Let's protect the Atlantic rainforest - Brazil 2021

Team Unconventional Start Date: Jan 18, 2021 - End Date: Jul 17, 2021

My Travel Story

by: Team Unconventional Start Date: Jan 18, 2021 - End Date: Jul 17, 2021
Who we are ? 
We are Hajar, Wiam and Hajar, three different young women who crossed each other’s path and decided to stick together for many reasons. The strongest one is to be making the world a better place.
While the world seems to be condemning differences, we decided to make it our strength : We accept each other unconditionally and focus on shaping a better future, while indoctrinating sustainability, transparency and collective security as core values.
To us, obstacles are about perspectives and they can be overcome with communication, understanding, confidence and taking initiatives. This mindset reunited the three of us, and we are positive it CAN bring together more people around the same goal. 

Our Motivation:
Actually, when it comes to environmental issues, and especially when we live in a place where the direct consequences are not tangible, we tend to hang loose and consider the problem as someone else’s that will not affect us.....far from being the case! That is the reason that motivated us to go on this adventure with the Iracambi research center in Brazil, where a significant area of the rainforest is contained, and show people in our communities that the threats this “treasure house of biodiversity” is facing concern us as well.
We believe in the power of youth and how this new generation can change things for good when given the opportunity. And us ,as young people, are determined to embark in this journey where we invite youth to learn about what is happening, understand the consequences and take initiatives to bring the change.

Why choose to volunteer in Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest?
We identify ourselves as global citizens who care for the world, strive to make a positive impact and help instaure peace, fairness and sustainability. This desire, this drive, did not come from nowhere : it was passed to us through our unique singular history and our Moroccan culture that has always been about openness and helping out when needed.
Lately, we have been watching all over the news the Amazon rainforest being burnt and cut down, which is very alarming. But there is a significantly rich ecosystem as important as the Amazon that is being severely threatened. We have been extremely concerned about this matter because, while the rainforests may seem like a distant concern, they are not called the lungs of the planet for no reason. In fact, the Atlantic rainforest is one of the world’s top 5 biodiversity hotspots that contain a large percentage of endemic species. It ”contains an even richer variety of habitat for flora and fauna than the Amazon Forest, with the world’s largest diversity of woody plants per hectare”. Between 90 to 93% of the Atlantic forest has faded away, and it currently only encompasses 7% of its original size; the situation, then, is proved to be critical.
When losing the rainforests,we will lose every little chance against climate change causing in the process the displacement and even the extinction of a very important number of animal and plant species. 




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