Conservation and Reforestation of the Atlantic rainforest of Brazil

  Brazil

• Northern Brazil: 
Itacare

Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks

Description: Itacare lies 300 km south of Salvador de Bahia and Janaina Nature Reserve is located 10 km from Itacaré as the crow flies. It's a private pristine rain forest, protected under Brazilian federal law. Six hectares of the forest are devoted to permaculture with the aim of creating a model school for local communities. The Reserve belongs to the Atlantic Forest biome, one the world's richest in biodiversity, of which at present only 8% remains. In 2000 the Atlantic Forest in Bahia was declared by Unesco a Reserve of the Biosphere. In the Janaina Reserve, an international volunteer project is organized in cooperation with a local sustainable development organization, managing the area and also working with some local farmers' cooperatives in the fair trade net.

The project's participants will be working in various projects of conservation, while having the rare opportunity of living in a pristine forest and having great opportunities of wild life watching.

The main tasks will be: reforestation in some small but critical border areas of the forest, permaculture, anti-fire and anti-hunting watch. In August it will be possible to plant the tree saplings raised in the nursery where the seeds are put in January. Participants will also be taught all the basic principles of handcrafted chocolate production: from harvesting to fermentation, drying, roasting of beans and finally handwork processing. Participants will also be able to learn some elements of tropical botany and forestry farming.

The project activities will be held from Monday to Friday. Saturday and Sunday participants will be staying in Itacare.

There is an extra fee of 280 Euro for participation in this program, intended to support the local hosting organization.

Highlights: Itacare is a beautiful coastal village, the rainforest reach the beaches and there are magnificent waves. Till ten years ago it was only a little fishermen's village from where cocoa was shipped all around the world. The area was named Costa do Cacao and its capital town Ilheus is the setting of many novels by Jorge Amado.

Qualifications: Please send a clearly stated motivation and previous experience with your application. Good physical shape is important due to the climate conditions (heat, humidity and temperature range).

Cost in US$: 290

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Motivated to work voluntarily within an international team, tolerant, open-minded and cooperative person with adventurous spirit.

Age Range: 21 and over

This Program is open to American and Canadian Participants.

Participants Travel to Brazil Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups

CADIP - Canadian Alliance for Development Initiatives and Projects's Mission Statement: CADIP promotes peace, cooperation, tolerance and understanding in international, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural surroundings. The organization also promotes patterns and examples of civil activities focused on serving others, on building social ties and strengthening communities, on supporting civil society development. Aims and general objectives: * To promote volunteering as an expression of civic contribution * To strengthen the international contacts among young people * To build tolerance and understanding in multicultural and multi-ethnic surroundings *To promote multiunderstanding among youth all over the world * To facilitate the individual growth of the volunteers through the acquisition of work, life and learning skills * To work for the recognition and promotion of non-formal learning * To support the community initiatives and assist in community development.