Natural Resources

Caring for natural resources in the rainforest

Creating and managing protected areas

Iracambi has carved out a position for itself as a leader in the management of conservation lands in the 3,000 square kilometer area of the Serra do Brigadeiro.Working with local authorities and landowners we have been able to create 20,000 hectares of Environmental Protection Areas, and 1,000 ha of private forest reserves as part of the mosaic of conservation lands connecting the Caparaó National Park with the Serra do Brigadeiro. We continue to work with county managers to create and implement sound environmental laws and actions.

Monkeyspace

Iracambi works with national and international partners to acquire and protect strategic areas of threatened forest land surrounding the core conservation area of the Serra do Brigadeiro State Park with the objective of securing habitat for the highly endangered Wooly Spider Monkey – top candidate to be the mascot at the 2016 Olympics.

Promoting sound public policies at state, regional and county level

Iracambi is longstanding member of the State Environmental Policy Council (which handles environmental licensing) as well as the Advisory Board of the Serra do Brigadeiro State Park, where we played a key role in the consultative working group of the park’s management plan. We are also founder members of the County Rural Development Council where we have introduced sound environmental laws and accompany and advise the town council on the wise use of environmental funds.

Finding solutions to conflicts in environmental management

Iracambi is a founder member and policy advisor to the commission of communities affected by mining in the area and works with the commission to create a process of reflection and establish a safe space for dialogue between the parties. We also advise local communities on how to defend areas of high biodiversity, and prepare them to monitor the impacts where mining does take place, and play an active part in remediation initiatives as mandated by law.

Reforestry

Iracambi has carried out an extensive program of reforesting with native species, both enrichment planting on degraded areas, and establishing agroforestry plots and forest corridors. We also manage a forest nursery which supplies 10,000 seedlings annually for reforestation.

Iracambi GIS (I-GIS) has been active since 2003 building up a data base of information, classifying land use, mapping forest cover, and helping identify the best spots for creating protected areas.