Quote:
Originally Posted by goosey
The Pau Brasil tree looks smaller than I would have imagined when I think of the trees we see in images from the rain forests there.
Thanks for the great picture and informative post  . |
Goosey,
This Pau Brasil tree is rather young. It is the result of Francismars' (Director of Botanical Research in Sao Paulo) efforts at reforestation of this species. He has done a fantastic job for 30 years. He has been fighting with the branches of the Brasilian Government to fund his project. They have given a little assistance however, as with any government, it's never enough.
In Brasils defense, I must say, it is mostly foreign demand of wood that has led to this and other endangered species demise. This is something that has been occurring for hundreds of years. And until the last few decades has there been any effort to study the impact.
Brasil has always been a passive country. Always opening it's doors and lending it's diversity and resources to others. I think it was their naive attitude that has allowed these travesties. However, they are getting wiser. They now realize the greed of foreign investors who promise to log in an environmentally friendly way. Which as we all know just is never the case. As of two years ago, the Brasilian Government revoke 70% of the logging permits they had issued to foreign logging companies.
They have also increased their efforts to declare large parcels of the forests as preservations (not to be touched). Is it too little too late ? I hope not.
Due to the shortage of hardwoods from other parts of the world, the prices for quality hardwoods has gone through the roof. For that reason there has been a surge in illegal (poachers) harvesting in the remote areas of Brasil. The main problem being, Brasil is so large and has many remote areas that are hard to get to, and there is just not enough man power to cover all the vastness of the country. The poachers come in, ravage the trees, and are gone before anyone realizes what happened.
Some of our future plans are to educate and hire locals to watch these areas and report abuse. We would like to offer a rewards program to those who step up and report any illegal logging activity. We would also like to include awareness to the locals that the trees are far more important to their survival than they realize. Education and alternatives, such as reforestation projects will provide them work so they can support their families.
Poverty is another issue. When a family in the remote areas of Brasil are struggling and living in conditions of poverty most of us can't even imagine, and they have one tree that is worth 10-20K$....can we really expect them to look the other way ? There has to be alternatives for them. Or we can never expect them to worry about tomorrow when today their children are crying from hunger.
There are many areas responsible for deforestation. Some political, some ethical and some moral. We have to address all the issues to ever hope to make an impact and stop the cycle.
That is why we ask for donations. We aren't trying to profit from our project. We are trying to make a difference. We have to attend government meetings to be the voice for the trees and the people. We have to find ways to promote our efforts which means many hours writing and sending letters, speaking with others on forums like this one and traveling to areas of Brasil most affected by deforestation to help educate the locals.
Plus, we have to have money to pay locals to help in our reforestation project. We have to collect seeds, which requires travelling great distances to find one or two trees left of an endangered species that are still producing seeds. There is so much to do most people don't realize the effort and work that is required. It really is an uphill battle and I have to admit, I have sometimes wondered if we are fighting a losing battle. But, I have this little voice inside my head that says...never give up. You can make a difference.
I went to your website. I love your photos and back yard paradise. I really like the Iris Petals ! They are alive with color. I am an amateur photographer myself. I love photos of nature. They capture a beautiful moment in time.
