"Small things give me hope when big things feel so oppressively bleak."
As I begin drafting this post, my time at Iracambi is coming to a close. This is a long read, get your favorite beverage and rejoin me...
I find this pithy Julien Baker quote fitting for my experience here when I consider it against the back drop of the wider climate crisis.
After the majority of staff have left for the day and the volunteers and on-site staff unwind for the evening, we talk about the big climate change topics. We share inspirations and frustrations. Many here are scientists, engineers, environmental educators or on their path to be. To them, the challenges and solutions are far less complicated. People and politics get in the way. Then we go to sleep, wake the next day and get back to doing good work and feeling grateful. And hopeful.
Every single one of us can make small changes, small choices that matter. We need to keep the conversation local, accessible, inclusive. Because not changing, not making smarter choices, keeps us on our current highway to climate hell. (poor AC-DC, what an unexpected riff on that rock classic)
Here's to celebrating the greatness of small. It's ever-present at Iracambi, especially in the people who carry this torch and welcomed me into their small, hopeful tribe. I will miss this, and them, more than I could have ever imagined.
I'll do this in sections:
#1 - Reforestation and Agroforestry (more video on IG)
View from Arielli and Pierre's higher elevation reforestation/agroforestry farm. Combination of original forests, reforested and farm land. The high grass in the foreground is Kenyan grass introduced decades ago and now considered an invasive species. Hogs the topsoil; shallow root system offers little help to water retention or erosion prevention.
Agroforestry: mix of beans, coffee, corn, indigenous forest trees. Bean plants' primary purpose is biomass for the coffee. Brazil is the world's top volume coffee producer, but not the highest quality. Coffee is mostly a profitable venture, even in small yields, due to high volume demands. The agroforestry approach is viewed as the win-win.
Back at the Center, saplings in the nursery enjoy an afternoon watering.
#2 - Biodiversity
The picture below (same as top of blog) is from my 2nd day when I was invited to join some of the researchers to check cameras at the research plots. Paola (left) is a University of Bologna research scientist doing a semester with Iracambi, measuring reforestation's impact on biodiversity. Flora and fauna in marked plots in original native, naturally regenerating, and reforested lands are documented. This includes installing cameras in each plot, visiting them every two weeks to download pictures and motion-triggered video clips and change batteries.
Remember I mentioned machetes, cachoeiras (waterfalls) and wild cats? This was THAT day. The majority of the plots are deep in the forests, far from marked trails. Machetes are necessary to clear vines and prickly grasses, but we did everything possible to avoid leaving any human footprint or scent as we approached the plots. Volunteers wore knee and shin pads to protect against snake bites. We drove through a stream and hiked through an old banana plantation to get to the river we were unable to cross without ditching footwear and wading.
In this photo, Paola and Iracambi's Research Director, Lara, were especially thrilled; it was a celebratory day. For the first time at this plot the cameras captured an oscelot, a small leopard-like animal. The largest predator captured in this area. Along with the many possum, raccoon, small capybara, bats and birds, it's very good news: reforestation is helping biodiversity.
For me? I was gobsmacked, overwhelmed, elated, and scared shitless all in the 6 hour experience. Today, as I type with a big smile, I wouldn't have traded this for anything. It was an utterly brilliant experience.
Paola (l) and Lara scanning the footage.
"trail" - term used extremely lightly here
fresh tracks, possibly oscelot from evening prior
who needs rocks or tree trunks when you can simply ditch the boots and wade through the water?
see what I mean? Lara, Paola, Kaué (another volunteer) and Pierre (doing his best Tarzan impersonation on a vine....which collapsed on him...and he was fine) heading further down stream to find a cachoeira
I walked barefoot over, down and through this. No fish, no water snakes, just the occasional toad.
Second hike to inspect cameras, this time in on the High Trail (aka overgrown farm road). Snake pads required, but machetes not needed. You can see the mix of trees including the eucalyptus, not native and introduced as a fast-growing alternative to Brazil's native hardwoods.
Kaué - fellow marketer and 26 YO volunteer I called Jungle Boy because he was absolutely fearless no matter where we went. Also wields a mean machete - he literally helped me up, over and through everything when we hit the dense forest and mossy rock scrambles.
Abbie is an 18 YO volunteer on a gap year from her home in Melbourne, Australia and an absolute delight! She spent 3 months at Iracambi and reminded us that most Brazilian snakes and spiders are nothing compared to what she and her fellow Aussies live with. Abbie helped me learn the Iracambi ropes and was my English language buddy. And my Brahma buddy at drinks night in Limeira. 😉
Here's an oscelot (courtesy of Google) in case you're curious.
#3 - Education
Iracambi does a lot of this on premise, off-site and in partnership with local schools and other environmental and social equity-related groups. I was able to join three education forums during my stay.
My first was a brief introduction to students visiting Iracambi. To the group's knowledge, there is no sustainability or climate change education in public schools, so the Center is happy to help close this gap. I spoke in English, at the coordinator's request. The second the kids heard "New York", they gasped and smiled, eyes popped. It's the 2nd time that's happened to me with school age children in Brazil. Mention New York, you're an instant rock star.
The two other trips are captured below. I joined Dayana, the Education Coordinator, in Castaguases, a neighboring city about 90 minutes from Limeira. She co-hosted an educational session for teachers who wanted to add more green space to their school and were considering a class trip to Iracambi. Lara, the Research Director, joined and brought several saplings for the school to plant.
After the presentation, we continued on to a fantastic churrascaria in town for lunch, met another group of women celebrating their 25th year hosting a free youth reading program and currently organizing a teacher's protest against youth gun violence. We finished the day at the Municipal Park also seeking to partner with Iracambi for on-premise education for local residents.
The last trip was with Karla who leads the medicinal plant program, a rapidly growing and high interest area. From aroma therapy to homeopathic therapies and natural soaps, Karla not only introduces these to local women, she and the center educate women on the benefits of growing these plants as an income source. I was particularly excited to learn that Iracambi was leaning into gender equality, given farming here is mostly a father-to-son generational industry.
Lara and Dayana (far left) meeting with local teachers in Castaguases.
Dayana taking the teachers through the same presentation and hands-on exercises used for students. Personally I think the adults were tougher to rally than the kids just a few days prior!
Churrascaria time - lovely spot and I am seriously considering building one of these wood stoves
A local artist recently painted this for the Castaguases public library where a tenacious group of crafty (literally and figuratively) women have been championing a wealth of social and gender equity-related causes and activities for over 20 years.
Municipal park...everyone pointed out the "Welcome" in English as a good sign I'd enjoy a bit more language help. Not the case, LOL.
I wanted to share this with the Iracambi team and say "see this? THESE are trails!"
Zoom in to see the sign language. We weren't exactly sure what purpose it served in this context, but celebrated the inclusivity regardless.
Brazil nut tree. Seriously, who is climbing this?
All the tropical feels and views.
Outside of Muriaé, major city about an hour from Iracambi, Karla hosted an aromatherapy workshop in the community center. We talked plants, chakras and wellness. Every participant did a sensory assessment and left with her/his custom-crafted vial of essential oils.
(Blogger seems not to like multiple video posts, so follow me on Instagram for a broader view)
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