Indigenous Tribe Plants 100K Trees to Save Endangered Pine

The Xokleng Indigenous people are restoring what was almost lost forever: the Brazilian pine, a majestic tree that once covered southern Brazil but has declined by 97% in just one century.

Carl Gakran started small in 2016 when he learned the towering araucária pine was critically endangered. He planned to grow just 10 trees on his property in Santa Catarina state.

But the idea caught fire with his community. Within a year, what began as one person's dream became a movement bringing together up to 60 volunteers during peak planting seasons.

The Brazilian pine isn't just any tree to the Xokleng people. It appears in their creation myth and produces edible nuts called pinhão that feed both people and at least 22 animal species.

"Just as our pine is endangered, my people are also endangered, and consequently our language and culture are endangered," said Gakran, who now leads the Zág Institute with his wife Isabel.

The team follows traditional wisdom passed down through generations. They speak to the seeds before harvesting and perform rituals to honor the trees. They always leave at least 40% of the nuts for wildlife.

In 10 years, the institute has grown more than 140,000 seedlings and planted them across nearly 2,500 acres of the Ibirama-La Klãnõ Indigenous Territory. The land is home to about 2,000 people from three Indigenous groups.

The restoration work does double duty. While bringing back forests, it strengthens the community's legal claim to ancestral land that's still working through a lengthy government approval process.

The Ripple Effect

The project now regularly engages 30 to 40 volunteers who collect seeds, grow seedlings, and restore damaged areas. They're also removing invasive species like slash pine and eucalyptus, replacing them with native trees that belong in these forests.

These aren't just any trees returning to the landscape. The Brazilian pine can grow over 160 feet tall with a distinctive crown of branches near the top, making it one of the most striking trees in South America.

"Brazilian pines are sacred to us," Gakran said. "You can't tell the story of our people without speaking of them."

What started as one person wanting to save 10 trees has become a community bringing back an entire forest, one seedling at a time.