Nursery & Center
Nursery & Center The ACRAA nursery is located on a wonderful property located right in the village of Alter do Chão [1], this only a short walk (15 min.) from the main village square or Praça, and only two blocks from the edge of a forest reserve that surrounds the village (Figure 1). This property will also be the home of our future “Center,” a place that we hope will become well known in the region and beyond as a meeting and educational center for people interested in reforestation and agroforestry in the Amazon. See future ACRAA center here. The nursery had its beginning in early 2020 with just a few seedlings, but now covers an area of about 250 square meters and with an ever-growing number and varierty of plants. Below is a selection of photos and videos that show this nursery on May 21, 2022. For a history…
Reforestation
Reforestation The Alter do Chão area also draws attention for having freshwater beaches of admirable beauty, these famous nationally and internationally. In fact, in 2009 the Guardian rated the beaches of Alter do Chão as the number one “beach” in Brazil. See the Guardian article here. And it is in the restoration of these economically vital beaches that ACRAA is focusing its initial reforestation efforts, as there is an urgent need here. Specifically, this means planting the appropriate species to reverse the ongoing loss of tree cover here. We started this work in February 2020 with the collection of seeds from several species of trees that grow on these beaches, including the Ilha do Amor [1]. In March of the same year the first of these seeds germinated, those of a tree locally known as Comandá. This work has continued and we now have a growing collection of “Beach Trees”…
Micro-Agroforestry
Micro-Agroforestry Development Project Status: Seedling donation to landowners commenced March 2022. Project ongoing. In this section we will describe what we are doing with regards to our project initiative called Micro-Agroforestry Development. For a basic definition of “agroforestry,” which is the second branch of the ACRAA tree – follow the link here. What we call Micro-Agroforestry is the planting of agroforestry systems in small properties, especially in regions integrated with urban areas, reforesting and improving people’s quality of life. In all ACRAA projects, we seek to re-signify, together with Amazonian communities, the cultural and economic value of the forest as a form of resistance against the advance of deforestation. We have started this work through the production of hundreds of seedlings, of more than 30 different species. These are mostly fruit producing trees, but also trees that produce wood for civil and naval construction, and in addition other plants such…
Ilha do Amor – Background
The Ilha do Amor and the Beaches of Alter do Chão This page provides some background related to the Ilha do Amor and the ecological problems this area is facing. First, the Ilha do Amor is not an island but a peninsula of sand, with the Tapajós river on one side and Lago Verde (Green Lake) on the other. This formation is also actally a dune, sands transported by wind from beaches to the north-west and north-east during periods of low water, and deposited here. As is the case for rivers throughout the Amazon, there is a large annual fluctuation in the water level here. As a result, during the period of lower water levels (September to December which is the dry season), large expanses of sandy beaches are present. However, when the water level is high (late February-May during the rainy season), much of this peninsula is submerged. Photos…
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