Aaron Thomas

email: Aaron@northeasttrees.org

When I inquired about possible volunteer opportunities last year with Iko Poran I specifically requested projects in urban forestry. This is my specialty here in the United States and I wanted to share my expertise while volunteering abroad. Fortunately Felipe was able to match me with an organization that I care deeply about and could benefit from my own professional experience. If you have not already visited or been in contact with Verdejar, you should know that it is an organization that is essentially run by one very passionate, wonderful man. This gentleman has dedicated his recent years to preserving a large hillside area in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro that is constantly threatened with being overrun by human development both legal and illegal.

His preservation activities include planting native fauna from the unique Atlantic rainforest plant community as well as food producing trees. It is a labor of love that is similar to projects that I am interested in here in my home town of Los Angeles, California. The difference between his project and the ones that I work on is the fact that he is operating with very little funding and an all volunteer staff. Needless to say, this makes his challenges significant and he could use all of the help he can get.

If urban forestry or preservation work is something you are interested in, then this should be a good fit for you also. Many of the tasks are physical labor; but, I am sure you could find other ways to benefit the organization if your specialties extend beyond plant cultivation and planting. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions regarding your intentions in Rio. I had a valuable, rewarding time while I was there and I hope you have one as well.