Come and be a part of this action too!
Do you have any idea of the importance of a seedling nursery for our city?
A seedling nursery is a place where seedlings and seeds are planted and cared for until they reach the ideal size to be transplanted into permanent locations. In them, seedlings of different species (fruit, ornamental and native trees) are grown to replace deforested areas and for forest revitalization projects. The seedlings can also be donated for use in streets, squares and other green areas, compensating for the disorderly growth of cities where a big part of the trees is suppressed. A nursery is also um ideal place to carry out projects related to environmental education.
Verdejar d’Ajuda started the NURSERY PROJECT 5 years ago.
At the time, it was located inside Parque Central, but had to be transferred temporarily to the private land of one of the members of the Association’s board of directors, Marcos Teixeira.
Until the beginning of the pandemic, the group met weekly to fill the bags of soil and plant the seeds that were donated by several people. Although the pandemic caused the suspension of these meetings, maintenance of the seedlings continued.
When these seedlings reached the ideal size to be transplanted, the idea arose of planting them in the area destined for aW oodland in Arraial’s Central Park. Thus, the FOREST PROJECT was born. In addition to planting most of the seedlings, some were sold and some donated to projects in the region.
Even though it is a temporary nursery, not so well structured, the president of Associação Socioambiental Verdejar d’Ajuda, Cristina Branco, emphasizes that it has met the demands well so far.
However, there is a larger project for the construction of a permanent nursery and a greenhouse for seed germination. These structures will be built inside the designated place in the Central Park with the support of Sociedade Amigos de Arraial d’Ajuda and the District Administration. The project includes the creation of a center where various courses will be held, in addition to environmental education activities.
Unfortunately, the few supporters and volunteers who work in the development of the Association’s other projects made this dream postponed to the second half of this year. The priority now is to finish the actions that are already in progress.
If you are a plant lover, interested in sustainability projects and, above all, do not want to see Arraial losing all the beauty and exuberance of its vegetation, contact VERDEJAR D’AJUDA and find out which way you can participate or collaborate with this movement.
