Building a Forest Sanctuary in the Amazon

A coastal Amazon forest mosaic in one of the regions with the largest concentration of quilombola communities in Brazil. We work with Indigenous and quilombola communities across the Amazon, building biodiversity corridors and conservation sanctuaries.

Quilombola territories in Alcântara

Alcântara holds the largest quilombola population of any municipality in Brazil. The territory is a mosaic of coastal Amazon forest, mangrove, and transition zones between the Amazon and Cerrado.

Previously cleared for agriculture and impacted by the installation of an aerospace centre, these landscapes are now being restored alongside the communities who have lived here for generations.

Our work focuses on reviving the Pepital River basin, reconnecting mangrove and forest ecosystems, and safeguarding the aquifers that supply surrounding rural communities.

Indigenous territories in the Amazon

In the Território Indígena Araribóia alone, over 1 million trees have been planted alongside Indigenous communities.

The Guajajara people deal with illegal deforestation, land invasions, and natural resource exploitation. These issues accelerate environmental degradation, leading to biodiversity loss and making it difficult for local communities to sustain themselves.

SamaÚma's restoration projects in Arariboia were developed in partnership with the Guajajara, respecting their traditions and knowledge.

Building a biodiversity corridor

Across our Amazon sites, we are managing landscapes to connect restored areas into a continuous biodiversity corridor. Active species monitoring identifies key fauna returning to these corridors. The goal is a self-sustaining conservation sanctuary with permanent ecological surveillance, built and maintained by the communities who know this land.