* Responsible for project: Almir Narayamoga Suruí * Organisation: Organização Metareilá do Povo Indígena Suruí.
1.1 – The PAMINE Project
The project aims at reafforesting degraded lands (pastures and "capoiera", young empoverished forest) next to the fresh water spring of a small river, and to replenish with trees usefull to the tribe the forests near Surui villages.
The Gamebey have determined locations to reafforest during a reunion with a forest ingeneer: a pasture area close to a spring, and a zone of empoverished forest of a total superficy of 16.2 hectares.
Construction of the Maloca to house the Indigenous Training and Research Center – Yananbi Gameb
Next to the Maloca, we took the initiative to produce seedlings of certain species (patuá, tamboril, açaí et tucumã) which were not available on the local market in Rondônia.
Some seedlings were baught of offered to us for some species, and we planted our own collected seeds for other species.
Seedling of Copaiba.
Putting seeds in plastic bag pots.
Seedling after a few weeks.
A constant surveillance and the satisfaction to see life sprawl.
Table 1 – Repartition of seedlings by specie and by zone
Superficie (Ha)
Specie
No of seedlings
Uses
04
Pupunha
359
Arts and crafts.
4,95
Açaí
710
food and house building.
03
Acajou
295
Re-introduction of the specie (depleted by foresters).
0,50
Patuá
90
food and marketing of the oil.
0,40
Coco
50
food and marketing of the fruits.
0,05
Tamboril
23
food and fishing.
0,05
Bacaba
10
food and biodiversity.
0,05
Cerejeiras
10
Maintenance of biodiversity.
0,05
Acerola
10
food and marketing of the fruits.
02
Babaçu
232
food and house building.
0,05
Manga
13
food
0,40
Caju
48
food and biodiversity.
0,20
Copaibeira
30
Medicinal
0,05
Cacao
10
food and biodiversity.
0,05
Carambola
05
food
0,20
Camu camu
20
food and biodiversity.
0,05
Biriba
10
food
0,05
Graviola
10
food
0,05
Goiaba
10
food
0,05
Tamarindo
05
food
16,20 ha
1950
Tableau 2 – Origin of the seedlings
Origin
Quantity
Baught on the market
380
Produced by the SUrui at the Indigenous Training and Research Center
608
Gift from the Associação dos Produtores Alternativos (APA)
830
Gift from the Associação Kanindé
133
TOTAL
1.950
Click on the map
to enlarge it
Plantation Map
1: Former Cattle pasture
2: Capoeira
3: Capoeira
4: Coffee plantation
5: Maloca
General coordination of the project was insured Almir Narayamoga Suruí.
Other responsible and partners:
• Treasurer of the Organização Metareilá: Renato Labiway Suruí, in charge of buying materials and seedlings, with Almir.
• General secretary: Arildo Gapamé Suruí, in charge of noting down names of the workers and of identifying problems encountered.
• Coordinatoeur of plantations: Agamenon Gamasakaka Suruí, in charge of preparatory work, of the plantation and of looking after the seedlings.
• Agrarian Technician: Miguel Surui; with the help of forestry engineer Luis Carlos Marreto from Associação Kanindé.
• L’Associação de Defesa Etnoambiental – Kanindé gave valuable counseling and a help for transports, as well as a contact with the APA (Associação dos Produtores Alternativos), a local association of alternative producers.
• The APA offered 830 seedling of pupunha, açaí, acajou, cerejeira and bacaba.
• The APA proposed to provide a help for the marketing of products This Project is a priority for the Organização Metareilá do Povo Indígena Suruí, to fight ecological pressures that the Indigenous Territory suffered during 18 years, to organise protection of natural ressources of this land, and for conscience raising of the whole Surui People on the importance of the forest to save their way of life and culture.
1.2 – History of the project
The transplantation work from the nursery to the fields started on Januar 2 2006, financed by Aquaverde and the help of the Associação Kanindé and the APA.
The project is set in a degraded zone which was made pasture land by white settlers in the eighties (since then expelled from the Indigenous Land) as well as a capoera area (young impoverished scrubb forest), and should allow the indians to aquire the necessary knowledge and techniques for environmental rehabilitation (including juridicial and ecological surveillance).
The Organização Metareilá wishwes to develop a plan for sutainable use of the forests ressources as well as aquiring knowledge as to production of seedlings, which would require financing of a teacher and the aquaisition of specific equipement.
1.2 – Historique des activités du projet
Les travaux de transplantation en terre ont commencé le 2 janvier 2006, financés par Aquaverde et soutenus par l’Associação Kanindé et l’APA.
Le projet a mis en oeuvre la récupération d’une zone dégradée de pâturage et de “capoeira” (forêt jeune appauvrie) et il devrait permettre la formation d’Indiens aux techniques de protection environnementale (y compris aux questions de surveillance écologiques et à leur aspects juridiques).
L’Organização Metareilá souhaiterait réaliser un plan d’utilisation durable des ressources forestières ainsi qu’une formation à la production de pousses, ce qui nécessiterait un financement pour payer des formateur et acquérir du matériel.
2. – Positive results of the project
From the economical standpoint, the project helps to reinforce social links between the aldeias (villages) and brings conscience to the participants of the importance of preservation of their land and the necessity to aquire new knowledge in this area (planting techniques, etc).
The project also contributed to a better livelihood for the Suruis, thanks to the payment of the workers distributing income to the community, and enhancing the preservation and richness of the forestry ressources.
Certain tree species, such as Pupunha, have a rapid growth rate which will enable the community to get revenue from their products within 3 years.
from the ecological standpoint, this project enables us to save deforested areas, the soil of which is threatened, to re-enrich poor secondary forest areas (capuera) and to re-introduce species which hve been eliminated by selective exploitation of valuable woods in threatend primary forest zones.
Plantation of trees in these diverse locations will accelerate the ecological succession period, where left to itself, the vegetation and its diversity might never grow back or at least at a much slower rate.
It also allows us to protect our water ressources, in quantity and in quality.
This is the reason why number of trees were planted alongside a water spring.
And not to forget, at a small scale, growth of trees fixes carbon and thus fights global warming.
3. – Negative points of the project
The allocated 2006 budget was too small for workers wages, which posed a problem for equal participation of all villages, an important factor within our society structure.
We also had trouble to transport workers from various villages to the reforestation area.
4. – Repartition of workers by village of origin: • Village Tikãn - 7 persons • Village Lapetanha -18 persons
• Village Mawira - 9 persons
• Village Nova - 5 persons
• Village Rio Quente – 5 persons
• Village Linha 10 – 9 persons
• Village Linha 09 – 8 persons
Total number of workers: 61.
Despite transport difficulties, we ensured that various villages who wanted to could participate in the project and benefit from it. The people of these villages participated in all phases of the project, (seed collection, land preparation, and plantation, etc)
Participation of women:
Women were partaking in the choice of species to plant. Some worked at the seed and seedling collection, other cooked food for the workers coming from other villages.
Relations with Aquaverde: Excellent.
5. - Conclusion
Thanks to this first experiment, the Surui clans could understand the benefits for their survival, their forest and their culture and way of life, vision that we, their chiefs are trying to show them, to convince everyone to fight deforestation despite the short term income losses.
The Surui will need more support to develop the project on a larger scale, and reinforce the administrative support, payment of manpower, and technical training for reforestation, so that we can extend this project to our entire Sete de Setembro Terra Indigena.
