NOC Brazil launches the Brazilian Olympic Forest project, with Rayssa Leal as patron, in the heart of the Amazon
In an unprecedented action in its more than 100-year history, the Brazilian Olympic Committee travelled to the centre of the Brazilian Amazon with the aim of impacting local communities environmentally, socially, and economically.
Last Wednesday (29), the BOC launched the Brazilian Olympic Forest project in the cities of Tefé and Alvarães, in the state of Amazonas, in an action that will provide the reforestation of about 6.3 hectares of forest in riverine, Indigenous, and quilombola communities. The initiative was reinforced by Olympic skate medallist Rayssa Leal, the BOC’s sustainability ambassador, who was present in the Amazon for the launch of the project, of which she is the patron.
The delegation led by the BOC president, Paulo Wanderley, and the athlete, an icon of world skateboarding, was in the Amazon last week. On Wednesday, both led the project launch in the communities of Bom Jesus da Ponta da Castanha and the São Jorge da Ponta da Castanha village, the main ones impacted by the initiative. BOC president, Paulo Wanderley, and Rayssa planted two seedlings of Jatoba, a native species of the region, in the presence of local authorities and representatives of the local communities involved to symbolize the inauguration of the project, which will last at least until 2030. In addition, the two planted a commemorative plaque on the site.
“The topic of preserving and restoring the environment is very important for all of society, and it is no different for sport. It is true that every company generates social and environmental impact, and the Olympic Movement as a whole has to assume this responsibility. Now, with the Brazilian Olympic Forest, an unprecedented initiative in the country, the BOC will dive even deeper into the sustainability agenda, a matter more than urgent on the entire planet. I am very proud of the legacy we are building with actions and partnerships like this”, said the BOC president.
“I am very happy to participate in all this with the BOC and other athletes. We need to think more and more about sustainability, even in our day to day. I feel honoured to be here and plant the first tree of my life!”, celebrated Rayssa.
The BOC initiative is part of the “Olympic Forest Network”, a network that provides for the restoration of forests by National Olympic Committees worldwide through a proposal of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
A signatory of the Olympic Forest Network since 2023, the BOC chose to impact, especially, the communities of Bom Jesus da Ponta da Castanha and the São Jorge da Ponta da Castanha village in the cities of Tefé and Alvarães (Amazonas). They are located within the limits of the Tefé National Forest, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, a federal protected area managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio).
The restoration will include the planting of approximately 4,500 trees of native species, including some that are part of the traditional extractive activities of local residents, such as the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) and the açaí palm (Euterpe oleracea).
The BOC has as a partner in the project the Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development, a social organization linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation. The initiative will offset the emission of four thousand tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
