In southern Brazil, on the lands of the Xokleng people in the state of Santa Catarina, a quiet but large-scale effort to restore the forest is underway. Over several years, local residents have planted nearly one hundred thousand seedlings of the Brazilian araucaria — a tree that lost 97 percent of its range in the last century and is now listed among critically endangered species.
The araucaria (Araucaria angustifolia) is a majestic conifer that can grow taller than fifty meters. Its straight trunk and wide crown once defined the appearance of southern Brazilian forests. Today these forests are highly fragmented, and the tree itself has become a symbol of the vulnerability of an entire ecosystem. The pinhão nuts it produces serve as food not only for people but also for at least twenty-two animal species.
For the Xokleng, the araucaria is not just a plant. According to their legend, a protective animal was created from this tree, and without it, the story of the people cannot be told. Carl Gakran, one of the project's initiators, directly links the fate of the tree to the fate of his culture: when the sacred tree disappears, the language and traditions are endangered.
It all began in 2016, when Gakran learned about the status of the araucaria on the IUCN Red List. At first, he wanted to grow ten trees on his plot, but the idea quickly captured the community. In 2017, a systematic project started, now run by the Zág Institute. Over ten years, the institute produced more than one hundred forty thousand seedlings and planted them over an area exceeding one thousand hectares within the Ibirama-La Klãnõ territory.
The work follows traditional rules: when collecting seeds, at least forty percent are left for wild animals, and before planting, rituals are performed and the seeds are 'talked to'. In parallel, invasive species — American pine and eucalyptus — are removed, making room for native plants. Between thirty and sixty volunteers participate in the project depending on the season.
The territory where restoration is being carried out is not yet fully legally recognized — the demarcation process has been ongoing for years. However, the plantings themselves become an argument in favor of recognizing indigenous peoples' rights to ancestral lands. Forest restoration here is simultaneously an ecological, cultural, and legal task.
When people return trees to their place in the landscape, they simultaneously reclaim a part of their own history and give dozens of other species a chance to survive.
