A true Birding Miracle in Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

Jan 143 min read

REPUBLISHING OF A BLOG ENTRY FROM LAST YEAR

Project Led by Photographer Sebastião Salgado Leads to the Return of Almost 200 species.

In today’s world, all we birders ever hear about is the destruction and deforestation of the Rainforest in countries like Brazil or Indonesia. We feel helpless because it seems to be never ending and completely out of our control. Here’s a story that inspires and gives hope. Sebastiao Salgado, famous the world over for his incredible documentary photography, together with his wife Leilia Deluiz Wanick Salgado had seen enough of the environmental destruction of his childhood home. In the late 1990s, they led an initiative to restore and reforest over 1500 acres of what was once a cattle ranch near the city of Aimores in the state of Minas Gerais. More specifically, they began a project to restore a small portion of the pristine Atlantic Rainforest and this is what caught the attention of the world. After over 20 years, the area has seen about 200 species of birds return to what had become a wasteland.

What has happened of the decades to the Atlantic Rainforest? Basically, it’s almost all gone. If birds in this region are on your bucket list, go now to see them because you many not get another chance. On the other hand, this story gives hope. The Atlantic Rainforest was once present in 17 states and covered about 30% of Brazil. This lush and pristine forest was also home many mammals, amphibians, reptiles and insects species. What’s important to note is the fact that this project has proven to the world that environmentally devastated land can be restored and replenished no matter how bad the situation gets. For birders, this is exciting news because it proves that the land will heal itself and the indigenous birds will return.

Currently, Brazil is suffering through the same challenges. Expansion of farming, drought, bad agricultural planning and basic public ignorance has seen bird species being forced out of their natural habitat searching for places to live. Eventually, they will run out of options and die out. What is inspiring about this project is that it gives hope to Brazil and the world that the areas don’t simply die, but can be recovered.

Twenty years ago, over 2.5 million seedlings from 297 native Atlantic Forest species were planted and the results are mind blowing. Since then, 173 species of birds have been registered to have returned to their native habitat. Six of these were threatened with extinction! Camera’s trap strategically placed in the forest have shown various species once thought eliminated making use of the newly restored resources. In addition, 33 different mammal species, 16 species of reptiles and 15 amphibians have returned to the region. For birders, the Red-browed parrot (Amazona rhodocorytha) and the Vinaceous-breasted Parrot (Amazona vinacea) have practically returned from the dead in the region.

We encourage you to do more research but know that it isn’t all doom and gloom in the rain forests of Brazil. There are success stories and the revitalization and reforestation of this small patch of land in Aimores, Brazil gives hope that all this destruction can be reversed if we act. Birding is one way to act because birders play a part in raising awareness, registering species, generating income to local communities and advocating for environmental preservation. For once, we get a success story for the environment, for the animal population, for the country of Brazil and ultimately for birders!