Category Archives: Fundraising

Going, Going, Gone.

British artist Josef O’Connor has teamed up with our UK partner the World Land Trust to help save 20 hectares of Atlantic Forest in the Guapiaçu valley. Josef is selling edition prints of his work entitled Going, Going, Gone, currently on display as Lot 44 at the Royal Academy Winter Exhibition in London.

Centuries of deforestation have left a mere 7% of the original Atlantic Forest area standing, and what is left remains highly threatened. With generous donations, REGUA is able to purchase areas of Atlantic Forest in the Guapiaçu valley as well as reforest cleared areas to connect these fragments, restoring deforested land and preserving the Atlantic Forest’s unique biodiversity.

Going, Going, Gone features a visual representation of the area to be purchased. Lot 44 is a screen-print onto an aerial photograph of the region, with 100 prints available at £400 each to raise £20,000. Each print sold in the edition equates to 0.5 acres.

Josef is hoping that environmentally conscious art lovers will help him raise funds to save this area of forest. “We all know our way of life is killing the planet, so we have a clear choice – either take responsibility for our actions and work together to bring about positive change, or face the stark reality that the ecosystems we all rely on will soon be lost forever. Going, Going, Gone was conceived to encourage people to be part of the solution. It’s a great opportunity to be part of something truly transformational, so I’m hopeful it will really appeal to those determined to make a difference.”

Going, Going Gone by Josef O’Connor will be on show until 3rd January 2021, and prints of Lot 44 to raise funds for this appeal are available for purchase here.

Help to raise funds for REGUA with AmazonSmile

If you shop with Amazon, you can help to support REGUA. Just register the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Trust as your “AmazonSmile Charity”. The AmazonSmile Foundation will then give 0.5% of all your eligible purchases to the charity which is supporting the protection and preservation of the Atlantic Rainforest in South-east Brazil and has given over £2.5 million to REGUA in the last 20 years. Once you have registered the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Trust as the charity you wish to support, as long as you log into your AmazonSmile account your purchases will generate vital funds which will help to continue our work.

Follow the link: smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1079038-0

If you prefer to make a donation directly please click on the donate button.

Please spread the word!

British artist Jelly Green donates exhibition proceeds to REGUA

British artist Jelly Green has spent four years painting rainforests around the world.

Jelly Green, a British artist from Suffolk, has spent the last four years painting rainforests in central Brazil, as well as other places around the word. But seeing the devastating effects of rainforest destruction first-hand had a lasting impact on Jelly, who began to focus on the issue of deforestation in her work.

Last April, Jelly displayed her work at a sold-out exhibition in London, England, and very generously decided to donate £9,000 from her exhibition to REGUA. This will enable us to buy an area of farmland to be forested and incorporated into the reserve, where the unique flora and fauna of the Atlantic Forest is protected and can thrive.

We would like to give a huge thanks to Jelly for her kind donation.

Read more about Jelly on the BBC website. To see some of Jelly’s work visit her website at www.jelly-green.com, or follow her on Instagram.

British painter Jelly Green raising funds for REGUA

'Into the Shadows' 2018, oil on canvas, 153 x 183 cm — ‘Into the Shadows’ 2018, oil on canvas, 153 x 183 cm

Contemporary British painter Jelly Green has spent the last four years painting rainforests around the world, mainly in central Brazil.

Jelly will be showcasing these paintings at an exhibtion in London in April to raise awareness of the devastation that is happening in rainforests worldwide and will also be very generously donating 25% of the exhibition profits to REGUA.

If you are in London in April why not visit the exhibition? Details are given below:

Devour
4th – 7th April 2019 (open 11 am – 6 pm)
gallery@oxo
204 Oxo Tower Wharf
Bargehouse Street
South Bank
London
SE1 9PH

For further details check out Jelly’s website. You can also follow her on Instagram.

Offset your carbon emissions with REGUA

Seedlings as wedding favours (© Faith Wilson)

Ben Phalan and Luciana Leite de Araújo got married recently in Arembepe, Bahia, Brazil. Both are environmentally concerned and decided to offset the 133 tonnes of carbon emissions created by themselves, their family and friends in travelling to the wedding. Although most of their guests were from within Brazil, their multi-nation guests came from as far away as Salvador, Oregon and Philadelphia in the US, Prague, England, Scotland and Ireland.

They chose two projects dear to them – REGUA and the Golden Lion Tamarin project. Ben and Luciana also gave away native “Ipé Rosa” seedlings to Brazilian friends at the wedding in commemoration of their union.

Thank you Ben and Luciana and may your trees grow and grow. The funds will be used for REGUA’s restoration project and will enable us to plant around 400 trees.

Olympic Forest Reserve Appeal target reached

debby-and-n_-raquel-locke — World Land Trust CEO Debbie Pain and Nicholas at the British Birdfair announcing the Olympic Forest Reserve Appeal had reached it’s target (© Raquel Locke)

Nothing could give us a greater thrill than the news announced by Debby Pain on the penultimate day of the Britsh Birdfair that the World Land Trust had achieved their target for the Olympic Forest Reserve Appeal; the purchase of the Paloma property situated high in the Sao Miguel valley within the Guapiaçu watershed. Dan Bradbury’s team at the World Land Trust had taken under four months to reach the target, showing how supportive and determined everyone has been to reach this goal.

On behalf of everyone working at REGUA, we wish to dearly thank every single individual supporter who contributed towards this appeal. We can now say that this forested property of 221 hectares full of tall trees and rare orchids, together with it’s animals, can be safely integrated in the REGUA reserve contributing to the permanent conservation of another important section of Atlantic Forest. Thank you all so much.

Hunting at REGUA

hunting-20160704-wA0002_(1)-regua — Lowland Paca *Cuniculus paca* kill found at REGUA (© REGUA)

hunting-p1010438-regua — A shot Nine-banded Armadillo *Dasypus novemcinctus* found by one of our rangers (© REGUA)

Though hunting has been severely reduced at REGUA as a result of patrols by our rangers, it occasionally still occurs. Hunting in the area is becoming less popular – the older hunters are giving up and the younger people are not so interested in this “sport” and as a result of the development of our trail system and a decade of environmental education this pernicious action has been largely eliminated, and overall the population of animals at REGUA has increased. Camera traps have caught video of the Puma Puma concolor and bands Collared Peccaries Pecari tajacu foraging on the trails.

Traditionally, hunters have respected REGUA’s limits, and gunshots at night are a thing of the past, but very occasionally we see evidence of some traps and snares. As the REGUA reserve increases in size, the rangers are stretched to cover the whole area. and it was quite disconcerting that one member of the local community received this photograph of a Lowland Paca Cuniculus paca kill on a distant area of REGUA land.

It is painful to see the cold blooded killing of this animal and it reminds us that there are those who do not respect REGUA’s efforts to stop this sort of senseless slaughter. It reminds us that though biodiversity is rebounding from distant days, there are people out there who do not share our passion and do not care. This should encourage us to keep hard on the trail and stick to our guns – that we are gaining ground and that the forests are becoming healthier, and that our objective is worth every effort.

One of our UK partners, the World Land Trust, is currently appealing to raise £40,000 to allow REGUA to buy an area of forest in the Guapiaçu valley that is very much under threat from hunting as well as urbanisation. By adding this area of forest to the reserve we will be able to patrol the forest and deter hunters. Please help by making a donation to the World Land Trust Olympic Forest Reserve Appeal. Any contribution would be very gratefully received. Thank you.

Olympic Forest Reserve Appeal launched

In partnership with the World Land Trust, REGUA has launched a campaign to raise funds to purchase a highly threatened area of Atlantic Forest located in the Guapiaçu Valley.

Called Paloma Coelho, this 89.5 hectare (221 acre) area of high quality forest is under threat from hunting and deforestation, threatening the survival of the rich flora and fauna found here. In addition the property protects the streams that feed the Guapiaçu River, an important water supply for the local community.

The most effective way to conserve this important area of forest is for REGUA to purchase the land and incorporate it into the reserve. The Olympic Forest Reserve Appeal aims to raise £40,000 to enable this to become a reality. Please help us save this forest by making a donation.

Buy a T shirt and donate to REGUA’s tree planting programme

Great news! A US based company, Treeshirts have started to donate US$5 to REGUA for every `TreeShirt’ that they sell. That’s one tree planted for every shirt sold! Treat yourself or buy one as a present. The t shirts can be shipped worldwide. They are made from sustainable fibres of bamboo, hemp and organic cotton.

Go to their website to make your purchase http://www.mytreeshirts.com/#!shop/cy7u

By proudly wearing your TreeShirt you will be raising awareness about deforestation and encourage others to learn more about the importance of saving our rainforests.

World Land Trust appeal for strategic land purchase

Recent years have seen a rapid rise in urbanisation within the upper Guapiaçu valley. The new tarmac road to Guapiaçu village has brought with it an influx of people, many of whom have chosen to build weekend homes in the area, clearing areas of forest in the process. The most effective way to ensure the long-term protection of the Atlantic Forest of the upper Guapiaçu valley is to purchase as many land plots as possible to incorporate into the reserve.

The World Land Trust in the UK have been funding land purchases for REGUA since 2005. They have launched a new appeal to raise £25,000 required to buy a small plot in the currently unprotected ‘Matumbo Gap’ – a series of properties situated between two separate parts of REGUA. This property is crucial to our aim of creating a forest corridor between the two parts of the reserve.

Land prices in the upper Guapiaçu valley have risen sharply in recent years due to very high demand, and this plot may not be for sale for long. To help us secure this vital property please visit the World Land Trust website to make a donation.

Funds urgently required to protect the Atlantic Forest of the Guapiacu Valley

The Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu (REGUA) was established in 2001 to protect the remaining forests of the Guapiaçu valley, about 70 kilometres north of Rio de Janeiro. The most effective way to ensure this long-term protection is through land purchase, to create a continuous protected nature reserve around the valley sides. REGUA already protects over 18,000 acres and has planted over 250,000 trees in its efforts to restore cattle pasture to forest.

After 12 years of steady growth, REGUA has established itself as one of the most influential and active conservation organisations in south-east Brazil, and is now ready to build on its successes by embarking on a major new land purchase initiative. Land prices are starting to increase significantly, partly fuelled by the investment in roads and infrastructure flowing from the World Cup and Olympics to be held in Rio, but also from an increasing desire for city dwellers to build holiday homes. These uncontrolled developments are threatening to further fragment the forest unless we can purchase the key areas quickly.

In February this year the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Trust (a UK registered charity that was created to support REGUA) held its first major fundraising evening at the Jockey Club in Carlton Terrace, London. The event was attended by about 40 people, some representing other charities but mostly individuals with an interest in our work. Nicholas Locke gave an informative presentation on the successes to date and our ambitious plans for the future.

REGUA has identified eleven properties covering 1,500 acres for purchase at a total cost of about £400,000 and the fundraising event in London has already secured pledges of £150,000 towards that target. In addition, the Rainforest Trust (the re-named World Land Trust US) has pledged a further £40,000 and is actively working to double this contribution. Meanwhile Nicholas at REGUA is working hard to map the land that we wish to acquire and to negotiate favourable prices with the landowners.

Although we have made a great start, there is still a massive fundraising task ahead of us if we are to reach our target. If you can help in any way please contact Alan Martin in the UK, or Paul Salaman of the Rainforest Trust in the US.

Puro Coffee blog about REGUA

Puro Coffee have been helping REGUA protect the Atlantic Forest in the Guapiacu Valley by providing funds to purchase land to incorporate into the reserve, and have generously purchased a 395 acre forest fragment within the Tres Picos State Park that has helped create a vital corridor with the rest of the reserve (see here). Puro’s Tamara Wolf has been blogging about REGUA. In her latest blog, Tamara tells the story of Adilei Carvalho da Cunha – one of our bird guides. Adilei’s reputation as top bird guide has spread rapidly, and his incredible ability to mimic bird calls has made him quite a celebrity!

130,000 trees now planted at REGUA

The 3 ha plot near Matumbo where The Body Shop and World Land Trust funded the planting of 5,000 trees (© Lee Dingain)

Transporting saplings to the 3 ha plot near Matumbo where The Body Shop and World Land Trust funded the planting of 5,000 trees (© Luiz Rogick)

A key part of our mission to conserve the Atlantic Rainforest of the upper Guapiaçu river basin is our reforestation programme. Throughout the year, seeds of pioneer tree species are collected from the forest by our rangers and to be planted in our tree nursery. In 2010 we built a new nursery to increase our tree planting capacity. Our staff, headed up by Mauricio Noqueira, and internation volunteers, plant and germinate the seeds in the nursery throughout the year. Then during our wet season, January to March, the saplings are transpanted to a prepared site. This is difficult very hot work, but it allows us to return areas of impoverished farmland back into forest cover.

In 2011, as part of their Positive Wood initiative to protect and plant more trees than they use in their packaging, The Body Shop teamed up with the World Land Trust to help REGUA plant native Atlantic Forest trees. In early 2011, The Body Shop firstly funded the acquisition of a very valuable piece of 32 ha forested land located in the Matumbo area adjacent to the ex-Lemgruber property. Further generous funding allowed us to plant 5,000 endemic Atlantic Forest tree species on this land. These trees were planted on a 3 ha area on a hillside near the village of Matumbo, which lies within the area of the reserve put forward RPPN reserve (Private Reserve for the Patrimony of Nature) status, to which we have committed to reforest all grassland areas. This area of grassland has frequently caught fire, another good reason to reforest it.

Also in the 2011/12 season we planted an additional 27,000 trees elsewhere on the reserve. This brings the total number of trees planted at REGUA since 2005 to 130,000! Many thanks to the World Land Trust and to The Body Shop for their tremendous support.

REGUA in new rainforest book

Cover of John Feltwell’s latest book Rainforests

John Feltwell’s latest book, Rainforests has just been published and contains over 600 pages and 300 colour plates describing the marvels of the rainforest from the forest floor to the rainforest canopy. John is a trustee of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Trust and a long-time supporter of REGUA, which is mentioned regularly throughout the book and there is a separate chapter on Atlantic rainforests.

We have negotiated a special price of £40 to include postage in the UK, from which John will donate £5 to REGUA for each order. The book can be ordered by sending a cheque (made payable to John Feltwell) to John Feltwell, Marlham, Henley Down, Catsfield, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 9BN, but please make sure you mention that you are a friend of REGUA.

Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu, Atlantic Forest, Brazil.

Conserving the
Atlantic Forest
in Brazil