Neotropical Eco Foundation

Are we ready for "Certified Green" lumber?

There is a movement afoot to "solve" the deforestation problem in the tropical areas of the globe. The idea is to create a centralized certification process, at least in Europe, and to force the purchasers of tropical hardwoods to verify that the wood that they use is certified "green". Sounds like a good idea, and probably the US will jump on the bandwagon soon as well. But, we ask, will this resolve the problem?

We do not think so!

This idea, like so many well intentioned ones that are thought up in ivory towers, far from where the chain saw meets the tree, is not workable. It's just another conscience salving effort on the part of consumers to feel good about something that they WANT to do, even when they know that it is wrong. It is akin to the much touted "solution" to the illegal drug problem of spraying the coca or poppy fields with a chemical defoliant. Reducing supply has never eliminated demand, it just raises prices, and in the case of drugs makes the user go to even greater lengths to feed his habit.

Now, let's look at some of the drawbacks to the solutions for deforestation being proposed:

1. Maintaining "On Site" Inspections

Keeping inspectors in the field will cost a great deal of money. Local governments rarely can dispose of the amounts involved (even when they want to!). Inspectors require transportation: in most cases these areas are reachable only by water or seasonal roads, sometimes only by air! Boats, 4x4s and airplanes are, in most of the places of the world where tropical hardwood grows, very expensive toys for the rich, not work tools for relatively low level government employees.

We have heard a global clamor for quite a long time about the Amazon forest being devastated, as was the Atlantic forest, which started during the first years of the European presence on the continent. Not that the uproar is a negative point, it is somehow refreshing since the Amazon is vital for the climate balance both in Brazil and globally.

We have seen what has happened after the colonizers knocked down the Atlantic forest in Brazil which continued until the last decade of the 20'th century. The expansion of sugarcane created an almost desert like land in the northeast of Brazil, with soil salinization in parts where once forests existed. Rivers have disappeared and the dried out basins have formed a sterile land of what in the past was covered with life. Such will eventually happen to the Amazon, taking away the plants, trees, all kinds of life.

The Amazon forest is not only vital to the many animals, plants and insects that are endemic to the region, not to mention the humans that live there. It is immensely important for the health of the planet earth, and although it is almost totally ignored in the most important urban centers of the country, it should be a matter of concern for all people living in Brazil and the rest of the world.

Observing birds is an activity that brings joy to many people all around the globe. Although very gratifying, birding can be a difficult task in some places, especially in Brazil. Not only do birds move fast and keep their distance from humans but also many species like to stay high in the forest canopies. Access to some of the areas can also be difficult due to the dense vegetation. The best alternative to birding out in the field is doing it in your own backyard. To attract birds all you need to do is to place feeders and nest boxes around the house, like a good number of people do in the Northern hemisphere. Although this is not a very common practice here in Brazil there are a few people, like us, who place fruits, seeds and water to attract the birds. This "help" is especially important during the winter season, when there are very few plants that bear fruit. Since the winters are mild, most birds do not migrate, so the competition for the few resources available is fierce. Anything that is placed outside, from rice, seeds to fruits, is welcomed by most birds. There is nothing more pleasurable than to watch these little guys come visit our feeders everyday. No better way to observe these birds from the comfort of your home!

Brazilian Backyard Visitors

The main food that we give to the birds is fruit: bananas, oranges, papayas, apples and mangoes, since a great number of birds in Brazil are fruit eaters. Amazingly enough, bananas will attract even birds who are thought to be strict insectivores like the barred antshrike. You would not believe our amazement when we saw a female and male trying the banana for the first time. We think that maybe they were trying to catch an insect on the banana and had a taste of it by accident. Once they had a taste, they were hooked! Since then, they started coming for bananas almost everyday, even during the times of the year when insects are abundant. Our other frequent visitors are the Sayaca Tanager, Palm Tanager, Epaulet Oriole, Orange-headed Tanager, Ruby-crowned Tanager, Bananaquit, Burnished-buff Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Creamy-bellied Thrush, Pale-breasted Thrush, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, House Sparrow (we are not too happy with these visitors), and occasionally we will see Blue Dacnis, Great Kiskadee among others.

Featured Bird - Barred Antshrike

Our featured bird of this volume is the Barred Antshrike, Thamnophilus doliatus. If you were to see the female and the male of this species separately and for the first time, you would probably think that they are two completey different species. While the male is barred with black and white stripes, the female is mainly two different shades of rufus. Only when together can you compare their features and also when they sing together can you really tell that what seems to be two different species is really a pair. According to the literature available these little birds are insectivores, but we observed them on various occasions feasting on bananas. This is an amazingly beautiful species.

Long before Europeans arrived in the Americas there was a large bird which foraged in the grassy marshlands and meadows, near the forests of the Alagoas and Pernambuco states of Brazil. The bird was beautiful, about the size of a small turkey. It had bluish black feathers with a big thick red beak. The feathers on the top of it's head formed a crest which was shown at times of fear or nervousness. The crest made it the king of the birds in that restricted forest area above the San Francisco river.

It was called Mitu by the native people in Brazil, today, we call it the Alagoas Curassow. It's call was short and low, almost like a cough, which made it hard to be heard and located. The bird was described by the German naturalist Georg Marcgraf in his book Historia Naturalis Brasiliae, published in Latin in 1648, the first important scientific work in Brazil. Marcgraf was brought to Brazil by Prince Mauritz von Nassau (1604-1679) who was Governor-general of the Dutch colony in Pernambuco. After being described by Marcgraf the Mitu Mitu seems to have dropped out of sight for about 300 years, putting in doubt the identification made by the scientist. In fact, the bird was probably hiding, since it is one of the most timid birds in the Brazilian fauna. In 1951 a Brazilian ornithologist, Olivério Pinto, rediscovered Mitu Mitu hiding in the forests of Alagoas.

(Click on the photos to enlarge)