Meet Dito, one of many Dito’s you’ll find in rural Brazil. An affectionate derivative of the name “Benedict,” it seems to acknowledge a simple connection with the Earth. At least, that’s the way I see it. My best friends in Brazil even call me Dita, and for me, that’s a great embrace. But, I digress, back to this Dito’s story…
When we first met a few years ago, I tapped his knowledge of the plants of the Atlantic Rainforest, in his role as caretaker of the grounds of the Cunha EcoVilla. He not only cares for the land there, but he also shares his country wisdom with residents and visitors to the learning center, and cross-pollinates as he can with his local neighbors. It’s people and relationships like this, that represent the change needed in the area, to move toward reforestation of degraded farm lands.
So this time when I went back to give 1,000 trees to residents of Cunha (thanks to the generosity of our partner, Bom Jardin nursery, sponsors and crowd-funding donors) the EcoVilla came to collect some trees to plant on the land where people come to learn about permaculture.
They were planted by Dito with the resident family of the EcoVilla, Zaida, Dennis and little Ananda.
Why does this matter? We feel it’s a perfect place to bring you, our visitors who want to learn about the Atlantic Rainforest, its native trees and plants, permaculture, and how we can make significant contributions to reverse global warming through reforestation. And, you can help us plant some trees – then have a swim under the waterfall!
Several Ditos will be there to welcome you! Stay tuned for news about our first ECO tours coming this year.
iGive TREES 