to August of that year, 20,095 fire points were registered in the Biome, a higher number than what was identified in the Amazon 16,874 and in the Atlantic Forest 4,684, according to the Instituto Nacional De Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE).
Logging
Etween August 2021 and July 2022, logging grew by 25.3% compared to the previous twelve month period. The native vegetation of 10,688.73 square kilometers was suppressed, the largest area since 2015, according to the Nacional De Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE).