FirstFlora

FirstFlora is a young and dynamic reality, strongly ethical, which was created to protect ecosystems essential to life on the planet, so that the extraordinary wealth of plants and animals of the earth is preserved for our generation and future ones. 

 

FirstFlora now owns and protects hectares of pristine Atlantic Forest  west to Itacaré in the state of Bahia, Brazil, in what is called "Costa do Cacau. The area is part of the catchment area of Rio de Contas, which has the world record for tree biodiversity, with 454 different species of trees per hectare of which 53% are endemic.

 

In the second place, far away, is the Peruvian Amazon with 300 species. The presence of Lophophytum mirabile (Balanophoraceae), a rare grass, indicating that the Reserva Natural Janaina suffered little or no human pressure. In 2007 Prof. André M. Amorim, world-renowned botanist and coordinator of the research of the New York Botanical Garden, said, after research on the spot, Reserva Natural Janaina is a priority for conservation of the Mata Atlantica biome 

  

Currently, the Atlantic Forest biome has lost 92% of its original extension to deforestation. 

  

In 2000 the Atlantic Forest of Bahia was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO and priority at global level for conservation of biodiversity. 

  

The Atlantic Forest biome is considered a ‘Hot Spot’ (Hot Spot criteria: at least 1,500 species of endemic vascular plants, loss of at least 70% of original). 

  

 There are at least 26 species of primates living in the Atlantic Forest, 21of which are endemic. After Colombia and Peru, Brazil is the third country in the world recognised for its variety of birds. Opportunities for birdwatching in the Reserva Natural Janaina are extraordinary. 

  

The project to protect the Reserva Natural Janaina has strengthened and expanded due to the initiatives of FirstFlora: production and marketing of chocolate and coffee, eco tourism, bird watching, offsetting CO2 emissions for individuals and companies and the adoption of mq Reserva Natural Janaina. 

  

With these revenues FirstFlora: 

 

     * Pay a daily  rate for the work of rangers to protect against poaching, logging and fire. 

     * Afforest areas bearing the Reserva have the expansion of a protective band around the "heart" of the area which absorbs CO2 through its fixation in the wood (each square metre of tropical forest growth absorbs a kg of CO2 per year). 

     * Buy or safeguard through agreements new  areas to protect or reforest. 

 

  

  

FirstFlora is spreading the concept of widespread responsibility to protect the natural ecosystems. Every single environmental action will reap great global benefit.

  

A future project for FirstFlora is to propose widespread ownership of the Reserva Natural Janaina through the creation of Unit Trust FirstFlora, combining ecology with economy. Each unit of the Trust will correspond to a square metre of Reserva Natural Janaina. The beneficiaries of the Trust will be free to sell units. The protection of areas will be ensured because of the unchangeable mission of the Trust, which is the conservation of the Reserva Natural Janaina’s biodiversity.