Retired Man Plants Trees Alone, Creates Sao Paulo's Largest Urban Forest
Retired man plants trees on forgotten land, now it's Sao Paulo's largest park
In 2003, Helio da Silva began planting trees on a neglected strip of land in Sao Paulo using only his personal savings. Over two decades, his solitary effort transformed the abandoned area into Tiquatira Park, now a thriving urban forest spanning 3.2 kilometres. Despite retiring, he continues to care for the thousands of trees, proving that individual dedication can reshape a city's landscape.
Planting a cutting takes only a few minutes, but maintaining thousands of trees requires years of attention.
- thelastgallon
There are a few one man army like this.
Dashrath Manjhi is best known for carving a 110-metre-long (360 ft), 9.1-metre-wide (30 ft), and 7.7-metre-deep (25 ft) path through a ridge of hills using only a hammer and a chisel, because his wife fell and died from injuries due to the ridge blocking easy access to a nearby hospital on time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashrath_Manjhi
- khalic
It feels great to see this kind of story. We're all suffering from this (false) idea that we can't do anything, things are too bad, somebody else has done it before, or somebody else will do it. The fact is, humanity is pulled forward by people like this, who find their goal and don't let it go.
We need this right now, we're stepping into a pretty dark century, we're probably going to lose millions or billions of people to the effects of climate change, and we need every little bit of hope we can muster and build up.
- Schlagbohrer
Folks might also be interested in San Fransisco's own "Tenderloin National Forest"
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tenderloin-national-fore...
Is there some abandoned parking lot in your town? Get some friends together with pick axes for a depaving party. Or, for something a bit less dedicated, craft some seed bombs (mix dirt and clay together into small cookie balls with native seeds in them) and throw them into the abandoned area. Boom, wildflowers, then pollinators, insects, birds, voila.
- femto
A similar story to Wendy's Secret Garden in Sydney, Australia?
https://www.wendyssecretgarden.org.au/
After her husband's death in 1992, Wendy Whiteley took to cleaning up an unused railway easement behind her house. It turned into a substantial garden. The railways refused to guarantee its future (it was on their land), but in 2015 it became an official park. Well worth a visit on a sunny afternoon if you are in Sydney.
- robocat
Hélio da Silva, o plantador de árvores
Looks like his real name (da Silva is the most common surname in Brazil) and nominative determinism: "Sun of the Forest". Silvicultura.
I'm trying to get some trees to grow - it's a lot of work: Hélio has spent huge amounts of time and money on it (average wage might be USD1000/month and article says he was spending 7000 a year and if that was in the past then amount is a lot more in today's dollars).
- philipov
"View this post on Instagram" No thanks, put into the article.
- igleria
> He believed that if he planted native species, the soil would recognize them and vice versa, quite like something etched in memory.
why does reading this feel so good?
- mirmor23
Amazing guy. I like the part where he was not deterred by the (stereotypical human garbage) business guy that kept destroying the plants so his hoarding of the land didn't get in the way.
Humboldt redwoods state park, and 'avenue of the giants' wouldn't exist if not for the tireless efforts of environmentalists.