Faber-Castell forests - a "Noah's Ark" for threatened flora and fauna

Ocelot, puma, and rhea have found a home in our Brazilian forests,thanks to long-term environmental programmes

Faber-Castell’s pine forests in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais count as a pioneering achievement in the pencil industry, anywhere in the world.  In 1999 they were awarded an international green seal of quality by the Forest Stewardship Council®  (FSC®) for their exemplary standards of forestry. The managed forests cover 100 square kilometres and are unique in other ways, too, because developing and practising conservation programmes is an important part of Faber-Castell’s forest management. These programmes include continual analyses of the soil and water to keep a check on erosion, a comprehensive education scheme to teach people about the environment, and protecting flora and fauna in two projects named Arboris and Animalis.  All the environmental activities are linked in an overall programme that has already received public recognition, winning two prizes  in 2002.

The Arboris project

As part of the Arboris project, 40 000 indigenous trees have already been planted in the areas of forest set aside as a reserve. This project has a number of goals:

(a) to maintain and encourage the natural flora in the forests

(b) to increase the diversity of useful plant species, so as to provide a habitat for local fauna

(c) to create an equilibrium of insect populations for natural pest control

(d) to exert a positive influence on the soil and water quality in order to prevent erosion.

The Animalis project

The Animalis project is probably the most visible part of the overall programme. This project was established in 1992 and now extends to seven Faber-Castell managed forests. A total of 19 different mammals and 148 species of bird have been observed, twelve of which count as endangered species.  That is sensational news, which puts the project on a significant national footing. After ten years we can draw the following conclusions:

(a) The Faber-Castell forests have attracted important species that were previously not present, such as Pseudalopex vetulus (hoary zorro ) and Casmerodius albus (great egret).

(b) The populations of several endangered species have increased, e.g. Leopardus pardalis (ocelot) and Puma concolor (puma).

(c) Certain species seem to feel particularly at home in our pine forests, for example Rhea americana (rhea) and Cerdocyon thous (common zorro).