Restore Sustain Thrive Brazil Reforestation

Restore Sustain Thrive is a Reforestation & Permaculture Organisation in Brazil.

The world’s forests are often rightly described as the world’s lungs. However, a recent study indicates that due to man’s burning, deforestation and other actions the world’s forests now emit more carbon than they absorb. One way to reverse this is reforestation and protection of previously cleared areas of forest, and to educate and work with local communities to develop more positive attitudes toward environment.

Restore Sustain Thrive takes a restorative approach to sustainability, with a focus on restoring the land and the local ecosystem. Reforestation and restoring forests are some of the most powerful actions we can do in combatting climate change through sequestering carbon and restoring biodiversity. Restore Sustain Thrive  will work with local communities to help change attitudes and behaviour that lead to environmental problems.

Restoration of cleared land back to vibrant forest

To accomplish these aims, Restore Sustain Thrive is purchasing degraded farmland in the Atlantic Forest in Brazil and returning it to a robust ecosystem with vibrant biodiversity, while also sowing the seeds for changes in how local communities think about the land and forest, through environmental education and establishing a Permaculture demonstration farm and training centre.

Restore Sustain Thrive appreciates this is a long term process, re-establishing vibrant forest on degraded land takes many years. While making deep and lasting change to communities’ attitudes toward the environment and the earth that sustains us can be a generational process.

With this in mind, Restore Sustain Thrive will work towards these goals in two main stages. The first stage, which meeting our current fundraising campaign target will allow us to achieve, is to buy land in the Atlantic Forest region in Brazil. On this land Restore Sustain Thrive will establish the tree nursery for different species of tree from the local Atlantic forest as well as the Environmental education centre and establish the Permaculture demonstration farm and training centre. This first stage will allow Restore Sustain Thrive hone the skills needed to cultivate the various different tree species, establish relationships with land-owners, schools and community groups and to test and develop methods and monitoring equipment suitable to the local region. Restore Sustain Thrive will also provide reforestation services and demonstrate the value of maintaining or re-planting trees.

The second stage of the project will be the purchase of a significantly larger area of land, with the aim of fully restoring it to vibrant and robust Atlantic forest. The more money Restore Sustain Thrive raises the greater the area we can reforest. Buying larger areas of land - often former farms where the land has been degraded over the decades since the forest was stripped away, is how Restore Sustain Thrive will achieve the best value for money raised.

Stripped Atlantic forest, now degraded farmland 

Beyond the initial purchase of land, meeting the target will allow Restore Sustain Thrive to establish a native tree nursery, start replanting, work with the local community driving the needed changes in thinking and approach to the environment in Brazil. Restore Sustain Thrive will establish a Permaculture demonstration and training farm to be able to provide permaculture courses, education outreach for schools, and workshops in sustainable building and design. Restore Sustain Thrive will also provide training for local property owners to improve treatment of land, reduce further reforestation and prevent erosion.

The Restore Sustain Thrive team has strong connections with universities in Brazil and around the world, and will host researchers, undertake and publish research so that our efforts here in Brazil will help with other reforestation and sustainability initiatives in Brazil and internationally. Once established we will welcome visitors to the reforestation and permaculture projects and provide opportunities for volunteers with Restore Sustain Thrive .

Native species tree nursery

Meeting or exceeding the first stage target will allow Restore Sustain Thrive to start the journey of re-establishing Atlantic forest, sequestering carbon and improve biodiversity. By establishing a nursery to raise native species of Atlantic forest trees for reforestation, design and build infrastructure for Permaculture courses and environmental education outreach programs. By helping Restore Sustain Thrive meet or exceed our target, you will be contributing to large scale Reforestation,  Permaculture promotion and Environmental education in Brazil.

Atlantic Forest native tree seedlings

In helping Restore Sustain Thrive to reverse the loss of forests and biodiversity in Brazil, you will have our deepest gratitude. But more than that, you will know you have helped restore and sustain some of the most critically endangered and important forest in the world. We know that with climate change, biodiversity loss and the many other pressing environmental problems the world is facing, the challenges can at times be overwhelming. By donating to Restore Sustain Thrive you will be helping to reverse deforestation, sequester carbon, improve biodiversity, promote permaculture and increase local awareness of environmental issues. By doing this, you will be helping to achieve something important and make a tangible difference. In this day and age, at this point in history this is the biggest reward anyone could wish for.

Please help us restore this:

Farmland where Atlantic forest used to stand

Back to this:

Atlantic Forest, Brazil.

Restoring the forest returns Hydrological cycles that are needed to sustain the forest, strong biodiversity and a vibrant ecosystem.
Reforested farmland returned to Atlantic forest

We would like to pay homage to our dear friend Paul-Emmanuel Muylaert, with whom many aspects of this project were discussed and shared and who now can only be with us in memory.

Paul-Emmanuel Muylaert

Please follow our process at www.restoresustainthrive.org