Founded in April 1998, the Instituto Terra is a community non-profit non-governmental organization that operates in the whole territory of the Valley of the River Doce between the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. The institute has defined its objectives as restoration of the ecosystem, production of Atlantic Forest seedlings, environmental outreach programmes, environmental education and applied scientific research. It operates in a region that for centuries has suffered from rampant deforestation and uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources, notably iron ore. The resulting droughts and severe land erosion have also had a devastating impact on the living conditions of the region’s rural population. The Instituto Terra manages the 1,754-acre Bulcão Farm, 1,502 acres of which have been declared a Private Natural Heritage Reserve. It is the first such PNHR in a ravaged area of the Atlantic Forest. Inspired by Bulcão Farm’s success as a pilot project, in 2004 the state of Minas Gerais established the category of the Private Reserve for Environmental Restoration (PRER) to encourage other private property owners to follow suit.

Type of Case
Website

Publisher
Instituto Terra

Region
Americas

Biome
Tropical

Forest Type
Degraded forest

Primary Designated Function
All