Trees and Education Protect Rainforest in Brazil

Dear donors.

Project “Trees and Education Protect the Atlantic Rainforest” is happy to share this information with donors and project friends.

With the Neutrogena donation, project 'Trees and Education Protect Rainforest in Brazil' surpassed its original funding goal of $60.000, it was considered fully funded.

A new funding goal was needed and the project budget was increased to $200.000 in order to maintain this project in GlobalGiving site and to continue to do the activities listed in the project’s page.

So, “Trees and Education Protect the Atlantic Rainforest” has a new funding goal of $200.000.

This project has already received through GlobalGiving since it started in 2006 around $105,000 and we expect to raise the remaining $95,000 in the next 5 years.  

Since this project began we have already spent $37.000 in several activities and there is $24.000 in the bank, as a reserve to be used when needed.

Project’s Budget for 2012 is of $44.000

Build a Visitor Centre: $ 23.255

Equipments and furniture for Visitor Centre: $ 3.488

Bus rental for student’s transportation: $ 5.087

Educational DVDs: $ 1.162

Folders and brochures: $ 1.744

Hire a Permaculture technical advisor: $ 2.441

Saplings: $ 6.976

Total: $44.156

We are only considering expenses paid with donations funds. Most other project expenses, as salaries, petrol, etc., are paid by SALVEASERRA.

These new donations are already influencing greatly the development of SALVEASERRA - NGO and enlarging its horizons of future activities.

As you know, project has two main objectives that are: 1. The educational “Day in the Forest” ecological trekking, with schools and groups visiting an Atlantic Rainforest protection area and 2. The CETAR Agroforestry project created in 1995 to demonstrate agroforestry systems planting methods.

These donations will make possible to 1. Professionalize our local operations in Valença, Rio de Janeiro State and expand them to two other neighboring counties, Rio das Flores and Barra do Pirai allowing us to increase considerably the number of student we receive every month and 2. Facilitate the creation of a Regional Center of Excellence in Agroforestry, produce more saplings, and increase and ameliorate the plantation areas of trees, palm trees and fruit trees.

These grants will also enable us to produce a good quality educational support material, new brochures and DVDs.

Since last December update we continued our activities but in a slower way, because of students holidays, and as we had to rebuild our little house that was in very bad shape, almost falling and very dangerous for the workers that lived there.

Now we have a new and very nice house, big enough to shelter and house students and visitors while we build the new Visitors Centre, that already started be built.

Please see attached several pictures of the old and new house, the old visitor’s center and construction of new one, of Serra da Concórdia Wildlife Sanctuary visitors, from some students of a new school we are working with and that is going to do the “Day in the Forest” next week, from the 167 saplings this project bought from Antonio, that received a tree nursery from our other GlobalGiving project and from the tree nursery were we produced many and bought 1100 saplings this year.

Please accept my sincere thanks for your help and support.

Roberto Lamego