Thanks to Marcelo Alvalá’s individual donation, Instituto Terra has overcome a strategic gap in its RPPN, strengthening the restoration of the Atlantic Forest and expanding the connection between protected areas.
Aimorés, April 2025 – Every forest that rises has stories that were born long before the first sapling was planted. Some of them start with a gesture: an attentive look, a visit, a desire to make a difference. It was like that with Marcelo Alvalá.
Sensitive to environmental issues from a young age, Marcelo had already supported initiatives such as the Mata Ciliar Association, adopting wild animals that had been victims of urban impact for years. But I still felt I could – and should – do more. In 2020, motivated by a report on the economics of the standing forest, he decided to look for consolidated projects in ecological restoration. He arrived at Instituto Terra.
Founded by Lélia Wanick Salgado and Sebastião Salgado, the Institute has been working for more than two decades to restore the Atlantic Forest in the Rio Doce Valley. In July 2022, Marcelo had the chance to visit the headquarters in Aimorés (MG) in person, through a partnership with the company where he works. What he saw was more than a successful project. An entire ecosystem was being rebuilt before their eyes: seedling nurseries, a seed laboratory, a meliponary, restored trails, environmental education programs and reborn springs.
“Touring the planting areas and having contact with the work of rebirthing the waterholes made me very enthusiastic about discovering how I could make a concrete contribution to such a transformative project,” he recalls.
It was after this visit that Marcelo decided to make a donation that would go beyond symbolism. His contribution enabled the acquisition of a new property, incorporated into Instituto Terra’s Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN) – and thus the formation of a continuous ecological corridor in a previously fragmented area.
“We had already acquired four properties around our RPPN, but an area of 19.60 hectares remained isolated between them,” explains Juliano Salgado, executive director of Instituto Terra. “With this donation, we have finally managed to incorporate this ‘connection’ into the protected territory, creating a unified reserve. This ensures greater efficiency in our restoration work and strengthens the region’s ecological corridors.”
Marcelo’s action represents what is most powerful in environmental philanthropy: individual commitment that turns into collective and lasting impact. According to the 2022 GIFE Census, individuals donated more than R$110 million to causes in Brazil – a clear sign that awareness is growing of everyone’s role in preserving the planet.
In times of climate urgency, supporting initiatives like Instituto Terra is more than a generous gesture. It’s an investment in the future of biodiversity and the resilience of ecosystems. It is, above all, a commitment to life.