In South America's Atlantic Forest, the survival of diverse species often hinges on a nurturing "mother" figure, crucial for sustaining the ecosystem. This principle is evident in the various plant and tree species that reach for sunlight while providing shade for the lower vegetation.
Currently, the Atlantic Forest hosts around 5,000 tree species, with two-thirds at risk of extinction due to centuries of exploitation. Restoring this tropical rainforest—an area in Brazil with a unique potential for rehabilitation, covering 100 million acres—is a key goal of Apple-supported initiatives in the region. One such initiative is located inland from the coastal town of Trancoso in Bahia, Brazil, where a company is cultivating seedlings from the most resilient "mother trees" that have withstood the rainforest's destruction.
"We begin with the best genetic material available, harvested from the vast native reserves of the Atlantic Forest," explained Bruno Mariani, founder and CEO of Symbiosis, a forest investment and management firm. "This attracts a wide variety of wildlife and insects."
Since its establishment in 2008, Symbiosis has been harvesting, storing, and planting seeds from mother trees of various native species in Brazil since 2010. "Mother trees represent nature providing us with all the energy and foundation for restoration, so in a way, mother trees give us everything," said Mickael Mello, nursery manager at Symbiosis.
Symbiosis is one of three investments under Apple's Restore Fund, announced in 2021 to scale nature-based solutions for climate change. In collaboration with Goldman Sachs and Conservation International, the Restore Fund has invested in three carbon removal projects across Brazil and Paraguay. These projects aim to offer benefits beyond carbon removal, including supporting local livelihoods and enhancing biodiversity.
Since its first planting, involving 160 different species across an area now permanently protected from logging, Symbiosis has expanded to restore endangered native trees. To combat biodiversity loss, Symbiosis has committed to conserving 40% of its land by planting diverse, natural forests, while the remaining land provides valuable tropical hardwood from responsibly managed sources. After planting 800 hectares of biodiverse forests over the past decade, the company aims to plant over 1 million seedlings on 1,000 hectares in 2024 alone.
"Trees grow in clusters, like a network," Mariani said. "They are inherently social beings and support each other. Different species have roots that penetrate the soil at varying depths to avoid competition, indicating cooperation."
The Atlantic Forest stretches along the eastern coast of South America, from northeastern Brazil deep into southeastern Paraguay and northern Argentina. The forest is only 40 miles wide at its northernmost point and extends about 200 miles inland from the southern Atlantic coast. Over 500 years of deforestation have destroyed 80% of the rainforest, with land converted for agriculture such as coffee, cocoa, sugarcane, and cattle grazing. The forest has been largely depleted of valuable hardwoods like brazilwood and Brazilian rosewood, harvested for furniture, construction, and even musical instruments like guitars. Similar activities are currently taking place in the Amazon region.
Currently, the Atlantic Forest hosts around 5,000 tree species, with two-thirds at risk of extinction due to centuries of exploitation. Restoring this tropical rainforest—an area in Brazil with a unique potential for rehabilitation, covering 100 million acres—is a key goal of Apple-supported initiatives in the region. One such initiative is located inland from the coastal town of Trancoso in Bahia, Brazil, where a company is cultivating seedlings from the most resilient "mother trees" that have withstood the rainforest's destruction.
"We begin with the best genetic material available, harvested from the vast native reserves of the Atlantic Forest," explained Bruno Mariani, founder and CEO of Symbiosis, a forest investment and management firm. "This attracts a wide variety of wildlife and insects."
Since its establishment in 2008, Symbiosis has been harvesting, storing, and planting seeds from mother trees of various native species in Brazil since 2010. "Mother trees represent nature providing us with all the energy and foundation for restoration, so in a way, mother trees give us everything," said Mickael Mello, nursery manager at Symbiosis.
Symbiosis is one of three investments under Apple's Restore Fund, announced in 2021 to scale nature-based solutions for climate change. In collaboration with Goldman Sachs and Conservation International, the Restore Fund has invested in three carbon removal projects across Brazil and Paraguay. These projects aim to offer benefits beyond carbon removal, including supporting local livelihoods and enhancing biodiversity.
Since its first planting, involving 160 different species across an area now permanently protected from logging, Symbiosis has expanded to restore endangered native trees. To combat biodiversity loss, Symbiosis has committed to conserving 40% of its land by planting diverse, natural forests, while the remaining land provides valuable tropical hardwood from responsibly managed sources. After planting 800 hectares of biodiverse forests over the past decade, the company aims to plant over 1 million seedlings on 1,000 hectares in 2024 alone.
"Trees grow in clusters, like a network," Mariani said. "They are inherently social beings and support each other. Different species have roots that penetrate the soil at varying depths to avoid competition, indicating cooperation."
The Atlantic Forest stretches along the eastern coast of South America, from northeastern Brazil deep into southeastern Paraguay and northern Argentina. The forest is only 40 miles wide at its northernmost point and extends about 200 miles inland from the southern Atlantic coast. Over 500 years of deforestation have destroyed 80% of the rainforest, with land converted for agriculture such as coffee, cocoa, sugarcane, and cattle grazing. The forest has been largely depleted of valuable hardwoods like brazilwood and Brazilian rosewood, harvested for furniture, construction, and even musical instruments like guitars. Similar activities are currently taking place in the Amazon region.