A difficult period and full of mishaps, the drought that affected many properties   

In times of rain, water has not been lacking in the region. But it was not always so. Antônio Donizete Carlevatto, Tonhão, as he likes to be called, says that many difficulties were faced a few years ago.

Antônio is a rural producer, land owner in Socorro/SP, partner of Verde Novo, a project sponsored by Petrobras, through the Petrobras Socio-environmental Program – this project carried out by Copaíba and has helped to change the lives of many people. After Antonio sought support to recover his property and protect his spring, everything began to change. “The spring dried up in 2014. Everything ended, even the oxen ran out of water. We didn't even have water to drink. Then I looked for Copaíba because I had a lack of water on my farm and decided to plant tree seedlings at the spring. I planted in the 50 meters around the spring”, comments Antonio, very proud of the feat.

A major difficulty in forest restoration is still raising people's awareness of the importance of this process and the owner thinks that everyone should have an open mind for more forests to be formed. “It's not much, if the owner plants on the riverbank, he doesn't lose anything. And it only brings good things, the birds that are there now in the forest, the bees that they didn't have before – they go to the coffee flowers and help a lot in pollinating it”, says Antonio, convinced that he did the right thing on his property.

Antonio is an example of life, of a producer who loves the land and nature and receives quality water back and all the services that the forest can offer, helping to improve his productivity.

Be a partner of Verde Novo, want to know how? access www.copaiba.org.br/verdenovo/ or call (19) 9 9953-8382.