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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE January 23, 2007
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| January 1, 2007 |
Belem, Brazil - Giving Back Life To The Amazon—Japanese Immigrants Help Protect Brazilian Nature |
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| A Japanese immigrant points to the former plantation he and others are restoring to forestland |
Seventy years ago, a wave of people emigrated from Japan to Brazil in search of a new life and fresh opportunities. A number of them from the Japanese prefecture of Gunma settled contentedly in the Amazon Basin, a region known for its staggering diversity of trees, flowers, animals, and insects. Over the years, however, some watched in alarm as large tracts of forests were razed to make room for commercial plantations. They wanted to help protect and restore the region that was sustaining their lives, so when a local plantation landowner put up more than 540 hectares for sale - 400 of which included a virgin forest - they formed a group called the Gumma Prefecture Association (GPA) and held fundraising drives to buy the land. When Peace Boat called in Brazil over New Years, participants had a chance to visit the GPA and learn about the piece of Amazon they have lovingly dubbed “The Gunma Forest.” They also helped the organization to restore part of the old plantation to its forest state. |
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| Peace Boat participants spend the new year planting trees in the Amazon |
“In commercial reforestation, usually only one or two kinds of trees are planted,” explained the head of the GPA, “but here we plant 73 different kinds, because we try to recreate a natural forest as much as possible.” Participants looked in awe as he pointed to tall trees that had been planted only two years ago. “Trees in the Amazon grow seven to ten times faster than trees in Japan,” he explained. The organization also mimics nature by not watering saplings after they have been planted, and by leaving the spread of seeds to monkeys, birds, and insects. There is little need for fertilizer in the Amazon, because the fast decomposition of leaves helps returns nutrients to the soil. “It takes 30-40 years for a leaf to completely decompose in northern Japan,” he said, “but here it takes only one year.” |
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| A carpet of leaves attests to the diversity of canopy overhead |
After planting trees, participants headed to the virgin forest managed by the GPA to see what their efforts will help create for future generations. At 400 hectares, the forest is relatively small, but it contains thousands of species of plants and insects, as well as 10 times the variety of trees found in forests such as those in Japan. Many species have yet to be identified, and others contain medicinal properties that have long been known to the area's indigenous population, but not to the mainstream scientific world. The GPA researches the biodiversity of the forest, and collects information that can be used by others to help safeguard more of the Amazon. Pointing to one tree oozing a sticky sap, the head of the association explained that the substance could be used commercially in adhesives and chewing gum instead of cutting down the tree to make way for commercial crops. Eco-tourism, and harvesting Amazon fruits are also good alternatives to cutting down forests, he said. |
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| Peace Boat participants enjoy trying a variety of Amazon fruit |
Unlike some other conservation groups, the GPA does not believe in keeping forests completely untouched. “If you refuse to let people harvest any trees at all, then how will they live—what will happen to them?” he asked. “We believe people should understand forests well and use them wisely,” he said. |
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| The head of the GPA explains how trees are tagged and monitored for growth |
To achieve this goal, the GPA has been monitoring the various trees in the Gumma Forest and keeping a record of their growth rate. Human beings should be allowed to harvest trees in proportion to their growth rate, he said, in order to both sustain forests and provide livelihood for people. It's this scientific and methodical approach to the forest, combined with deep love and appreciation of nature that has allowed members of the GPA to positively contribute to their adopted home country. |
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