Animation of a silhouette looking into a green forest with the text "because of you a forest will grow" in the middle. — Digital illustration by designer and TNC staff member Chelsea Broderick.

Our Gift to You: A Gratitude Forest

To honor your leadership and foresight, we have planted a Gratitude Forest in the Serra da Mantiqueira region of Brazil’s endangered Atlantic Forest.

The Gratitude Forest The Nature Conservancy has planted trees in Brazil's Atlantic Forest to honor and celebrate you, our supporters, and the conservation successes you make possible.

Thanks From Our World

Through the Our World campaign, you became part of a dedicated group that is pushing to put the Earth on a sustainable path, drawing on our shared responsibility to each other and our planet.

And, thanks to your generosity, we’ve ushered in big wins for nature and for people. From the cloud forests of Colombia to the Colorado River to the coral reefs of the Pacific, we’ve partnered with diverse communities to bring us closer to a world where all people can thrive in harmony with nature.

Together, we’ve improved the management of more than 225 million acres of land, 275 million acres of ocean and 4,900 miles of river. We’ve developed new ideas to ensure that our food and water supplies are more sustainable and help cities work with nature instead of against it. And, we’re working with 30 countries and 50 U.S. states to achieve climate goals. The result: healthier oceans, lands and waters and bolder climate action. Now, we’re taking the time to celebrate the many achievements you have made possible.

We couldn’t have done this incredible work without the collective vision & awe-inspiring generosity from our supporters, our partners, & communities - all working toward the shared goal of a brighter & more sustainable future.

Amy Batchelor

Co-chair of the Our World Campaign

Our World A Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) sings in a meadow in Virginia. © Steven David Johnson

Extrema municipality of Brazil Claudia Picone, a staff member with The Nature Conservancy, plants seedlings in the Extrema municipality of Brazil. © Adriano Gambarini

Because of you, The Nature Conservancy has raised its sights and will expand conservation lessons learned locally to new global opportunities, creating huge wins for our shared planet. Thank you.

Carolyn Long

Co-chair of the Our World Campaign

**The Gratitude Forest** Located near São Paulo, the Gratitude Forest is nestled within many reforestation sites across Brazil. Click to expand. © TNC

Our Gift to You: A Gratitude Forest

To honor your leadership and foresight, we have planted a Gratitude Forest in the Serra da Mantiqueira region of Brazil’s endangered Atlantic Forest. About the size of Portugal, the Serra da Mantiqueira is a conservation hot spot that harbors a level of biological diversity on par with the Amazon, despite being a fraction of its size.

This region is the ideal place to celebrate the scope of your dedication. It is one of the best sites in the world to illustrate that we can restore nature, improve people’s lives and tackle climate change. And we’re working with local groups to ensure these newly planted trees thrive as a dynamic, life-giving forest long into the future.

In the Indigenous Tupi language, Mantiqueira means “weeping mountains,” in reference to its abundant springs and streams. Today, some 20 million people in the Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Minas Gerais rely on the Mantiqueira’s forests to store and filter their water.

TNC believes reforestation holds the key to ensuring the Mantiqueira continues to support rural communities, urban residents, stable water sources, a wealth of plants and animals and our global climate.

Reforestation The Nature Conservancy's Atlantic Forest program began a Water Producer Program to compensate landowners who protect and reforest riparian areas on their lands. © Adriano Gambarini

The most important thing today is to preserve water. The land without water has no value, water adds value to the property.

Reinaldo Garcia dos Santos

Local landowner from the Mantiqueira region

Local Forests, Global Climate

The Gratitude Forest is one part of TNC’s movement called Restaura Brasil to plant a billion trees across Brazil and around the world—and to accelerate a promising natural climate solution that is essential to achieving global climate goals.

Momentum is building for action as climate disasters mount. TNC’s research shows that while cutting emissions is all-important, it won’t be enough. Protecting and restoring forests and other ecosystems offers a clear path to absorbing a lot of carbon that’s already in the atmosphere.

In Mantiqueira region, our reforestation goal has grown to meet this global challenge. We aim to launch reforestation projects across 1.2 million hectares (nearly 3 million acres) by 2030, with partners and local authorities.

Brazil's Atlantic Forest Native tree saplings are prepared for planting in the Mantiqueria range of Brazil's Atlantic Forest. TNC's Tackle Climate Change Program. © Robert Clark

This is a new way to look at the landscape. When we are talking about restoration, we’re not just talking about bringing the forest back. We’re talking about tackling climate change.

Rubens Benini

Restoration Strategy Manager, Brazil

This massive restoration effort would remove enough carbon dioxide from the atmosphere—280 million tons over 30 years—to fulfill 10% of the country’s Paris Climate Agreement goal, the equivalent of removing 55 million cars from the roads.

By restoring forests in high priority areas globally, like Brazil’s Serra da Mantiqueira, we can provide at least 10% of the emissions reductions we need to limit global warming to less than 2°C.

The Gratitude Forest stands as a testament to your incredible generosity and your commitment to taking action now that will benefit the generations to come. Thank you!