Restoring Brazil’s Atlantic Forest and bringing water back to the Rio Doce Valley.

Instituto Terra was founded in 1998 by Lélia Wanick Salgado and Sebastião Salgado, who decided to restore the forest on their family’s degraded farm in Aimorés, Minas Gerais. What began as an effort to bring one piece of land back to life became a living demonstration that even deeply damaged land can be restored. Today the once-barren hills are covered by a forest that has brought back water, wildlife and hope to the region.

Building on that experience, Instituto Terra has become a reference in three areas: ecosystem restoration, environmental education and sustainable rural development. The institute produces native seedlings in its nursery and replants the Atlantic Forest in its private natural reserve. Its education programs train children, young people and communities across the region. Through the Terra Doce program, it works with rural producers throughout the Rio Doce Basin to recover springs and adopt sustainable production practices.

Impact highlights

Since 1998:
🌳 More than 3.6 million trees planted
🌱 7,910,958 native seedlings produced in our nursery
💧 2,622 springs in recovery
👨‍👩‍👧 1,739 rural families benefited

In 2025:
📚 782 children trained through the Terrinhas program
🌿 39 young people engaged through the Terra Jovens program
👣 4,562 visitors welcomed at Instituto Terra

How donations help
Donations fund the native seedlings, forest planting and spring recovery. They also provide technical support for rural families and keep the education programs running, forming the next generation of forest guardians.