A few of the biggest environmental problems of 2020 according to Earth.org are food waste, biodiversity loss, plastic pollution, deforestation, and air pollution.
These environmental issues are challenges a long time ago.
Nature is suffering and Mother Earth is sending us a message.
When is Earth Day?
Every April 22, we celebrate Earth Day! It’s a yearly annual event to show support for environmental protection. It was first held on April 22, 1970, and now includes a diverse range of events coordinated globally by EarthDay.org, which was formerly Earth Day Network, with over one billion people participating with around 193 countries.
A couple made an action.
In April 1998, Brazillian photojournalist Sebastião Salgado and his wife Lélia Deluiz Wanick Salgado, established Instituto Terra, a non-profit organization.
The institution is dedicated to the recovery and conservation of forests in the Vale de Rio Doce, Brazil.
They then planted their first sapling the following year.
According to the group’s website, planting was participated by students from local schools.
“The first planting took place in November 1999 and was attended by students from schools in the municipality of Aimorés, in Minas Gerais. Thus was born the greatest proposal of Instituto Terra: to share with the surrounding community all the knowledge acquired in the environmental restoration of the 608.69 hectares of RPPN Fazenda Bulcão.“
https://www.facebook.com/InstitutoTerraOficial/posts/3903579376427917
Their endeavors have indeed rewarding.
After twenty years, the 600 hectares of barren land have been replanted with over two million trees of 293 species! Water springs that had previously dried up are once again flowing.
With their home restored, wildlife began to return to the forest, bringing 172 bird species, 33 mammal species, and 15 amphibian and reptile species into the newly restored paradise.
The forest has regenerated and has been acknowledged as a Private Natural Heritage Reserve.
In their viral post, nature requires more than ten years to restore an ecosystem.
You would be amazed at what Instituto Terra has accomplished for two decades.
https://www.facebook.com/InstitutoTerraOficial/photos/a.307337556052135/2031555400297000/
Many people commended their hard work — a prime example of loving Mother Nature to be copied and amplified.
“Great job!!! Must be our role model! Loving God’s creation as protecting all the entrusted resources to us! God bless you!”
They’re grateful for their genuine work.
“What a truly incredible achievement. It is a perfect example of what we as humans can do if we set our minds to something. Bravo and thank you.”
Sebastião’s heart was filled with joy as he saw the restored beauty of the forest.
“Thanks to this increase of the trees I, too, was reborn – this was the most important moment.”
Sebastião and Lélia hope that their successful mission would then demonstrate to others that caring goes a long way and can make all the difference.
Sebastião shared that:
“We need to listen to the words of the people on the land. Nature is the earth and it is other beings and if we don’t have some kind of spiritual return to our planet, I fear that we will be compromised.”
It all started when the couple decided to plant the first seed and create the institution; every day since then, many individuals have contributed to the history of this part of the world.
Thank you for planting trees and making our world a better place to live, Sebastião and Lélia!
You are deserving of all respect and recognition, and we hope that more people around the world will follow in your footsteps.
Every little thing counts, after all! Let us be active and be a part of the solution to making the world a greener place for future generations.
Let’s celebrate Earth Day, every day!
Discover more about Instituto Terra in the video below!
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