Those who see the Ribeira Valley from above immediately notice a large green massif in the Southeast of São Paulo: it is the Atlantic Forest in its most preserved state. Among trees, animals and rivers, a closer look reveals something even more special in that piece of land: people. These are the hands, of indigenous peoples, quilombolas, caiçaras and caboclos, who have taken care of the area for centuries and kept it standing.
It is precisely there that a group of quilombolas, members of the Rede de Sementes do Vale do Ribeira and residents of the communities André Lopes, Bombas, Maria Rosa, Nhunguara and São Pedro, make forests.
In 2017, when work began, just 40 kilos of seeds were collected by 12 people. Since then, this network has only grown. In 2022, the 60 Members – 35 of whom were women – collected more than two tons of 98 native plant species, which were destined for the ecological restoration of degraded areas, accounting for 242 thousand reais in sales.
Now, Rede de Sementes do Vale do Ribeira, in partnership with Instituto Socioambiental (ISA), shares this knowledge in the book From the Quilombo to the Forest: a guide to plants in the Atlantic Forest in the Ribeira Valleywhich will be released to the general public on 04/13, at the Floresta store in Centro, in the city of São Paulo, and 04/26, at SESC Registro (SP).
“We are preserving the forest without causing damage and we are helping other places that don’t have the seed. We feel happy about that, because we are trying to help the Brazil that we will have tomorrow”, emphasizes João da Mota, from Quilombo Nhunguara, in a report for the book.
The releases will feature conversation circles between authors, collectors and collectors to discuss the conservation of the Atlantic Forest from the quilombola territories and the performance of the Vale do Ribeira Seed Network in the construction of this socio-biodiversity, despite the various socio-environmental conflicts and racism environment that cross traditional quilombola communities.
“In the decade of restoration, it is more than necessary to encourage and value initiatives that already understand the importance of restoring life on earth now or choose to suffer even more facing the consequences of this climate emergency”, says Raquel Pasinato, from ISA, in the preface of the Publication.
The guide catalogs 52 plant species from the Atlantic Forest, with morphological information, associated uses in the quilombos of Vale do Ribeira and ways of collecting, processing, storing and planting forest seeds.
The cooked leaves of Aroeira (Schinus terebinthifolia), for example, are used by quilombola communities in the Médio Vale do Ribeira for infections and inflammations, while the leaves of Pata-de-vaca (Bauhinia forficata) are indicated for diabetes, the book shows. In turn, for the collection of Ipê-verde fruits (Cybistax antisyphilitica) must be collected directly from the tree and dried in the sun until spontaneous opening and seed release.
The publication also delves into the relationship established between quilombolas and seeds, the process of occupation of the Ribeira Valley and forest management by traditional communities, as well as the experiences of quilombola collectors and the dynamics of the operation of this seed network.
Organized by social scientist, Master’s student in Anthropology and researcher in Ethnobotany, Bianca Cruz Magdalena, the publication brings together technical information and historical-cultural reports to support the work of men and women collectors and outline strategies to defend the Atlantic Forest, based on the identity of the quilombolas of Vale do Ribeira and the wisdom of the Traditional Quilombola Agricultural System (SATQ), of which the seeds are part – a system that is recognized as intangible cultural heritage of Brazil, by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN).
“The traditional quilombola communities that have occupied the Ribeira Valley for centuries, through orality, memory and associated traditional knowledge, conserve the forest, its flora and fauna, whose way of life is based on ethnic identity, with the Seed Network do Vale do Ribeira one of the successful community initiatives in the management of forest seeds for the ecological restoration and recovery of degraded areas”, emphasizes the researcher.
“This shows us that collection goes beyond generating income and work, but it is a source of resistance and permanence in these spaces of struggle, which are the quilombos in Brazil. Thus, recording and disseminating this knowledge contributes to its existence and appreciation”, he continues.
Teachers, students and people interested in the topic of ecological restoration will also be able to delve into this content and reap the benefits.
participatory material
Made during the Covid-19 pandemic, the publication was built in a participatory way with the Quilombolas of Vale do Ribeira. Between 2020 and 2022, ethnographic field trips were organized for interviews with local residents of the communities of André Lopes, Bombas, Maria Rosa and Nhunguara, respecting all safety protocols, in addition to meetings to identify plant species with the caiçara biologist Selmo Bernardo and capture of images mostly made by quilombola photographer Maicon Souza Pereira, from quilombo André Lopes.
A vast botanical bibliography was also consulted as a reference for the morphological description of the plants and the participation of authors, collaborators and partners in the field of ecological restoration in the review of the book, such as Juliano Silva do Nascimento and Eduardo Malta Campos Filho, both from ISA, Elza Alves Corrêa and Francisca Alcivânia de Melo Silva, professors at the São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Registro, and coach Gustavo Barros Rocha.
Service
Launching of the book “From Quilombo to the Forest”
São Paulo
When: April 13th
Time: 19h
Where: Floresta Store in the Centre, Metrópole Gallery, second mezzanine. Avenida São Luís, 187, Metrô República – São Paulo/SP
Record
When: April 26
Time: 17h
Where: Sesc Registro, Avenida Mayor Jonas Banks Leite 57, Downtown – Registro/SP